Archive for the ‘Market Research’ Category
‘Saving Lives’ – documentary campaigning for affirmations in schools
Sunday, February 21st, 2010PRimage has been involved in ‘Saving Lives’ - a very worthwhile factually-based campaigning documentary, written and produced by Kenan Hudaverdi, which aims to bring awareness of the issues of bullying, racism, domestic violence, drugs and crime. The campaign will lobby Governments and decision makers around the world. 
PRimage managing director, Judy Viitanen, co-narrated the documentary - which can be viewed on YouTube - and she is developing a special campaign web site, with the aim of setting up a charity to support the campaign’s aims. Please view the documentary on YouTube – and give us your support and comments! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6dbJk4i0VY&feature=autofb
You can also become a member of the Saving Lives Face Book Group - ‘I bet I can find 1,000,000 people who want to save lives!’
Ah Britain …… But at least the sun is still shining!
Monday, September 28th, 2009This weekend Judy received an email from a friend and business colleague from ‘across the pond’ with an interesting opinion piece article attached, written by Theodore Dalrymple (aka Anthony Daniels). Entitled, ‘ The British Disease’ …… The press cutting was a critique and personal commentary of the current state of play in today’s Britain - with observations about the economy, education, our nation’s lack of attention to service, plus some scathing views on Gordon Brown and David Cameron.
PRimage found it an interesting article (in part) …… we totally agree with the comments on Brown and the state of the British economy … BUT …. we totally disagree with Mr Daniels’ views on David Cameron, whom we rate highly! Cameron and the Tories are way ahead of Brown and Labour in the opinion polls …. A ComRes poll in today’s Independent newspaper puts Labour support on 23 per cent, level-pegging with the Liberal Democrats, while the Conservatives are on 38 per cent. So, unless something goes drastically amiss in the coming months, he looks set to win the next General Election (thank God!).
Judy has read other articles penned from Mr Daniels ….. He positions himself as a ‘caring conservative’ (which is much in line with Judy’s political stance). But we are disappointed by his disparaging comments about the public relations industry in this article; and our professional integrity prompts us to take issue!
Suffice to say that as a PR practitioner of many years standing and achievement, Judy gets very weary with some of the misconceptions, ‘labels’ and myths about public relations …. which include: ‘fluffy, insubstantial hype’, ‘the work of spin doctors’, or ‘a sneaky way to hide things’. Certainly, by its very nature, PR can never be as transparent as advertising or direct marketing, and perhaps this is the essence of its perception problem.
Mr Daniels views are yet another unfair reflection of what PR does. His comment on Cameron’s pre-political career in PR and observation that public relations is ‘hardly a school for intellectual and moral probity’ is both damaging and totally unjustified!
For the benefit of ill-informed individuals (Mr Daniels, take note) …. PR is about informing, influencing, improving, and initiating, with the resulting outcome being a desired, legitimate change in behaviour. Maybe some overlapping synergy with politics?
Anyway, here’s the article in full ….. post a blog comment and let Judy and the PRimage team know what you think …..
Tories trusted on public services – PRimage agree!
Thursday, July 23rd, 2009
As long-standing Conservative supporters, Judy Viitanen (a former Tory District Councillor) and the PRimage team are not surprised that a Populus opinion poll suggests more voters trust the Conservatives to manage public spending cuts without harming key public services, with 38 per cent backing the party compared to 28 per cent supporting Labour. 
We are also pleased to hear that David Cameron is to offer an olive branch to the Conservative party’s old guard after the turmoil of the expenses scandal by promoting several of them to senior jobs in his government if the Tories win the next election.
Brown bad for UK! PRimage comment
Monday, June 15th, 2009Judy Viitanen and the PRimage team gave up on the beleaguered Prime Minister a long time ago …. In our view, he’s well past his ‘sell-by date’ and the longer he stays in power the greater the damage he does to his party and the country! It appears that more than half of the electorate share that view. We are not surprised! 
A majority, 60%, say Brown should step down now or before the next general election: In a YouGove poll more than half, 51%, agree with the statement that “Gordon Brown’s continued presence as prime minister is damaging the country”, against 27% who disagree. The poll of more than 1,900 people last Thursday and Friday also suggests the hostility towards the main parties shown in the European parliament elections this month has persisted.
