Sometimes the old methods are the best

With so many communication methods to choose from, email, Twitter, Facebook, Sharepoint…we can sometimes be overwhelmed with choice. However, older methods of communication still have a place in society as Canada’s Harold Hackett has been proving.

Over the last two decades, he has sent out more than 4,800 messages in a bottle from his Canadian home along the Atlantic coastline.

Every message asks for the finder to send a response back to Hackett, and since 1996 he has received an impressive 3,100 responses from all over the world, each one with a different story to tell.

The emotions involved in receiving an unexpected personal letter, mean that the older communication methods still have a valuable role to play. Though as Harold has sometimes waited up to 13 years for a reply, there is still something to be said for the speed of new media!

You can watch a video of Harold talking about his messages in bottle on the BBC News website >

Melitta

By | October 23rd, 2011|Other resources|0 Comments
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Your Powerful Voice – discovery workshop

An interesting workshop which may be of interest to communicators.

When: Tuesday 21 June 2011

Where:  Centre de Formation du Léman, Jongny (10 min. from Vevey)

Entry: CHF 95 – places are limited so registration is required

Registration:  maria.wilhelmsson@voximpact.com  /  079 815 76 84

Brochure says: 

Your voice is your most important communication tool. It has a great impact on how you are perceived by others and defines how well you manage to get your thoughts and opinions across. Yet, most people are unaware of how the voice works – and how you can change the way you sound.

In this workshop you will learn how to:

  • Replace unhelpful speaking habits with healthy ones
  • Use your body and breath to power your voice
  • Project a vibrant and dynamic voice
  • Practice techniques for clear and assertive speech

Join us for an eye-opening, interactive and energising evening!

For more information contact Maria Wilhelmsson:
maria.wilhelmsson@voximpact.com  /  079 815 76 84

By | May 24th, 2011|Other events|0 Comments
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Communicators need to enjoy Social Media, new report says

Last year communicators across Europe, including GCN members, took part in a survey to discover how Social Media is affecting our daily work and the challenges and opportunities it presents.

1383 professionals from 30 countries participated in the survey,  jointly conducted by the European Association of Communication Directors and the University of St. Gallen.

And now the results are in, here is a summary:

  • Most communicators have some experience of working with Social Media as they are increasingly involved in tasks such as agenda setting, media monitoring or building stakeholder relationships.
  • A quarter of practitioners are very versed and engaged in Social Media.
  • While many practitioners find Social Media useful and relevant, it is often superiors who drive their use in the workplace.
  • Levels of engagement in Social Media reflect levels of confidence communicators have in using these new applications and platforms. With those with little engagement being the most skeptical. Those actively involved tend to be more satisfied with their jobs.
  • More than half of those surveyed showed signs that the pressure of adding Social Media to the communications mix is leading to overload and stress.
  • Most organizations lack relevant crisis and contingency plans.

The survey report concluded that learning to enjoy Social Media is a good coping strategy for the added stress it can bring and, with many organizations still experimenting with new media, now is a good time to take the leap and actively engage in the Social Web.

If you would like to know more, download the full survey results:
EACD Social Media Survey 2011.

Melitta

By | February 9th, 2011|Other resources|0 Comments
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AMEC Communication Effectiveness Awards

The AMEC Communication Effectiveness Awards took place last night in central London. AMEC’s annual awards celebrate the importance of media measurement and evaluation to successful communications.

Hill & Knowlton Communications and the Ex Libris Agency were the big winners of the night, picking up the Judges’ Platinum Award and the International Members’ Award respectively, as well as collecting Gold in their individual categories. Another significant winner was Echo Research, who won a total of six awards.

For a full list of winners, visit the AMEC website >

Melitta

By | November 19th, 2010|Other events|0 Comments
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How is social media changing in your world?

With the increasing popularity of Social Media such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, LinkedIn and the like, the communication profession is facing new and exciting opportunities to communicate – as well as new challenges to meet.

