Analytics Podcast 5%
National 30%
Online 20%
Broadcast 45%
*
**
*Opportunity to see (OTS) is a term which refers to an advertising campaign and the number of exposures or opportunities which a particular audience has to see a specific advert. **Advertising value equivalency (AVE) is used in PR to measure the monetary value of media coverage of a PR campaign. AVE would measure the size of the media coverage, the space it was put, and calculate the advertising rate for similar ad.
Summary Following the successful campaign for the launch of a major report from the Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory (GIAM) in the summer of 2022, tpr media was retained for two days a month to support GIAM with its communications strategy, with the option of doing additional days should potential stories arise. Since March 2023, we have worked on developing a communications strategy for the department, liaising with Professor Katie Featherstone and other staff members and working on proactive and reactive media campaigns. In addition to working with GIAM, we have been engaged by UWL to work on campaigns in other departments. To date, we have secured 20 pieces of quality coverage, including national broadcast interviews and features. This document provides a breakdown of our public relations activity and our relationship with the University of West London throughout 2023, first looking at GIAM, and then campaigns linked to other departments.
About The University of West London (UWL) is ranked in the top 100 universities in the UK for the overall quality of research and almost 80% of research is rated as world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*) in the latest Government Research Excellence Framework (REF) assessment. According to The Guardian University Guide 2024, UWL is now in the top 30% of universities nationwide.
Objectives
To position the Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory (GIAM) as the go-to University Institute for high-quality dementia and ageing research. To ensure PR efforts amplify the reputation of the University and the new Medical School. To support and evidence the visibility and impacts of research to enhance the reputation of GIAM and UWL.
Long-Term Goals Nurture long-term media partners: Regularly engaging, cultivating long-term contacts across different sectors, identifying new story angles and upcoming news pegs for them. Influence/wider impact: To explore how the Geller Institute can impact change in practice - highlighting individual relationships with hospitals and healthcare professionals.
Media Activites Our ongoing activities included:
Advising/collaborating on PR/communications strategies Preparing press releases, press materials etc. Compiling press lists and media outreach Media training & accompanying spokespeople to interviews Monitoring relevant debates in the media and identifying opportunities Evaluating campaigns
Meeting the GIAM Team In June 2023, we individually interviewed Professor Katie Featherstone’s team to outline our goals and identify members who could be put forward for interviews, exploring strengths and weaknesses within the team and providing media training where necessary. We discussed upcoming new research, new legislation, key conferences, dementia days, community initiatives and more. We also contacted key outlets (including national and specialist media) introducing members whose research ties in with current national conversations, such as diversity, lonliness and dementia.
Campaigns & Key Coverage The Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory
Observer - July, 2023 In July 2023, Amelia Tait (a journalist for the Observer) reached out to Dr Shadreck Mwale for a contribution to her article Doom Busters: Why some things aren’t (quite) as bad as we think. We liaised with Amelia, discussed the brief with Shadreck and advised on and proofread his contribution. The Observer has 549K weekly readers and the piece included a mention of GIAM.
Ideas Explored Windrush Celebration - June, 2023 GIAM have a relationship with Nubian Life, a charity dedicated to caring for the ageing African-Caribbean population. There was an opportunity for publicity at the charity’s Windrush Celebration, but it was too short notice to gain significant coverage and Nubian Life was at the centre of the story. Preparation for Meeting with Heathrow Airport - September, 2023 We had a virtual meeting with Federica D’Andrea at GIAM - a leading expert on the use of smell to improve quality of life in dementia - to advise her on a forthcoming meeting with Heathrow Airport, looking at travel memorabilia associated with scent.
Dementia Friendly Opera - August, 2023 The Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory trialled their first dementiafriendly opera as part of a blueprint to make the arts more accessible to those living with dementia. The preview performance of the new opera The Last Siren (inspired by the Greek myth from Homer’s Odyssey) was held at Lawrence Hall at The University of West London (UWL) on August 30. The performance was a collaboration between GIAM, The Music Troupe and the London College of Music (LCM).
TV, Radio, Podcasts Sky News TV (29.08.23) - Jayne Secker interviewed Dr Andy Northcott (GIAM) and Arlene Belli (The Music Troupe) in an upbeat 10-minute interview which included footage of previous operas and mentions of both GIAM and The University of West London. BBC Radio London, Sunday Show (27.08.23) - Edward Adoo interviewed Dr Andy Northcott (GIAM) and Arlene Belli (Music Troupe) in a 15-minute interview mentioning GIAM. He also proposed collaborating on a dementia-friendly area at the Notting Hill Carnival in 2024. Times Radio, Ed Vaizey Show (27.10.23) - Dr Andy Northcott featured on the Culture Panel to discuss the benefits of the dementia-friendly opera with representatives discussing other cultural items good for mental well-being. Classic FM (30.08.23) - Sofia Rizzi mentioned the Dementia-Friendly Opera on air. NIHR Dementia Researcher podcast (11.12.23) - Dr Andy Northcott featured on a podcast panel hosted by Dr Robyn Dowlen discussing research about making the arts and performances dementia-friendly alongside Holly Marland, a music therapist who works with older people and runs a dementia-friendly music festival.
