May 30, 2014
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Check out the new Bad PR site over at badpr.co.uk for further updates.
"Men are liars!" says insurance company happy to slander half the population
Which set of genitals make you more likely to be a liar? You may think it meaningless to even ask such a question, but the Daily Mail disagrees:
Don’t ask your boyfriend if your bum looks big in this... he'll LIE! Straight-talking survey confirms men fib to their girlfriends (so would Kanye West dare share the truth?)
If your boyfriend tells you that your bottom doesn't look big in your new dress he is probably lying, according to a new survey.
Over a third of men (35 per cent) will fib when quizzed over the size of their partners behind, while the rest will either try and change the subject or blame the colour.
But while men are happy to indulge in straight-talking with their girlfriends they are less likely to tackle a work colleague over sensitive issues like body odour, with women twice as likely to speak up and say something to a stinky co-worker.
Source: Daily Mail, 4 March 2013
It really is a shame that men are so dishonest these days - if only they would be more straightforward, wouldn't that be refreshing? For example?
And when it comes to dating dishonesty the Refreshingly Straightforward survey from insurance firm Hastings Direct showed that nearly a third (30%) of men have arranged to meet someone with no intention of showing up - though women are even more unreliable and are twice as likely to do this.
That would be Hasting Direct - the insurance firm who market themselves under the slogan 'Refreshingly Straightforward':
In fact Hastings Direct really are straightforward - they've created a very headline-friendly survey and written up the manufactured findings into a press release so neat and tidy that it was a doddle for Toni Jones to publish it to the Mail Online, as if this were actual news.
"Cats are really, really important!" says cat food manufacturer
How much do you love your cat? Given you're reading this on the internet, I'm going to go ahead and assume you not only have a cat, but you also have your very own tumblr blog showing the world the various ways your cat is an intuitive and intense soul.
Still, you may not realise the full extent of your cat obsession - which is why we're fortunate the Daily Mail is on hand to clear things up:
Are you a crazy cat person? One in ten prefer a cuddle with pet over partner while half 'have conversations' with feline friends
While big cats are often portrayed as King of the Jungle, it seems that little cats at home command just as much respect within their own kingdoms - as 95 per cent of owners count their cats as one of the family, a new study reveals.
Two thirds (64 per cent) of owners formed opinions of other people based on how they react to their cat, suggesting a feeling of mutual understanding between cat and owner.
A further one in ten even go on to state that they would rather have a cuddle with their cat than their partner.
Source: Daily Mail, 4 March 2013
Imagine loving your cat more than your partner? For this to be true, clearly cats must be pretty important creatures, which is why it's good news that cat food manufacturer Whiskas decided to conduc this valuable study:
Helen Davis, Whiskas Portfolio Manager comments: 'As experts in all things feline, at Whiskas we felt that it was important to team up with our very own cat expert Dr Sandra McCune and big cat authority Simon King, to do a little digging via the Big Cat, Little Cat Report into what makes a cat tick.
'Why they eat the way they do, what it means when they’re found resting on a high shelf and why are they so active around dusk?
'The findings of which will help to influence our ongoing development to provide cats with what they naturally need and to ensure cat owners are empowered to give their cats the very best love and care.'
"We should be nice to our mum on Mother's Day!" says voucher website ahead of Mother's Day
Mother's Day is tomorrow, which almost certainly in no way explains why the Telegraph decided to highlight the hopes and dreams of the average mum:
Good night's sleep and a lie-in preferred option for Mother's Day, survey shows
Flowers and chocolates will be fine, but hard-pressed mothers would like nothing better than a good night’s sleep and a lie-in on Mother’s Day, a survey has revealed.
Many will be hoping for the rare chance to stay in bed this Sunday – and that their husbands or partners will look after the children.
A good night’s sleep and a lie-in came top of the poll, at 20%, when mothers were asked what they would like other than flowers or other expensive gifts.
Source: The Telegraph, 6 March 2013
It seems that the average mum has quite simple, inexpensive tastes, when asked to list things she'd like besides expensive gifts. Of course, this doesn't mean a good mum doesn't also deserve an expensive gift, as a spokesperson for the discount voucher website which carried out the research explained:
The survey of 1,000 mothers was conducted by online discount site NetVoucherCodes.co.uk
A spokesman said: “We all love our mums so making Mother’s Day perfect for her is the nicest thing you can do. But remember, whatever she says, she would still love a gorgeous bunch of flowers and a big box of her favourite chocolates.”
For the uninitiated, NetVoucherCodes.co.uk might be a good place to look for money-off deals for your local florist or expensive chocolatier.
In utterly unrelated news, on Mother's Day (tomorrow), children traditionally buy gifts for their mother, as a show of their affection and appreciation.
"Our dear mums never get to do anything exciting!" says voucher website ahead of Mother's Day
Mother's Day is tomorrow, which almost certainly in no way explains why the Daily Mail decided to highlight the monotonous life of the modern mum:
Mother's groundhog day: A third of mums say they're so tied to their daily routine they haven't tried ANYTHING new in the past year
Few would argue that motherhood is one of toughest challenges a woman can face in her life.
And new research suggests that many mothers feel rather constrained by their role.
A third of mothers say they are so tied to their daily routine they haven't tried anything new in the past year.
