Act II in the Expenses Saga

Enter Stage Right…  Keir Starmer QC, head of the CPS, who on Friday charged 4 Parliamentarians – 3 Labour MPs and a Tory Peer – under the Theft Act 1968 over their expenses.  Not since Lloyd George was slapped in the 1920s for selling peerages and knighthoods has there been such a huge scandal over our elected representatives.

The three Labour MPs have threatened to use “Parliamentary privilege” – introduced in the 1689 Bill of Rights to allow Parliamentarians to say what they like without fear of being arrested by the monarch of the day – as a defence.  The CPS wants this tested in a court, all of which has caused uproar.

You can see why these three MPs probably feel they’ve had the short end of the wedge, given other MPs were paid £30k+ for phantom second homes yet don’t seem to have been charged.  But perception is reality.

Expect whoever wins the General Election to embark on the biggest clean-up of politics, starting with Cameron’s plans for a Parliamentary Privilege Act to “clarify the rules of Parliamentary privilege, to make clear that they cannot be used by MPs to evade justice”…

By Ben Pickering

Let the battle commence!

With the Olympic Games 2012 creeping slowly up, so the competition has already commenced for some.  Waiting on tenterhooks for the judges scores to promote the Games taking place for the third time in London, are Edelman, Hill & Knowlton and Freud Communications. Knocking off competition from Bell Pottinger and Weber Shandwick, we await to winner be announced. Place your bets…

By Erin Leahy

Interview tips!

With increased competition at interviews, it’s important that you think about all the different elements that make a successful interview:

·         Presentation  - find out about the culture of the organization – if your best suit is required make sure you wear it, likewise if that would put off the potential employer then go for a smart causal look

·         Research – yourself, the company and industry – what account did you work on 3 years ago, who are the key players in your industry, what has happened recently that interested you

Practice and practice – go though interview style questions preferably to a friend or partner

Have some intelligent questions at the ready – try to avoid at all costs, “I think you have answered everything”

By Alice Weightman

Le bio en un clic

Le marché du bio, l’un des plus atomisés qui soit avec sa multitude de petits producteurs, est désormais fédéré dans un portail Internet gratuit et non marchand. Edité par la société Bio à la une, il se présente sous la forme d’un salon virtuel d’exposition où plus de cent acteurs du bio font la promotion du fruit de leur travail.

By Guillemette Faure

Corporate resignation via Twitter!

It would seem our world of communication really is changing! PCMag.com issued a story today explaining how Jonathan Schwartz, now former CEO of Sun Microsystems, used Twitter to advise on his resignation. Ouch!

By Kelly Hopkins

Recession, RIP

We’ve been experiencing a surge in candidate and client activity in recent months so weren’t entirely suprised by the news that the UK is officially out of recession for the first time in 18 months http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8479639.stm

So, what does this mean for PR and Marcoms professionals searching for a job, or for clients wanting to fill roles?

Without a doubt, more job opportunities will become available which is encouraging – and welcome – news for those who’ve put their job hunt on ice for the past year and a half (though it felt like longer)

And confidence most definitely generates confidence  creating a positive change cycle.  As more clients and agencies start pitching for business - and are now increasingly likely to win it – there’ll be a glut of candidates wanting to be first through the rehiring door.  If the markets stay strong, as budgets are released, it’s a trend that can only gain momentum.

Digital and consumer skills are in highest demand, but now there’s movement in all markets, even financial. So, if you haven’t done so already, get your CV updated to reflect your most recent CPD and job experience.  Employers will be looking for those candidates who will add value to their offering, and remember that competition will be keen.  Update your social media profiles, taking care of privacy settings.  Most importantly, keep US updated, so you’ll be first in mind when clients come calling. With recession behind us (albeit only just) it’ll be a case of when, not if.

For more info click on http://www.rec.uk.com/press/news/926

By Kayode Dauda

3 Stars to Hanson Search clients!

Great news to hear we are working with some of the best employers in PR! As a recruitment business that prides itself on long-term results and a high calibre client list, this was very reassuring! Keep up the good work guys!

2010 Best Companies to Work For survey results:

Shine Communications, Brands2Life, Bite Communications and Lexis PR are all of the top achievers this year all receiving the highest mark of 3 stars. 2 stars were awarded to Blue Rubicon, Golin Harris, MS&L, Text 100 and The Red Consultancy, closely followed by Edelman, Engine, Fleishman Hillard, Lansons Communications, Consolidated PR and Waggener Edstrom who all claimed 1 star.

By Kelly Hopkins

Peugeot revisite son histoire pour renouveler son identité

Après Citroën en 2009, c’est au tour de Peugeot d’effectuer sa révolution culturelle : nouveau logo, nouvelle signature publicitaire et film grand spectacle. Objectif : associer le constructeur au concept de mobilité au sens le plus large.

Même le fameux lion, hiératique, surgissant comme un blason médiéval sur fond de drapeau bleu nuit, a disparu… Au lieu de cela, un nouveau logo, centré sur la silhouette de l’animal, plus stylisée, à la fois mat et métallisé, reprenant dans son graphisme le bleu du drapeau disparu. Avec, en prime, un petit côté « cartoon » auquel Peugeot ne nous avait pas habitués. Mais chose promise, chose due. En novembre dernier, le directoire de PSA s’était engagé à présenter en janvier une identité radicalement renouvelée. C’est désormais chose faite depuis vendredi dernier avec la refonte de la charte graphique, de l’identité visuelle (le tout orchestré par BETC  Design) et une nouvelle signature de marque, commune à la France et à l’international (« Peugeot, motion and emotion ») orchestrée par l’agence de publicité BETC Euro RSCG.

Watch the video :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACgpIXYBBpE

More details :

http://www.lesechos.fr/info/metiers/020303465022-peugeot-revisite-son-histoire-pour-renouveler-son-identite.htm

By Rebecca Bazini

Cut Backs in the Pharmaceutical industry

GSK announces 4000 jobs to be slashed worldwide, only a week after Astra Zeneca made a similar announcement.

By Alice Weightman

Sanofi Aventis’s new venture - in line with the rapidly expanding consumer healthcare market in China.

See article on Inpharm

By Saphia Haddouche