We love this advert World Cup advert. It's not a particularly clever , nor original idea but it grabbed us and made the hair stand up on the back of our necks it's so well executed and gets right to the core of what the World Cup means for England fans. It's also well supported on social media including a branded Youtube channel and a host of back stories and celebrities giving their ultimate team talk - lovely online PR and perfect for generating consumer buzz.

Read about one bald man's mission to motivate 1 million people in the UK to make a difference to their lives and be inspired to take positive action yourself. More than just a PR stunt, this Manchester businessman has a credible long term goal.

We’re massive fans of outdoor living at Smoking Gun and don’t let the English weather hold us back.  We’re already busy educating the nation about how to make your outdoor area an extension of your home through the stunning products and design inspirations from Outdoor Chic and BBQ’s are a key part of that.  So … Continued

These are very important questions and ones that have huge debates surrounding them. Good leadership is essential for the survival and profitability of businesses. This is even more critical for the survival of smaller firms. From my experience of developing leadership in small businesses I firmly believe that leaders can be made and that some entrepreneurs can be leaders.

Magna has revised its media advertising revenues forecast for 2010 from a ‘1% decline’ to ‘3% growth’. This year will be as good as it gets until 2015 it warns but what will the effect be on Manchester PR agencies?

There’s a lot of talk about how to evaluate social media but less so about how much an individual connection is worth or even how much you’d be willing to pay for one. How often have you picked up a gem of a business tip, a sales lead or bypassed a gatekeeper to start a … Continued

Most people are aware that Manchester is a bustling hub of creativity, and always ready to embrace the future, and tonight sees the monthly meeting of a group who embody this concept completely, the Northern Digitals. Northern Digitals is a monthly meeting of the digital creatives from in and around Manchester, allowing them to get … Continued

A lively discussion took place at Social media Cafe around the role of hyperlocal news. Read more here and what effect this new media channel will have to play for PR and social media including some exclusive questions posed by Smoking Gun PR.

The always informative Social Media Cafe takes place on Tuesday 6 April at the BBC, find all the details and links in the blog

Can social media offer the tools to rebuild the fast burning bridges between professional footballers and their fans?

Smoking Gun has been born in the week that Nestle joined the growing list of organisations who just don’t seem to understand that MadMen is set in the sixties and that the picture of a mute, obligingly passive consumer has been false for decades.

An event offering free social media advice to all businesses large or small in Manchester.

So we finally lifted the lid off our new agency and were thrilled with the response from the media and the industry at large – thanks everyone! We won’t let you down. We won’t put all the coverage here but thanks in particular to Simon Donohue at the Manchester Evening News for this lead story … Continued