News and Views

The Prince Andrew saga has been carrying on for a long time. When it first kicked off, I was invited onto BBC TV and Five…

It sure has been a year! I’ve not been blogging or podcasting as much this year, mainly due to client commitments and lacking the time…

Over the last two months I’ve hosted three events to help you get ready for things opening back up. It’s fair to say the pandemic…

I was speaking at the Business Women Scotland event last week and I was asked to speak about public relations during COVID. Having held many…

A new app, Clubhouse, was launched last year and it saw only few thousand celebs and influencers join. It’s an audio-only app and is only…

Kicking off this week, Aura will be hosting three events for the PR and communication industry. On Thursday, Laura will be ‘In Conversation with Roy…

I’ve launched PR Live, a weekly Instagram Live to help PR professionals with basic pointers and SMEs with tips for how to keep momentum during…

Every year I do a round-up in December but I think reflecting on the year is a better idea this year… 2020 started off like…

I’ve launched my annual planning guide today, which will help you use your 2020 review and turn it into a positive plan of action for…

Today, it has been announced that I’ve been awarded another Fellowship from the public relations and communication industry, this time from the PRCA. I’m honoured…

I joined PRCA Scotland as its Chair in January this year. We set out to make things simple, effective and drive value for members. In…

Let’s face it, we can’t review 2020 against any planning we did last year or pre-COVID. We’re going to have look at the facts and…

Today I presented “People Development and Mentoring in Public Relations” to the PRCA membership, in its weekly Zoom meet up. When I was asked to…

As more restrictions have been placed on five different Scottish locations, I want to reinforce the need for proper and robust risk assessments to your…

A traditional celebration in Edinburgh for Halloween – staying true to Samhuinn Mercat Tours has confirmed two new tours for Halloween, from Thursday, 29 October until Sunday,…

A new mentoring plan which is a blend of mentoring and development coaching, has launched to help PR and communication practitioners develop in their roles…

We often talk about how departments work in silos – marketing doesn’t speak to press, communication sits separately for some reason and all too often,…

Often over the 19+ years I have worked in public relations, I’ve advised clients not to go ‘boom’. A consistent explosion of their business or…

Have city centres had their time? For months we’ve worked from home, bought locally, stopped travelling unless essential and most us feel comfortable staying local.…

Mercat Tours has relaunched (Thursday, 27 August), after pausing its world-renowned tours five months ago, due to COVID-19, with a clear focus on providing a safe…

PC (pre-COVID), my diary really only consisted of face-to-face meetings. We didn’t tend to schedule calls and emails were just sent as and when. Now,…

Earlier today I launched PRFest’s DRIVEN Pledge initiative, which is a free easy-to-use tool, which aims to help PR leaders and individuals start making positive…

PRFest, the event and community of PR professionals Laura has built, has launched the DRIVEN Pledge today, to help the public relations and communication industry tackle its problem…

Mercat Tours, a family-run Edinburgh-based tourism business, will relaunch on Thursday, 27 August, after five months of lockdown. It will also mark 35 years since…

Today the CIPR’s State of the Profession Report (2020) has been launched and I’d like to say I’m shocked and surprised about the findings, but…

FOR IMMEDIATE USE – 8 July 2020 Kat Brogan, managing director of Mercat Tours welcomed the announcement from Chancellor, Rishi Sunak this afternoon, as VAT will be…

P2P public relations, or People to People PR, is something I’ve been thinking about for some time. As brands are turning into people and people…

Communicating in a crisis is essential. Communicating after a crisis is just as important. Why? People still need to be guided and assured. Remember, communication…

Yesterday I tuned into a PRCA webinar featuring leadership coach, Elise Mitchell. I’ve always been skeptical of people who call themselves leadership coaches, but I’d…

Many of us in public relations have been talking about digital transformation plans in recent years, but business leaders haven’t necessarily ‘got it’ or wanted…

#PRsUnite after 10 weeks When lockdown was announced, like most other PR firms and agencies, I lost work. I still had work but I needed…

Blueprint for businesses to re-ignite I believe SMEs are the lifeblood of our economy and are vital to the success of many of our country’s…

On 27th May at 11.30am, I’ll be going live to help business leaders Over the last eight weeks I’ve been in limbo between a small…

Virtual interviews – getting the best possible outcome Last week my colleague, Lee Madigan delivered a short webinar to our PRCA Scotland members about delivering…

Company culture is more important than ever As staff feel isolated, teams have been separated, organisations need to consider people at the heart of every decision…

More than a press release – a blend of activity will see a much bigger impact Following my theme of helping small businesses right now,…

Protecting your enterprise. Protecting your staff and customers and encouraging long-term loyalty. Protection starts with planning… The world we knew will be no more. Businesses…

Creating your own content When I speak to small businesses right now, mostly on social media, many are asking what they can do to promote…

Preparing for when measures are relaxed What will work-life with COVID-19 look like? This may be too soon for some to even contemplate, but for…

Get ahead right now and have your press kit on your website and social channels, ready to capture a journalist’s attention. Something snappy, telling your…

Continuous professional development, CPD, is misunderstood and many professionals think it’s a laborious task and they’ll need to spend lots of time doing things on…

Building virtual communities during a pandemic Communities should form part of organisational culture but during a crisis like COVID-19 it’s more important than ever to…

Use scenario planning and risk assessments during COVID-19 to help navigate No business is the same, but we are all facing the same challenge, COVID-19…

Using Zoom or another platform for a virtual event We’ve all transported our meetings and events online and we’re coming to terms with scheduling, links…

