As Jamie Carragher is now painfully aware – ‘Believe in better’ is Sky’s slogan. It has served them well, especially with the creation of the best punditry partnership on TV, Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville. The former foes, legends for their rival clubs, Liverpool and Manchester United respectively, have forged a fantastic partnership based on …
It’s not every day that you get to meet one of your sporting heroes. My chance came yesterday when I met the Olympic legend, Sir Steve Redgrave. I’ve been fortunate in my public relations career to have met and worked with a lot of interesting business figures. I’ve even chaired press conferences for James Caan …
So, Sir Steve, what made you get back in the boat? Read More »
By now, you have probably heard about the latest celebrity email hack, this time of the beloved Becks. I’m a massive football fan and also a fan of David Beckham as a sportsman and role model but there is no doubt that this will raise more than a few Beckham-esque eyebrows amongst football fans and …
What a week it has been (so far) for Jeremy Corbyn. Winning the Labour leadership contest by a landslide by effectively NOT playing the PR game but secretly doing just that. Jeremy won a lot of hearts and minds by being himself. He is unvarnished. He is everything that most politicians are not and that …
With today marking Queen Elizabeth II becoming the UK’s longest serving monarch, a poll by Sky Data shows that 70% of Brits would like to see the monarchy reign forever. All seems rosy for her majesty. Indeed, the popularity of the monarchy in general terms has rarely been so high, aided by the social capital …
Wimbledon fortnight begins. A time when for a few fleeting summer days the nation embraces tennis. The BBC swings into action, elbowing Eurosport aside, celebrities are (for some unfathomable reason in my opinion) spotted in the crowd and pigeons landing on a grass court are considered the height of situation comedy. I’m a massive fan …
“Anyone” for tennis? Grass court champions = grass roots cash. Read More »
That headline was just begging to be written wasn’t it? “I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company,” Taylor observed to her 50m + Twitter followers. In a nutshell, Apple Music, which launches on 30th June, had planned to not pay artists during the three month trial …
Apple’s Swift u-turn halts “Bad Blood” with Taylor Read More »
I have written before about the issues brands have to bear in mind when aligning themselves to celebrities. Do both brands fit? Is there synergy in terms of their current perceptions or…hopefully…an opportunity to find that synergy and benefit each other? Consider the risks if it all goes a bit wrong, celebrities are not known …
Take it easyJet – Kate’s not the classic role model. Read More »
With the FIFA annual congress meeting in Zurich today, one man appears to be somewhat absent – as I write this anyway… Whether you are a football/soccer fan or not, most people know the name Sepp Blatter. So far, teflon Sepp has managed to avoid the direct controversy that has surrounded his reign and tomorrow’s …
FIFA FO FUM – sponsors smell the blood of corruption Read More »
With crowds thronging the streets, the cortege of one history’s (and tellingly, literature’s) greatest villains King Richard III, wound its way to his new resting place at Leicester Cathedral. I heard on the radio at midday today that queues had been as long as 4 hours and even now (3pm) are still 1-2 hours long. …
As Leicester embraces its kingly gift, what of Nottingham and Derby? Read More »