This document discusses various aspects of public relations (PR) and the emerging role of virtual reality (VR) in business communications. It features an interview with Scottish blogger Wendy Gilmour, highlighting her experiences and insights on impactful blogging, influencer marketing, and the importance of authenticity in PR. Additionally, the document underscores how VR can enhance customer engagement and improve business strategies, emphasizing its potential in online shopping and training experiences.

1. AURATALKHELPING SMES STAND OUT
ISSUE NO.5
ImagecreditLauraSutherland
BLOGGER
INTERVIEW
@Thankfifi
VIRTUAL
REALITY
for SMEs
HOW MUCH
DOES PRcost?

2. EDITOR'S NOTE
E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F
WelcometothefifthissueofAuraTalkandthefirstonefor2017!
Sincethelastissue,therehasbeenloadsofactivityinPRandcommunications.Mostrecently,
theissueof'fakenews' whichhasseenFacebookbeenaccusedofinterferingwiththeUS
Election; DonaldTrump,inhisfirstpressbriefingasPresident,dismissedajournalistashismedia
companywas'fakenews'; andUSPressSecretary,MrSpicer,gavetheworstfirstbriefing
inhistory,inhisnewrole.
InScotland,thesecond#PRFesthaslaunchedandwilltakeplace15-16JuneinEdinburgh.
PRCAhasbeenconfirmedasamainsponsor.Earlybirdticketsareonsaleviaprfest.co.ukuntil
5pmon5thFebruary.
Iamundertakingthe'30daychallenge',aninitiativebyGiniDietrichofSpinSucks.Sofar,it'sbeen
amazing,butI'llshareallwhenI'vecompletedthechallenge.
Ididaseriesofbloggerinterviewslastyear,whichoutlinedhowbrandscanworkwithbloggers
toengagetheiraudiences.Readonforoneoftheposts.
I'vealsoincludedafeatureaboutlaunchingabrandinScotlandandwhatyouneedtoknow
beforedevelopingastrategy.
ThecoverpictureisaphotoItookinJerseylastOctober.Lobstersfascinatemeandthepicture
showssomereallybeautifulcolours.
EnjoythisissueandgetintouchifyouwanttodiscusshowIcanhelpyourbusiness.
W W W . A U R A - P R . C O M
Laura Sutherland

3. BLOGGER INTERVIEWS
#1 Thankfifi
Kicking off Aura’s blogger interview series, I spoke to Wendy Gilmour, AKA Thankfifi, and asked her some
questions about being a blogger, her style and being ‘PR friendly’.
The blogger interview series aims to give insight into some of Scotland’s top bloggers and how PR
practitioners and brands can work more effectively with them.
Aura engages with bloggers on behalf of clients as part of wider public relations strategy and we’ve learned a
lot along the way. In particular, as we work more in influencer relations, we now have to consider budgets to
reach an ‘audience’ which we a) wouldn’t normally be able to reach and b) have to be authentic with.
The idea of using influencers to reach our audiences, put simply, comes from the way in which our audiences
consume information and indeed trust the authenticity of bloggers, vloggers and of course via social media.
#1 You feature your four-legged friends in your pics a lot! Do
your followers love this?
Wendy: I reckon they’d have to – if you weren’t a dog lover then
you probably wouldn’t be smart to follow me. I’m a huge dog
nerd so like to feature them as much as possible. Truth be told
usually a photo of them gets a far better reaction than one of me!
Laura: Well, I’ve always loved your dogs being a part of your
posts. It adds real character and tells a part of your own life story.
#2 What’s your favourite part of blogging?
Wendy: Having been able to build a career out of something I
love is the best part, I feel very lucky. I love conceptualising
shoots and working with brands I love and respect. And then
there’s the travel… lots of favourites.
#3 The blogging scene is vibrant in Scotland but bloggers up here are only just starting to be more like
in London, with media packs and stating they are ‘PR friendly’. When we first met a few years ago you
were streaks ahead. What would you say has helped you to stand out?
Wendy: Perhaps professionalism? I am lucky in that I work a couple of days a week in PR/Marketing so
perhaps I see it from both sides and know what PR’s are looking for. I also never set up the blog and put in
30+ hours a week with the intention of it being a hobby… I knew for it to be viable long term I needed to take it
seriously for others to do the same.