My campaign for now. My feelings towards both business and life. “Don’t be clever, be thoughtful.” Now more than ever, consumers are looking at how…

Free Virtual Business Planning #PRSurvival #BizSOS Join consumer PR expert Claire Etchell, aka NakedPRGirl, and me for a free virtual meet-up this Friday. It’ll help ensure…

The government, NHS and World Health Organisation (WHO) are giving sterling advice but some business owners, boards, CEOs and exec teams may still seek leadership for how…

When coronavirus hit Dubai I travelled to Dubai for a week in January and was looking forward to the sunshine. A couple of days in,…

Preparing for broadcast media interviews – the basics You’ll need to know some basic things about preparing for broadcast media interviews if you’re not a PR…

Last year I announced the PRFest theme for 2020 – “Purpose Over Profit” Purpose is a term banded about a fair bit and that’s exactly…

Media training in 2020 for spokespeople I’m currently updating my 2020 media training slides and was thinking about the changes in media, even since last…

Change is often feared but I think it’s an exciting opportunity. Embracing change doesn’t come naturally to many. It’s often feared as people move away…

The PRCA has asked me to chair the Scotland group and I’ve accepted. I’m honoured to be asked to serve as the Scottish chairman, and…

The benefits of podcasting are growing As podcasting is becoming bigger than ever, the benefits of podcasting are growing for us and our clients. Last…

It’s been a funny year, a good year, but it’s not been without its challenges. I started 2019 feeling awesome from my strongest year in…

Now in its fourth year, the St Andrew’s Day Torchlight Parade in Glasgow is run by my client, the West End Festival. Saturday, 30 November 2019…

The Role of Public Relations in Digital Transformation Yesterday, I was speaking at/on a virtual conference, Insight Live, by Digi Leaders. Here’s my presentation which was aimed…

Lawyers and public relations professionals can and should work more closely together on risk and crisis Law and PR – what’s the link? Yesterday I…

I’m very pleased to launch a new brand identity for Aura today along with my new training and events programme, the Aura Academy. The Aura…

Bravery isn’t just a thing for children, adulting isn’t that easy sometimes! Being brave in PR In public relations, I feel like we’ve always acted like…

Every year, I take time out to build on what I do.  I review my services, my skillset, my overall offering and try and make…

PR Space – a meeting of like-minded PR and communication professionals to work ON the business instead of IN the business Time away from the…

60 day countdown until Insight Live Insight Live Week is a five-day virtual summit you can take part in without leaving the comfort of your desk!…

From 15-18 August, Pride Glasgow, took place.  9,000 people participated in a march at the weekend and it’s testament to the hard work put in to…

For the last few years I’ve talked about launching a podcast. The main reason I wanted to launch a podcast is because I feel a…

Just a week after being honoured with the Sir Stephen Tallents Medal from the CIPR’s President, Emma Leech, I’ve won ‘Consultant of the Year’ again…

Laura honoured with Sir Stephen Tallents Medal I was in London at the end of last week and I am honoured to have received the Sir…

Last night I was invited to lead a conversation about PR strategy for #PowerAndInfluence, a weekly tweet chat by Ella Minty. A number of points stood out…

News from CodeClan  Grants For Low Income Students & Loans For SMEs… CodeClan, Scotland’s national accredited digital skills academy, has today said that, it is…

PRFest kicks off in less than two weeks. Here’s why you should consider attending. At the start of PRFest in 2016, *very* senior practitioners attended,…

Yesterday The Drum announced its new awards for PR – The Drum PR Awards Over the last couple of months I’ve given input into The…

It’s been described as an epidemic – how can we ensure wellbeing in PR is a priority? April is National Stress Awareness Month and yesterday…

CIPR launches its 2019 report into the state of the profession More than a quarter (28%) of the public relations workforce are privately educated –…

CodeClan has announced today that it has now placed 501 graduates in employment since the first graduation in 2016, further demonstrating the unique Professional Software…

Today, Entrepreneurial Spark (ESpark) has launched its 20th accelerator hub, Ignite Bermuda, the island’s first privately funded entrepreneurial accelerator. The launch comes a year after ESpark…

New course available in Scotland in response to growing demand for data skills Aura’s client, CodeClan, Scotland’s award-winning digital skills academy, today announced the launch of…

I used to love writing these update posts, but last year was a whirlwind and I admit, I dropped the ball. Sorry! I’m going to…

Be Remarkable is a campaign I started in November last year when I celebrated 10 years in business. Being remarkable is about believing in yourself.…

Simon Kemp, Report Author of Digital Around the World in 2019, a report produced by We Are Social and Hootsuite, has analysed 230+ digital reports…

If you work in PR you need to watch Fyre Festival – for all sorts of reasons! I’m a bit of a binger on Netflix.…

This post is about the role public relations practitioners can and should play to help organisations understand how to prepare stakeholders and try to get…

The Digital Development Loan has been created by the Scottish Government to provide loans to companies who wish to improve their digital capabilities and processes…

Are you ready to evolve and be remarkable? Last year I was reading a lot of predictions for 2019 public relations and communication trends. I even…

Last week, a storm brewed after BBC Radio 4 aired a show ‘The Art of PR‘, which featured PR practitioners who talked about public relations as…

Happy New Year everyone! Have you set your resolutions yet? I read a great article on Girlboss about a not-do list, rather than a list…

What can we expect in public relations in 2019? I’ve been luck to travel to New York, as part of Aura’s 10th anniversary celebrations. I’m…

#FuturePRoof has launched the community’s fourth book featuring PR pioneers Once upon a time in PR is a book by #FuturePRoof founder, Sarah Hall, and is…

