News

Barn Owl boost attracts the Beeb

We’re delighted with the national coverage we secured on 13 January for Conservation Grade’s recent Barn Owl study: BBC Breakfast and BBC Look East broadcasts (complete with wild and tame owls!), a Telegraph exclusive and a mention in the farming news.

Images of fluffy baby owls would always be a draw but, crucially, we also got across how achievable and profitable it is to farm for wildlife alongside commercial crops, and what the public can do to support this.

The highlight was BBC Breakfast’s Louise Hubball meeting two captive-bred Barn Owls – Tulu and Rosie – on a Conservation Grade farm in Norfolk. Not only did she hold an owl, but also saw Nature Friendly Farming in action with a wild Barn Owl swooping in to feed from the habitats created.

Who says don’t work with animals?

For information about the Barn Owl project, visit: www.naturefriendlyowls.org.

Proud of Dairy - pledge your support!

We’re proud to support the dairy industry in this country because it produces a huge range of fantastic products in many creative ways - while maintaining one of the highest rates of animal welfare in Europe. We should also be proud of the choices we have between different farming systems - from large-scale and low carbon footprint farming to small or organic. At Oxtale we believe there’s room for everyone and that it’s time to embrace our differences, because without them the industry will have less opportunities and consumers will lose the choice they love.

Online petitions - why we should all be wary

The rise in online petitions is a development we should all be concerned about - read Amy Jackson's views why in Farmers Weekly...

Half of organisations in science and industry unlikely to be engaging through social media

Over half of businesses operating in industrial or scientific sectors are unlikely to have a strategy for using social media in their PR and communications – despite three quarters recognising that their target audiences are already active users.

This is just one of the indications in our new report, which looks at whether – and how – social media can be used effectively outside of consumer PR campaigns.

We found that while social media has proved its worth in consumer-facing marketing and PR, many are still reluctant to use it for business and staff communications, or to support a positive reputation.

The reasons given included difficulty measuring the impact on profits and business objectives, lack of knowledge or confidence, and poor support from the senior management team. However, another important factor was a feeling of losing control over what was being said about an organisation on the web.

The irony is these conversations will be taking place anyway, if not on the web then through other forums. Our advice is that you’re better being involved in them and showing how keen you are to engage with critics than simply pretending they’re not happening.

It’s true that not all social media is right for all businesses, but there are some fantastic opportunities outlined in the report. We’ve suggested a quick way to gauge how useful social media could be to you, what platforms to use and some practical tips for getting going.

Read our blog, or download the full report for free here.

Super learnings from super dairy

With the withdrawal last week of the plans to build the UK's largest dairy, we ponder on PR issues in farming where this leaves the industry...read our blog here

Win £5000 of media and crisis training!

Oxfordshire organisations looking to improve the way they come across in the media, or plan effectively to manage communications in a crisis, are being offered the chance to win tailored training worth over £5000.

Oxtale is offering one media training course and one crisis and issues planning session, and any business, charity or public sector body based within the county can enter – and all they have to do is literally ‘get in touch’.

To have a chance of winning one of these courses, contact Oxtale via Twitter, Facebook or Linked In (click the links on this page), sending us your company name along with the word ‘media’ or ‘issues’ to signify which course you would like to have a chance of winning. You can also phone the Oxtale office on 01993 880360 for more information.

Entries will close at 5pm on Monday 6 September 2010, after which the winners will be drawn from a hat and notified; the winners will also be publicised via Twitter, Facebook and Linked In. The courses must be held between October 2010 and March 2011 inclusive.

Please see Terms and Conditions

Read the full press release for details about the courses

This year, Oxtale’s Henley Women’s Regatta campaign secured:

Press and TV coverage with circulation and viewing of over ½ million people, including two items on BBC Oxford TV and coverage from Irish and US dailies
1,500 more unique visitors to the HWR website
Almost 500 Facebook friends recruited from scratch
Significant web coverage with two features on British Rowing website (72,000 visits/month)