Communicating for one of the biggest companies in the world - Facebook. Reflecting on Anouska Ruane's talk at Birmingham School of Media.

Two weeks ago, Birmingham School of Media welcomed Facebook’s Director of Communications (UK, Ireland, Africa), Anouska Ruane, to talk to students about the experiences she’s faced working in the media for one of the biggest social networking companies in the world. 

PR Specialist, Esme Wilson, writes:

Anouska has been working in Public Relations and Communications for 20 years and studied Public Relations herself at Leeds Metropolitan University.

Just over two thirds of the world who have access to internet uses the platform and Facebook has around 2.2 billion active users. Anouska and the communications team at Facebook have to make sure that Facebook is accessible worldwide. Regulations that are used on the site have to cater for all cultures, including regulations on nudity and freedom of speech.

GBK's campaign for spicy burger goes up in flames

Does Gourmet Burger Kitchen's newest campaign highlight the lack of diversity in the PR industry?

In a bid to promote their new burger, GBK released a video showing a representative for the chain taking to the streets wearing a sandwich board reading: "Masala, this is a curry war and it's gong to get spicy". 

Stationed outside curry houses, along Brick Lane, the man can be seen in the video promoting the product to reluctant passers by and stirring up trouble with the business owners, challenging them by saying the Ruby Murray burger is considered authentic Indian cuisine.  

The stunt only appears to irritate the local curry house teams and diners, earning the guy a few choice words throughout the video. 

Sandwich, crisps and a drink? Nope! Boohoo unveils brand new ‘Meal Deal’

Sandwich, Crisp and a drink? Nope! Boohoo unveils brand new ‘Meal Deal’

Most of us would associate a Meal Deal with the likes of Tesco or any other big supermarket for a cheaper deal on sandwiches, crisps and drinks. However, giant online retailer, Boohoo, has decided to unveil its brand new campaign which consists of shoes, a dress and a bag all for £30 in its Meal Deal. 

Amazing right?

Making a statement - the controversy of Melania Trump's choice of jacket

Just a couple of days ago, the world was reeling from images of children in cages at the Texas border, having been taken away from their parents due to immigration issues, with the realisation that more than 2,300 children were separated from their families between mid-April and early June. This sparked shock the world over, with some 18.5 million dollars raised for RAICES in Texas, which serves people in the region defending themselves against deportation in Immigration Court, within days. Then came the announcement that President Trump had signed an executive order to end family separations at the border, seemingly in response to the public outcry.

And today, the media coverage and furore around Mrs Trump’s choice of jacket when visiting children separated from their parents and held at the Texas border has everyone up in arms again.

Rightly so?

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The Zara jacket in question says ‘I Really Don’t Care, Do U?’. A bold statement, in any situation, but one that has been judged by many as crass and insensitive given the appointment she was on the way to at the time.

But it’s just a jacket! True, Melania is entitled to wear what she wants and may not have given the jacket a second thought when she threw it on. In fact, I sincerely hope she didn’t give it a thought when she chose it out of all the options she must have had. Because do we really think she was consciously trying to imply she did not care about the plight of the migrant children?

Regardless of the intentions, Melania must have seen or been made aware of the media response when she was first spotted, on the way to meet migrant children, but she still chose to put the jacket back on. This either means that a) she indeed doesn’t care, this time to the response she garnered, and / or b) the people around her can’t see the issue with the choice of clothing either, and haven’t advised her differently. Perhaps they did, but Melania, in true Trump fashion, stuck to her way of doing things. It seems this is how her husband wants to spin it, since citing the choice of jacket as his wife’s commentary on her views on the ‘fake news’ media.

Ant and Dec - has the crown slipped?

From the day gritty teen drama Byker Grove first hit our screens in 1989 to dominating the ITV entertainment schedule, two cheeky chaps have held the nations hearts in their hands.

The show that launched their careers was groundbreaking and the story of PJ, played by Ant McPartlin, losing his sight during a game of paintball was a memorable telly moment. The firm friends from the screen then kept their names from the show to kick off their pop career, and PJ and Duncan were high in the charts for a few years.

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Hands off! The lucky Creme Egg hunt

Who knew that eggs would be causing so much concern in January? You’d almost think it was Easter.

The launch of limited edition Creme Eggs has prompted a nationwide hunt and has been orchestrated for the very purpose of putting this product back on the agenda for consumers. The campaign by Cadbury is timed to be unexpected and to offer people something full of promise at a time when we’re supposed to be suffering with January blues, in the build up to the celebration of all things chocolate (and an important religious festival too, don’t forget).

This isn’t the first time H&M has had to apologise…

H&M. A Swedish clothing brand with global reach and the pull of stars such as The Weeknd behind it. That is, until now. One image featuring a hoodie with an ill-chosen phrase and model later, and the high profile musician no longer wants to have anything to do with the company. Their image no longer matches his image. And the very image of H&M in turn has been called into question by many who too have been outraged by this particular communication insensitivity.

In case you haven’t seen the image in question, H&M featured a boys’ hoodie with the text ‘Coolest monkey in the jungle’ on the front, modelled by a young black model, on their website. This was picked up on and quickly shared on social media where it spread like wildfire. Whilst the offence it generated is understandable – of course, no-one should tell other people what they should and shouldn’t be offended by – the act of sharing it turned it into an issue that could reach, and therefore offend, more people.