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Covid 19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK campaigned and lobbied tirelessly for a public inquiry into the failings that saw more than 200,000 people die in the UK during the pandemic. At the heart of their successful campaign, and others that have come to the fore recently, is communication and an adept use of the media to create a body of pressure that becomes so great that the government or corporate bodies eventually cave in.

While the country’s great and good duke it out on weekly televised debates, for those of us in all types of public relations, including legal PR, the election offers a unique lens through which to examine the evolution of communication strategies. As the campaigning unfolds, various aspects of political messaging, media engagement, and voter interaction reveal the intricate dance between politicians and the public.

The Post Office scandal has caused significant damage to the reputation of the legal profession and now, following evidence from former Post Office boss Paula Vennells and her former director of communications Mark Davies, the PR profession is not coming out covered in glory either. It was reported that Ms Vennells killed a review that would have exposed the Horizon IT scandal over a decade ago after she was told it would make “front-page news”. Subsequently sub-postmasters continued to be prosecuted and the Post Office continued to fight attempts to appeal convictions.

The recent news that the wrong couple were granted a divorce after a lawyer at Vardags accidently opened a different couple’s file when making the application was a sobering reminder that mistakes happen, but it’s how you react to them that really matters. This could have gone one of two ways and to be honest, having seen some law firm howlers when it comes to managing embarrassing incidents, I was pleasantly surprised that Vardags did the right thing.

I spoke to an editor friend recently who told me they no longer had phones at the place where she worked. “I have a work mobile, but I jump out of my skin when it rings as no one ever calls,” she said. This in itself isn’t anything new. I’m used to seeing ‘no phone calls’ listed in journalists’ bios on media databases. Once considered the norm, leaving a voicemail now borders on the offensive and almost certainly won’t be picked up. Journalists will always tell you to email in the first instance, but emails are easily missed and often forgotten. The same editor admitted she received so many that her inbox was bulging with thousands marked ‘unread.’

When it comes to good communications timing, tone, and getting the messaging right for your audience are key. While PR professionals know this all too well, it doesn’t prevent countless high profile PR disasters from happening every year. So, it was with a sense of awe – and extreme sadness as I am a lifelong Liverpool fan – that I saw Jurgen Klopp’s resignation video and subsequent outpouring of love towards the Liverpool manager.

Did you know that 42% of Brits admit they cannot remember the last time they laughed out loud, while 32% believe they haven’t as much as giggled in the last month? Well, it’s true, according to Sky TV last year. How about that 51% of people consider a Jaffa Cake to be a biscuit and only 38% see it as a cake ? Journalists love a survey. It’s easy, often eye-catching copy that pretty much writes itself. For that reason, those looking for publicity love a survey too – it can hammer home a message, be an understandable way into a difficult or staid topic, or show you’re a bit of fun.

According to a report published earlier this month by Black Letter Communications client, Obelisk Support, young lawyers are increasingly attracted to principles- and values-based businesses. Nearly three-quarters of the junior lawyers surveyed as part of the report -  World in Motion: why the legal profession cannot stand still - agreed or strongly agreed that they would not join an organisation whose values did not match with their own, even if they were offering more money.

I was fortunate enough to attend the First4Lawyers 15th anniversary celebration in Leeds earlier this month. As I sat listening to the presentations from the First4Lawyers’ board about their journey over the past 15 years, it got me thinking about the role that PR has played in their story, and what makes a successful PR partnership.