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations has published a list of 70 members who’ve made an outstanding contribution to the Institute and the wider PR…

The shortlist for the first Scottish Tech Startup Awards, which recognise the people and companies leading the way in building Scotland’s digital economy, has been…

Once again Aura will work with the West End Festival to promote the third Glasgow’s St. Andrew’s Day Torchlight Parade. Taking place on Friday, 30…

Aura turns 10 today and I have to say, it’s be a rollercoaster of highs and lows, but I wouldn’t change any of it for…

Aura celebrates its 10th anniversary on 1 November I can’t believe it was 10 years ago, in a recession, when Aura was created and made waves. I’m now…

If someone said to you they couldn’t write, you’d think that was a bit odd, given it’s what we do every day. What if I said that…

Global Principles of Ethical Practice in Public Relations and Communication Management As public relations and communication practitioners, we have the opportunity to influence organisations and…

When a brand buys another brand, in this instance out of administration, communication has to be on point. There has to be a strategy in…

PR Space, a new initiative by Aura, has now launched and is calling for senior PR and comms practitioners from across the UK and beyond,…

Helping the industry is helping my own development First, some context I’ve worked in public relations for over 17 years. I’ve been a member of…

PR and coding: learning the basics Public Relations isn’t stagnant and it’s important practitioners continue to up-skill For a long time I’ve been talking about…

Mindset  Get out of your own way. That was the message from Lucy-Rose Walker and Gayle Mann of Entrepreneurial Spark (ESpark) at PRFest a few weeks…

Last night the PRCA Dare Awards took place in the Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow. I’m delighted to report that I won PR Consultant of the…

In my quest to assist clients to be GDPR compliant, I have come across many useful GDPR resources. In addition to the blog I wrote…

TSB crisis communication TSB crisis demonstrates the needs for public relations to be integrated within all elements of the business After two days of down…

Building communities through listening, learning and taking action Communities should form part of organisational culture No matter what business you’re in, growing communities is key…

I’ve just found out that I’ve just been shortlisted for a PRCA Dare Award, for “Industry Leader of the Year”. What a way to end…

MailChimp has introduced a guide to help businesses through GDPR I use MailChimp for my own work and I recommend clients use it too, as…

PR success isn’t based on coverage achieved, it’s based on achieving measurable objectives Why do some businesses and PR practitioners still think a PR objective…

Public relations and artificial intelligence can work together PR practitioners are scared of the term ‘artificial intelligence’ and it could cost them, being slow to…

What’s your reputation worth? Your reputation is built on what you do, say and what others day about you. Following a Twitter conversation last week,…

Glasgow born actor and director, David Hayman, has been confirmed to lead the Glasgow’s St.Andrew’s Day Torchlight Parade, produced by the West End Festival (WEF),…

GDPR comes into play next May and it’s putting PR and comms pros into a bit of a spin GDPR has thrown a curve ball…

Aura turns nine – here are nine things I’ve learned in nine years Of course, I’ve learned more than nine things in nine years but…

How to make a business plan – specifically looking at how to integrate PR and communications Towards the end of a year, people tend to…

Crisis management and what to consider in your plan I recently spoke at an event about how important a crisis management plan was and how a crisis comms plan…

The next generation of PR practitioners are currently studying… not necessarily public relations. This post follows my first lecture, yesterday, to fourth year students at…

What are some of the differences between B2B and B2C PR? Last week I was a dragon at an event organised by Scotland’s 2020 Climate…

PR as a strategic function is there to help business. It’s there to protect reputation, building relationships and effectively increase the bottom line through its…

Diversity in PR is a big topic. It’s not just about gender. Two years ago, at #PRFest, I invited people to join a panel to…

A PR launch presents the opportunity to showcase your product or service and to reinforce why people should buy it. Customer experiences at launch matter…

At #PRFest in Edinburgh earlier this month (15-16 June) I announced the results of a pre-event survey. The findings weren’t too much of a surprise, but…

Last week at #PRFest, I made the announcement of the launch of the Scottish PR Collective. It may have got a little lost in the…

PRFest is over – I’ve had a lot to think about over the weekend. I left PRFest feeling excited and inspired by the speakers, the…

Today, (Thursday, 15 June), the second #PRFest, the world’s only festival dedicated to public relations, has kicked off at Whitespace in Edinburgh, Scotland, ahead of…

When you’re organising an event for a large group of people, you’ve got to expect varied interests, areas of expertise and skills. Sometimes people attend…

On Sunday, 18 June, Scotland will join in with the rest of the UK for the annual Big Lunch, where communities organise their own BBQs,…

Today, (Monday, 29 May), The Big Lunch kicks off a new initiative, The Great Big Walk, made possible by the National Lottery and supported by…

Clerkenwell Design Week is next week! 23-25 May 2017 The bustling area in London is home to the most amount of designers and architects in…

Brand activation is about bringing your brand alive and giving users the real experience Brand activation is about reinforcing the value of your product or…

Building volunteer social capital I’ve served as a volunteer on many committees, including the Women of Influence committee and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations…

Eat, drink, learn, walk, dance, laugh, sing and be inspired – it’s all going on at #WEF2017 Today, Thursday, 27 April, the West End Festival…

Improve and maintain corporate reputation Businesses and organisations are acutely aware more than ever of the importance of protecting their corporate reputation. Some have learned…

PR student David Cotter was an intern at Aura in summer 2016 David came to Aura as a PR student hoping to learn more about…

Aura looks at the opportunities which lie in mobile marketing. The mobile has climbed the ladder to be one of the most popular ways to interact…