4. Laura: I know from doing the Aura blog and my own personal one, the time commitment to doing them is
demanding. It’s great when people love the posts though! Maybe I should do a blogger interview with
someone who writes a PR blog?
#4 Do you think images and video are important for bloggers?
Wendy: Hugely. For me images are everything. Images are what draws me in and sells me on products. I
know video is almost even more important but honestly it’s not something I’ve mastered and if I can’t put out
content I’m happy with then I’d rather not share it at all – so photos for me at the moment.
Laura: I hope you like how I’ve laid this one out?! Your Snaps and Insta stories are great though. That’s a
form of video and you’re always straight to the point, so people must appreciate that.
#5 How do you balance everything you do? You’re a bit of a jet-
setter these days!
I don’t sleep much. Seriously though, I set my alarm for 7am each
morning and I work really hard. I optimise my time and always travel
with my laptop – editing images and writing posts on flights is
amazing because nobody can interrupt with you emails or social
media…
#6 Who is your favourite blogger and why?
Wendy: I have so many bloggers I really admire and they all have very different style. I think what Nicole
Warne has built in Gary Pepper Girl is incredible, her images are top of the top, something to aspire to. Her
style is simple yet beautiful and original. My only gripe is that she’s so successful now she barely blogs…
Laura: I love your blogs. I can picture myself where you are, eating what you’re eating and buying what you
wear. That’s why you’re kicking off my blogger interview series!
#7 As blogging and vlogging has developed, what do you think bloggers will do to keep pushing
forward with new ways of engaging the world?
Wendy: I have no idea! When I started Thankfifi five years ago Instagram wasn’t even a thing… it’s such a fast-
paced industry that’s a bit like asking what travel will look like in ten years time… hoverboards? Who knows!
But it’ll be fun to find out, on both counts.
Laura: Vine was fairly well used for a while and now it’s gone. It shows that even the platforms have to keep
innovating to keep up.
#8 When you work with brands, is there a process you go through?
Wendy: I usually send off my media pack and look to find out what the brand are hoping to achieve. After
setting rough budgets I’ll come up with a proposal that hopefully fulfills their brief and get signed off. Then I
go about coming up with the concept of the shoot from the visual point of view, especially if there’s a story to
be told – I like to do that through images so there’s some planning to be done…
Laura: As with anything in PR, it’s important to set objectives and goals. Otherwise, how can it be measured
and what’s the point?

5. #9 I know you’re ‘PR friendly’! Is there any advice or tips
you’d give to PR practitioners about working with
bloggers?
Wendy: It’s just really great when a PR takes you seriously.
Bloggers pour out hours and hours of work every day and
every week of the year to be where they are and it’s great
when there’s a mutual respect for that. I prefer when a PR is
up front if there’s no budget, then we can talk about what
the options might be, more openly. The worst thing is
wasting one another’s time talking around the houses!
Laura: It’s a business now and before anyone approaches a blogger they need to have considered
budgets as well as objectives.
#10 Do you place a lot of value in trust between you and your audience?
Wendy: Yes I think that’s everything. I honestly turn down at least as many campaigns as I go forward with
as I need to be true to my style and values. I can’t work on something or share something that doesn’t feel
genuine. I once started working with a phone brand but the image quality was so terrible I cancelled the
post and returned the phone (in the loveliest way possible!).
Laura: You’ve hit the nail on the head. It has to be genuine. I’m glad to hear you don’t just take on anything.
That’s really the beginning of the end for those who do. The whole purpose of the blogger interview series
is so people can learn from the very people who are influencing.
#11 Do you have any long-term relationships with brands you work with?
Wendy: Yes there are a few brands I have built great relationships with and I think that’s so nice, not only
for me, but for my readers. It’s feels much better to share brands not only when it’s a sponsored post, but
on an ongoing basis, just because I love them. From the brand point of view, usually that means they’ll
come back to me for another sponsored post when the time is right, they know I have a genuine love for
the brand, too. And so a long term relationship begins… I try to stay true to that as well. If I’m working with a
brand on an ongoing basis, like Sassoon for example (my hair heros!) it’s unlikely I’m going to showcase
another hair salon any time soon as I just feel it’s a bit of a conflict and also a confusing message for
readers.
Laura: That’s great to hear too. It’s something PRs and brands need to take into consideration and a
question they should ask prior to agreeing any activity.
#12 The blogging community tends to be close knit. Do you think there is sharing and helping across
the Scottish community?
Wendy: Absolutely. We’re very lucky in that the community is relatively small compared to the likes of
London and also quite diverse. Perhaps there’s not that same sense of competition. It’s nice to be nice so I
like to think we all try to help each other out, sharing contacts and making recommendations.
Laura: That’s the best attitude. It’s a new community too, something that will continue for many years, so
it’s good to set the standard from the off!

