The aim of the organisation is to provide a range of networking opportunities through a variety of events including speed networking, meet and mixes, personal development courses and speaker dinners to name but a few.

If you’ve been to one of these events though you will have noticed that there is a lack of people from the ‘creative industries’. When I say creative industries I mean anything from PR and design to TV production and web design. One of the things I’ve been tasked to look into is why there is a lack of creatives at these events. Is it cost, type of events or simply a lack of understanding to what Birmingham Future is. Perhaps it is the speaker or even the lack of other creatives attending.

So my question to all you ‘creatives’ out there is how can we get you to come to these events? Can we do anything different? Please be as brutally honest as possible. I’m getting tired of being one of the only people in the room who rocks up to a speed networking event in a pair of jeans.

Thanks for your thoughts and time guys.

90 per cent of the participants thought that PR agencies were better placed to work with in social media then their advertising counterparts.

Obviously this is music to our ears here at Big Cat, having run a number of successful social media campaigns including Bodies Revealed, Funworld and the current CSI: The Experience. However I’m not sure it’s entirely true.

Yes, PR agencies can write the copy, upload the links, images and statuses as well interact with other users, but I think sometimes it’s good to have a second set of eyes to look at the campaign, finding new ways to target demographics whether it be through Google Ad Words, Facebook banners or even images and links on Marketing material.

In all honesty I think that’s why our campaigns work so well, although one person in the team might take lead in the realm of social media, he/she always gauges the opinions of the other departments, seeing what they can bring to the table. For a social media campaign to be truly successful I personally feel a fully integrated campaign, with input from across departments can work a lot better than one person sitting at his desk all day on Twitter and Facebook.

For many people this might look like some playground game, but in fact it’s the latest application to hit the social media world by storm.

Foursqaure, a new geotagging application available on iPhone, Blackberry and Web Browser, allows you and your friends to “Check in” at destinations across the globe in order to earn points and badges.
I have to admit, I was and still am pretty addicted to this, checking in every place I visit. Some of my friends have said it would be incredibly easy to stalk me, but I just thought “Who would want to stalk me?”

However the creators of Foursquare have come under criticism recently as apparently this fun application aids robbers in finding empty houses.

Obviously the owners replied straight away stating that there are a lot easier ways to see if anyone is home, the big one is if the lights are switched off.

So what do we think then? Are all these applications and games putting our security at risk or are they just a bit a fun?

I’m a big kid at heart so I think I’ll still be checking in on a regular basis.

This months trip was to see his original masterpiece Swan Lake which, as with all of his productions, Bourne had twisted and interpreted into his own vision.

The biggest change to this production, bar the modernisation of the performance itself, is the use of a menacing male ensemble representing the swans.

Full of truly astonishing feats of dance, the current tour features the stunning (and my personal favourite dancer) Richard Winsor *swoon* who takes on the role of lead Swan and “The Stranger”.

It’s hard to believe that this particular interpretation is 16 years old. Originally being performed in 1995, and having toured the globe,  Swan Lake remains as fresh and visually stunning as ever.

Without spoiling it for those of you who haven’t seen the performance yet, my favourite scene has to be “The Royal Ball” in Act 3. Featuring a variety of exotic dancers, similar to those seen in The Nutcracker (another of Bourne’s productions) this scene welcomes The Stranger, a dark and mysterious figure who entices the women, and Prince, under his spell. As you can imagine the scene gets hot and steamy quite fast.

As with all of Bourne’s productions I have seen so far, I cannot pick a single fault. I don’t claim to be an expert on dance or music, however I know what I like and in my eyes that’s all that matters. I strongly recommend you go and see this performance before it’s too late.

Here’s a little trailer from the tour (unfortunately this was taken before Richard Winsor joined the cast). Oh and does anyone know the link between Billy Elliot and Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake? Answers on a postcard

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake runs until February 13. Tickets are still available for some performances on 0844 338 5000 or online at www.birminghamhippodrome.com.

One of my mates asked me what I’m doing nowadays which I replied, “I’m a PR Senior Account Executive for a company called Big Cat in Birmingham.” His response was “PR eh? Oh so you’re one of them?. I shrugged the comment off and thought nothing of it.

