Alan Stevens (media consultant)

Alan Stevens is a British speaker, writer, and media expert. He is the director of MediaCoach Ltd. and a former president of the Professional Speakers Association of the UK (2007–2008) and the Global Speakers Federation (2010–2011) which represents six thousand professional speakers from all parts of the world. He was for twenty years a media spokesperson for Which? magazine, and was also project leader and editor of their internet service, Which? Online. He co-presented "The Buyers Guide," a program on Sky TV. He has given over two thousand radio and television interviews. His opinions on media and its related technology are frequently sought by news agents. He has the highest combined professional accreditation in public speaking and public relations of anyone in Europe, as measured by the FPSA, PSAE, CSPGlobal and MCIPR. In April 2012, he ranked number sixty-six on Evan Carmichael's list of top social media experts to follow on Twitter. The Independent ranked Stevens "one of the top ten crisis media experts in the United Kingdom." He was a featured speaker on TED Talks. Stevens has published several books on public speaking: The Pocket Media Coach, The Exceptional Speaker, MediaMasters, 101 Media Tips, and Ping: How to Tap into the Power of Traditional and Social Media to Massively Improve Your Profile and Profits.

Which?

As the editor of Which? Online, owned by Consumers' Association, Stevens became a representative for consumer rights, often championing customers against large telecommunications providers.

During his tenure at Consumers' Association, Stevens convinced the company to launch internet services and online publication. This initiative followed upon research that showed that 100,000 members of the association had personal computers in their homes. A survey of members, however, revealed that many of them were reluctant to get internet access because of the cost and the fear of a difficult technology. "We decided it was right for us to put our information online, and also to provide people with the easiest possible way to receive that information," Stevens said.

In the first years of the 21st-century, while working for Which?, Stevens firmly established himself as a go-to consultant on the efficacy and cost of mobile phones and internet service, giving numerous interviews about the implications of a quickly changing technology landscape.

In 2001, he publicly criticised AOL's free internet trial. He said that the "fiasco" of a trial forced him to reformat his hard disc when he couldn't uninstall the program. He told the British Broadcasting Network that he lost connection for several days. In 2010, he criticised British Telecommunications for paying employees so poorly that they went on strike, and he predicted that the strike could mean that people would not be able to use their telephones.

In 2002, the Consumers' Association released research that pointed to bad practices by four major British banks: Lloyds, TSB, Barclays, NatWest/Royal Bank of Scotland, and HSBC. This research alleged that bad banking practices had essentially robbed customers of five hundred million pounds. Though the banks presented a united front in denying these claims, Stevens, as a representative of Consumers' Association, said that the research was sound. "There is no question that the big four are not giving their customers a good deal," he said, noting that the big four were "running scared."

Political and cultural commentary

In 2008, Stevens weighed in on the communications styles of Republican candidates for the American presidency in a series of interviews with yourBusinessChannel. Stevens commented that Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin was "particularly light on foreign policy and on the economy." He noted that she was unprepared for a question about Bush doctrine and, in general, not well enough versed in Republican party facts and doctrine. "She could find herself seriously exposed, and that could tear the Republican ticket in half," he noted. In a second interview with yourBusinessChannel, he commented on a town hall debate between presidential candidates Edwin McCain and Barack Obama. Stevens noted that a town hall debate generally plays to McCain's strengths as a speaker, but that he failed to leverage those strengths. Obama won the debate, Stevens concluded, because he had good sound bites and related well to the audience.

In a third interview with yourBusinessChannel, Stevens analysed the 2008 debate between candidates for America's vice presidency. He assessed Palin's communication style as "adequate." He noted that it was clear that Palin had received some good coaching on her public presentation, and he predicted that Republicans would be "relieved" that she mostly held it together. Biden, Stevens noted, managed to avoid being "condescending and aggressive," ensuring that he did not lose the "sympathy vote," while presenting himself as deeply knowledgeable about issues. Vice-Presidential candidate Joe Biden won the debate, but not by much of a margin, Stevens concluded.

In 2010, Stevens joined a media debate about whether emerging song artist and YouTube sensation Grayson Chance was being backed by a large media corporation or whether the amateur YouTube video of Chance singing and playing piano was really an example of the power of the free internet to produce a star from grass roots. Stevens noted that Chance's amateur YouTube video looked a little too amateur to be amateur, but he concluded that, if listeners enjoy the music, it really doesn't matter who is behind it. "It might be fake, but people are enjoying themselves," he noted.

Media Coach

Stevens' company, Media Coach, coaches Chief Executive Officers, celebrities, political leaders, and communications professionals in broadcast and social media skills while also providing reputation management consulting. Media Coach also helps companies refine their market messages. Media Coach clients include Virgin Mobile, BP, O2, the Dorchester, Sony Ericsson, Guinness World Records, the Dubai stock exchange, BMW, Mumm champaign, members of the British Parliament, television presenters, and notable athletes.