Online/Print The Big Issue (02.10.23) - Authored piece by Dr Andy Northcott about how the blueprint for dementia-friendly opera works (online and print). Opera Now (29.08.23) - UK's leading title devoted to the colourful world of opera - Hattie Butterworth (editor) wrote a story for Opera Now and also shared the story on Opera Now’s Twitter account (22.8K followers) and her personal account (1K followers). Arts Professional (18.10.23) (65K Twitter followers) - Leading independent online journal - Op-ed by Dr Andy Northcott and Edward Lambert.
Social media The following outlets/individuals shared social media posts on Twitter about the dementia-friendly opera performance. Sky News (8.4M followers) 29.08.23 - 36.2K views Adam Smith (11.5K followers) - 29.08.23 - 1K views Opera Now (22.8K followers ) - 29.08.23 - 300+ views Hattie Butterworth (1K) - 29.08.23
See full article here
Other Projects The Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory
Other Projects/Activities
HSRUK Conference - July, 2023 We developed a presentation with Professor Katie Featherstone for the HSRUK Conference (6 July 2023), a high-profile UK funding conference. New Alzheimer's diagnosis blood tests - November, 2023 Dr Andy Northcott had an interview with Sky News to comment on a new Alzheimer's diagnosis blood test, following his interview with Sky News for the Dementia Friendly Opera.
The Geller Commission Launch - December, 2023 We represented UWL for the launch of The Geller Commission, and input on strategy and press materials with Hawthorn Advisors. We attended The Geller Commission launch with Professor Katie Featherstone and will be the main communications advisor on this, liaising with Professor Katie Featherstone and Andrea Moran, Director of Marketing, Recruitment and Communications at UWL.
Campaigns & Key Coverage The University of West London
How Can Labour Level Up? - July, 2023
To mark the second anniversary of the Centre for Inequality and Levelling Up (CEILUP), a new report by Professor Graeme Atherton (Head of CEILUP) launched at The House of Commons on 11 July titled How Can Labour Level Up? The event was hosted by Alex Norris MP, Shadow Minister for Levelling Up. Coverage Mirror (19.07.23) comment piece by Professor Graeme Atherton The Big Issue (10.08.23) - comment piece by Professor Graeme Atherton Times Radio (15.07.23) - Alexis Conran Show - 10-minute interview New Statesman (12.07.23) Labourlist.org (23.07.23)
'How can Labour level up Britain where the Tories have failed?'
Since my student years in the run-up to New Labour’s victory in 1997, we simply have not made enough progress in breaking down the barriers between the “haves’” and the “have nots”, writes Professor Graeme Atherton OPINION Professor Graeme Atherton, Head of the Centre for Inequality and Levelling Up at the University of West London
Levelling up was meant to be the centre piece of Boris Johnson’s Government’s domestic agenda after the 2019 election. But, by any measure, inequality is set to increase unless something is done quickly, with the UK on course to become the most unequal country in the G7 by 2027. This has thrown the gauntlet down to the opposition parties – Labour in particular. Reducing inequality is at the heart of what Labour has stood for since its birth over 100 years ago. And the problems inequality brings is central to voters in many of the seats Labour need to win if it is to form the next government. Our new report How Can Labour Level Up? collates contributions from former ministers, leaders from the higher education and voluntary sectors, as well as thinkers and organisations from across the political spectrum. Making levelling up work is more than just a quick political fix for me.
See full article here
OPINION
Seven things Labour needs to do to make levelling up actually work The UK is on course to become the most unequal country of the world’s seven richest nations by 2027. Here’s how a Labour government could fix that GRAEME ATHERTON|
10 Aug 2023
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. Image: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images
Labour needs to produce some long-term solutions that change the culture around redistribution and inequality in this country. One of these solutions is a Ministry of Poverty, as argued for by John Bird in The Big Issue recently. The case for a Ministry of Poverty was included in the report ‘How can Labour level up?’ released by the Centre for Inequality and Levelling Up (CEILUP) at the University of West London. Here are seven more ideas from the report below.
See full article here
Lost Dads: The Fathers and Family Breakdown, Separation, and Divorce Project (FBSD) - November, 2023
Lost Dads, the Fathers and Family Breakdown, Separation and Divorce Project (FBSD Project) was a report lead by Dr Ben Hine that addressed the question of why men are more likely to take their lives following family breakdown. The launch of the report initially coincided with a professorial lecture on 19 October at UWL by Dr Ben Hine, and the BBC expressed interest in covering the report exclusively on TV, radio and online. However, the Israel/Gaza conflict dominated the news agenda and this was dropped. We revisited the campaign to tie in with International Men’s Day on 19 November. Coverage included:
Coverage BBC Radio London (as seen on BBC News) - BBC Radio London (The Afternoon Show) interviewed Dr Ben Hine live on 17.11.23. The interview was shared again online for International Men’s Day - 19.11.23 Times Radio (Ed Vaizey Show) - 24.11.23 The Express - 07.11.23 Medium - 09.12.23
It's International Men's Day on Sunday and this year's theme is Zero Male Suicide. Dr Ben Hine, professor of Applied Psychology at the University of West London, has led a comprehensive study called Lost dads: The Fathers and Family Breakdown, Separation, and Divorce Project (FBSD), which uncovers the hidden public health crisis affecting men following a family breakdown. The work also explores the links between family breakdown, family court involvement, and mental health issues for fathers. He spoke about his findings, and the crucial links he found between separated male parents and suicide, with BBC Radio London's Shay Kaur Grewal.
Listen to the interview here
See full article here