As the world begins to unwind for the Easter holiday celebrations, the transient landscape of PR continues to bubble away. With many agencies looking to get their clients that last piece of coverage before the Easter break, it can be difficult to decide on an impactful but relevant piece of news to target. That’s why we at Shout Bravo have once again rounded up the top news stories from the week to highlight the information that could have been reacted to if relevant to your clients.
So, without further ado, let’s get right into this week’s round-up!
Travel…
With the Easter holidays set to begin tomorrow, it’s no surprise that a huge emphasis in the travel news sector has been put on the celebrations. Coverage this week has included UK staycation travel pieces, with many regional publications eager to advertise their area as a suitable destination. Elsewhere, warnings have been published concerning the expected busyness of roads during the Easter celebrations and bank holidays.
Outside of the UK, similar news stories have been published in the US with publications ramping up the holiday coverage as we get closer to the summer season. Advice on travel insurance is also beginning to gain more traction as more people begin to plan their breaks away.
For any PR agencies with travel-focused clients, there was sure a lot of coverage that could have been reacted to this week. Any insurance or automotive clients may also have found value in reacting to the potential delays on the road throughout the Easter weekend.
Health…
In the health sector this week, one of the biggest stories was the growing popularity of a diabetes drug that is also being used as a weight-loss treatment. Semaglutide, better known by its brand name, Ozempic, has been taking up a lot of health coverage since gaining traction on social media platforms such as TikTok and Twitter.
With celebrities such as Kim Kardashian reportedly using the drug, people are hoping to try out the newest medical weight-loss solution. Ozempic will soon be available through the NHS, however, the drug is not without its drawbacks as it could lead to side effects such as excess gas, nausea and even bloating.
As the topic was such a focal point in the health sector this week, we were able to land an informative piece of national coverage with expert comments from our pharmaceutical digital PR client.
Business…
This week, for business news, a large topic of discussion unfortunately surrounded business uncertainty and closures. Shockingly, it was revealed over the last seven days that the number of businesses closing in London has surpassed the number of new businesses opening in the capital city.
It highlights the financial pressure being felt by firms in a wealth of industries due to aspects such as energy costs, inflation and the cost of living crisis, which is causing consumers to spend less.
With the beginning of the new financial year, businesses will be motivated to start on the right foot. However, with the Government’s recent decision not to extend the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, companies might find it harder than ever to keep themselves afloat.
Personal finance…
As mentioned above, today (April 6th) marks the beginning of the new financial year, but it’s not just businesses that will be aiming to keep their money in order. Personal finance news in the focus this week includes a wide range of recent changes including a rise to benefits and the state pension.
In line with inflation, benefits such as Universal Credit has been risen by 10.1% while a freeze to income tax thresholds means people could be taxed in a higher band than before.
This coverage in the news is perfect for any PR agency with clients operating within the personal finance sector, with so much uncertainty surrounding tax bands, a comment from an expert could add a lot of value to these incredibly important news pieces.
To conclude…
With that, our round-up is over for another week, we hope this has informed you of some key focal points in the news this week. Although not every piece of news will be relevant to your clients, staying up-to-date with the current news cycle is a great way to assemble strong ideas for future campaigns while keeping an eye out for any expert comments that may be of interest to the brands represented by your agency.
We’ll be back next week for more round-ups in key news sectors alongside providing examples of how we at Shout Bravo have used the talking points to gain coverage and boost brand awareness for our clients. Until then, have a lovely Easter break!