6. Using
virtual
reality
Virtual reality is
revolutionising the way
businesses communicate
and connect with their
audiences.
This year some of the world’s largest tech
companies brought us virtual reality (or VR) through
the likes of Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR, and the HTC
Vive.
Although not in the hands of everyday consumers,
the release of these headsets to consumers is
gaining traction. According to Gartner, 25 million
virtual reality headsets will sell by 2018.
I didn’t understand the hype over virtual reality; let
alone what the potential was for businesses in the
modern era. Laura asked me if I’d like to go to a
Google Garage event as part of my internship with
Aura to find out more about virtual reality and what
the opportunities for business, particularly those
without the big budgets.
VR used by brands we know
The New York Times recognised the importance of
creating virtual reality content. It now brings its
audiences to the centre of their stories and events in
an immersive virtual reality experience. In a
partnership with Google, The New York Times sent
Google cardboard headsets to subscribers. This
allowed them to follow campaign trails and explore
distant Pluto in a 360-degree video.
Topshop has also explored virtual reality and has
taken the idea of a traditional fashion show to a new
dimension. As a way to engage and excite
customers, Topshop invited shoppers to don 8
Oculus Rift headsets, placed in the window of their
flagship store in Oxford Circus.
PlaystationVRbox
What is virtual reality?
VR is a computer generated
experience where users can
interact and view content via a
special headset.
As soon as you put the headset
on, there’s a whole new world to
explore where you can look, feel,
and witness something so real
that you would want to touch it.
Virtual reality benefits both brands and consumers.
It enables brands to spotlight their products and
services through mesmerising and lifelike
experiences. It also allows consumers to interact
with brands. Companies like The New York Times,
IKEA, Coca-Cola, and Topshop are already taking
advantage of this trend.
This allowed customers to experience
a 360-degree virtual world. This
comprised of a live feed from the Tate
Modern of the Topshop Unique
fashion show, backstage access, and
VIP arrivals.
The Oculus rift is priced at £549 per
headset and while not all businesses
have big budgets to spend on testing
out virtual reality, smaller brands can
still incorporate virtual reality tactics
into their PR strategies.
Live video is a way of promoting brands, and virtual
reality is live videos next phase. This will allows
businesses to communicate inspiring content on a
completely new level. Audiences can experience
new product launches or events without having to
be there in person. Google cardboard headsets are
priced as low as £5, allowing anyone to experience
virtual reality in a simple and fun way.

