CIPR Influence

As we head towards Christmas and the new year, we wanted to say a big thank you for helping to make Influence so successful in 2024. * In April we relaunched our newsletter as #InfluenceWeekly, pinging a magazine style newsletter into your inboxes every Friday. It contains thought-provoking, long-read stories, the brightest blogs on subjects that matter to communications professionals and lifestyle tips and secrets to make your work life fabulous! * We also shone our spotlight on the #CIPR members who are doing amazing things, in various sectors and different stages at their careers. * We’ve published 230 blogs this year (most ever!) with 55% of them original, commissioned content and the remainder republished from the sites of top communications professionals and agencies. * We’re also so pleased to have welcomed new bloggers - 112 of those original blogs were from PR and comms practitioners who hadn’t written for us before. * We've also spoken to stalwarts including PR supremo #AlanEdwards, BBC News anchor #CliveMyrie, Katy Talikowska, CEO of Valuable 500, and received business wisdom from Olympic gold-medallist #JamesCracknell. Early in the year we published a commemorative print edition of Influence to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the CIPR. That special publication pre-empted our move from quarterly long-read stories to weekly articles. Exclusive to CIPR members, these reports are written by award-winning journalists. They have covered topics as diverse as ageism in PR and the industry’s late payment crisis, to in-depth features on what this year’s elections in France and US would mean for comms professionals. As it’s Christmas we’re unlocking one of this month's long reads for all to enjoy. Award winning journalist, writer and editor Ryan Herman discovers how #NoradTracksSanta, a holiday tradition dating back to 1955, evolved from a clever PR stunt to a global festive phenomenon – while also highlighting the US military’s lighter side. Have a read below - it's got all the festive feels! 😍🧑🎄 And last but very much not least, we want to say a huge thank you to the partners who advertised with us, allowing us to continue to develop the platform: PA Mediapoint, Dow Jones, YouAgency, #CopyLicensingAgency, Notified, Muck Rack and Cision. And of course to our fantastic editorial board of CIPR members who share their wisdom and experience so generously: James Andrews; Marie-Noëlle Elissac-Foy Chart.PR MCIPR ; Tani Fatuga; Nicky Garsten, PhD, FRSA, FPRCA, SFHEA, CMBE, ChartPR; Valentina Kristensen; Avril Lee; Dipika Patel; Joe Peach, Chart.PR ; niki wheeler; and Jon White. Wishing you all the best for the festive season and here’s to a happy and healthy 2025. #newyear #influence #newsletter #contentstrategy https://lnkd.in/ei4hkgdu

Morning all. Thanks so much for your amazing response to our last feature shout out. Another one today! We would LOVE to know your favourite PR campaigns of the year (it can't be one of your own!). We would love to know what it is, who did it (if you know) and why you love it. And if you do have any stats on its impact that would be great but not necessary. Please email  influence@cipr.co.uk with subject: Best of 24. Thank you so much.

Update: All sorted! So many replies. Thank you all for your help. Hello hello! We're writing a feature on the Over 50s in the comms sector - and why they are so great to have on team :). And also giving some practical advice for the over 50s to realise (and use) their greatness. Would anyone like to comment? You would of course see the finished piece and approve your comment. It interested please email lysanne@meettheleader.com

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations has announced it has ceased proactive engagement on X (formerly Twitter). For a body that represents communication professionals, this is a big step and not one we have taken lightly or rushed into. Here's a long post on our decision. For many months our data showed that posting on X was having virtually no impact on our commercial operations. As the algorithm changed to prioritise paid for content and posts without links, engagement became negligible. As the public's concerns around the governance of the platform grew, our followers fell. Concerns about how changes to the platform's policy on content moderation and the fact X had been charged with breaching the Digital Services Act for spreading misinformation meant that we had been exploring the possibility of leaving it for a while. Surveys showed us that members were simply not using X to get updates from us. I argued that it was important to have a channel where (sometimes very influential) non-members could find out about our work and engage with us. Musk using the platform to spread misinformation about the UK during and since our summer election, his partisan position during the US election, and him being appointed to a government position moved the conversation beyond business. At the same time, more and more CIPR members, PR organisations, journalists, and others began migrating to Bluesky and provided, what looks like, a viable alternative. Today the CIPR has also launched our Bluesky channel. Some have accused us of "virtue-signalling". We can debate what that means but in some ways they are right and I'm proud that, as a representative body, we have taken a position and signalled to other organisations that changes made to a communications channel don't simply need to be accepted if 1) they do not benefit your business and 2) they don't align with your values. You can read more in our statement (in comments) and, of course, I'd be keen to hear your views and thoughts.

