Smack My Pitch Up

About this blog...

The corporate PR world can be dull - no really. Come ride with me as we take a weekly sideways glance at the world of PR in the lofty world of big business, from someone who has been there, done that, and was mostly fired.

Boom, the UK is back in business – In Sir Merv we trust

Opinion: Smack My Pitch Up

String up your bunting, crack the corks of your budget champagne, for this is the week that the historically pessimistic Sir Merv of Bank... Read more

0 comments

Andy Barr - 17/05/2013

Public Relations

No bollocks marketing from Newcastle Brown Ale

The Co-operative's junk and Newcy Brown's bollocks - the week in PR

Opinion: Smack My Pitch Up

The UK is rapidly falling out of love with the global credit rating agencies. First the UK as a whole got a downgrade and now the UK’s ... Read more

0 comments

Andy Barr - 10/05/2013

Marketing

The shit hit the fan for Rolls Royce Aerospace this week

The sun is shining and the UK is on the up (for this week anyway)

Opinion: Smack My Pitch Up

The sun pops out and all of a sudden the UK appears to be on an upward trend with positive news galore. ... Read more

0 comments

Andy Barr - 03/05/2013

Public Relations

A Weird Week in the Media – Hyundai leads the way with social suicide

Opinion: Smack My Pitch Up

I am not sure if it just because I have been out of the office all week but it seems as though it has been a bit of an odd week on the... Read more

1 comment

Andy Barr - 26/04/2013

Public Relations

PR industry comes under the cosh and more bad news burying

Opinion: Smack My Pitch Up

The public relations sector has come under scrutiny this week courtesy of the unpaid interns situation. We have always paid our interns... Read more

0 comments

Andy Barr - 18/04/2013

Public Relations

Margaret Thatcher was a PR dream

Opinion: Smack My Pitch Up

There are a number of reasons why I loved Baroness Thatcher. In my early life she was the main focus of my A-Level Politics classes and... Read more

3 comments

Andy Barr - 08/04/2013

Public Relations

A 'shitter of a week' for George Osborne and his PR team

Banker bashing is back and George Osborne disables his PR team

Opinion: Smack My Pitch Up

Everyone had a good week? I have just about recovered from the abuse in reaction to my last column about Ed Milibland. ... Read more

1 comment

Andy Barr - 05/04/2013

Public Relations

David Miliband: a more credible alternative to Ed - and the Tories?

The wrong Mili-bland brother left politics and now Labour has a real PR problem

Opinion: Smack My Pitch Up

This is one of those columns where I had to think long and hard about the consequences of writing something that will be so forthright. ... Read more

2 comments

Andy Barr - 28/03/2013

Media

Who buried bad news on budget day? Step forward Barclays, Greggs and the Government itself

Opinion: Smack My Pitch Up

Budget 2013 - or should it have been rebranded Budget 2014 as that is when many of the benefits that were announced by the Financially... Read more

0 comments

Andy Barr - 21/03/2013

Public Relations

The Cabinet has no commercial experience and Giraffes in Tesco's portfolio - the week in PR

Opinion: Smack My Pitch Up

Comedians could not have made it up: Giraffes now found in Tesco’s Portfolio. What a great way to start the week, the comedy business... Read more

0 comments

Andy Barr - 15/03/2013

Public Relations

John Lewis's snowmen have helped staff to bumper bonuses

This lady ain't for turning - John Lewis, Standard Chartered and RBS get the nod

Opinion: Smack My Pitch Up

Where to start? It’s been a big week across the board. ... Read more

0 comments

Andy Barr - 07/03/2013

Public Relations

It has been a painful week for Interflora

Are we OK to kick in former clients now? Oh yeah, and the UK got downgraded apparently?

Opinion: Smack My Pitch Up

No time for niceties and introductions this week. Let's get straight into it, as it is a busy one. ... Read more

0 comments

Andy Barr - 28/02/2013

Public Relations

The UK: recovering from a 'boozy night out'

Morrisons and Sports Direct put UK in the recovery position

Opinion: Smack My Pitch Up

It feels like spring has sprung in the corporate PR world this week. The jury is still clearly out on where we are at with regards to the... Read more

0 comments

Andy Barr - 21/02/2013

Public Relations

McDonald's has been one of the few victors in the horse meat scandal

Horse meat scandal – McDonald's is loving it

Opinion: Smack My Pitch Up

Volatility seems to be the watchword of the corporate PR world at the minute. ... Read more

1 comment

Andy Barr - 07/02/2013

Public Relations

HMV has made a dog's dinner of social media

HMV social suicide is a wake up call to consultants and marketing grand fromages

Opinion: Smack My Pitch Up

This week was going to be all about Blackberry, a brand that I have knocked on these here pages in the past but who, ultimately, I love... Read more

11 comments

Andy Barr - 01/02/2013

Public Relations

Andy Barr says the City can no longer be 'arsed' with Apple

Sony potentially enters into mortal combat and Apple has a core problem

Opinion: Smack My Pitch Up

What a stormer of a week in the world of corporate public relations. ... Read more

0 comments

Andy Barr - 25/01/2013

Public Relations

Overzealous Waitrose has upset those nice people of the Cotswolds

Waitrose causes Cotswold strife while Jaguar leaps ahead

Opinion: Smack My Pitch Up

Before we get going on this week’s column, let’s take a moment to say goodbye to Jessops. At the time of writing, all we know is that the... Read more

0 comments

Andy Barr - 16/01/2013

Public Relations