Vuelio has compiled a roundup of the Top Ten UK PR Blogs By Women – to celebrate successful women in PR – in conjunction with…

It’s International Women’s Day The theme this year’s International Women’s Day is Be Bold for Change. You can follow the hashtag and see what people…

Scottish fashion and textiles Two models pose on the iconic entrance stairs in The Lighthouse, helping promote two upcoming Scottish fashion and textiles events taking…

Solo appoints Aura to manage brand development Solo, a ladies fashion boutique, originally launched in 1984, still remains on Hyndland Rd, one of the hippest locations…

Independent PR practitioners don’t have bosses and teams to fall back on When you’re an independent PR practitioner it can be difficult to get the…

Free PR tool for SMEs AuraTalk issue 5 launched The free PR tool from Aura, AuraTalk, is designed for SMEs, specifically giving helpful tips of…

As part of our blogger interview series, we chatted to lifestyle blogger Robbie Grant, AKA The Middle Aged Man. Our blogger interview series aims to give…

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…

How much does PR cost anyway? Businesses don’t always understand how PR is costed. I try to explain what we need to take into consideration when…

A new study[1] has found that Scotland’s disconnected communities could be costing the local economy £731 million every year. This constitutes a portion of the…

Aura celebrated its eighth anniversary at the end of 2016. I’ve taken the opportunity to reflect on eight of my PR business learnings. I’ve been…

As part of our blogger interview series, we asked Emma Mykytyn, one half of Foodie Explorers, if she’d like to take part. Our blogger interview…

2016 highlights – goodbye 2016, hello 2017 2016 has been another busy year and I’m grateful for all the help, support and business my clients, network…

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…

After our second blogger interview went live, I was contacted by Giada, A.K.A Miel Cafe. Giada’s style interested me, as did the fact an international…

As part of our blogger interview series, we asked Lynsay Neil, A.K.A Miss West End Girl, if she’d like to take part. Our blogger interview series…

Design consultancy, Randak, has developed a Scottish interior brand, “Toshie Mackintosh”, inspired by Charles Rennie Mackintosh (CRM) and is off to New York as part…

Following the launch of our new blogger interview series, last week featuring Thankfifi, this week we speak to Pam Gilmour, who writes Glasgow Food Geek.…

Kicking off Aura’s blogger interview series, we speak to Wendy Gilmour, AKA Thankfifi, and ask her some questions about being a blogger, her style and…

Brand culture We spend over a third of our lives at work and that as many as 60% of UK workers are not happy with…

Irish aesthetic clinic group, Therapie Clinic, has announced plans to expand its operation into Scotland with the first clinic opening in Lothian Road, Edinburgh on…

Launching a brand in Scotland takes research, planning and it’s all about building relationships with people who have never heard of your brand. Aura is currently working…

Today,the West End Festival has announced it will produce a winter event for St Andrew’s Day, “Glasgow’s St Andrew’s Day Torchlight Parade”. The Torchlight Parade…

Now released – one-to-one PR strategy sessions You may think 2017 is a while away but in terms of planning for your business next year,…

The last two mornings have given us a glorious sunrise, with reds and pinks lining the sky like a physical Aura. It’s a sign that…

Issue 4 of AuraTalk is now out! Aura’s free e-zine is designed to help SMEs stand out. With handy tips and relevant PR-related business stories,…

Irish beauty clinic group, Therapie Clinic, has announced plans to expand its operation into Scotland, opening two new clinics in Edinburgh and Glasgow this October.…

Aura has made the “Top 25 Female PR Career Advice Bloggers” List. We even got a badge! The list, which has been put together by…

PR tools are essential for practitioners to do our job quickly and effectively. There are a number (250+) of PR tools over on #PRStack, a community…

Today marks my last day as a PR intern in the Aura office. My notepad is full, my brain packed to the brim with new…

My social preferences when it comes to consuming and creating Having just completed my degree in Business Management at The University of Glasgow, I’ve come…

Digital influencers must disclose all paid-for relationships in content – story via PR Week The International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN) has today published…

Independence Referendum #2 coming for Scotland Wow, what a morning. The votes are in and the UK will leave the EU. I woke up at…

Free e-zine ‘AuraTalk’ issue 3 out now This is our third issue of AuraTalk and we’ve had some really positive feedback on the first two…

Why sharing is caring in PR Those of us who blog about PR-related topics know what value lies in it. It can help make us…

PR has the opportunity to embrace entrepreneurial thinking Business skills and entrepreneurship are not the same thing. Business looks at financials, spreadsheets and marketing plans whilst…

PR and design thinking – human-centered processes “In the past, design has most often occurred fairly far down in the development process and has focused…

Using video in PR to engage audiences Let’s face it, we all know that mobile is increasingly taking over a) how we consume media and…

Belle and Sebastian celebrate 20th anniversary in West End Festival ’s 21st anniversary year Glasgow’s largest multi-cultural event, the West End Festival (WEF), launches its…

Last year I was part of the #PRstack community which saw issue 2 of #PRstack being published featuring 30 more ‘how to’ guides being developed…

Scottish people are sociable eaters but work makes them rush lunch SCOTLAND (261 (13.05%) of total respondents) 13% said they never let weeks go by…

Media relations has changed from focussing on journalists to now identifying and working with influencers. PESO – the new PR media model has helped shape…

PR isn’t just about ‘doing work’, it requires other non- PR skills which come with experience, CPD and hard work. Having worked in PR for…

Aura’s Chief, Laura Sutherland, has been shortlisted for the Outstanding Independent Practitioner category in the CIPR Excellence Awards. The Awards are a celebration of creativity,…

