News
VIEWPOINT - Social Media must be handled with care
March 29th 2007
Graham McMillan warns corporate comms and public affairs practitioners to be extremely careful when engaging with social media.
In this week’s ViewPoint video-clip McMillan argues that Web 2.0 offers exciting opportunities, but, while there have been plenty of examples of corporations getting involved and reaping the rewards, not everyone gets it right.
Politicians and corporations must be very careful and ensure that they ‘don’t just rush in because it is new, fashionable and important,’ he says. ‘Watch, wait and, when you do engage, make sure you’ve got your message right and you’re using the medium in the right way.’
Crucially, he says, PA and corporate comms staff must be careful to ensure they ‘don’t do something that’s going to damage your reputation, or worse, do anything unethical’.
Take a look at Graham’s ViewPoint on PRWeek.com/uk
Gaming consultancy enlists start-up Open Road
March 2nd 2007
It has been given a wide-ranging brief covering public affairs and media relations work.
Global Betting and Gaming Consultants has brought in the agency as Chancellor Gordon Brown plans to regulate the online gambling industry. Brown is expected to introduce a tax regime in this month’s Budget that will encourage online gaming companies to relocate to the UK under a new licensing and regulatory framework.
One of Open Road’s immediate lobbying priorities is to ensure that the new framework includes low tax rates for the online gaming industry. But director Martin Le Jenue stressed that the agency would also develop the public profile of the consultancy and position it as ‘the first people the media turn to for comment on the industry’.
Open Road launched earlier this year. Its chief executive is former Fishburn Hedges head of PA Graham McMillan.
David Singleton
Open Road joins APPC
March 1st 2007
New Public affairs consultancy Open Road has joined the APPC, taking the body to 39 members.
Open Road was founded by Nick DeLuca, former managing director of APCO UK; Graham McMillan, former head of public affairs at Fishburn Hedges; Victoria Tate, former head of public affairs at Sprit Group; and Martin Le Jeune, former head of public affairs at Sky.
Chief executive McMillan said: “The APPC is the leading representative and self-regulatory body for public affairs consultancies in the UK. It has always led the way in raising standards in the industry and in ensuring high ethical standards.
As a new consultancy that has an ethical approach to public affairs, we were always determined to join and are delighted that we are now members.”