FutureComms15: 5 Minutes With Francis Thomas

Francis Thomas, Head of Communications at London Midland will be appearing on our panel for a discussion about the state and evolution of PR at this year's FutureComms. Read what he had to say ahead of the event...

1. Why have you chosen to discuss PR & Content, The Great Divide?

Probably because I will be one of the few people in the room who remembers life before the internet! I remember having the same debate about the death of traditional media 20 years ago. I didn’t believe it then and I don’t expect it anytime soon...

2. Whose talk/s are you most looking forward to and why?

Robert Rose on brand storytelling. This is the core of what we should all be doing – but how often is this overlooked ?

3. What are your views on the current state of PR & content?

I am remarkably optimistic for our industry. New channels are opening up all the time. Products like Mynewsdesk are increasingly making it easier for us to manage those channels and our content from a single platform, from anywhere in the world.

4. What are your predictions for PR and marketing for the next 12 months?

The US election will have us all looking westward to see what new techniques are being used to woo voters. There will be a stampede to clone the ideas. Some will work, many will not. The winners will be those few wise heads who know that media consumption is not the same on both sides of the Atlantic, any more than it is homogenous across the United States.

You can catch Francis Thomas at FutureComms15 on Thursday 19th June.