Birmingham's Got The John Lewis Factor (At Last!)

Okay, I admit it - I was slightly underwhelmed when the grand plan for the New Street Gateway project was finally unveiled. As a Brummie, I was all too aware of the poor first impression the station gives to those who visit our fabulous city and I was hoping that its transformation would be just a little more far reaching.

Perhaps I had hoped this project would follow in the footsteps of some of the major regeneration schemes in the city, such as The Mailbox, the Bullring (a project very close to our hearts!) and Brindleyplace. Many of these projects have changed our city's skyline and have given us some truly iconic buildings and destinations. Surely this wasn't too much to ask for from the New Street station transformation we had waited so long for?

Then the John Lewis announcement was made and this cheered me up - a lot. In fact, I may have opened a bottle of Waitrose Cava to celebrate (try it - it's very good!). Aside from the fact that myself and millions of others just love the whole John Lewis shopping experience, the new £100 million Birmingham store is excellent news for the city.

Clearly, it will bring a welcome boost to our economy, creating around 900 jobs. And there is no denying that the arrival of John Lewis will lift Birmingham's reputation as a major retail destination, helping the city to compete with other retail centres across the Midlands. Importantly, the new store also provides a statement of intent - the redevelopment of New Street is not simply about transforming the train station, it's about the bigger picture and about the wider regeneration of this very central area of our city.

And there are even more reasons to be cheerful. It seems the region is already set to reap wider benefits from 'The John Lewis Factor', with its managing director Andy Street appointed as the first Chair of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). Andy is not only a prominent figure in the business world, but he became a household name after the behind-the-scenes John Lewis documentary, 'Inside John Lewis', aired on the BBC, so his appointment was a real coup for the city.

But dont just take my word for it. When the designs for the store were unveiled at MIPIM, way back in March, Birmingham City Council Leader, Mike Whitby, said: "This development is a real jewel in the new station's innovative design..." - very nicely put! Now, we know the store will be one of the largest outside London at 250,000 sq ft, but although we've seen CGI's of the building, it's difficult to envisage exactly how it will look and how it will fit into our city's ever-changing skyline.

With the store set to open its doors in 2014, I live in hope that there's still time for a landmark building to emerge from the New Street Gateway project. After all, it wasn't until the final hour of the Bullring's renaissance that Future Systems' designs for the Selfridge's store emerged, and I personally can't imagine the Bullring without it. Let's hope someone out there is mulling over a set of daring architects' drawings right now - Mr Street?!

Pray for Rain

Another night of rioting and looting brings the inevitable question, when will this all end? The destruction of property and disturbances to normal shopping patterns will do nothing for an already fragile high street. London was quieter, but presumably that was due to an extra 10,000 bobbies on the street. We can’t do that indefinitely!

I spoke briefly last night to the former PR Officer for Manchester City Council, now retired, who was around when Moss Side kicked off in 1981. For anyone under 40, the summer of 1981 is not even a distant memory, but the parallels are there for all to see.

Rioting started in the St Pauls area of Bristol and quickly spread like a domino effect to Handsworth, Brixton, Toxteth and finally Moss Side in that order. Then, as now, politicians were quick to rush to the scene, and my friend was forced to organise an emergency press conference for the then Home Secretary William Whitelaw.

Prior to the press conference starting, he asked a senior Greater Manchester officer what the plan was for that night? All leave cancelled? Extra police drafted in from other forces? The army?

The officer was quick to answer. “We’ll beef up our presence but the best policeman we can have tonight is rain. People don’t riot when they have water running down their neck!”

Amen to that!

Premier League reporting restrictions are Neanderthal approach to social media

Like many men up and down the country, I start every Monday morning by reading the reports of the weekend’s football matches - It helps that I work in a consumer PR agency with national newspapers on tap. This week was no different and I chose the Mirror for its round up of the first weekend of the Football League season. But only now do I realise how clever The Mirror reporting was.

Unbeknown to me, journalists and photographers from national titles, news and picture agencies were locked out from most football grounds across England this weekend after a row over coverage rights. The Premier League and Football League are looking to impose ridiculous restrictions on the way newspapers report matches and to control photos taken at matches. Not only are they trying to stop the rising (and fascinating) trend for journalists to interact with fans via Twitter during the match, they also want a limit of 15 photos posted on websites during live play. No wonder the media said no.

