New Client: Aloha

The team at Sunny Bird PR are very excited to announce they are working with Aloha, a brand set to revolutionise how we use WiFi in the UK.

Aloha’s system allows smartphone users to share their unused data in exchange for payment. Aloha uses that data to create a network of peer to peer Aloha Open WiFi Hotspots which are totally safe and secure, free to access with no password and no barriers.

Sunny, founder of Sunny Bird PR, commented: “Aloha is already creating waves of excitement throughout the country and SBPR will be supporting Aloha with its launch. We have already worked with Aloha on focus groups and will continue to support the brand’s launch regionally and nationally, watch this space, it’s going to be very exciting!”

SBPR will also be helping Aloha secure the next round of funding by targeting the general public to invest as little as £10 per person in order to reach the brand’s target of £300,000.

Should you be using TikTok to promote your business?

TikTok is one of the most-loved apps of 2020 and if you haven’t heard about it until now, where have you been?! For many, TikTok was the highlight of lockdown, providing hours of entertainment for those learning crazy dance routines and recreating famous film scenes.  Not only is TikTok being used for entertainment by the youngsters, but businesses are also making use of the platform to market their products and services to the Gen Z users (aged 16-24).

TikTok for Business says: “TikTok is where you can unleash your brand's creative side. No matter how big or small your business is, no matter what you are making or selling. We believe your brand deserves to be discovered here.”

Many big brands have jumped on the band wagon and started using it as a marketing tool, with ASOS being the latest with their new campaign #AySauce. They have created this fun branded hashtag, teamed with a bespoke music track and the use of Augmented Reality with specially made TikTok filters for customers and influencers to show off their outfit choices. Other clothing retail giants such as Guess, Nike and Gymshark have also taken on the 15-60 second videos to market and broadcast themselves globally to the Gen Z demographic.

But what are the benefits to marketing on the app as a small business?

To start with, the small business hashtag (#smallbusiness) has 5.3 billion views and counting!*

Secondly, you can have some fun with your marketing videos! Whether its confetti falling around your product or a staff dance routine, the more extravagant the better. Afterall, in the UK there are 3.7 million active TikTok users!

What should I consider when starting my TikTok journey?

It’s important to note it takes time to be noticed on TikTok, much like other social media platforms. It also takes time to create the videos, and many brands have a dedicated ‘TikTok Team’ that come up with the ideas, shoot videos and edit. So, it might be a good idea to assign the management of your TikTok account to one member of your team to make sure someone is posting regularly and oversees the activity to make sure it’s in line with your brand.

TikTok’s algorithm can affect whether you are seen or not. To be on a user’s ‘For You Page’, you must be creating similar content that they interact with, which of course relates to what your brand is offering.  

You also want to be taken seriously as a brand, so you need to consider what content you are posting. Therefore, do not take part in any potentially dangerous challenges or offensive content that could make you viral for all the wrong reasons!

TikTok’s influence on other platforms…

As Instagram reels have now been introduced to the world, it’s clear that TikTok is making an impact on other social media platforms which have realised how popular these short, fun videos are for users and businesses promoting their brands. A spokesperson for Instagram said: “Reels in Explore offer anyone the chance to become a creator on Instagram and reach new audiences on a global stage.”**  If you’re looking into using Instagram to advertise and gain dedicated followers, then TikTok and Instagram Reels could be a good move for your business. Influencers such as, Maria Castellanos and Denise Mercedes are taking the Reels world by storm, working with ASOS, H&M and Zara to create fashion styling videos. These have proved to be successful with the videos receiving high engagement levels from customers with one video receiving over 202,000 likes, 1,830 comments and over 5 million plays.

So, if you’re a brand with a young audience, it’s a no brainer to be on TikTok, however with the addition of Instagram Reels, we may see brands using this tool for advertising instead. Ultimately, it is important to be on top of your social media game as snippet videos do not seem to be going away anytime soon, so watch this space!