Scotland’s biggest community festival, Glasgow’s West End Festival (WEF), celebrates its 21st anniversary this year, with a packed programme of events from Friday June 3rd…

PR budgets used to be for fees. As we work to the PESO model, when we’re working out PR budgets, we need to ensure there…

A new partner has been secured for The PRofessionals, Scotland’s first PR festival Driving professional standards, promoting best practice and ensuring an inclusive approach is…

The Big Lunch is all set for 12th June, encouraging millions of people across the UK to get together with their neighbours Now in its…

Today is International Women’s Day – make a pledge for parity I have pledged to ‘help women and girls to achieve their ambitions’. The most important…

PR has a job to do…making taboo topics OK to talk about How many of you have seen the recent news about ‘period leave’ for…

Today is World Book Day and we’ve launched our first digital PR guide for SMEs ‘AuraTalk’. Ever quarter we hope to publish a new guide…

It’s been almost a year since I enrolled as a mentee in the CIPR mentor programme. I’ve come to understand that most senior business leaders and…

Britain’s foremost designer, Paul Smith, has arrived back in Glasgow today, Wednesday, 24 February 2016, for a book signing and to talk to design students…

Your personal brand can make a difference to your business. Last night I was lucky enough to have secured tickets for James Martin’s ‘Plates, Mates…

Scottish media opportunity – filming and photography Global design icon, Paul Smith, will return to The Lighthouse in Glasgow this week, Wednesday 24 February, to give…

After a four-way pitch, Scottish PR agency, Aura, has won the public relations contract for The Big Lunch Scotland. Aura’s chief, Laura Sutherland said: “I’m thrilled…

You may have visited our site yesterday? You may have seen a big red screen with warnings about malicious content? We got hacked! Not one,…

Public relations has moved on with technology allowing people to find news, shop and book a restaurant at the touch of an app. We heard…

Britain’s foremost designer, Paul Smith, will travel to Glasgow later this month to talk to design students and young designers as well hold a public…

Miller & Carter has announced it will open a new steakhouse in the former Post Office on St. Vincent Street, Glasgow. It will be open…

 

World famous designer Paul Smith was in Glasgow (20th January) opening the Hello, My Name is Paul Smith exhibition at The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for…

PR and SEO can and should exist side by side Last week I took part in a #Mozinar, a webinar delivered by Moz. Whilst I…

Scottish Enterprise has launched a new funding scheme to help improve design in Scottish business The funding can contribute between £2,000 and £5,000 to help you…

As mobile has climbed the ladder to be one of the most popular ways to interact with brands, consume information and search, 2016 is the…

Never be stuck again for ideas and topics to blog about It’s something many bloggers and PR people find difficult to be inspired by –…

This is more of a personal blog post as I reflect on last year’s developments at Aura and progress with new and existing relationships. 2016…

Pinterest is a platform for research, planning, buying and doing – the possibilities for business is huge and it marries well with how PR strategies…

Calling all Glasgow SMEs! Three of Scotland’s top PR professionals, all Fellows of the CIPR, have collaborated to develop a pop-up marketing workshop. It aims…

The Aura office closes today, Friday, 18 December and will re-open on Tuesday, 5 January. Thanks to those who have worked with us this year…

International speakers will share insight and best practice with senior public relations practitioners at Scotland’s first festival for public relations next June (Thursday 16th and Friday 17th).…

I love analytics I love figuring things out and I love following data from one platform to another. Yes, if you don’t work in PR you…

Chartered PR practitioner – a new era for the PR profession Why you need to employ and contract a Chartered PR practitioner The PR business…

Today (19 November 2015) The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Design and Architecture, has announced that it will bring the world famous “Hello My Name is…

The West End Festival (WEF) brings you The Electric Gardens II – Lux Botanicum (EG2), a spectacular event of sound and light taking place in Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens, and opens…

Scotland the country, Scotland the village It’s true what they say, Scotland may have 6,160 miles of coast line, but everyone knows everyone in PR…

I’ve worked in public relations (PR) for over 14 years and I’ve never claimed to know everything, but I’ve had a fair bit of experience…

It was announced today on AllmediaScotland and sourced from the newspaper auditing body, ABC, the print newspaper circulation in Scotland is seriously in decline. However,…

Today’s #AuraPops (not in the form of a 15-second video!) highlights the importance of community and crowdsourcing. Generally, crowdsourcing will involve one or two lead…

Informed decisions With tools like Doodle and the recently launch Twitter polls, it has never been easier to get opinions and have a more informed…

#AuraPops Public relations (PR) practitioners need to be the eyes and ears of organisations/businesses. They need to know its current perceptions and reputation. They need…

The Nature of Art Nouveau exhibition will preview tonight (Friday, 16 October) at The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Design and Architecture, in Glasgow, opening to…

The second #AuraPops video is once again inspired by my work with #PRStack. Tools and workflow are what make PR practitioners better at their jobs, especially if…

From today, I will be recording and posting 15 second videos about PR topics, ranging from blogs to follow and top tips to ‘instathoughts’, covering different areas of work. This…

Today, the largest crowd-sourced education effort in public relations, #PRStack, has launched! A free tool for public relations practitioners, to help modernise PR workflow. The…

West End Festival organisers today (Friday, 25 September) have announced this winter’s light and sound experience in Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens ‘The Electric Gardens II: Lux…

Over the last couple of months, a group of ace PR people from across the PR industry, some even from outside the UK, have worked…

The Lighthouse Late is a mix of speakers sharing their ideas and passion for Design and the Creative Industries, Bands, Dj’s, design markets, workshops and…

