Kindred Blog

Blogger relations: ‘what’s the secret?’ – part one

Recently there’s been lots of talk about how PRs will make the transition from traditional media relations to blogger engagement, not simply from the PRs’ perspective but from bloggers, inundated with emails, stating ‘this is how we want to be approached!’ The good news is it really isn’t that difficult. Both require the same skills; it’s just about adapting them for a new medium.

Although there is a definite shift away from issuing a press release (but let’s be honest, the significance of the humble press release was beginning to wane with the growing fragmentation of media channels) one fundamental similarly still exists – a good PR knows how to build a strong, multi-beneficial relationship. The way you go about forging that relationship may differ but the ability to build a quick rapport and get your message across succinctly, hasn’t changed.

When targeting bloggers think about adopting a three step approach: 1) Research, 2) Engagement, 3) Nurture

Lorna is loving Wenlock and Mandeville...are you?

It might be the sunshine or the general end-of-the week glow, but new Olympic mascots Wenlock and Mandeville have attracted some fans within the office – especially Lorna, who as Kindred’s only Stratford resident has a keen interest in all things Olympic. “There’s something quite sweet about the video that introduces them – the voice over and music get you a little bit emotional. And they are cheery little things on Facebook,” she says. In contrast, Paul describes them as looking “like fugly Wii remotes” and (by no means the worst) media descriptions include “odd-looking”, “like two little steel aliens” and “hideous creatures”.

According to Seb Coe “We’ve created our mascots for children. They will connect young people with sport and tell the story of our proud Olympic and Paralympic history. By linking young people to the values of sport, Wenlock and Mandeville will help inspire kids to strive to be the best they can be.” London 2012 also emphasise the selection process for the mascots, which included UK wide focus groups of young people, families and industry experts. So maybe some of the grown-up commentators are missing the point and we should all wish them the best of luck. It’s also good to see they’ve invested in a significant online presence for the mascots – and that you can already buy T-shirts and pin badges.

Bring on the cuddly Wenlock and Mandeville toys!

What's YOUR take? Do you love/hate the two...things?