It wasn’t until today when I was reading a blog entitled “10 reasons why you should get rid of your PR firm” that I wondered why do us PR folk have such a bad rep?

I’m proud of where I work, all my clients are reputable, the campaigns we run are worthwhile and the releases we write are genuine, so why are we classed as another “Breed”?

I know I’m relatively new to the industry but I like to think that I have morals and if push comes to shove I’d stand by them.

In response to the above mentioned blog, I thought I’d do my own “10 reasons why you should hire a PR company”. Now I’m not one of those types that thinks every company in the world needs a PR firm, it all depends on circumstance, resources, what you actually want to accomplish and whether or not you can achieve it yourself.

Most PR companies deserve your time because……

1) We know our market

There are a vast range of resources out there which allow PR companies to analyse their market, whether it be software such as Media Disk which allows us to find the right journalist for the right story, or online websites such as Mintel which contain a whole wealth of stats and figures on any topic you could imagine. If you want to know your market you’ve got to put the time and research in.

2) We speak English

Many PR firms have a number of B2B clients which specalise in technical goods that Joe-Public aren’t interested in. Due to the type of market, much of the material has to be technical as well, however you have to be careful not to overload it. If you’re writing for the trade press, the reader will know much of the technical info already so you can get straight to the point. There’s no need to skirt around the topic, most times its better to dive in straight to the point.

There’s also an opposite to this. As PR’s we’re often asked to “flower-up” a release, make it more interesting and appealing to the reader. Again, this is another trap that a good PR knows to avoid. It’s ok adding the extra multi-syllable word here and there, but you have to be careful not to overdo it, otherwise your release ends up looking like an 18th century novel rather than an article for a newspaper.

A  good PR can write a release to fit any subject area, whether it be B2B or for the general public. Through research, practice and meticulous proof reading you can ensure that any release is ready for its target audience and is easily understandable.

3) We’re not journalists

Journalists are 100% essential for any PR. Building rapport with them makes life a hell of a lot easier, and I’m not on about sending them gifts (which I’m sure they love), just treat them normally. A couple of my closest friends are journalists and the one thing they hate is people who brown nose. Just show a general interest, they’re not aliens (which surprisingly many people still believe). It seems (despite how much both sides disagree) journalists and PR folk are more a like than either of them realise.

4) We care

I’m relatively new to the industry however I still get a buzz when I get a piece of coverage, it doesn’t matter how big it is or whether its national or in a small local paper, to me coverage is coverage. Hopefully I’ll always feel like that.

One thing I can’t stand is blanketing out a press release to a million journalists. If you’re a good PR you have your contacts and know who to target. If you’re venturing into a new arena, do your research and pick up the phone. However its better to find out when journalists aren’t on a deadline though and time your calls for then.

Sending out a release to 14 titles isn’t a result to me, it’s not until I see the story in the appropriate publication that I know the job is done. I’m pretty sure this is how the client feels as well as telling them the release has been sent out isn’t what their paying for.

5) We manage our resources

I’m going to use the old cliché here and say that all businesses are under pressure to generate the same if not greater results on far fewer resources. However its upto the good PR to keep tabs on the resources and manage client expectations accordingly. Over-servicing has become essential over recent months, however the majority of the time its the only way to get the results. Quality should always overcome quantity.

6) We’re good at publicity

This is sort of self-explanatory. How else would you know about a good PR company unless their good at publicity? There are so many platforms to promote a company whether it be via newspapers, trade titles or social media. However word of mouth and recommendations still seems to be the best way to get new clients.

7) We don’t like ruts

Any good PR loves a challenge and something new to dig their teeth into. That doesn’t necessarily mean a new client though. It’s a PR’s job to make their own work interesting, that’s the challenge. Injecting life and new ideas into a campaign not only keeps the client happy but also the agency team.

8 ) We choose good clients

We’re not all money grabbing Fat Cats, many of us like to pick who we work with and for very carefully. There are a number of PR firms in Birmingham, including Big Cat who are proud of who they work for and the results they achieve. A lot of the time people think its the client that chooses the PR firm, but the PR firm has to have some say in it as well otherwise the campaign will never succeed.

