Is 2026 the year we should focus even more on communities?
by Paul Butler
Read morecase study and campaign resources: dispose safe to prevent lithium battery fires in refuse trucks
Last year a lithium battery caught fire in one of our refuse trucks. Within seconds all the rubbish inside it was ablaze and the entire contents had to be emptied in the road for the fire service to put out. We posted a film of the incident on social media which went viral with a million views.
by Andreas Christophorou
Read morestaying human when disaster strikes
Dee Cowburn, who judged the crisis communications entries with Ruby Bhattal, and is no stranger to a crisis herself, tells how blown away she was by the breadth and depth of entries in her category.
Read morewhat is your strategy, for you?
As professionals, we are skilled at writing plans and preparing strategies with SMART objectives in our work roles and everything else that goes with that. But here is what I am wondering: do we give time to developing a strategy for our own lives and careers?
by Ruby Bhattal
Read moreit’s time to move on from “more with less”
If you’ve been in public sector comms for the past 15 years you’ll have heard someone talk about how it’s important to “do more with less”.
by Ben Capper
Read moreis ai ok?
It seems like every week we get a new announcement about the benefits or pitfalls of AI.
by Ian Curwen
Read morechallenges to change
We don’t like the way things are. And we don’t like change. Put these two things together and you end up standing still.
That was said at a workshop I recently attended about transformation. And it stayed with me.
by Dee Cowburn
Read morehope and positivity from being together
The prevailing mood in public sector communications might be a bit grey but a day of collaboration with your local public sector peers can add much-needed colour.
by John-Paul Danon
Read moredear person behind me…
Recently, I’ve found myself reflecting on my mental health, and for once, it’s been really pleasurable. I finally feel like I am a whole person, and my brain isn’t constantly on high alert in a scary world, or telling me that I’m not as good as everyone else. I don’t even compare anymore – I’m happy to stand in my own space and I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, both personally and professionally.
by Jill Spurr
Read morestatistics are vital for communications with clout!
Data is becoming increasingly important for truly effective comms. That’s why UnAwards23 features a new “Best Use of Data” category – and this is why you should enter.
by Karen Pagett
Read morewhen comms projects are good, this is what they look like
Last week, we launched a new NHS recruitment campaign. It’s aimed at getting qualified mental health nurses to come and work at one of the five dedicated mental health trusts in the Northwest of England.
by Ben Capper
Read moredoctor google will see you now? making sure public health campaigns work when everyone’s an online expert
Misinformation online can prevent public health messages getting through to the people who need to see them. Applying smarter insights and behaviour change theory to your campaign strategy could make all the difference.
by John-Paul Danon
Read morefrom data-aaaagh📈 to data-aaaah 💡
I don’t know about you, but for many years, to a seasoned old comms pro like me, data was the domain of the techies. IT stuff. It was numbers. It was spreadsheets. It was dull! Us comms folk, we’re creative you know. We work with words, and images and stories.
by Georgia Turner
Read morespin off - don't call us spin doctors
A political party in Scotland recently announced that if they won power they would merge health boards to save money. Of course, it’s the job of politicians to look for ways to make the public pound go further. There’s plenty to debate about what the optimum size for health boards might be, but that’s not what this blog is about. I was moved to put finger to keyboard by the use of one phrase: ‘spin doctors’.
by an anonymous comms pro
Read moredo more cooks always spoil the broth? harnessing the power of people and communities to create more effective communications
Are you testing your campaigns, your comms collateral, your digital channels? Here’s why you should.
by George London
Read morehow to stop caring what others think about you
“Well-liked and popular”. My 7-year-old daughter’s school report has documented this for a couple of years running. It’s also said she’s very kind.
by Jude Tipper
Read moretoday’s favour is tomorrow’s duty
I heard this phrase for the first time on the James O’Brien radio show the other day. And it really stayed with me for two reasons.
by Darren Caveney
Read morecommunications is a tool for organisational honesty
Ask yourself, how many times on average are you asked by somebody to ‘spin it’? Then – more importantly – ask yourself, how often do you challenge back?
by Nick Price-Thompson
Read more5 rules for using twitter positively in 2021
All social media channels are full of pros and cons. Likes and dislikes. Opportunities and threats. Here’s one comms pro’s insights and lessons about Twitter and getting the most from it.
by Ben Capper
Read moreflat-sharing: how flat-earthers got their comms wrong
Recently, my daily commute got me thinking about what awareness raising campaigns have in common with claiming the earth is flat.
Confused? Allow me to explain.
by Ruth Fry
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