As 2023 nears, it’s important for the fintech industry to air on the side of caution. Take a look at what our fintech experts believe should be priorities for 2023.
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A long winter is in store for countries across Europe. The National Grid has alerted residents that three- hour power outages could become the norm in January if the UK faces energy supply shortages. To help minimize this possibility, the National Grid has considered implementing its Demand Flexibility Service for the first time to avert blackouts. Take a look at the services our Public Affairs and Crisis teams are offering to assist clients understand the possibility of an energy crisis.
The post Should businesses be preparing for Winter blackouts? appeared first on United Kingdom.
As the food and drink sector undergo various challenges due to the cost-of-living-crisis, the FleishmanHillard UK Food, Agriculture and Beverage team explore the ramifications for brand and communication teams in their new “Cost-of-Living Bites” series.
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Miss COP 27? Here are our six takeaways from the event and the significant impact they will have on communications as the fight for climate change continues.
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FleishmanHillard TRUE Global Intelligence in partnership with Commetric were crowned a Silver Winner of Most Impactful Client Recommendations Arising from a Measurement Study for outstanding measurement and evaluation for client Novartis at the AMEC Awards.
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Redefining the meaning of Employee Value Proposition can be the key to success: take a look at our report to gather insights about how organizations can differentiate between Employee Value Proposition and employer brand.
The post Reevaluating Employee Value Proposition for the new era of work appeared first on United Kingdom.
After a two-year hiatus, TechCrunch Disrupt finally returned to the Moscone Center this year.
One of the marquee events in tech, it will always be synonymous with what’s new, interesting and – as the existence of an Investor Lounge attests – what’s worth banking on. It’s also worth examining; checking out what to look for when considering a tech industry event to sponsor or speak at, especially as we reach the saturation point with tech conferences across the globe going virtual, hybrid and in-person.
What to consider when evaluating tech events
First up: the format. Smaller, more intimate talks were extremely popular and brought value to the organizations participating in them. Now, don’t get us wrong. Main stage is still the main stage, but that’s more pre-pandemic. Attendees are craving more human interaction and, in the more intimate settings that can best be described as a cross between TED and pitches, you could see word of mouth in action and real engagement with the creative thinkers presenting or even explaining trending topics.
Then there’s the size of an event. It’s great to have the run of a large space, but it’s a lot of ground to cover. Are you going to be in a section where you’re with peers, making it easier for current and potential partners to find you? The more focused an event is, the greater the possibility you’ll get attendees with whom you may want to connect. Of course, it doesn’t have to be that focused as some cross-pollination is sure to be helpful to all those there.
And lastly, let’s mention big and established partners who are key to putting on successful events these days. If these thought leaders are fully integrated into the program, they can add to it and be a draw, and there’s undoubtedly going to be some spillover if they’re related to your business. So, being around them can be helpful. It’s just a question of whom, how well they’re worked in, and if they’re incorporated in such a way that folks have to stick around to see what else is on site.
As we continue in the “new normal,” it’s the perfect time to use events like this to discover how you and your business can best leverage these opportunities.
Join us on Wednesday 30th November, 2-3pm (GMT) for a panel discussion, ‘The Trouble with ESG Doublespeak’, exploring the role of communications in disentangling ESG at a time when sustainability has never been higher on the world’s agenda.
The post Webinar — The Trouble with ESG Doublespeak appeared first on United Kingdom.
On Thursday, the FleishmanHillard Public Affairs team hosted a discussion with former U.S. Representatives Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.) and Ben McAdams (D-Utah) for colleagues and clients about the midterm election, what to expect from Congress for the rest of this year and next, and the 2024 presidential race. The event was held in partnership with the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC).
Both congressmen had little doubt that Republicans will gain control of the House, with the GOP only needing to net five seats to hold the majority.
The lame-duck session of Congress that will run from mid-November until the end of the year is expected to be as busy as any in a decade given must-pass legislation. Lawmakers must pass a bill to fund the government and approve the annual defense bill, the National Defense Authorization Act. McAdams said Democrats will want to pass as much as they can while they still hold the majority in the House and the Senate, while Gerlach said the Republicans will want to delay decisions until the new Congress convenes in January. He anticipates the final weeks of the session to be friction-filled as the parties battle over what can and should be done while the Democrats control both chambers.
Looking ahead to Congress’ work in 2023, the former members said tech policy issues and energy were two areas they expected the new Congress to address. Gerlach anticipates that if Republicans win back either the House or the Senate, they will use their oversight powers to probe the big tech platforms and investigate how the industry manages its relationship to the news media and the Biden administration. McAdams said he believed the two sides could come to an agreement on energy permitting to enable more domestic production.
