Industry Insight from BLUE Communications

Alisdair Pettigrew

From fake news to Facebook, 2018’s headlines have been dominated by stories with a common thread – can we believe what we see? And who can we trust? The recent unveiling of the highly regarded Edelman Trust Barometer revealed that media and journalists gained trust over the past year, while, perhaps unsurprisingly, social media lost trust; while overall trust continues to wane.

As communications practitioners, this puts the spotlight on our profession to meet the challenge of building reputations that are built on truth and genuine values. Marine and energy are by no means immune from this.

In this issue of Industry Insight, we explore how two very different brands defended their reputations during a crisis, how PR and marketing can work together to support business objectives, and how environmental communications must be grounded in concrete actions. This comes during a week in which crucial decisions are being made regarding shipping’s environmental future – our Managing Director Alisdair Pettigrew weighs in on the debate here.

Why mixing up PR and advertising is barking up the wrong tree PR is often squared off against advertising to fight for its slice of budget in the dog-eat-dog world of allocating marketing spend. BLUE consultant, Kate O’Connor, takes a look at the psychology behind the marketing mix, and suggests that going back to basics might be the best means of getting ahead of the pack. Read more Greenwashing: what others can learn from the shipping industry Environmental scrutiny is on the rise as shipping endeavours to transform itself into a cleaner, greener industry. Greenwashing is a CSR trap for many sectors, but despite increasing focus from regulators, governments and other stakeholder groups, the shipping industry is setting an admirable record of accountability within its environmental initiatives. We took a deeper dive into the debate and pulled out some key learnings that other sectors can take from the marine space. Read more BLUE grows client base, supporting pioneers in digital solutions, emissions treatment and marine defence BLUE’s client base continues to grow, with new clients reflecting emerging trends in the marine and energy industries. Joining the roster are digital pioneers SES Networks, Sedna and BLOC, accompanied by scrubber manufacturer LAB and marine defence experts JFD. At the same time, BLUE’s team is growing to accommodate these new clients. Read more

Decarbonisation and digitalisation in Copenhagen – a call for cooperation  At GST this year, the industry came together to address some of the toughest issues that it faces, with technological disruption and a pressing need to decarbonise high on the agenda. We take a look at some of the highlights from the debate, and what it means for the shipping community as a whole. Read more Chicken shortages and cyber attacks No matter the crisis – whether it’s a chicken restaurant running out of chicken, or losing IT capabilities across a global logistics empire – how a business acts when the going gets tough is the ultimate test of reputation. What can we learn from these two seemingly unconnected crises about communicating when the unthinkable happens? Read more Solving upstream’s data trust gap In the oil and gas industries, data is quickly becoming the most valuable commodity. But how do we ensure that the data we receive is accurate and reliable? It’s essential that we consider the interface between the physical and digital, and reassess whether traditional means of data collection are up to the task, argues Giles Edward, CEO of M-Flow. This forms part of our Thought Leaders’ blog, in which we showcase clients leading the debate on some of the most pressing issues facing the marine and energy industries today. Read more