In 15 days’ time we will be ­making our way to the polls for the tenth time in nine years. That’s a lot of elections and, more importantly, a lot of public money. The two questions we get asked constantly at the moment is how much is all this costing us and – more importantly…

Like many who grew up in the 1980s, school for me was the building where I attended each weekday, was moved along corridors by prefects and herded by teachers into classrooms where I would sit at one of the desks organised in neat rows all facing the front. Break times were spent in the one…

For the first time since 2008 and the global recession, housing completions in Scotland have exceeded 20,000 per year. It has taken ten years to reach this point but, in reality, we need at least 25,000 homes to be built in Scotland every year to address demand. In the face of Brexit, a general election…

The Duchess of Cambridge last week gave her first ever news interview and shared her first Instagram post. Kate shared a series of photos to the Kensington Royal ­Instagram account from the royal tour to Pakistan, with a personal caption and signed “Catherine”. In a world that revolves around “Instagrammable” content and hashtags for every…

It was Winston Churchill that said of the Scots “Of all the small nations on earth perhaps only the Greeks surpass the Scots in their contribution to mankind.” Scotland has a gift for innovation. It’s in our DNA. From penicillin and ultrasound to refrigeration and Watt’s improvements to the steam engine – it is central to…

Like many children, I liked ­playing with Lego and creating my own buildings, but it wasn’t until I started watching Grand Designs on TV that I realised how much I was really interested in construction. All I wanted to do was design great buildings and become an architect. During my third year at school I…

Hands up if you’ve heard about the urgent need for new homes?  Chances are most of the business community have seen a headline or three about the UK government’s ambition to see 300,000 new homes built by the mid 2020s. And it’s a laudable ambition. While this is a stretch target, and the industry is…

September marked World ­Alzheimer’s Month – Alzheimer’s is the cause of 60 to 70 per cent of cases of dementia, an issue very close to my heart, having lost my wonderful and clever mum to this cruel disease. Working in healthcare, technology and construction, I am encouraged by the increasing number of organisations ­tirelessly trying…

6 May 1999 was a mild day, but my then 16 week old son was having none of it and he seemed to find something to howl about every five minutes.  The fact that history was being made at Holyrood was lost on him. Even the gift of a yellow sticker (quickly shredded) from a…

Should I get some media training? Would my business benefit from it? Is it worth the time? If you or your business are asking these questions, then you’re off to a good start when it comes to dealing with the media.  But there’s a lot more to it than that.  A bad interview will never…

If recent crises and their aftermath have taught us anything, it is that a leader’s actions and comments before, during and after a crisis are absolutely critical to gaining support and understanding as the organisation works towards recovery or resolution. Or to put it another way, you’re aiming for more Jacinda and rather less Theresa.…

There’s a very good reason why young children ask the question ‘why?’ all the time. Wanting to know the purpose behind the things you’re being asked to do is a basic human instinct. At work, we want to know what our goals are and our company’s plans for getting us there. At this time of…

Like many youngsters, at school I didn’t have a clear idea what I wanted to do next. It became a straight toss-up between studying English or architecture. When I was accepted into the Mackintosh School of Architecture, I was so delighted with going to Glasgow School of Art that I took that path. Around halfway…

Last week I had the honour of attending the Hunter Foundation’s dinner in Edinburgh with entertainment from Beverley Knight, but the main event was Michelle Obama in her first overseas public appearance since leaving the White House. I expected the evening to be thought provoking, insightful and inspiring – so far, so predictable. But what…

General Data Protection Regulation. GDPR. Doom and gloom. Is it “The end of the world as we know it”, “I predict a riot” or in fact “Let’s stay together”? Having just attended the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Scotland’s very insightful GDPR seminar, I’m feeling a lot more positive about this thorny issue which is likely to be currently…

By Sinead Assenti, Research Director, Perceptive Communicators Most savvy businesses want to know how they and their products and services are perceived by their customers, stakeholders and employees. Most businesses can predict these perceptions with 70-80% accuracy, but it is the magic remaining 20-30% that makes all the difference. This could be underestimating the impact…

The ever-emotive topic of childcare is hitting the headlines again, after Audit Scotland expressed concerns about the Scottish Government’s pledge to almost double the hours of free childcare available to three and four year olds, and vulnerable two year olds, by 2020. As a working parent, at first glance it’s hard to see what’s not…

As Christmas approaches and the annual list of shiny new toys sets fear into the hearts of parents around the country, I’m reminded of the communications industry’s own shiny and slightly scary new toy: social media. At Perceptive we guide and advise clients on social media strategy on a daily basis and at times it…

What did you want to be when you grew up? Vet? Train driver? Hairdresser? I wanted to be Mr Benn. But even at eight years old I realised that was probably going to sound a bit odd, so my reply was either doctor or ballerina, depending on who was asking and the mood I was…

    By Clare Todd Most mornings, as I get ready for work, I listen to radio news to get a jump-start on the news of the day. Some items are of more interest than others but what always stops me in my tracks is a live interview going spectacularly wrong – at least as…

In this short guide we review the common pitfalls of drafting awards submissions, and how you can avoid them to give yourself the best chance of being shortlisted. It’s been a busy few weeks in the entertainment industry’s awards season, and with the Oscar winner’s due next week Monday, it’s easy to get swept away…

Our wonderful commercial director Emma Fair gives her (accountant’s) perspective on PR and whether or not it is valuable to the bottom line.  ‘What exactly is PR?’ asked the finance person…. I am an accountant – not something I necessarily always want to shout about, but between you and I nothing pleases me more than a…