The Tories, with 40% of the vote, have maintained a 16-point lead over Labour, which is down at 24%. However, both parties have lost support over the past month; in May their ratings were 43% and 27% respectively. The beneficiaries are not the Liberal Democrats, unchanged on 18%, but the smaller parties, up from 12% to 18%. Within this, the UK Independence party had 8% of the vote, the Greens 4%, and the British National party 3%, with most of the rest going to the Scottish Nationalists and Plaid Cymru.
NHS faces huge financial crisis! PRimage comment
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
A new report from the NHS Confederation has given the health service in England a ‘red alert’, warning that it faces a financial crisis – and that a combination of recession and rising costs will hit the health service hardest after 2010-11. As a specialist healthcare communications and lobbying company, PRimage has enormous respect for the NHS Confederation – but we hope that the worst case scenarios mooted by the organisation are not realised! … But we do agree that some radical innovations are probably needed - and that the NHS certainly needs to become more efficient!
The NHS Confederation, which represents 90 per cent of NHS organisations, said the next two years would be “tough but manageable” but beyond 2010-11 it would be “very different and extremely challenging”. Its report — Dealing with the downturn: The greatest ever leadership challenge for the NHS? — said the service should expect a funding shortfall of £15 billion in real terms as a result of the impact of the recession and rising costs. And the report called for immediate action if the service is to continue to keep to its founding principles of providing free care to everyone at the point of need. It warned against “diluting” the quality of patient care and extending waiting lists, or making cuts to training budgets. A solution to the crisis lies in NHS leaders embracing innovation, change and improving efficiency, it said.
Judy Viitanen and the PRimage team note that the newly appointed Health Secretary Andy Burnham said NHS funding had tripled since 1997, putting it on a strong financial footing – and that he suggests that PCT’s will receive an additional 5% over the next couple of years. He agreed that a ‘leaner’ NHS was needed - but said it was premature to talk of job cuts in the health service. We’ve just listened to his interview on the Radio 4 Today programme – and felt he put up a robust defence of Labour’s record on the NHS. 
We were also interested to hear the shadow health secretary, Andrew Lansley, promising that a Conservative government would increase spending on the health service. 
And he reiterated this during a speech this afternoon at the NHS Confederation conference – confirming the Conservatives’ commitment to increasing the NHS budget in real terms after 2011 while calling on managers to justify the extra spend. He stated his three priorities were equity, efficiency and excellence, and repeated his belief in ring-fenced public health budgets to address health inequalities.
Judy Viitanen and the PRimage team totally support the Tory view that more power needs to rest with patients. And we believe this will be helped by expanding practice based commissioning. Watch this space!
The Power of Public Relations: PRimage tips to business owners
Friday, May 29th, 2009
Are you launching a new product, promoting your business, or just wanting to increase sales? Public relations (PR) can help your customers understand your business, product, service, brand or message. In these tough economic times there is a strong argument for business owners to do all they can to promote and grow their company and brand. Public relations really is an inexpensive way for your business to get noticed, create an impression, and be remembered. Find out how PRimage can help your business! Contact us on: Tel: +44(0)1727874137; Mobile: 07717691845. E-mail: judy@primage.org
PRimage support calls for a General Election … Bring it on!
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009With the ongoing scandal of MPs expenses Parliament has gone through its darkest period in living memory. Judy Viitanen is delighted to learn this evening that the Speaker of the House of Commons has finally resigned: thank God!
The PRimage team are right behind David Cameron is his calls for a General Election to be held as soon as possible. Bring it on we say! There are many dedicated, hard-working MPs across all the political parties – but what has come to light over recent weeks about MPs abuse of expenses means that the majority of the electorate are appalled and disgusted – and want to kick those guilty MPs out.
The Conservatives have launched a petition demanding that Gordon Brown calls a General Election.
You can help kick-start this campaign right now - just click here to sign the petition online, and then send the link to your friends and colleagues.
As David Cameron says, “If we all Sign for Change we can send a message that the government can’t ignore”