Research found half of bored British mothers (48 per cent) complain they are 'stuck in a rut'.
Source: Daily Mail, 5 March 2013
It seems mothers these days have it tough, with few poor mum's getting to go out to the cinema, or to enjoy a weekend away, or to be pampered in a spa for a day, or even to have a romantic meal for two.
We know all of these things are lacking from the lives of our wives and mothers, because a survey carried out by Groupon - the voucher website offering deals on trips to the cinema, weekends away, pampering spa days and romantic meals for two - discovered exactly what mum's want most in their lives at the moment that can be bought on Groupon.
In utterly unrelated news, on Mother's Day (tomorrow), children traditionally buy gifts for their mother, as a show of their affection and appreciation.
"Half term weeks can mean expensive new presents!" says home insurer
Parents: did you notice how expensive the Half Term week was? You should have, because there were plenty of clues, including in the Daily Telegraph:
Half-term break to cost parents £1.7bn
Londoners will shell out the most, averaging nearly £500 for the week.
Cash-strapped parents will shell out an average of £230 to keep their children entertained for half-term break, totalling £1.7bn nationwide.
Source: Daily Telegraph, 13 February 2013
If parents are really spending £1.7bn every half term, perhaps the only way to save our failing economy is to abolish schools altogether for the majority of the country. Don't kid yourself that this isn't something Gove's already considered. Continuing the Telegraph story:
One in five mums and dads have put themselves in debt struggling to afford the cost of school holidays, according to research from Sheila’s Wheels home insurance. With more than half of parents admitting that they are concerned about the cost of entertaining the kids as household budgets continue to buckle under the strain of the rising cost of living.
What’s more, over a third of parents admit that February half-term is the worst holiday for entertaining children, with a more than four in ten mums and dads revealing the winter weather forces them to splurge on gifts and expensive excursions to keep their kids busy.
That would be Sheila's Wheels Home Insurance who published the press release this very story was based on, of which 72% made the Telegraph untouched (nice work on the remaining 28%, Kara Gammell).
Why would Sheila's Wheels commission research to suggest the half term holiday is a near-ruinously expensive affair? We'll let their spokesperson answer that one, in a quote from the press release which didn't make it into the Telegraph's story:
Jacky Brown, at Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance, said: “In these tough economic times it is no wonder that the costs associated with keeping kids entertained over the holidays are putting added pressure on family finances.
“Understandably, every parent wants the very best for their children but as that often comes with a hefty price tag, it can really help the peace of mind for a family to make sure they have adequate home insurance to cover all of your child’s expensive possessions as new. Also, it’s important to make sure you have adequate personal possessions cover away from the home."
The answer is clear, then: this story warning of the financial perils of having to bear the brunt of entertaining your offspring is nothing more than a reminder to buy insurance.
"People aren't adventurous enough with wine!" says supermarket expanding its wine stocks
Do you know your wine? Chances are, you don't know a merlot from a... a... another type of wine. Ahem.
4,000 grapes to choose from... but we stick to four wines because we don't know what else to choose
If the choice of wines in the supermarket leaves you feeling a little overwhelmed, you’re not alone.
According to new research, almost half of us stick to a repertoire of just four favourite wines because we don’t know what else to choose.
Even though there are more than 4,000 distinct grape varieties, research by Asda revealed that 46 per cent of us won’t try new wines for fear of wasting money on something we might not like.
A quarter said they are too scared to experiment for fear of embarrassment.
Source: Daily Mail, 25 January 2013
It seems the real issue here is that wines often have descriptions which are hard to understand, and the labels are so incomprehensible that the everyday shopper is left baffled, bewildered and discouraged from experimenting.
Fortunately, for the worried wino, help is at hand:
The research has led Asda to launch a new range of own-label wines, the Wine Selection, all featuring easy-to-understand tasting descriptions and clear labelling to encourage shoppers to experiment.
In fact, to coincide with the research they paid for which said people need to drink a wider selection of wine, ASDA have launched their own wider selection of wine, as their website merrily explains.
If only PR came with clear labelling...
"Flannel bed linen is all the rage!" says department store selling flannel bed linen
Do you ever find it hard to keep on top of the latest trends and fads in the fast-moving word of, erm, bed linen? No, I don't suppose you do - nobody does. That said, just in case, the Daily Mail is on hand to help you through your duvet dilemmas:
Flannel sheets back in demand after more than half a century as families struggle with soaring heating bills
Traditional flannel bed sheets which kept millions of people on the home front warm during the Second World War are back in fashion as heating bills soar.
Demand for bed linen made from the cosy, naturally warm fabric is rising rapidly because gas and electricity bills are now so expensive.
Sales figures show flannel sheets are now out-selling many silk varieties, according to department store Debenhams.
Source: Daily Mail, 17 January 2013
PR connaisseurs will note the mention of Debenhams there, classically in the fourth paragraph, as we'd come to expect. This is, then, merely a press release from Debenhams, designed to encourage people to buy said flannel sheets. In fact, here's the press release it was based on:
In fact, Daily Mail Reporter of the Daily Mail took 78% of the story verbatim from this press release, adding only stylistic tweaks and edits:
All in all, pretty shoddy journalism - perhaps the reporter has had one too many lie-ins in his cosy new flannel sheets.
*Note: Updated 30 July, 2013