Fake news and a growing lack of consumer trust means that PR is more important than ever in a business comms strategy, so Cision’s inaugural CommsCon event on November 6 promises to be a key date in the earned media calendar.
The day will be split into keynote speeches, panel events and debates. Sir Craig Oliver will be leading proceedings with stories from his days as David Cameron's director of politics and communications, while insight will be provided from journalists on how roles have changed and from communicators on how they can best partner with influencers for successful campaigns.
There will speakers from publications including, LADBible, the Daily Mirror and Pink News as well as PR representatives from KFC, Gumtree and HSBC.
Here are ten reasons to attend:
1. Hear great insights from an industry heavyweight: Sir Craig Oliver, former No10 director of comms, will deliver a keynote speech about his time in government and explain about how to develop PR strategies to deal with the challenges of a news cycle compressed by social echo chambers.
2. Learn how to tell great integrated stories: PRWeek editor-in-chief Danny Rogers will lead a panel debate examining how the merging of marketing disciplines changes traditional industry storytelling techniques and the opportunities a new integrated approach brings.
3. Find out what journalists want from you: Leading journalists from the Daily Mirror, Financial News, Glamour and Pink News will take part in a discussion covering the impact of fake news, how the role of a journalist is changing, the challenges they face and how they like to work with PRs.
4. Find out how to keep cool in a crisis: Crisis killers Jenny Packwood (KFC), Fergus Campbell (Gumtree) and Ed O’Brien (Teneo Blue Rubicon) will share their experience and expertise on how to prevent and manage crisis scenarios, as well as explaining how you can keep calm and stay on top of the situation.
5. Discover the secret to going viral in the social media age: Given every communicator’s dream is to have social content "go viral", Cision has enlisted LADbible’s head of comms, Peter Heneghan, to talk through what the brand looks for in social content and how you can use this to develop your own social strategy. And you'll hear from social listening platform Brandwatch, and workforce communications platform SocialChorus, who will be providing insights on engaging both consumers and employees through social channels.
6. Witness the power of creativity: At its heart, PR is a creative discipline. Kev O’Sullivan, executive creative director at FleishmanHillard Fishburn, will reveal how you can harness that creative spark, and why PR’s unique position means you can show your value and reach audiences other marketing disciplines can only dream of.
7. Learn about the latest research into PR’s lack of diversity: PR is still seen as a profession for people from white, middle-class backgrounds. This panel will discuss how the industry can become more reflective of society as a whole and how you can help the industry to feel more inclusive to people from different backgrounds.
8. See the latest developments from Cision’s Innovation Lab: Cision’s president of data solutions and innovation, David Barker, and VP marketing strategy and operations, Kaila Garrison, will throw open the doors to Cision’s Innovation Lab, showcasing the latest developments in earned media technology.
9. Networking opportunities: A huge range of delegates from all disciplines of the industry have already signed up to attend. Use the breaks during the sessions to network with communicators from the agency, corporate and consumer sectors, over street-food in a cool London warehouse environment.
10. It’s free!
Go to the website now to register for your tickets and for details of the agenda.