September is Measurement Month and to coincide, a new version of measurement and valuation guidelines has been launched. The ‘Barcelona Principles’ have been updated for…

International TV Festival The International TV Festival took place this week in Edinburgh, with a host of celebs, the MacTaggart Lecture and a speech from First…

What does collaboration bring? I’ve come to realise that collaboration is now a key part of my mindset and that I’d like to continue doing business…

Today, it’s been highlighted the necessity for a wider awareness and appreciation needed to manage reputation on Wikipedia. Michelle Mone’s office has been accused of…

Scottish PR…my update In June I wrote a post ‘Scotland is behind in public relations modernisation‘ and one of my points was about talking and…

Nicholson’s Pubs has announced the addition of Edinburgh to the bill of its renowned Ale Trails across the UK, taking ale lovers on a journey…

September is a busy month for exhibitions in London as it tries to promote itself as the design capital of the world through the London Design…

Over the fourteen years or so I’ve worked in PR, I’ve developed Aura PR’s own recipe for working with clients, from the outset to the evaluation.…

Being a small social and agile agency, we need to be able to work quickly and effectively no matter where we are. We connect with…

Coming up to the end of my internship with Aura PR, looking back on the new skills I’ve picked up and experiences I’ve had would…

Today, Laura Sutherland launches a Scottish Solo PR event programme, for independent PR practitioners in Scotland. The event series comes after research the CIPR did…

Facebook may only have come into the world in 2004 but is already dominating the web and the world as one of the largest global…

I’m a 3rd, going into 4th year, psychology student at Glasgow University, currently on a summer internship here at Aura. I have a real zeal…

Aura PR has worked with the West End Festival for four years. Here are our favourite pics from 2015! With thanks to John Linton Photography…

Aura worked with Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group to deliver a summit, bringing together 150 leaders in government, business, academia, non-government organisations (NGOs) and civic society,…

The West End Festival, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, has come to an end for another year. It is estimated 125,000 people attended…

Media opportunity: Sunday 29 June 1-7pm Kelvingrove Bandstand WEF 2015 closing event. Please email, call (0141 337 6712) or text Laura Sutherland (07764 936 840) to…

A new exhibition featuring the work of world-renowned architect Glenn Murcutt, has opened today (Friday, 26 June) in The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Design and…

To close its 20th year, Glasgow’s biggest cultural highlight, the West End Festival, has announced a closing event to take place this weekend on Sunday,…

The “Auckland Strip” exhibition depicting the sexual politics of Auckland city, New Zealand, launches on 24 June at The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Design and…

The ‘Handmade by Machines’ exhibition launches this Friday (19 June) at The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Design and Architecture, which features jewellery designed by students…

Last Edited: 5.15pm – the beauty of real-time content development. Thanks for your feedback so far everyone! For a few years now I’ve been talking…

Today, (Tuesday, 9 June), The Kelpies maquettes return home to Glasgow’s west end as part of an exhibition in the West End Festival (WEF), running…

The West End Festival’s Mardi Gras parade took place today, Sunday, 7 June, with nearly 500 participants taking part in the spectacular, themed around ‘bloom’,…

Coinciding with World Environment Day, it has been announced today, (Friday, 5 June) that, Lady (Susan) Rice, recently appointed Chairman of Scottish Water, has taken…

Aura has been appointed to work with Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group to deliver a summit, bringing together 150 leaders in government, business, academia, non-government organisations…

On Friday, 5 June, 2015, also ‘World Environment Day‘, Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group will hold a summit, bringing together government, businesses, academics, non-government organisations (NGOs)…

West End Festival (WEF) today, Wednesday, 22 April, launched its programme for the 20th annual event which takes place in June every year and continues…

Opportunities for media and bloggers The programme launch of the 20th West End Festival will take place on the evening of Wednesday, 22 April, showcasing…

Brands are currently preparing for design events taking place in the summer, looking out their trends and style books, talking about the stand and probably a…

Gone are the days when we (Aura) will promote jobs like Account Executive, Senior Account Manager etc. – we all have our own specialisms and…

The public relations business has ducked and dived, some say it was known as a dark art, but thanks to the CIPR, it’s now on a serious course…

I wrote this blog post for Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group yesterday. As someone who works across both the business of public relations and communication and…

An exhibition demonstrating the impact of innovative, intelligent sensor networks has opened at The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Design and Architecture (27 February). As the…

I wouldn’t describe myself as a ‘petrol head’ but I would say that I appreciate fine cars, their smell, lines, speed and of course their…

The latest event produced by the West End Festival, The Electric Gardens, has come to a close, after 22 days and a successful inaugural year.…

The West End Festival brings you The Electric Gardens, a new sound and light experience taking place in Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens, and opens to the…

Media is invited to take photos, film and interview at a special preview event of The Electric Gardens, brought to you by the West End Festival.…

A very Happy New Year from all of us at Aura! We’re working on our strategy for this year and no doubt many of you…

As an intern at Aura PR, my first task was to come up with an idea for a Christmas campaign to engage clients, our social…

West End Festival organisers have been given the green light to put on a spectacular light and sound experience in the Botanic Gardens next year.…

A new exhibition just launched in Glasgow, ‘EMPOWERMENT’, discusses design and build changing lives and empowering people. The exhibition, supported by The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre…

The Lighthouse celebrates 15 years as Scotland’s Centre for Design and Architecture and hosts a VIP event to mark the occasion. Bailie Cameron and Humza…

Just now, the Scottish Government’s new Cabinet has been announced by recently appointed First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon. See a list here. The junior ministerial appointments will be announced…

Today’s blog has been inspired by a few things. Firstly, the lack of understanding about meaningful and relevant content. Secondly, quality is a priority not…