7. Virtual reality also allows audiences to gain a
better understanding of a businesses’ culture.
Google Street View allows viewers to see inside
the workplace. Companies can now take this one
step further and take their audiences on trips
behind the scenes. This shows them exactly what
the company does and what they stand for. This
is powerful and will build brand loyalty.
VR offers opportunities
It is clear the future of VR is bright. Industry analyst
firm CCS Insight, published a report estimating that
the market will be worth a $4 billion in three years.
Some of the most exciting opportunities for virtual
reality are:
> It will improve the online shopping experience.
Being able to see clothes or furniture to determine
the fit will remove the need to buy in store and
manage online shopping expectations. Wouldn’t
it be great to see how a new sofa would look in
your living room before you buy it?
> It will improve entertainment. Imagine sitting in
your living room and watching Wimbledon with
virtual reality. The viewer will be transported right
to the court! Virtual reality will have a similar impact
on gaming music, and movies.
ImagecourtesyofPopularScience:OculusRift
> It will offer on the job training experiences. Virtual
reality apps will help with learning and relationship
building. Staff will be able to speak face to face with
their boss from across the country, or master public
speaking in front of a virtual audience. The skills and
mentors you can access will be endless when there
are no geographical or practical limits.
It is clear that virtual reality offers a world of
opportunities for business. Embracing this technology
allows companies and consumers to benefit from the
experience.
After attending the Google Garage event I feel excited
about what the future holds for virtual reality. It is
much more than a gimmick and is something that can
be core to a business strategy.
GuestarticlebyCarlyFleider,formerAuraIntern
Google Cardboard. Self assembly.
Image courtesy of Gigaom.com
Image courtesy of Google Store

8. How much
does PR cost?
Businesses don't always understand how PR is costed. Aura
tries to explain how costs are calculated
Firstly, it's important to point out value. The value of public relations to business. Here's what the Chartered
Institute of Public Relations says about the value of PR.
You can’t choose whether or not you want public relations. It happens whenever you communicate with
others. Left alone, you may achieve good or bad relations. However, by using PR effectively, you can
build strong relationships and maintain a sound reputation at all times and in all circumstances.
Perhaps ironically, it is during difficult economic times when you are looking to steel yourself for the
challenges ahead, and are contemplating cut backs in certain areas, that you should be looking to invest
in public relations.
Whether your customers, suppliers, employees and regulators chose to buy your product or service, or
to be associated with you depends on your reputation – and, perhaps more importantly, how they rate
it compared with your competitors. Public relations will help you to build the reputation you want and
to differentiate it from others to give your organisation a competitive edge.
With this in mind, the argument for doing more rather than less communications work in a downturn
appears to be a ‘no-brainer’. When times are good there is money to go around but when things
become tight people become far more selective about what they spend money on and who they want to
give it to. In the battle for market share, and amongst the buzz of competing voices, you are going to
have to communicate more ‘loudly’, not less.
Money spent on PR is money well spent, so long as you get what you need from PR and the best advice
available…
"TheheadofPRisperhapsoneofthemostimportantpeopleina
companyandagoodchairmanwillhavethembytheirside.They
arecriticalformanagingthebrandandsavemillionsin
advertising; peopletalkingaboutyourcompanyismuchmore
importantthananything.” Sir Richard Branson

9. So, bearing that in mind, what comes into costing public relations?
These are just a few questions, some of them tough, which you will need to be prepared to answer.
In order for PR to work for your business, you need to be open, honest and transparent with your PR
consultant/team/agency. They need to know EVERYTHING so they can be prepared for any eventuality.
Other points to consider:
Some practitioners will give you an hourly or daily rate and tell you they will bill you for what they have
worked. In my view, this demonstrates a lack of coherence and strategy. If a strategy is agreed and the work
plan has been developed from this, then you should be able to work out a project fee or retainer fee, based
on the work to be done. Yes, sometimes things run over. You and your consultant can work out how you
want to be billed for additional time.
This fee should also allow time for monitoring and evaluation. PR work isn't static and it needs to constantly
be adapted to changing circumstances. Monitoring and evaluation should be carried out regularly. Be sure
your PR practitioner/team/agency used AMEC's Integrated Evaluation Framework from the outset. Afterall,
evaluation starts at the beginning! See AuraTalk issue 4 for AMEC's framework.
When working out what value PR has added to your business, you will need to relate all activity back to the
goals and key performance indicators set. Did you achieve what you set out to?
What factors could have been figured out in advance to help achieve the goals? Did you do any
benchmarking?
The long and the short of it is, different practitioners and agencies will charge different rates, have expertise in
different areas and potentially will take a different amount of time to deliver on certain aspects of a strategy.
There is no silver bullet. There is no one-size-fits-all approach.
IfAuracanhelpyouachieveyourbusinessobjectivesdropLauraanemaillaura@aura-pr.com
Have you provided a clear brief, outlining the business, warts and all?
Have you explained the short, medium and long term business objectives?
Have you identified challenges and opportunities for your business relating to the above?
Do you know your audience? I mean really know them?
What data and analytics do you have?
What PR objectives have been set, relating to business objectives? I don't mean write us a list of tactics.
The PR objectives must be SMART and must relate back to what the business is trying to achieve
Do you know the purpose of your business?
How experienced and skilled is the practitioner or team?
Do they have excellent credentials, such as being a Chartered Practitioner?
Do you have risk and crisis plans in place?
Do you have processes set up or will new ones need to be developed?
The practitioner will need to develop an outline strategy before being able to give a cost for the work - it's
the only way to estimate how long each element will take
There will be a period of research and planning - this is not wasted time. It's what allows the practitioner to
be able to have the insight to inform the strategy, ensuring it's relevant
Did you tell the practitioner what your budget is? Often businesses don't and can be taken-a-back when
they receive a quote. It's better to be upfront about what budget you have available so the practitioner
can then prioritise activities to suit