If sorting your company’s social media in 2017 is on your New Year’s Resolution List, you’re in luck. We’ve devised a cheat sheet for which platforms to pick according to your objectives and target audience. Read on for more . . . With today’s abundance of social media platforms, it can be easy to feel…

If your LinkedIn profile deserves a bit more of your attention this year, you’re not alone. We’ve trained over 1000 people in social media management and the number one request we get from individuals is for help with writing a great LinkedIn profile. Companies are also increasingly engaging our services to help them create a…

By Devin Scobie, Public Affairs Director Thirty years ago next summer I was a proud History graduate from Edinburgh University and I recall debating what was the most memorable year from times past.  1066?  1314?  1789?  Well, as this year draws to a close, and, incidentally, family history is repeating itself as my younger son…

US Election Insight Special – all you need to know from the land of the free and home of the brave The eyes of the world are on the United States today as voters go to the polls to decide who will be the next American President and therefore the most powerful (wo)man in the…

by Anna Chambers, PR & Social Media Manager When I first started working at Perceptive, and told people that I often work from home, I got all sorts of reactions. They ranged from envy (“you’re so lucky!”) to disbelief (“how do you get anything done? I’d be too tempted to just put a washing on!”)…

This week we hosted our first Brexit Insight Breakfast hosted and facilitated by the experienced and award winning team at Perceptive Communicators.  Devin Scobie, public affairs director of Perceptive Communicators and Stephen Boyle, chief economist of RBS Group shared their expert political and economic insights to a packed room, with some great nuggets of information…

What have I learned since Sexy Back? Summer 2006.  The Summer of Justin Timberlake’s Sexy Back, Pink’s Who Knew and my personal favourite, I Don’t Feel Like Dancing (always a toe tapper). Italy won the World Cup and Roger Federer and Amélie Mauresmo won at Wimbledon, while Team Europe won The Ryder Cup. While these music…

Work is a thing you do, not a place you go. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Actually it’s an easy phrase to say but can be tricky to really make it work. Tricky, but not impossible… According to a report from The Work Foundation the UK is on the verge of a mobile working “tipping point”…

One of my earliest memories is sitting on my grandmother’s knee as she read her favourite tabloid newspaper, showing her disapproval for the image on page 3. “Damp disgrace”, she tutted. This episode was followed years later with a paper round at the age of ten and more recently a 25-year career in PR, so…

Perceptive Communicators has been named as a finalist in two categories at the prestigious UK-wide Construction Marketing Awards 2015. We are absolutely delighted to be a finalist in the PR Agency of the Year category, one that the judges have described as “particularly competitive” in a year where the awards received a record number of…

The release of the Scottish Government’s Scottish Annual Business Statistics for 2013 last week has been one of the key topics of discussion here at Perceptive Communicators. The two year gap between research being undertaken to the final report being published may throw people off their impact in September, 2015, but they remain an ideal…

Usually our award winning skills are perfectly pitched on behalf of our clients, but this time we clinched a win for the Perceptive team – the highly coveted ‘Growth Business of the Year’ at the 2015 East Dunbartonshire Business Awards. It’s certainly has been a time of growth for us at Perceptive. Building on strong…

This morning’s Halifax House Price Index, pointing to a rise of 2.2% from February to April and 8.5% compared to the same period last year, is great news for our construction clients. It not only evidences the continuing confidence within the industry, but reaffirms the growing confidence of home buyers. Working with clients such as…

Our MD Julie McLauchlan can usually be found in strategy meetings or delivering bespoke training to clients who want to enhance their media interview skills, but last week she stepped into the limelight and spoke to Project Scotland about the need for construction companies to ‘blow their own trumpet’ and embrace marketing as the way…

I’ve just finished my first month as the newest member of the Perceptive Communicators team.  I’m very happy to be embarking on a new adventure after almost eight years in local government PR. I am absolutely loving my new job. Having studied architecture and previously worked at the Royal Institute of Architects in Scotland (RIAS),…

Mactaggart & Mickel’s recent Outstanding Achievement Award and our nomination in two Construction Marketing Award categories for the PR Agency of the Year and Best Use of Public Relations for the City Legacy project have got me thinking about awards over the last few days. We’ve all been there.  Those hours spent before the evening dresses and black bow…

It’s been a whirlwind six years providing integrated communications and marketing support to the team who built and delivered the award winning Athletes’ Village – the City Legacy consortium. There have been a number of fantastic events, and marketing milestones achieved along the way, but seeing the first residents of the fantastic riverside community move…

Perceptive Communicators has been working in partnership with City Legacy, developers of the Athletes’ Village for the Commonwealth Games for several years and we’re delighted that they have now picked up their 20th award for this unique development! The new addition to their ever expanding trophy cabinet comes as City Legacy picked up a bronze…

Perceptive Communicators has been working in partnership with City Legacy, developers of the Athletes’ Village for the Commonwealth Games for several years and we’re delighted that they have now picked up their 20th award for this unique development! The new addition to their ever expanding trophy cabinet comes as City Legacy picked up a bronze…

Speaking to the Herald, Perceptive’s MD, Julie Moulsdale, explains how she broke the mould when setting the company up back in 2006, by deciding not to have a central office location. All employees work remotely, keeping in touch virtually. This approach, explains Julie, has resulted in happier, more motivated and healthier employees. The approach works…

Perceptive Communicators has been shortlisted in the best consumer relations category of this year’s CIPR PRide Awards for their work ‘Athletes’ Village – Countdown to Launch’ campaign. The winners will be announce in Edinburgh on 9 October. The news that the company had been shortlisted follows a haul of construction related awards for the developers…