As a result on the first weekend of the season, when Football League clubs have the chance to promote themselves (and the league itself) before the big guns kick off next week, only West Ham, Brighton and Accrington let in newspaper journalists. It is the latest act of stupidity by The Premier League and Football League authorities, or as The Times put so well: “an own-goal…by football’s bosses who once again showed their ineptitude”. If the authorities don’t budge by Friday the same restrictions could be in place for first weekend of the Premier League season but I won’t hold my breath. Many media titles have cleverly hit back where it hurts by refusing to name sponsors – which should be enough to make the Premier League and Football League wake up and smell the bovril.

The media has effectively made the Premier League (and to a lesser extent the Football League) what it is today, relentlessly promoting it as the biggest and best league in the world - whether you believe it or not. For the authorities to now turn round and start imposing restrictions is a Neanderthal response to modern social media and will ultimately cut off the hand that feeds.

Depending on your choice of Monday paper, you might not have been aware of this situation. Here’s a quick run-down of how the papers reported it (the Community Shield was exempt from restrictions):

- Daily Mail – covered two games (at Brighton and West Ham) with a note: “Today’s coverage of the Championship has been restricted because of a dispute with the Football League”. No mention of sponsors

- Daily Mirror – covered every match but on closer inspection all photos seem to have been taken from library images or video stills. No mention of sponsors

- The Times – all games covered but with only three photos across 35 games. No mention of sponsors

- The Guardian – only covered two games (at Brighton and West Ham) with an explanation of reporting restrictions. No mention of sponsors

Riots coverage show depth of picture desk cuts

The riots across the UK get massive coverage in today’s newspapers but media watchers will be intrigued by the front pages of the Mail, Independent, Express and Sun which all carry the same photo of a hooded “yoof” looking distinctly menacing (presumably the Prime Minister has flown back from his holidays early to give him a hug!).

It is unquestionably a powerful image supplied by EPA, one of the biggest European Photographic Agencies, but it does also demonstrate the extent to which the nationals have now outsourced image sourcing to agencies. Much of it goes unnoticed, but today’s front pages will, I suspect, cause one or two red faces for the editors involved.

A picture may still be worth a thousand words, but today’s use of the same image across four titles demonstrates that our major newspapers unfortunately no longer have the photographic staff (or the budgets) to get their own photos.

A sign of the times.

Global Economics: time to learn mandarin!

It was difficult to know how to react to the downgrade in US debt from its traditional AAA rating. My first reaction was to scoff at the idea that one of the ratings agencies could have the sheer nerve to do it, this is after all the same people who gave AAA ratings to stacks of sub-prime Mezzanine Credit Default Obligations.

As Paul Krugman put it in yesterday’s New York Times, “America’s large budget deficit is, after all, primarily the result of the economic slump that followed the 2008 financial crisis. And S&P…. played a major role in causing that crisis, by giving AAA ratings to mortgage-backed assets that have since turned into toxic waste.” Thank you Paul.

However, in fairness to S&P, who issued the downgrade, there is a very important point at the heart of their statement namely, "the effectiveness, stability, and predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenges". In other words, America is currently ungovernable at precisely the time when strong leadership is needed, witness the negotiations over raising the debt ceiling.

What was striking about much of my weekend reading was the extent to which the American public still view their debt problems in isolation, which can be easily solved by cutting taxes to stimulate growth, raising taxes to increase receipts to the Treasury or cutting Government spending. In all the discussions I read on the New York Times or Washington Post websites there was barely a mention of the sovereign debt problems in Europe or the potential implications of a US default or continued subdued economic performance.

Which leads me to ask two searching questions to which I do not have answers. Firstly, how can the dollar continue as the international reserve currency (the foreign currency which is held by central banks and other major financial institutions as a means to pay off international debt obligations) when it is clearly so politically and, as a result economically, dysfunctional?

Secondly, is this the moment when America begins to wake up and realise that it is unlikely to be top dog much longer and what effect will that have on the American psyche?

Certainly the rhetoric over the last few weeks has been extraordinary with Putin accusing the US of living "like a parasite" on the global economy and of being a threat to the worldwide financial markets. Rarely, if ever, has America been scolded in such terms.

However the real threat to America comes from China which is due to overtake the US as the world’s largest GDP sometime in 2016. As a client of mine put it last week, “the Chinese idea of an economic slowdown is GDP growth of 7-8 per cent, which is our idea of a boom.”

I don’t know where the rapidly unfolding events of the last few weeks will take us. Only one thing is certain, it’s too late for me, but I’m seriously considering getting my two children to learn mandarin!