10. NEWS... in brief
Aura has been appointed for a second year to work
with Eden Project on its activities in Scotland. Work
includes the research report which outlines the
cost of disconnected communities in Scotland,
The Big Lunch and other key initiatives.
Aura continues to work with The Lighthouse,
concentrating on an event which takes place in
March with Fashioned in Glasgow.
Laura was re-elected to the CIPR's Council for
another two years. Her work includes leading
a team to engage and activate the CIPR's
400+ volunteer community, with three key
activities.
Laura was given approval to progress in April
last year.
A new initiative by the West End Festival, the Glasgow's St
Andrew's Day Torchlight Parade was attended by
thousands in November.
Fellow independent practitioner Mhairi Clark supported
the on-the-day activity in Laura's absence. She was living it
up in NYC!
Harnessing Facebook Live, Instagram Stories and
Periscope, the event reached over half a million social
accounts.
Full evaluation being worked on.
Aura has been appointed by independent
fashion boutique, and Glasgow institution,
Solo, to carry out an integrated brand refresh
and develop an engaging strategy to attract a
new audience.
The west end shop has been on Hyndland Rd
since 1984.
Plans are evolving and we're experimenting
with some new ideas!

11. A successful recipe for restaurant marketing
Devising strategies for restaurant marketing should
come from the business plan and setting SMART
objectives is a good place to start.
But before you do anything, it’s always a good idea to
look at budgets! It’s all very well having good intentions
to tell the world, but you need to be realistic about this
will cost.
Here’s a helpful post I wrote recently about the cost of
PR. It contains some points for you to consider.
The following process is for you to determine what you
need to do to have a successful restaurant marketing
strategy and have an idea of the time you need to
dedicate and funding for activity.
#1 Setting objectives
Before you start thinking about restaurant marketing
tactics, you should note your objectives. I’ve drafted
some for a fake restaurant marketing strategy, launching
a restaurant in Glasgow:
Specific – to successfully launch the restaurant with
maximum awareness in Glasgow
Measurable – to gather data, achieve press coverage,
engage through social media
Attainable – and getting reviews from the opening week
Relevant – reaching diners in Glasgow
Timely – within the first month of opening
As this is centered round a launch, we assume
there is no awareness currently and there are no
perceptions about the restaurant. If you’re doing
PR and marketing for an existing restaurant, you’ll
want to consider the following:
Once you have this nailed the objectives/and or
identified recent trading conditions, you can get
on with the first phase:
#2 Research and planning
What you’ll need to do:
Current turnover
Current staff turnover
Current menu and customer feedback
Current effectiveness of advertising, social
media etc
Where are your customers from
How has your business changed from year to
year
Who are your competitors and is the local area
changing
What have recent reviews said
Who are your competitors
What specific market are you targeting e.g. pre-
theatre, corporate lunch, ladies of leisure
Who do your competitors target and are they
successful
Define your audience – know how they are,
where they hang out, what they talk about.
Know as much as you can about who you are
targeting
Is the location of your restaurant an issue? Is
there parking nearby?
Do a SWOT analysis of your restaurant and
your competitors (strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, threats)