* https://www.tiktok.com/tag/smallbusiness?lang=en

**https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/introducing-instagram-reels-announcement

New Client: Drinks Cubed

The Sunny Bird PR team are thrilled to announce their latest client; eco-drinks brand, Drinks Cubed.

The responsible brand uses innovative product packaging within the premium mineral water market, harnessing 100% responsibly sourced materials, over 90% of which are plant based. These materials not only create products with significant ‘shelf stand out’ via unique looks. They also provide improved distribution and packaging solutions too. Most importantly, the Water Cubed carton-bottles have been proven to use 41% less CO2 in its life cycle vs. conventional plastic drinks bottles.

The sustainability focused start-up aims to become the lowest carbon footprint drinks brand  by 2022 and a pioneer as a commercially successful, green business.

Sunny Bird, Founder of Sunny Bird PR commented: “We couldn’t be happier to be working with Sukhi and Rav on such an inspirational brand on such an incredible journey. The team will be working with the drinks brand on some very exciting news and developments, so watch this space!”

New Client: Simply Takeout

The Sunny Bird PR team are delighted to announce their new client, Simply Takeout.

Simply Takeout is a new local food delivery business launching in Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole. The community focused company already has 17 local restaurants signed up, including Fireaway Pizza, Grill Shack & Tikki Bar, Quay Hog Roast & Grill and Fresco.

The Bournemouth-based company is a marketing platform that acts as a partner for restaurants while actively supporting local community initiatives and charities. Customers are able to order food through the brand’s app and website where they will find a wide range of cuisines from sushi to pasta, and Caribbean food to Indian. The online ordering process is quick, easy, and accessible to all ages, offering delicious food from companies which may not have been able to be part of delivery services in the past due its competitor’s high commission fees. While other food delivery services charge restaurants and take outs anywhere between 14-30%* commission on each order, Simply Takeout offer their service to local eateries for 9.5%.

Simply Takeout also offers local charities, clubs, and community groups the opportunity to earn money through its affiliate scheme, with the organisation receiving 10% of someone’s first order, and 2.5% of all subsequent orders. For example, if an affiliate organisation gets 500 people to register, and these people placed an average first order of £25, they would earn £1,250. And if these same 500 people ordered once per month over the year then the organisation would earn an additional £3,750 per year.

Sunny Bird, Founder of Sunny Bird PR, commented: “We’re so pleased to be a part of Simply Takeout’s journey, it’s inspirational to see companies like theirs doing things differently and supporting the community that they’re in.”

How to Pitch to Journalists During Covid-19

Here at Sunny Bird PR, we like to think we’re the experts in communicating to journalists; whether that’s a well thought out targeted email, or a straight to the point two minute phone call, we pride ourselves on getting great coverage for our clients. And what have we learnt from our years of experience in the industry, I hear you ask? It’s all in the pitch.

So, when Covid-19 hit we had to adapt to the new norm with journalists working from home, no longer could we jump on the phones and build a connection and meeting journalists are also a no-go at the moment with many still working from home.

As a result, we had to make sure our email pitches were even more on point than usual as this was the only way we could get in touch. At the start of lockdown, that dominated the media but now, it’s still being talked about, but journalists are looking for positive stories to share. If you have a story that could be seen as negative, try and add a happy ending, include that in your pitch, put a smile on the journalist’s face, and you could be on to a winner!

We’ve done some research and found some quotes from the journalists themselves who have given some advice and tips on pitching to them in this new ‘normal’ post lockdown.

Jane Hamilton – Journalist and Editor at The Sun

Jane wrote an article on what you should be doing to be sensitive to the situation but also to be successful during the pandemic:

“Should I still pitch at all? Yes, please do! Life goes on. Life WILL go back to normal (ish). In the meantime, most media outlets are looking for a balance of stories and need positives and heart-warming tales to combat the Covid-19 gloom.”

