It has been speculated that BBC Breakfast pulled out of broadcasting live from Cowes this week due to a bombardment of PRs selling in their client ahead of the world’s largest sailing regatta, Skandia Cowes Week.

As a minority sport, sailing can struggle for column inches, so communications professionals have to fight hard to promote their clients involvement with the sport. The majority of broadsheets maintain a sailing correspondent but even The Times has decided against filling the position left by Ed Gorman after he moved to cover Formula 1 in 2006.

This year, there are over 15 brands involved with Cowes Week as race sponsors, boat sponsors, individual skippers and team partners try to maximise on the sport’s high profile created by the event.

Frankly, I think it’s a travesty that PR overkill led to BBC Breakfast withdrawing from Cowes Week altogether. We have to respect the media we are working with after all it’s all about getting an interesting and exciting story out there. It’s no use flooding the media space and bashing editors’ ears till they’re blue in the face if it’s going to blur the story and deter the media from covering it at all.

Working in the communications industry I believe PRs are providers of stories and news, sources of information, ‘make it happen’ people. We should not be selling so hard that the world’s most respected broadcaster decides to withdraw from an event it first merited as a strong story.

The solution is not easy. It’s a competitive world we PRs live in, but communication is what we do so perhaps on specific occasions we need to communicate with each other. No one wins by scaring off our beloved and much sought after media.

This November, seven British skippers will take on the gruelling round-the-world yacht race the Vendée Globe. Never before have we as a nation had so many contenders taking part (Dee Caffari onboard Aviva, Samanatha Davies onboard Roxy, Mike Golding onboard Ecover 3, Jonny Malbon onboard Artemis Ocean Racing II, Alex Thomson onboard Hugo Boss, Brian Thompson onboard Pindar and Steve White onboard Spirit of Weymouth). Since early this year the British skippers’ communication teams have been meeting to ensure we don’t reach media overkill. Each team has their individual story to tell but we appreciate we have to work together on certain occasions to provide the media with what they want not what we want.

If sailing is your bag, log on to www.avivaoceanracing.com to find out more about Dee Caffari and her inspirational adventure to make history by becoming the only woman to sail solo, non-stop around the world in both directions.

By Caroline Ayling on August 7th, 2008

Tags: Media, Public relations, Sponsorship, Television

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If you’ve ever met someone from Synergy you’ll probably be aware that we’re a competitive bunch. The boys’ football triumph over Action Images a few weeks ago left the girls wanting to stake a claim on some sporting silverware.  From the Head of Experiential to the Media Communications team, whatever you throw at us, we Synergy girls are in it to win it.

On Friday 25 July, Steph, Lisa and myself joined forces with our new friends at Engine and took on 35 teams from the marketing world in the annual NABS netball tournament. The incumbent champions for the last two years were John Ayling & Associates. From the name you may have guessed this was no ordinary tournament for me - this was family warfare. As the sun beat down on Battersea Park, the Engine girls rallied round and the games began…

Round 1

Seven blonde bods took to the court as Engine faced Channel 4 first up.  It was a tense game as our newly founded team gelled together. The ball yo-yo’ed up and down the court as the defence held strong and with seconds to go our newly discovered shooter, fresh from the new business department at WCRS sent Engine one up. The whistle blew - we rejoiced, rehydrated and prepared for round 2 against Rapier.

Following a second victory for the Engine girls I began to think - could this be a winning team in the making?

Sadly not, Iris Nation with their professional netball dresses and rehearsed back-lines were on fire. We put up a fight but lost 3-1. Next came the pink ladies of the Financial Times who beat us in the dying seconds by one goal. Our chance of progressing to the next stage of the tournament was slipping away.

Despite our determined spirit and support from BBC Breakfast Sport presenter Chris Hollins cheering from the side lines, Engine’s netball team sadly did not make it through to the finals. A great travesty for the Engine team but fear not we’ll be back better, bolder and probably blonder next year.

Netball – just for girls???

Whilst trying to rally the troops to come along and support the team, netball didn’t really get the crowds at 60 Great Portland Street going. I wondered if this is because people see netball in the domain of spotty school girls rather than a fast and furious game that requires speed, strength and agility to challenge the most competitive sports professionals. A little research revealed that St Helen’s Rugby League star Jon Wilkin and Salford City Reds vice captain Robbie Paul have recently been training with the England Netball team.

Perhaps if netball were to be elevated to an Olympic sport its profile may change and people will give the sport the respect it deserves. To join the 18,300 people backing England international star Eboni Beckford-Chambers’ campaign to see netball at London 2012 sign up to Facebook group ‘Bid to get Netball in the 2012 Olympics’.  

We may yet see the O2 home to international netballers in 2012 but I make a pledge here and now that by the time London is hosting the greatest games on earth you’ll see Engine’s name engraved on the NABS netball trophy.

By Caroline Ayling on July 29th, 2008

Tags: Employee engagement, London 2012, Olympics, Synergy

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