Over the next week or so, organizations should monitor election-related issues and outcomes in locations where they are major members of the community. Organizations should assess how changes in Congress will affect their issues and determine how best to educate new Members coming to Washington. The FleishmanHillard team will share an analysis in the coming weeks on the expected priorities for lawmakers in the 2023-2024 congressional session.
Cryptocurrency has dominated headlines over the past few years for both good and bad reasons. While some say it’s the future and others avoid it like the plague, there is one component of it which can revolutionize industries: blockchain. Blockchain is a decentralized and immutable public ledger that allows individuals and organizations to track transactions. Although the context of blockchain is usually associated with cryptocurrency, its applications extend far beyond and change how other industries function, for the better. The food production and food transportation industries are examples of where blockchain offers immense benefits over previous work processes and can help build an organization’s overall reputation.
How is blockchain different from other databases?
There’s no shortage of systems and tools for organizations to track and monitor transactions, but none are perfect.
Food producers, distributors and retailers rely on such tracking systems to monitor their supply chain. This includes the ability to trace both backwards, to the source, and forward, to the consumer. Traceability requires proper documentation and recordkeeping, but the data associated with the food industry is often incomplete or inaccurate.
Even the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which sets regulations for maintaining supply chain records, acknowledges there are holes in the system. For example, farms and restaurants are excluded from FDA traceability requirements, meaning that parts of the supply chain cannot quickly or easily be accounted for in an outbreak investigation.
To address these issues, the FDA issued a “new era of smarter food safety blueprint” in 2021, in which it endorsed blockchain to better “receive critical tracking events and key data elements” from companies throughout the supply chain.
How can blockchain support the food production industry?
Companies in the global food chain are increasingly exploring blockchain as it has a unique ability to trace goods. Its applications and use cases if properly managed could allow businesses to follow their products – whether that be from overseas, farm-to-table or anything in between. Driven by a higher desire for food safety, companies at the end of the production cycle want to take advantage of blockchain’s transparent and unalterable nature. This could result in each step of the supply chain being more easily traced and verified. Not only is that immensely valuable in validating and further developing sustainability goals, but it makes a massive impact on transparency with consumers as well. For example, by scanning a QR code, one could confirm how fresh a product is, what farm it came from, which companies and vehicles transported it, if it went to a food processing facility and which store has it on the shelves.
This level of accountability therefore can revolutionize food recalls, which can devastate an organization’s finances and reputation if handled poorly. The Food Marketing Institute and Grocery Manufacturers Association calculated that the average food industry recall costs $10 million in direct costs, not to mention brand damage and lost sales. That may even be a steal — a recall in June cost one company an estimated $125 million.
In the event of a recall, blockchain technology would allow grocery stores and consumers to be alerted immediately and contaminated food still in transit could be identified and discarded immediately. If it is in store already, store owners can dispose of the remaining product in an easier fashion and consumers could be alerted immediately. No longer will consumers see the news stories of a massive recall due to pathogens such as E. coli or salmonella and wonder if their groceries are tainted. Growers, processors, wholesalers, distributors, manufacturers, transporters and retailers all would operate on the same network of shared records that account for food origin details, processing data, shipping details, point of sale and other prevalent information. With one quick scan, any organization can see if their product came into contact with the infectious farm or batch before it was put on sale.
Better access to this information will allow both B2B and B2C brands to build and maintain consumer confidence. Consumers can purchase their groceries without fear and companies can save millions by avoiding lawsuits, instilling better faith in their products and processes and operating with the highest quality assurances.
How does that impact communicators?
Blockchain is here to stay, regardless of what happens in the crypto market. The food industry has been implementing plans to adopt the technology for years and its use is only projected to grow.
Consumers today are more conscious of ethical and sustainable supply chains than ever before, and they’re looking to support brands and products that align with their values. For organizations involved in the food supply chain, blockchain technology provides a great opportunity to win the trust of consumers.
The food industry is still restabilizing itself following the pandemic and different sociopolitical factors across the world. However, a fully developed blockchain food cycle offers unprecedented transparency into our food’s quality as well as a company’s sustainability efforts. The desire from food suppliers and sellers is constantly growing because by keeping everything tracked and accountable, blockchain makes it easier for companies to prove their products’ value and provide stronger Environmental, Social and Governance data for consumers, partners, investors and regulators alike.
Additionally, companies that leverage blockchain technology will have a competitive advantage when it comes to communications. With robust data on everything from freshness and safety to sustainability, they’ll be better positioned to build and share narratives and generate brand awareness.
Blockchain technology offers unique benefits to both organizations looking to make every dollar count and consumers who demand quality assurance with their products. With a transparent, effective and traceable supply chain — blockchain enables organizations to solve many of the strategic obstacles they battle daily. The result is a better, healthier, more transparent and sustainable community.