12. So you’ve done some market research, how about your
brand.
#3 Developing your brand
When you’re devising a restaurant marketing plan, you
need to know what your brand is, does, how it acts and
talks. Think of it as a person.
We know the audience and where they hang
out and what they talk about. So where do
they engage with their friends online? Think
about social platforms like Instagram and
Facebook. Now go and experience what they
do and say on those platforms. You’ll learn a
lot!
Write a brief for a designer to get your brand
identity developed and ensure you list all the
things you’ll need along the way – website,
menus, business cards, adverts, loyalty card
etc
Think about your website from a customer
point of view – what do they want to know
when they arrive on your site? Probably
opening times, menus, booking online and
contact details. What else? We’d highly
recommend working with someone who can
write copy for online, to ensure it’s well written,
search engine optimised and can do all ‘things’
it needs to do
What are the timelines for the launch? Who is
doing what and when? The restaurant
marketing plan will need to incorporate timings
for various different stages including pre-
opening, opening and post-opening
Developing a brand is important. It’s what will set
you apart from the competition and will speak to
people when they come into contact with it,
whether it be online, an advert or even when
calling the restaurant to book.
How will your brand translate from an identity, to
staff, to the way staff serve customers, to the
menu all the way through to specific phrases or
standards you may develop which are unique to
your restaurant?
A relevant restaurant marketing strategy is
essential. The word to focus on is relevant! If you
have similar values to your customer then you’re
onto a winner. The key is to identify how you can
make your restaurant unique and make it
everything your customer wants.
#4 Activate – develop a strategy
So we’ve now done research, developed the
outlines of what the brand is we now need to think
of how we can actually make it all come alive and
do the job.
Here’s a list of things to consider adding to your
workplan:
What is unique about your brand?
Define its vision, mission and purpose
What words would you use to describe it
What values does the brand have?
What is its personality? If you were to email
someone and didn’t have your name or logo
on it, how would someone clearly know it was
your brand?
Earlier we identified SMART objectives which kick
of the restaurant marketing strategy. Now we
need to think about how we will achieve the
objectives.
Positive awareness
Data
Press coverage
Social media engagement
Reviews
First we need strategy, then we need tactics
and then we need to monitor and evaluate
activity at key milestones.
The strategy may be very simple to begin with –
keep it local. Local advertising, local participation
in festivals, local data collection. Then it can scale
up, once you’ve got the reputation you need to
attract people from further-a-field. Or, you might
solely focus on developing relationships with
influencers, such as food bloggers.