Two weeks ago on Monday, we were briefed by a client on an event we had to organise and launch that same week (eek!) and deliver…

MEDIA OPPORTUNITY WHEN: TUESDAY, 4 NOVEMBER AT 11AM WHERE: ENTRANCE TO SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT, BESIDE FLAGS WHAT: Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group is raising funds to support…

We know that taking time away from the desk is important, we all know it, but do we all do it? Here at Aura we…

I was with a client today who quoted me to someone, unrelated, who happened to be leaving the meeting I was joining. It was about…

And breathe… The Lighthouse Design Impact Awards event was last night, Thursday 23 October, and after all the preparation and the inevitable rushing around, we’re…

Today, Aura’s MD, Laura Sutherland, was awarded a CIPR Fellowship as the CIPR announced 19 new Fellows. Read the CIPR’s announcement here.

We’re celebrating our 6th anniversary this month and what better way than to offer you something new and to treat ourselves?! We’ve just launched  a…

‘Noise’ is a fairly standard problem when trying to get messages across using social media, there’s always a lot of other content on the internet…

Following the close of the ballot at 5pm Monday, 22 September, the results of the 2014 Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) elections have now…

We chose deliberately not to discuss the biggest debate in Scotland’s recent history. We did want to take a view after it about notable tactics…

We’ve been incredibly lucky this summer to have had such colourful images to work with. We wanted to do a quick post with Aura’s favourite…

As one of this year’s batch of graduates, I know very well that once you’re out there, the pressure is on to find a graduate…

Plans for a £1million multi-use urban sports art park which will see a disused space turned into a hub for the local community, under a…

For the last couple of months we’ve been working with a client (member organisation), a client with a very clear purpose, to develop its communications…

Today, Sunday, 8 June, the West End Festival has once again pulled off a spectacular parade, with over 500 participants from across Glasgow. This is…

The Byres Road parade, dubbed ‘Scotland’s Mardi Gras’, which is organised by and part of the West End Festival (WEF), will take place this weekend,…

Today, (Wednesday, 7 May), the second Design Impact Award, run by The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Design and Architecture, has been launched across Scotland, confirming…

The 19th West End Festival programme was revealed today, (Monday, 28 April), extending the dates from Sunday, 1 – Sunday, 29 June and confirmation the…

I’m Mandy and I’m the new Intern here at Aura. I started my placement two weeks ago and when I was brainstorming what my first…

Glasgow-based designers, Friends of Wilson, will launch an exhibition tomorrow of a new modular acoustic wall panel system at The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Design…

You’ll no doubt have seen that we have a job advertised at the moment for an account handler. That’s why I decided to write this…

We’ve started working considerably more on internal comms with our clients and it’s involved a lot of research. Some inspiration has come from a fellow…

Senior Account Executive/Junior Account Manager – Job Description Salary: dependent on candidate experience and skills Deadline for applications: Friday, 14 February – 12pm A rare…

It’s 2014 and we’re back in the office. First off, Happy New Year to everyone! I recently wrote a piece for the CIPR‘s new e-book…

My first project as an intern at Aura was to produce this video of the team filming for their client, The Lighthouse, Glasgow. At my…

Franchise Development Services (FDS), one of the UK’s leading franchise organisations, has launched in Scotland, with plans to launch a Scottish franchise magazine in 2014,…

Aura has today, (Tuesday, 10 December), launched a new website, which integrates the existing blog and brings a fresh approach to engaging its clients, media,…

A recent study, conducted by New Start Scotland exhibition organisers, has found that 79% of Scottish employers in the service sector would allow home working,…

The tenth New Start Scotland (NSS) exhibition will run in Glasgow on Thursday 14 and Friday 15 November at the SECC geared to encourage and…

In 2009 we worked with the Glasgow School of Art, Product Design and Engineering students to promote and record their degree show. We had a…

We forgot we worked with the lovely Keira on her collection launch for A/W 10! Here’s a look at some of the pics that came…

If you’ve organised events before, you’ll know how much you worry about everything being perfect on the night, but in our experience, it always turns out…

The tenth New Start Scotland and the second Scottish Business Exhibition will run in Glasgow on Thursday 14 and Friday 15 November at the SECC…

Working in a PR agency/consultancy can be daunting, especially in your first week when there’s so much to learn. Rome wasn’t built in a day,…

We visited The Lighthouse on Friday night for the private viewing of a new exhibition. An entire year of travelling and life events has been…

If you’re a funny kind of person, as in funny ha ha, you’ll be tempted to use humour in social media and rightly so, as…

While I was reviewing an event we’re working on for CIPR Scotland, I’m the current Chair, it occurred to me that few PR companies and in-house…

As The London Design Festival and 100% Design fast approach this month, we wanted to share our top tips for preparing for the design-led festivals, where…

Over the last few weeks, I’ve noticed that people have been asking one very relevant and underused question – What’s the point of it? In…

My name is Gill Connelly. I help organisations make change happen. Change affects every organisation and has the greatest chance of success when those tasked…

Today we heard that Amazon boss, Jeff Bezos, has bought the Washington Post for £163 million, previously owned as a family business for 80 years.…

According to a report by Ofcom published today, the use of mobile phones to access the internet has increased significantly in Scotland over the last year, more…

Earlier this week, the BBC published an article by Benjamin Webb, who by now, must be a very well known PR person if he wasn’t before!…

Yesterday’s report in The Telegraph highlights that not only are the UKs top companies not maximising opportunities in this ‘digital age’ but also that they…