Learning by Work Experience: Taking baby steps towards that fabled first job

Back in autumn 2010, it hit me like a tonne of bricks that the cosy cocoon of university life was starting to fray at the edges. The cycle of going out, sleeping in, and general sofa-dwelling, punctuated by the occasional lecture or exam, was a seductive lifestyle, but the expiry date was looming ever nearer. By summer 2011, I’d be a graduate, catapulted willy-nilly into the world of work.

Making a choice

Luckily, by the beginning of my final year, I’d realised the path I wanted my postgraduate career to take. Never one of the ‘jocks’ at uni, I had always ticked the extracurricular box with journalistic and publicity roles.

As it dawned on me that Facebook and Twitter could be more than just effective revision-avoidance, I started to experiment with social media as a tool to promote the student publications and societies I was involved with. Factoring in my interest in current affairs, it was definitely media and communications for me.

Ditching the ‘Friends’ reruns

The next step was to turn off E4, break off the long-term relationship with the sofa and get some experience in the industry. I managed to bag 6 months of part-time experience as a content writer at a digital marketing agency in Lichfield, learning the tricks of the SEO trade.

The chance to develop a promotional campaign with a social media focus came in the form of the B-Hive competition for aspiring media professionals. Challenged with a brief to promote Birmingham as a centre of gourmet dining, I went for a combination of traditional advertising, website, Facebook and Twitter platforms, all reinforcing the city’s diverse cuisine as the key proposition: ‘Where Will You Eat Next?’

A finger in the digital pie

The B-Hive judges saw fit to hand me the Digital Media top prize, which was four two week placements at some of the best digital agencies in the West Midlands region. Getting involved with their work has been a great way to get to grips with how the industry is harnessing the social media beast and unlocking its marketing potential.

Getting into PR

At the Public Relations agencies I’ve spent time in, I’ve been lucky enough to work on two Royal Wedding campaigns, welcome guests at a champagne reception, write press releases aimed at national papers and call up any number of journalists (with varying degrees of success, ranging from great coverage to an angry click and a dialling tone halfway through the sell-in).

Although traditionally concerned with the print and broadcast media, the public relations industry seems to be swiftly moving into the online and social media space to engage with audiences here as well. As a PR intern I’ve been involved with reaching out to bloggers, interacting with online communities and writing content that will resonate online. The integration of old and new media, plus the variety of clients and sectors covered, makes a PR agency like Willoughby an exciting place to be.

To the old adage, ‘Experience is the best teacher,’ I’d add that it’s also the best job coach. Real-life experience is the perfect way to learn how the creative industries work. It’s also an important career asset in a sector that values what you’ve done just as much as what you’ve studied, if not more.

Footballers caught between a tweet and a hard place?

Fast car, designer wardrobe, celebrity girlfriend, Twitter account. Yes, it seems an account on the social media platform is the latest must-have for today's generation of footballers.

As a football fan, I read Mick McCarthy's rant on his players' use of Twitter last week with great interest.

Just to recap, the Wolves manager claims that a tweet by one of his players alerted rival clubs to the availability of midfielder, Steve Sidwell - a player who was apparently set to sign for Wolves before being made an offer from Fulham, which he subsequently accepted.

Inevitably, McCarthy's ire is that one of his 'disgruntled numpties' (his words, not mine) is, via Twitter, given the freedom to undermine the management of the football club. I can understand his concerns, which leaves his players, as well as countless others needing to think a little more carefully before they tweet. McCarthy himself acknowledges that he'd struggle to completely ban his players from tweeting, but the outburst is certainly food for thought.

We've all witnessed the pitfalls of allowing an individual free reign of the comments they make public on social media. Today's footballers are considered brands in their own right, with sponsorship deals and public adulation following their performances on the pitch. Presence on social media further increases the way players are scrutinised, which is something clubs themselves are becoming increasingly aware of.

Former Liverpool midfielder, Ryan Babel was fined £10,000 by the FA for criticising referee Howard Webb's performance against Manchester United last year. But the sporting twit of the year award has to go to former Aldershot striker, Marvin Morgan, whose mindless 'I hope you all die' message to fans landed him with a suspension, a fine and ultimately being slapped on the transfer list.

Examples such as these go some way towards validating the suggestion that footballers perhaps don't represent the most intelligent cross-section of society. That said, they go some way to giving us all a lesson on how not to use social media.

Interestingly, the NFL in the US has its own Twitter policy - stipulating that players must not tweet 90 minutes before kick off and until they have met their post-match media obligations. How long before regulations such as this are introduced on this side of the pond?