5 challenges facing a creative agency in 2014

January 27, 2014 Darren Caveney

So what are the issues facing a creative agency? In this insight a team who specialise in creative internal comms ideas reflect.

by Alan Oram

We’re a pretty robust bunch of guys at Alive. We’ve even chosen to adopt a moose as part of the team. A splendidly powerful, determined creature, seeking supremacy, commanding respect and all that good stuff. It’s one of the ways we’re approaching life in a competitive industry in order to achieve success, become a super-profitable creative agency and smash our goals.

Admittedly it goes a little deeper than downright dogged determination, but it’s a good place to start!

a new toolkit for internalcomms

January 20, 2014 Darren Caveney

Last year the Government Communication Service - or GCS - announced reforms to professionalise government communications. Part of this reform aims to create excellent Internal Communications across government. Victoria Ford, Head of Communications at DVLA, has been leading a project to deliver a toolkit for internal communicators to support this aim.

by Victoria Ford

Can I let you into a secret? *whispers* I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for internal communications. When challenged by my Head of External Comms I would deny it, but with a background in operational delivery and change management it’s inevitable I should realise its importance. So, when I got a call back in October from Russell Grossman, SRO of the Internal Communications Excellence project, asking if I’d lead a piece of work to deliver an online toolkit to support internal communicators I was always going to say yes.

For me it feels like internal comms takes a bit of a back seat. It is the area of comms everyone thinks they know best about and the one everyone thinks they can do themselves. I think there has been a real lack of investment in the profession and the people who serve in it. That’s why I loved the idea of bringing together what is now known as ‘The IC Space’ – a site for internal communicators to learn, share and borrow from.

What I wasn’t expecting was the huge amount of enthusiasm and support I have received from communicators across government who believe in the product and wanted to do all they could to bring The IC Space to life. The result is a truly collaborative, cross government effort. From Whitehall departments, to devolved government and agencies, I have received not only insight, experience and wisdom, but the skills and creativity of film makers and designers to make this happen.

So what’s the result? Well it is a resource that, although aimed at government communicators, is open to those outside government as well with an interest in internal comms. It is a place to find best practice. What I want it to become is a community, a place where internal communicators can seek advice and share their experiences. The site we are launching today isn’t the finished article. It isn’t meant to be. It is a site we are hoping you will go into, have a look around and let us know what you think. It is being delivered iteratively based on feedback from the people it has been designed to help. We’ll add what you want to it, just tell us what that is. So over to you. Go and take a look. Let us know what you think and, you never know, you may end up with a soft spot for internal comms yourself.

You can take a look at the new toolkit for internalcomms here.

Victoria Ford is head of communications at the DVLA.

working in comms opens doors and we're recruiting

January 19, 2014 Darren Caveney

As one organisation looks to take on new staff their head of communications and engagement sets out a little of her own comms journey.

by Caroline King

This blog has been written to support Helena’s latest comms recruitment campaign. I wanted to talk about how comms as a career can really open doors for you and will do this by reflecting on my own experiences. It’s fair to say that Comms has and always will be my passion, regardless of where my career takes me. It has been an amazing journey against a backdrop of changing comms practices, channels a go go and a technological revolution.

it's the end of the blog as we know it - and I feel fine

January 17, 2014 Darren Caveney

Blogging has come a long way through the early days of the internet. But for one veteran blogger he can see that things have changed...

by Mark Allen

Remember way back in 2005? It was only a decade ago.

We started to realised the true horror of the tsunami, George W Bush was stating his 2nd term in the USA, but social media as we know it today was just a glint in Mark Zuckerberg’s eye.

Social media was just for geeks and ‘blogs’ and ‘citizen journalism’ were the next big thing (despite having been around for years)

Well I shall let you into a secret. Blogging probably saved my life. But even I think it is past its sell by date in 2014.

coping mechanisms for comms people

January 15, 2014 Darren Caveney

There can be a lot of frustration as a comms person. Here are a few ways to count to 10 breathe, relax and work out plans to make your job easier.

By Caroline King

While flicking through Twitter yesterday lunchtime I was drawn to an article by Eddie Coates-Madden, Assistant Head of Services, Communications and Marketing at Hull City Council - @pseudograph.

Eddie has created a great blog post about the wonders or perils of working in comms which he referred to as -the comms team credit matrix, aka damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

I responded on Twitter by saying that over the years I have developed some coping mechanisms and a few frustrated comms people asked me to share them with Twitter so here goes.

a primer about successful online communities

January 15, 2014 Darren Caveney

In the array of channels and platforms facing a comms person sometimes the online community gets overlooked. What's that? It can be the web forum and the place where people with a shared interest come together. But what makes them work? What ingredients do you need if you are thinking of setting one up yourself? Or what makes them tick if you want to understand them more?

by Richard Millington

If you’re new, here’s a background primer on successful communities.

Successful online community building is connecting a group of people online and making them feel a part of something special. This 'something special’ element is the overlooked bit.

the comms team credit matrix... or the damned if you do, damned if you don't theorem

January 12, 2014 Darren Caveney

You know that sinking feeling you get when someone wants a comms plan but doesn't actually have a plan themselves? Don't worry. You're not alone...

by Eddie Coates-Madden

“The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy”.

Sometimes it just seems to be the role of the comms and marketing team to try to make the best of somebody else’s bad job.

I suspect that anyone who has ever worked in a local authority comms team has, at least once, found themselves looking at a 'client' who has just announced the launch of something, almost certainly in the next few days, and is now demanding a ‘marketing plan’.

why trust is an asset organisations neglect at their peril

January 12, 2014 Darren Caveney

Just recently, one comms2point0 post asked us all to stop navel gazing and look to the stars instead. As part of this the writer cautioned readers to be wary of any new 'trust' campaign and the Building Trust campaign in particular. One of the authors of that report now responds by arguing that trust is perhaps one of the most important assets we have got to get us to the stars.

by Neil Wholey

Steve Chu in his comms2point0 post here has set a challenge which I totally agree with that we must “make the case for communications to be at the centre of our organisations’ thinking”. One of Steve’s points is my number one priority to “show that communications can be a frontline resource, either by reducing the costs of service provision, improving frontline efficiency, or targeting declining resources more effectively... prove your £20,000 campaign has saved your organisation £1 million.”

speech writing and 'the vision thing'

January 8, 2014 Darren Caveney

So, what happens when you need to write a speech? For someone else? And your words can help win the day... or lose it? Here are some tips.

by Will Mapplebeck

It's 1987 and then vice president George H.W Bush is starting to think about the possibility of taking over from Ronald Reagan as the occupant of the White House.

There's an election to get through, but most analysts agree he's a shoo-in for the big job.

Only one problem, he's not sure what his presidency might look like.