Archive - February, 2010

New technology but the same rules apply.

February 18, 2010 in Advice, Guest Blogger with Comments Off

Guest Blogger: Member – Mark Sowerby, Head of PR, Butterfield Morris Bushell (BMB) Ltd

As Paperchase joins a long and growing list of big brands to fall foul of social media etiquette, it’s clear that classic PR techniques and principles apply more than ever in an age of increasingly vocal and challenging customer groups.

Earlier this month, an independent artist known as “Hidden Eloise” believed that Paperchase had stolen one of her designs and used it on notebooks, tote bags and albums sold across its 100 UK stores. After posting details of this on Twitter and claiming that her concerns were being ignored by Paperchase, the story quickly became one of the most popular on the network.

This explosion of concern for Hidden Eloise posed a real public relations challenge for Paperchase. As the car crash unfolded, the ‘moberati’ started baying for blood – fuelled by the absence of an official comment from Paperchase. The few objective voices of reason were drowned out as Paperchase’s silence was taken to be an admission of guilt. Even some of those claiming to be contacting Paperchase by traditional means said that they were getting through to voicemail.

In an attempt to help with damage limitation, a Tech PR person registered @paperchaseuk. He, along with numerous other people, was actively trying to contact Paperchase and involve them in dialogue but it didn’t appear that the company had any channels to deal with this kind of digital crisis management.

By late afternoon Paperchase had set up @FromPaperchase and were trying to get a grip of the situation with the release of a statement – effectively confirming that the company had done all it had been legally required to do. A handful of followers retweeted this but, sadly, it was not enough of an explanation for the baying mob and didn’t have the ‘personal’ feel they demanded.

Over the next hours and days the statement was amended to include the name of the design agency and designer involved, expanding on the explanation until a more personal statement was released admitting guilt and proving that a thorough investigation had been done. Ironically, contrary to the opinion of the mob, Paperchase and Hidden Elouise turned out to be the victims of another independent artist.

So what can we learn from this?

Well, there were probably two main question marks surrounding the Paperchase strategy:

1. No one was listening.
2. When they eventually took action, the tone wasn’t wholly appropriate for the audience.

That’s not to say that the incident could have been completely avoided if both of the above had been addressed but it probably could have been better contained. In addition, Paperchase may have been able to maximise the fact that they had a significant volume of traffic to its website.

No matter what company you work for or industry you are involved with, this incident underlines the need to be clear about who and where your customers are and then decide how best to use your time, finances and resources to engage with them – even if it’s just making sure that at a basic level you listen to what is being said and are prepared to respond.

Public relations has always been about consistent communication with customers. The age old saying that PR is not just a tap to be turned on and off has never been more true than today.

The time to listen and engage is now, people are talking about your brand more than ever – and you’d be surprised how much damage can be done in 140 characters or less.

Mark Sowerby, Head of PR, Butterfield Morris Bushell (BMB) Ltd
www.bmb.uk.com
Telephone 01249 700748
mark.sowerby@bmb.uk.com

Prepare for the new right to request time to train

February 4, 2010 in Policy & Legislation, Training with 1 Comment

The Government has recently published guidance to inform employers about the new right for employees to request time for training. The guide is available through the DirectGov website.

Commenting on the guidance, Skills Minister, Kevin Brennan, said: “Now, more than ever, we need learning and training opportunities in place that empower people to gain the skills and training they need to get on.

“Many businesses are really good at training their staff and already recognise the benefits of having a highly skilled and motivated workforce. While two-thirds of businesses do train their staff, we need to encourage employers and employees who do not to speak about training opportunities.”

The right to request time to train was included in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act. Phased in from April, it will initially be available to employees in organisations with 250+ employees. It will then be extended to all employees from April 2011, allowing more time for smaller businesses to prepare for the introduction of the new right.

Amanda Davey, Head of GWE Business West Training and Development said, “One of the most effective ways to meet your organisation’s learning objectives is through bespoke training.

Commissioning a training programme, tailored to your company’s needs, can offer a business more flexibility and save valuable time.”

GWE Business West Training and Development provide bespoke solutions that offer high impact training with cost effective delivery. After a free consultation, bespoke training can be delivered in three ways, to match the individual needs of a business and its employees:-

  1. Scheduled – select a course from the standard Open Training Programme and run it in-house.
  2. Tailored – customise a standard Open Training Course and refine modules to your own requirements.
  3. Bespoke – devise an entirely new training course from scratch. Subject not on the standard programme? Want to consider a different approach to its delivery?

With over twenty years training delivery experience, GWE Business West is well placed to help businesses take advantage of this new guidance, understanding the challenges that businesses face and what makes a difference when it comes to learning and development.