Read the full article here-

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-pitch-journalists-during-coronavirus-crisis-jane-hamilton/?trackingId=vJCAMQ7EHi7lfL9gtCmG2w%3D%3D

Angelica Malin, Editor-in-Chief at About Time Magazine

Angelica hosts #SheStartedIt podcast, here she gives lots of insight into the industry as well as discussing all things female empowerment. She says*:

 “Be personal. There has never been more of a need to be personal in your pitches. Generic press releases won’t land well and tailoring the first line of the pitch to the journalist is key. So spend time familiarising yourself with each journalist’s latest updates on social media and research the main topics that they cover.”

You may be thinking ‘but surely we’re getting back to normal and I can go back to what I was doing?’, unfortunately not. Journalists are still working from home (believe us, we’ve tried calling!) and will be for the foreseeable. They are often only contactable by email only, and you really don’t want to annoy a journalist by calling their mobile unexpectedly! So, for now, the email pitch is the best way to get yourself featured, so make sure it’s perfect!

If you’d like some help with your pitches and how to contact journalists, get in touch with the Sunny Bird PR team – hello@sunnybirdpr.com

*https://www.wavemakernorth.co.uk/how-to-pr-during-covid-19-according-to-journalists/

New Client: M+LKPLUS

The SBPR team are going nuts about their new client, Camilla Ainsworth and her dairy-free alternative nut milk, M+LKPLUS.Sunny Bird, Founder of SBPR, commented: “We first met Camilla when we invited her to speak at our Entrepreneur Summit 2019. We were blown away by her amazing products, but also with her. Camilla is an inspiration to young women everywhere.”

A former law student, Camilla was just 22 when she appeared on the BBC’s ‘The Apprentice’ in 2018, narrowly missing out in the final, Camilla was the youngest finalist in the history of the series. Whilst Lord Sugar didn’t choose her, the CEO of Holland & Barrett was suitably impressed with her vegan nut milk and she went ahead to launch the dairy alternative into 645 of their stores where both flavours continue to sell out.

Sunny continues: “We’re thrilled to be working with Camilla, and cannot wait to be a part of this next chapter - watch this space!”

New Client: Nostara

The SBPR team are excited to announce another client win this week! This time we are welcoming the luxury home fragrance brand Nostara to the flock.

Nostara is a home fragrance must have with its luxury scented candles, reed diffusers and room mists founded by Nikki Holt. Hand poured in the South West of England, Nostara's eco-friendly soy wax candles contain high quality essential oils to deliver a clean, long lasting burn candle producing the most beautiful aroma for your home, office or wedding! From the stunning glassware to their rose gold lids and understated packaging – their products are the epitome of luxury. All the scents have been designed with an emphasis on complex fragrance notes, giving a multi-dimensional olfactory experience. Whether you are tempted by their zesty homage to G&T – Lime & Juniper Berry, or their seductive take on the Queen of Flowers – Ebony Rose, there’s sure to be something for everyone. Available in 7 fragrances: Lime & Juniper, Bergamot & Black Tea, Linen & White Gardenia, Ebony Rose, Burnished Amber, Frosted Fir and Leather & Vetiver.

Sunny Bird, Founder of Sunny Bird PR, commented: ‘We are so excited to start working with Nostara and introduce the luxury brand to press, the team can’t wait to secure some amazing results for Nikki.”

New Client: Step Associates

The team at Sunny Bird PR are delighted to announce that they are now working with Step Associates, a company of Chartered Surveyors based in Salisbury, who provide Project and Commercial Management services to the built environment specialising in sustainable builds incorporating innovative renewable energy solutions.

Step Associates has become well known in the sector for its innovative projects such as the headline-grabbing giant greenhouses due for completion this autumn which the Step Associates team have been managing since its inception. The two giant greenhouses in the Norfolk and Suffolk area, costing £120M, will be the largest greenhouses in the UK. The greenhouses are being built next to sewage works, the heat from the sewage works will be pumped into the greenhouses and will be the ideal growing temperature for growing millions of tomatoes. This use of natural energy will cut carbon emissions associated with growing the crop by 75%.

Sunny Bird, Founder of Sunny Bird PR, commented: ‘We’re thrilled to be working with such an innovative and forward thinking company who are working on such impressive projects. The SBPR team are all proud to be an extension of the Step Associates team.”