I’ve been pretty quiet lately – mainly as I’ve just kicked off a new role in the wonderful world of housing. It’s been a busy seven weeks (has it only been seven weeks?!) and although I’ve had my head down, I managed to get to Community Housing Cymru’s Communication Conference in Swansea yesterday – a…
The cost of not listening: What you eat in private, you wear in public
Most IC pros will agree that employee voice and two-way engagement between management and staff is crucial to carrying out effective communication. One-way dissemination of information leads to frustration, lack of motivation and disengagement in the workplace. Frustrated employees do not make good brand advocates and yet are often expected to support employers even outside…
Have courage, and be kind.
With World Kindness Day taking place this week, it’s a timely reminder of the importance of kindness and empathy in what we do every day. Whether you specialise in external PR or internal communications, the sentiment remains the same. How can we truly understand the importance of communication – or call ourselves communicators – if…
There’s a human in my forest: The power of social
If you were active on social media over the weekend, you may well have seen an outpouring of support for Iceland’s ‘banned’ Christmas ad. Telling the story of orangutan Rang-tan, the 90-second clip is an emotional telling of the impact palm oil has had on the forest home of the primate, announcing Iceland’s removal of…
Artificial Intelligence in PR: a partnership, not a battlefield
The encroach of machines with ever-increasing levels of near-human intelligence on our day-to-day lives means that what once seemed fantastical and futuristic is an increasing reality. We’re at a point where some strongly feel that they have an emotional connection to the automated assistant on their smartphone. Two weeks ago, a robot was the recipient…
You can’t talk your way out of a problem you behaved your way into.
For me, the above phrase from Stephen Covey always comes to mind whenever I see a brand in crisis, caused by the actions or words of a senior leader. It’s a lesson both brands and practitioners should take heed of. Today’s papers might be lining tomorrow’s recycling bins; but as we all know, a negative…
Hannah Claffey 