Working with specialist trainers, the quality of training is high, attributable to the extensive knowledge gained in working closely with different business sectors. Bespoke programmes are designed to be interactive and thought provoking, encouraging delegates to take part and maximise their learning experience.

Bespoke training services include tailored courses, available under a wide range of themes including personal effectiveness, leadership & management, business essentials, sales & marketing, communications, finance, effective administration and many more. As well as consultancy, executive coaching, mentoring, facilitated learning, in-house IT, Investors in People, and advice on and delivery of Government Funded Initiatives.

Businesses can also access an extensive open training programme, with scheduled business courses held in first class facilities providing an ideal environment to learn.

To find out how GWE Business West can support your business learning objectives, call 01275 370 847 or visit www.trainingforbusinesspeople.co.uk

Employers Beware

February 4, 2010 in Advice, Employment, Guest Blogger with Comments Off

Guest blogger: Member Stephen Woodman, AMD Solicitors

Stephen Woodman, Employment Law Specialist at AMD Solicitors

Stephen Woodman, Employment Law Specialist with AMD Solicitors explains why small businesses should pay attention to their disciplinary and grievance procedures.

Running internal disciplinary or grievance procedures is a challenge for any employer but for smaller businesses with limited resources at their disposal the problem is often most acute: how can the matter be dealt with so as to be fair to the employee concerned but without causing unnecessary disruption to other employees or to the business in general?

The cost of getting it wrong can be high and the challenging economic climate over the last twelve months suggests that the numbers of claims by employees are likely to rise. In an unfair dismissal the key question for adjudication is whether the employer’s actions were reasonable; one issue that is always scrutinised by the Tribunal is whether the employer followed adequate internal procedures prior to dismissal, either a disciplinary or a grievance process. There have been several changes in the law including, in April 2009 the introduction of a revised ACAS Code of Practice.

On the face of it a disciplinary process is quite different from a grievance procedure (not least because the disciplinary process will be initiated by the employer and the grievance procedure by the employee). However, the Code and accompanying guidance notes contain useful consideration of issues relevant to both, such as the conduct of meetings, allowing the employee to put their case, communicating the outcome and offering an appeal procedure.

Although the new code appears an improvement on the old regime, an unreasonable failure to comply could still result in a significant increase in the level of compensation awarded at Tribunal. Therefore, general advice to all employers is still to think and act carefully and give strong consideration to taking legal advice upon the procedures put in place and, at an early stage if any disputes arise.  

Stephen and his colleagues can assist in drafting appropriate procedures and advise in particular employment situations.  

Tel 0117 9621205 or email stephenwoodman@amdsolicitors.com

Copyright AMD Solicitors

GWE Business West joins the British Chambers of Commerce

February 1, 2010 in Policy & Legislation with Comments Off

GWE Business West joins the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) with effect from 1st February 2010.

By joining the BCC, GWE Business West aims to raise its profile on a national level, linking in with the National lobby at a key time of political change. It will also enable direct input to BCC policy and research work, to share results and to represent the views of their Chambers of Commerce members. Achieving a broader audience for activity and the ability to promote key projects and policy at a much wider level.

Tessa Coombes, Director of Policy & Strategy at GWE Business West said “Overall, from a policy perspective it is good news as it enables us to set our work in the broader context of other Chambers, benchmark against what they are doing and share information and learning on key policy issues. As well as influence the British Chambers agenda.

“The ability to stand on a national platform as part of a bigger entity of business views and voices will allow us to help lobby for issues of interest and help promote, in particular, broader visioning work at a national level.”

A further benefit of joining the BCC will result in GWE Business West Chambers of Commerce members being able to take advantage of a number of additional benefits as part of their membership package. To highlight a few, new benefits will include Chamber Fleet Services, offering excellent preferential rates on The AA’s roadside assistance and fleet management services; access to a range of nationwide discounts from leading brands via an exclusive Chamber Connect Card; and the option to log in to Business Network Online, which provides businesses with new leads and competitive purchasing opportunities at a click of a button.

New businesses can also benefit by signing up to the Business Start-up Pack, which provides a comprehensive range of products and services to help them to develop their newly formed business.

These new services will be available shortly via GWE Business West Chambers of Commerce, which operates the network of Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire Chambers of Commerce, engaging with over 2000 members.

“Becoming part of a wider network of Accredited Chambers will provide some tangible benefits for our members, as well as raising the GWE Business West profile and catchment area with Government and other National agencies.” said GWE Business West Chambers of Commerce Director, Nigel Hutchings.