With local elections set to take place - followed by the EU referendum in June - communications teams in councils around the country are once again working out what they can and can't do under the purdah guidelines.
by David Holdstock
Read morehow to win industry awards – 10 top tips from the unawards masterclass
Winning awards - they’re a morale boost aren’t they? But they’re definitely not easy to get. Alongside deciding if the work you’re doing is worthy of an award and having enough confidence to enter, you’ve also got to nail the whole application process too.
By Katie Brown
Read morevideo: a big-up for periscope
Diving into live broadcasting may seem a daunting prospect to comms teams, but one local council rose to the challenge.
by Daniel Cattanach
Read morecommunicating in a digital world: from social media to virtual reality – and why you still just need a bloody good comms strategy
Good communications can be a hard nut to crack. The explosion in digital channels, tool and platforms has provided communicators with brilliant ways in which to engage with customers, residents and patients. Has this made our jobs easier? Well, yes. And no. Which is why a good strategy is more important than ever.
By Darren Caveney
Read morebring your facebook alive with facebook live
Some of the best use of social media in the public sector over the past few years has been by police forces across the UK. So it’s no surprise to see West Midlands Police doing great things with Facebook Live…
by Peter Edney
Read morerotherham – a toxic brand
There’s a lot written about brands – positioning, attributes, equity. But sometimes brands are so badly damaged they need a whole extra level of expert care and attention. And when the damaged brand is a place, its people deserve better.
by our PANEL WRITER Jon Harrison
Read morea week in the life of comms2point0: a big event, some new business and a trip to the countryside
I’m often asked what it’s like working full time on comms2point0, and even more often “what do you actually do?” So I kept a diary to share a week in the life of working on the 'UK’s top communications outfit to exclusively use black and white images.'
By Darren Caveney
Read morethe magic of the internet (that I think some people forget)
We’ve all become so used to using websites, updating pages and sharing content. But, sometimes, it’s helpful to get a reminder on good and bad practice…
by Susie Crossland
Read morethe best of me and you
Effective and harmonious team working. That has to be a goal for any team. But how do you get there, what are the key steps? Well knowing your colleagues’ triggers and traits is a good place to start and a big advantage.
by Lindsay Narey
Read morewhat I have learned from being a head of communications for two years
Leading a team can be tough, lonely and thankless. It can also remind you why you got into the profession in the first place. This very honest review of two years spent as a head of communicates will resonate with many.
By GUEST EDITOR Emma Rodgers
Read morethe route to a perfect storm
Every so often a story surprises with how it takes off, goes viral or creates a spike in web traffic. Sometimes there is a good reason – it’s a great tale, a good human interest story or carries an amazing image. But a perfect storm is something else altogether.
by Mark Allen
Read moreworking nine to five? that’s no way to make a living
With over 4 million workers in the UK now working from home, and a huge spike in the demand for innovative new work space away from the conventional office environments causing a ‘space race', the pattern and location of the working day has changed for many. But still there are seemingly many organisations only paying lip service to flexible working and child care.
By Kelly Harrison
Read morewhat are the lessons from communicating during floods?
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, jack frost nipping at your toes... or in the case of many comms people it was communicating some of the worst flooding for a generation. What were the lessons learned?
by Andrew Daniels
Read moresurviving and thriving: how managing stress can make you a better, happier communicator
From time to time it really is necessary to take some time out to concentrate on you. It's easier not to, and most of us don't, but it will catch up with you in the long run and trip you up if you're not careful. An all new workshop aims to help you manage stress, change and work pressures effectively to ensure that you can deliver your creative best and not go home from work unhappy after troubles, tears and toil.
By Carole Appleby
Read morehandling complaints on social media
Complaints are nothing new - they have come in many forms over the years, thick and fast. Some serious, some laughable and some that fall somewhere in between but could cause serious long term harm. This post offers some valuable advice on handling complaints on social media.
by Christine Townsend
Read morelet's. get. smarter.
Effective, slick and joined-up working across the public sector. Of course it makes sense, but the reality of pulling it off well can be harder than it looks. Here’s a rallying cry for getting better and smarter at it.
by Nicola Bonas
Read morelessons from leeds – the six traits of an unawards winner
The city of Leeds is a cradle of learning with an established reputation as one of the leading university cities in the UK. So it was a perfect location to kick off the first of our UnAwards Winners Masterclasses.
By Darren Caveney
Read morehow a simple short video won hearts, minds and votes
Encouraging voter registrations can be a tough gig. But with creativity and planning nailed, one local council managed to pull it off…
By DanielCattanach
Read moreremember print deadlines?
Remember print deadlines? They were those immovable feasts that dictated the best time to send out a press release. They were subject to a number of variables; did you want your press release to make the front page, was it more of an ‘inside’ piece, or were you trying to meet the personal deadline of a ‘favourite’ contact who wanted to be out at the pub by noon every day?
By Gill Gwatkin
Read moreless for murder
There’s much to learn from creative agencies for in-house comms people. Working through the tough times, the tiffs and the pressures of business and still delivering outstanding work takes some doing. Here’s some insight from one of the best agencies around as they celebrate 25-years together.
by comms2point0 panel writer Rich Elwell.
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