Good PR 

Food PR
A YouGov survey has shone the spotlight on a well-deserved recipient: the humble rasher of bacon. Now claimed to be the star of the English breakfast show, the poll results have found that bacon is the highest requirement of a fry up. Sausage came a close second, with toast and beans to follow. Where the eggs were, no one’s quite sure – and it’s causing quite the outrage among media-ites and millennials alike. The poll also revealed the least popular items, so we can all feel sorry for the neglected boiled eggs, pancakes and even black pudding. Controversial, indeed.

In other food related, although actually kind of annoying, good PR today – McDonalds is giving away 10,000 bottles of its secret-recipe Big Mac sauce. This is not a drill. This is really happening. Lucky munchers will receive a bottle to celebrate the launch of the Grand Mac and Mac Jr. (AND new burgers!!!) Except… it’s not happening here, it’s only in the US and even then it’s only for select stores. Dammit! They get all the good stuff; Big Mac sauce, Taco Bell, Donald Trump… actually, forget I said anything. Although the treat won’t reach our shores, it’s certainly all over our headlines and definitely making us crave the not-so-good stuff.

Potter crab
Harry Potter is enjoying another triumph today, as scientists announce they have named a crab breed after a collector – Harryplax Severus, which fans will apparently know is to do with Professor Snape, as well as the field collector Harry Conley who played a big part in the crab’s discovery. The little dude is a pale yellow and lives in deep rubble and dead coral in the Pacific Island. Cosy.

Stationery mover
As a more corporate update, WH Smith, long the staple of the British high street, has finally experienced a boost in its profits thanks to the performance of travel stores over the winter period. It seems that everyone who went home for Christmas ended up buying a snack and a book to read en route, and as a result the chain is flourishing once more. Apparently, popular reading material to thank for this surge include Five on Brexit Island and The Grandparents and the Cat; showing that spoof humour will always win out.

Bad PR

Racist technology
A Chinese technology company is in hot water today after customers have complained that their fitbit-style tracker wristband has an unusual flaw – it doesn’t work on black people. Although the Xiaomi MiBand2 is a super affordable alternative to other brands, coming in at just £20, it’s not £20 well spent if it actually doesn’t work. The function particularly affected, according to reports, is the heart rate monitor; as users insist they have tested items on various people and found a trend in when the device works – and when it doesn’t. The makers of the band have announced that they are working to rectify the problem as soon as possible, but why this fault slipped through undetected (and how on earth it happens in the first place) is yet to be known.

McFail
Booo – in more annoying McDonald’s related news today, the brand is being slated for its decision to withhold the all-day breakfast from the UK arm of the chain even though, once again, the US has been enjoying breakfast muffins at 11pm for years! So much favouritism, and journalists are not letting them get away lightly with this decision.

Society closure
In the financial sector, it’s a sad day for Norwich & Peterborough Building Society, as owner Yorkshire Building Society has announced that the brand’s 28 branches will be closed this year, along with 20 of the Yorkshire brand’s. Due to this substantial overhaul, more than 440 jobs are thought to be at risk, and no doubt staff will be feeling very nervous about what the future might hold. Unfortunately for those who work in bank branches, this is the latest in a line of closures, as people rely on digital apps and online banking rather than visiting the banks themselves.

Written by Leanne Bryan, senior PR account manager, 10 Yetis

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