Coming unstuck with Aldi

Aldi gets the first Good PR gong. 10 people have been “stranded” at the UK’s highest pub, the Tan Hill Inn in the Yorkshire Dales since Christmas. Six staff, four hotel guests. I can think of worse places to be stranded. They needed supplies and to help ease the pressure on the emergency services, a nearby Aldi (obviously) hired a snow plough and took care packages up to them. I have so many questions about the stranded 10. The most notable one being, how stranded are they actually, especially if a German discount supermarket can get to them for a PR stunt? Anyway, I am trying to start the year with a less cynical approach. Aldi got the headlines, Tan Hill Inn residents got the goodies and everyone was happy. Nice newsjacking Aldi, we salute you.

All helped made possible by one of PR's own Taylor Herring, so happiness all round.

North Ike-orea knock-off

Ikea found itself in the unfortunate world of WTAF PR this week. News began to spread that its global expansion had taken an unexpected turn for the Swedish, elk-loving, flat-pack geniuses.

A story hit the wires that Ikea had expanded to North Korea and opened its first ever store. Before you could say ‘Billy Bookcase’ a release was issued to deny anything of the sort. It turns out that Kim Jong-un decided he needed a flat pack furniture store, so off he went and copied the Ikea business model and even kept the name as he liked it so much.

As a brand, how do you deal with something like that? I have worked with brands that have had copy-cat issues with Chinese manufacturers, but never a whole company including the actual brand. How funny.

Naughty, saucy, dirty grapes

The New York Post gave red grapes the kind of accidental sales boost that makes red grape growers celebrate. They wrote an article on the best foods for increasing libido and fixing male issues down below and put red grapes in at the top.

The article is now one of the most well-shared pieces of content they have ever written and supermarkets around the globe are reporting red grape sales are flying.

The article referenced a Chinese University research paper that found that those with these kinds of issues who drank red grape juice were 79% less likely to have issues than those who don’t drink it. I am sure red wine would be a worthy substitute if you can’t get your hands on any grape juice. For clarity, I am not a Doctor!

Watts-up with BT's fleet?

Speaking about needing a boost, there are few brands that could do with a dollop of positive PR, more than good old BT. I love BT. No matter what you may think, BT are an impressive and dynamic brand that have quietly helped to shape British innovation and technology since its privatisation.

It gets a lot of grief from muggles about missed appointments and tech falling over, but I don’t think people appreciate the scale at which the brand operates. Having once worked for a nationalised brand, and one which worked very closely with BT, I will always fight its corner. Fast forward to this week and I was positively giddy when I saw the telecoms giant had been hitting the headlines for good reasons by placing the largest ever order for a fleet of EV vehicles.

BT placed an order for 3,500 new EV vans, taking its electric fleet to 8,000. To put this into context, it was such a big story that the press release even got a Government minister quote added to it. Try doing that for your own brand. Great work BT.

Dog spit is not cleaner than human

I have written quite a few controversial stories in this column over the years. I have upset a rather large terror group, had a legal letter from a gambling brand, and received third party messages that carry a threatening undertone from several ego-mad eccentric millionaires. But, probably the biggest backlash I have ever faced about something I have written is the time I outed myself for… not liking dogs.

To clarify, I am petrified of them rather than not liking them. This is largely because of being bitten by various makes and models of dogs in my formative years growing up in the grounds of a kid’s prison (my Dad worked there, before you all start making jokes). Small dogs, that I think I could defeat in a fight to the death, I am ok with. Anything taller than ankle high, I am not so sure about and steer away from.

Over the years this has led to lots of abuse from you dog lovers. Therefore, imagine my delight when I read this week that those who let their dogs ‘kiss’ or lick their owners or guests' faces are at a higher risk of getting ill than us normal people.

As a non-dog-fan these findings seem blindingly obvious. Apparently one of the diseases that lives in dog kisses reduces the positive impact of antibiotics. The scientific study came from Pennsylvania State University, so in my eyes it is concrete data! So, what are we all thinking? I reckon we send all the big ones to live on Anglesey moving forward. All those in favour, drop me a DM.

Editors note: I love dogs and own one, but I don't let my dog near my face. The amount of strangers who do not know me, or my dog, and let him lick their mouth makes me feel aggressively ill. I had to advocate for my dog when an odd patron at a pub in Teddington let my dog eat chips out of his mouth. Andy is right to have this viewpoint - and if that man is reading this... pay for my therapy.