Glasgow-based manufacturer, Trakke, has launched its exhibition at The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Design and Architecture, running from 12 July – 25 August, 2013 and…

Scottish designer, Kyla McCallum, originally from Stirling, has finished her Foldability exhibition at The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Design and Architecture, and news of her…

After four years at the University of Glasgow studying law, I knew a job involving white wigs and gowns was not quite for me! Through…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 15 JULY 2013 PRESS RELEASE Acts announced for Paisley’s Spree festival and Mòd fringe events Some of Scotland’s top music and…

Glasgow-based manufacturer, Trakke, has launched its exhibition at The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Design and Architecture, running from 12 July – 25 August, 2013 and…

Aura is delighted to have been appointed for the second year to work with Renfrewshire Council to work on the launch of The Spree, a…

PRESS INFORMATION What’s on at The Lighthouse from July…. *imagery available on request 1. Ermantrude’s Travels in Scotland – Charlotte Linton Review Gallery 12th July…

Photocall 11.30am 19th June 2013 The Lighthouse, 11 Mitchell St,  Glasgow G1 3NU A long lost music cabinet designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh has been found…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – SUNDAY, 9 JUNE   PRESS RELEASE  Glasgow’s biggest festival celebrates 18 years in Rio style  West End Festival Mardi Gras confirmed for…

If you like your clients and believe in what they do, what are the limits you’d go to, to make sure the client got the…

A technical lab, MAKlab, which is supported by and based in The Lighthouse, Glasgow, set up to help young entrepreneurs to access equipment, technology and…

WE DID IT! GLASGOW’S FAVOURITE PARADE IS BACK! PUBLIC APPEAL SECURES FUNDING FOR BYRES ROAD MARDI GRAS TO RETURN IN 2013 Last night, Thursday 25…

The first on-line Help and Advice Patient Support Centre for Vasculitis* sufferers goes live this week following months of work by the Lauren Currie Twilight…

We’re moving office next Monday and Tuesday (15 and 16 April) to a quirky wee office, still in the west end. We’ve been advised by…

When: Monday, 15 April – 6.30pm Where: Men International, 35 Oswald Street, Glasgow, G1 4PE What: West End Festival (WEF) would like to invite you…

Glasgow is set to welcome an exhibition from The Design Museum, London, “a graphic odyssey”, which celebrates the prolific career of the Dutch graphic designer…

Glasgow’s favourite festival, which celebrates its 18th birthday this year, has launched a fundraising campaign to raise £50,000 to be able to progress the much…

Six months of planning, 24 events and nearly 3,000 people made last weekend’s new national festival, The Spree, a triumph. The music, arts and comedy…

DATE FOR YOUR DIARY! INVITATION TO PHOTOCALL & INTERVIEW Paisley launches new national music and arts festival, The Spree WHEN:   24 October at 12.30pm…

Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is a very important part of a career. Learning new skills, brushing up on old ones, building knowledge and making a…

Last night, Mashable posted a picture on Facebook of their newest interns wishing them luck and asking followers to give them a warm welcome. Seeing…

Take a look at our e-newsletter for May 2012! Email hello@aura-pr.com for more details!

Well, we’re disappointed and taken aback by the response Lotus has issued today, to comments and speculation about the position of the brand in its…

We’ve been having a think about what makes us happy working in PR, of course, Aura is always a happy place to work, but what…

Scottish corporate and consumer PR agency, Aura PR (Scotland) Ltd, has been appointed by Scottish based independent financial advisory company Save & Invest to handle…

Well, it was a worthwhile show and it was good to meet up with the team at Aircraft Interiors International. It was a short trip…

Having worked with clients on various exhibitions, we wanted to tell you our secret to successful shows and exhibitions. Visit our website to see our…

Whilst waiting for my (Laura) flight this afternoon it struck me how important communication is from airline to passenger. Luckily I’ve never had the misfortune…

Last night (Monday, 12 March) Laura Sutherland, managing director at Aura PR was elected 2012 chairman of CIPR Scotland at their annual general meeting. Here…

Aura PR’s third and final post with fatBuzz – looking at releasing news through social media.  This time, we talk about ways to follow up your post and how to…

Part 2 of our ‘Releasing news through social media’ series, looks at Aura PR and fatBuzz discussing social networking and sharing on multi platforms. We…

Aura PR and fatBuzz take 5 to discuss recent developments in social media and how this affects the manner in which news is released to…

Aura PR works with Isle of Mull Whisky, helping to raise awareness of the product amongst distributors and indeed consumers. We’ve moved on to work…

Getting in the festive spirit at Aura HQ today!

This looks fantastic, courtesy of the CIPR!  All booked up to host this on January 24th…let us know if you fancy coming down to the…

Media Relations (part 2) ‘You can’t beat putting a face to a name!’ listen to ‘Media relations boo 2’ on Audioboo

Media Relations (part 1) Today we’re talking media relations, social media, integration and relevancy… listen to ‘Media relations boo’ on Audioboo

Interesting article from Stuart Elliott at the New York Times:   THE public relations industry has decided that it may be a good time for,…

Always ahead of the competition, Aura PR is continuing to develop its portfolio of communication skills. Aura Social allows us to talk directly with you and…

Using video is a much more effective way for people to get to know the Aura team. Aura Social is an initiative we have launched…

All in all pretty excited to be launching Aura Social!  With an interest in new platforms that arrive on the social media landscape, this will…

It’s been an exciting time here with all the preparations and, ultimately, the launch of Aura Social. As a recent graduate and newcomer to the…

Aura PR (Scotland) Ltd, who have offices in Glasgow and Aberdeen and who celebrate their third birthday this month, last night launched Aura Social at…