13. Key messages
Communicating ‘why’ someone should dine in your
restaurant is important. Again, think of it from their
point of view. If you’ve had any previous reviews
and endorsements, you should be using them to
reinforce why other people enjoyed the experience.
Key messages should be developed which will be
used across all your activity, for consistency in
message, but also to let the brand speak for itself. In
your brand development you’ll have identified it’s
own personality.
Activity
Let’s take awareness. We want to generate positive
awareness across Glasgow. Well, the other points
are going to help us get there!
You also need to think of crisis plans – what
happens when someone claims on Trip Advisor
that they got food poisoning last night from your
restaurant? Again, Aura can help develop policies
for this type of scenario. It should all be part of the
planning process. To help build awareness of the
opening or to help get the right people along to the
launch event, social media should be used as early
as possible.
Tip:UseFacebookadplannertohelpyoutargetthe
rightaudience.Peoplecanbetargetedbylocation,
age,interest,sexetc.It’shighlyusefulandyoudon’t
havetobuyanadtouseit!
Don’t forget influencers! Influencer marketing is a huge
part of the food scene. Who are the bloggers who are
relevant to your brand? If you invite them to a preview
event for bloggers, will they come? What will do you
for them that’s special? Bloggers love an ‘experience’ –
consider creating something for them to get involved
in, like a cook off.
Reviews. One thing Aura has learned is never to invite
a ‘big name’ reviewer to review your restaurant. Once
they’ve heard about it, they’ll make their own mind up.
You can however include them in press releases,
images and videos etc so they are kept in the loop.
Remember though, through social media, everyone is
a reviewer! Think of the impact Trip Advisor can have
on a business.
What now?
An official launch is important. It creates an opportunity
to engage. Some restaurants like soft launches, so
their new staff can be trained and get to know the
restaurant better. It also allows customers to give
feedback before going to town on promoting the
opening. Maybe consider a friends and family event
for this?
If you’ve already launched and your restaurant
marketing strategy is to give your business a boost,
then you’ll need to think about all the points at the start
and go through the same process. Once you’ve
worked everything out and redefined your brand and
strategy, then you can get on with developing your
activity. Your previous experience should count for a
lot. If something didn’t work, why? Turn it on its head
and make it into an opportunity.
Data – collecting customer data is going to
help you engage with them via email. Consider
email marketing a key part of the restaurant
marketing strategy. We need to start doing this
before the restaurant opens! Make sure you
use a platform such as MailChimp to gather
customer names, emails, numbers etc and so
that you can turn the data into a channel to
engage with them. You can email out recipes,
offers, new menus etc
Press coverage – what press do you want to
know about the restaurant and what are you
going to tell them? Think of all the things that the
press cover in print and online – news, features,
competitions, reviews etc. Aura regularly works
with the press so have tailored lists. We’d
recommend of course that when dealing with the
press, you engage a PR consultant who know
who, where, what and how to engage them
Social media engagement – the biggest
opportunity of our time. Social media has opened
a can of worms and everyone is now a reporter.
Not only can you reach people on social media
platforms, but you can also expect them to share
their experiences.
Coming back to the research you did earlier,
think of all the things you could do to engage
your customers – ensuring it’s all relevant and
tailored to them and you. You also need to

14. How to measure?
The new AMEC evaluation framework is what we
use. We use it from the very start of planning
through to the end evaluation. It’s a great tool,
which is being developed, and it is worth spending
time using.
We also use the CIPR’s measurement and
evaluation toolkit. It’s a free toolkit for members.
Maintaining momentum
Once you’ve launched, it’s important to maintain the
positive vibes.
Aura worked on a project for a restaurant opening
and did a huge amount of work for four months. We
smashed the KPIs and achieved a massive amount
of social engagement and following, data (we beat
by 350%!), the launch events were full and there
was a huge buzz. The restaurant was full for weeks
after.
In the opening week we had managed to secure 4
major reviews!
Aura finished the project with the client and then the
buzz died. The quality had gone down in the
content. There was no follow through on the
hugely successful launch. It was disappointing. I
hope you can learn from this.
One thing to remember. Customers are people.
Human beings, just like you and me.
Now if you’re not a PR or marketing guru this is a lot
to take in! There are also many other skills you need
to be able to use a lot of data, analytics and translate
that into actions which turn into business. I’m not
here to turn you into a guru but the above
processes and tips will help you get a relevant,
bespoke strategy developed for your restaurant.
How does Aura know all this?
Laura Sutherland was not only trained in hospitality,
but she worked in-house for City Inn, Bouzy Rouge
Group and Restaurant Rococo and has led on
client accounts for Urban Bar & Brasserie, Gamba,
The Partners Restaurant Group (now disbanded)
and most recently the launch of Miller & Carter in
Glasgow.
It’s fair to say all aspects of hospitality run through
Laura’s veins! She’s also a keen cook and entertains
a lot.
If you’d like to chat over how Aura can help you
make your restaurant a success, please get in touch
with Laura. Aura has no conflicting clients at
present.
Lobsters,Jersey
Miller& Carterphotos- MartinShieldsforAura

15. Visit aura-pr.com to book
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with a Chartered PR practitioner
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and YOUR market
Services prioritised to suit YOUR budget
Managing YOUR reputation, building
awareness & adding to YOUR bottom line
Services include: audit, strategy, data
analysis, full event design & delivery,
content marketing, email marketing, social
media, influencer relations, websites,
advertising, integration, crisis management
& team training