"Know your strengths and how best to apply them. Far too often we focus on what we need to ‘fix’ so we can ‘be better’ which can be really damaging. Instead, maximise on your strengths, because they’re what’ll help you shine." Christine Richardson Chart.PR MCIPR Group communications director at Oxford University Press shares with us her three valuable pieces of career advice in our latest Member Spotlight series. Access the CIPR Influence blog here: https://lnkd.in/efKHwv8R Join the CIPR membership community and invest in your career. You can sign up for less than £20 per month when you pay by direct debit. https://lnkd.in/ehqs5qMU

We're marking Trustees' Week with daily blogs written by CIPR members who are doing amazing work in their communities as trustees of local (and incredible) not-for-profit organisations. For many of our PRs, sitting on a board is uncharted territory but it's been a hugely enjoyable learning curve. Their communications skills have proved vital to the role - though not necessarily in the ways you may think. Already this week we've published blogs from Emma Duke, Amanda Coleman and Ella Percival with more to come. You'll also find information about a panel event, which is taking place online on Friday lunchtime, about how becoming a trustee can boost your career. It's been organised by the CIPR Not-for-Profit committee and is free to all CIPR members (£5 + VAT for non-members). https://lnkd.in/eq2Zd9Ka #Trusteesweek #CIPR #Trusteeroles #Rolesonaboard #NED

On #WorldMentalHealthDay, we reflect on the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of mental wellbeing. In her recently published memoir, Perfect Bound: A memoir of trauma, heartbreak and the words that saved me, Lindsay Nicholson MBE legendary editor, journalist, author, and survivor, shares her incredible journey through trauma, grief, and recovery. After a near-fatal car crash, Lindsay was forced to confront the years of pain she’d compartmentalised following the devastating loss of her husband and young daughter to leukaemia. In a heartfelt conversation with former Cosmopolitan editor Louise Court, Lindsay opens up about how resilience takes on new meaning when life unravels. Her story highlights the importance of acknowledging our feelings and finding support in our loved ones. As Lindsay learned through her experiences, true healing begins when we stop living in our heads and start embracing the entirety of our being. In her words, “The mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master.” On this day, let’s remember the significance of mental health and the power of sharing our stories. If you or someone you know is struggling, support is always available. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted at freephone 116 123. #WorldMentalHealthDay #MentalHealth #LindsayNicholson #PerfectBound #Samaritans https://lnkd.in/eVj2-y8g

The countdown is on! And while the Harris vs Trump show is fascinating and predictable, the more interesting developments are possibly happening at Veep level, says editor and journalist Andy Silvester in this week's member read. Take a look - it's going to be an interesting few weeks. #uselection #politics #america https://lnkd.in/e8MNmfZk

AI is the biggest challenge facing public relations. Guest blogger Ben Verinder discusses the latest finding from today's CIPR's State of the Profession study and considers what it might mean for copyright, training and company policies. Chartered Institute of Public Relations #StateofPR #AI #publicrelations #PR #artificialintelligence https://lnkd.in/eF42STu3

Press junkets: Once they were an easy way to eke valuable publicity from a celeb’s busy schedule. Now in an age of digital media and increased awareness about mental health, are they still fit-for-purpose? #PR #mediarelations #celebrity #HollywoodPR https://lnkd.in/edeqGPDS