9) We make the industry look good

All in all the majority of PR agencies do a dam good job. Every single one is different, each with their own methodology, quirks and perks. I’m not saying that all agencies are fantastic, far from it, however they don’t deserve the bad reputation which they seem to have developed over recent years.

Some of the countries greatest product awareness stunts were designed and implemented by PR firms, so next time think before you come out with a comment such as “Oh, you’re one of those.”

10) We love what we do

Simple as that. We, the team at Big Cat love what we do. We love our clients, we love our work and we love each other (well most of the time). Becuase of this we do a damn good job, and this is why we continue to work with some of the best clients in the country

The programme is pure genius; packed to the brim with chart topping hits which have been allocated to a character and made relevant to each episode and their story, Glee features some of the U.S’s top musical performers as well as cameo’s from some of the industry’s best.

I thought I’d leave you with one of my favourite songs from the show “I bust the windows out your car” (sorry about the video quality). Enjoy

This week’s guilty pleasure is “Take That” by Wiley and Chew Fu. Now I heard this song some time ago now on Zane Lowe’s show, however I missed who it was by. Typing “Take That” into itunes doesn’t help either as for some reason it throws up songs from some boy band, not too sure who they are though.

Anyway, the song has a great beat to it and if you listen really closely you can make out a bit of “Hustler” by Simian Mobile Disco, which still remains one of my all time top 10 songs.

Rather looking forward to hearing this during a night out at The Custard Factory.

Enjoy

Last Friday saw the launch of NEC Funworld, Europe’s most exciting funfair, which Big Cat PR and Marketing had a helping hand in promoting. Featuring over 60 adrenaline fuelled rides including The Superstar, Frisbee and Frog, it’s enough to turn your stomach (which I can testify too).

As with any launch though, you have to have a high profile celebrity, and boy did we have an act. X-Factor legends John and Edward performed a number hits on the night which included their very own interpretation of “Ghostbusters”. The hall was buzzing with atmosphere, with a crowd of screaming girls (and a few boys) chanting “JEDWARD! JEDWARD!”. Some of the girls had been queuing up since 1:00pm in the afternoon and during the time had practiced a little routine to wow the twins with.

The launch event was a great success though with the Big Cat team even having some time on the rides themselves….well we had to make sure all the rides worked ok.

But, no rest for the wicked though. 3 days left till we break up for Christmas and we still have a pile of work to get through. Some great projects coming up in the New Year though which we’re really excited about, however it’s all a bit hush hush at the moment so you’ll have to wait and see what they are.

Our chosen poison was the BRB’s magical performance of “The Nutcracker” at The Hippodrome. Although most of the shops have had Christmas stock in since August, I still wasn’t feeling very Christmassy, however The Nutcracker changed it all.

The Winds

The theatre was packed, and it was quite a mixed audience both in age and gender. I did have a giggle though as the lady in front had brought her own pair of binocular’s with her.

As the lights dimmed, the curtain lifted to reveal the most intricate stage I have ever seen. Set in the home of Dr Stahlbaum, it seemed more like a set from one of the BBC’s period dramas.

The music was stunning and the dancers were out of this the world. Clara, the Prince and also the Sugar Plum Fairy blew me (and hopefully the rest of the audience) away when they did their solo dances. As I said in my previous blog about Matthew Bourne, the stamina that must be required for some of those moves must be astronomical. They must have legs of steel (in strength that is not weight).

The Nutcracker and Sugar Plum Fairy

My favourite scene however has to be when Clara rides across the stage on top of a magnificent swan. It’s the sort of thing that leaves your mouth ajar. The magician, Drosselmeyer, had to be my favourite character though, along with his automated, if not slightly freaky, dolls.

Drosselmeyer - The Magician

I’ve heard from a lot of people that Christmas isn’t the same without a trip to see The Nutcracker, and I can honestly say this is one tradition that I too aim to keep. My advice to you, is put aside all the stereotypes you might have about the ballet and broaden your horizons a bit…you never know, you might actually enjoy it.

I’ve loved this song since its first release back in 2006. A great piece of pop-candy that will no doubt have everyone on the dancefloor.

The video is a tad odd though, with the characters looking like they’ve been taken out of “The Joy of Sex“, however there are some great kaleidoscope-style scenes.

Have a watch and let me know what you think.