To map out exactly how Social Media is impacting the communications profession, Communication Director magazine and the University of St. Gallen are currently conducting a Europe-wide study of communications professionals – and have invited GCN members to contribute.

For instance, how do you use Social Media? What impact does it have on your daily work as a communicator? What support do you need to be able to cope with using Social Media?

There are two versions of the survey accessible via the below links. Please select the most appropriate one for you.

Survey for agencies and consultants >

Survey for in-house communicators >

Completion of the questionnaire will take approximately 15 minutes. All answers are anonymous.

A summary of the results will be posted here in the winter.

Melitta

By | October 14th, 2010|Other resources|0 Comments
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Humour – can it work in Corporate Comms?

A funny thing happened on my way to work today…I read an article that suggested that using humour in corporate messages can be a positive thing to do.

While most communicators steer well clear of using humour in the office, and I have certainly advised many leaders and clients to use it with caution, particuarly in multi-cultural environments, Barb Sawyer of Sticky Communications has other ideas.

She put forward the case for using humour in the workplace stating that it can reduce stress, increase energy, motivate and makes people feel better about themselves and others.

While she agrees humour should be used with caution and offers the following tips to doing so successfully:

1. Know your audience and what they will relate to

2. Tell stories

3. Be yourself, develop your own brand of humour

However, I would argue that these three tips are not just good for using humour, but for successful communications in general.

Knowing your audience is the only useful starting point for any campaign and storytelling is well known for its ability to engage audiences and make messages memorable.

However, developing your own communication style, while it is something I have long advocated, is not something that you hear about too often. I think it’s particularly important in leadership communications as it helps to create a relationship with your audience and demonstrates that messages are  coming direct from the source, making messages more credible.

…so I guess the message within the message is that if you always know what you are communicating and to whom, then you should also be able to determine if humour is appropriate for your message and audience, and what ‘gags’ will go down best.

Melitta

By | September 29th, 2010|Other resources|0 Comments
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Tough times favour the underdog

That is the theme of a forthcoming article in the Journal of Consumer Research: ‘The Underdog Effect’.

In the article, HBS professor Anat Keinan and colleagues explain how and why a ‘brand biography’ about hard luck and fierce determination can boost the power of products in industries as diverse as food and beverages, technology, airlines, and automobiles.

Despite psychological research showing that people want to associate themselves with winners (and therefore with winning brands), Keinan was interested to see increasing numbers of brands trying to position themselves as an underdog, i.e. the one expected to lose.

It seems that when times are tough, people are more willing to relate to and support those who’s passion, determination and perseverance have helped them to overcome adversity.

This is an interesting concept that can be easily translated into external, corporate and internal communication to help show a new level of understanding and empathy with stakeholders, and help draw them closer to the leaders, products and organisations we represent.

To find out more, read an interview with Anat Keinan
in HBS’s Working Knowledge newsletter >

Melitta

By | September 14th, 2010|Other resources|0 Comments
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European Excellence Awards 2010 – call for applications

The application process for the European Excellence Awards 2010 is now open, with entries from public relations, communications, brand building, and reputation management professionals welcome from companies, consultancies, associations and NGOs alike.

Now in their fourth year, the renowned European Excellence Awards will honour the PR and communication projects and campaigns that have achieved the most outstanding results over this past year and displayed exceptional talent and ability.

The deadline for entries is 8 October 2010 and the shortlist will be announced on 11 November 2010.

For more information and to access the application material for this year’s European Excellence Awards visit: http://www.excellence-awards.eu/application.

Good luck!

Melitta

By | June 23rd, 2010|Other resources|0 Comments
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Capitalizing on Effective Communication – Study

Companies that communicate with courage, innovation and discipline, especially during times of economic challenge and change, are more effective at engaging employees and achieving desired business results.

That is according to research by Towers Watson which has consistently found the firms that communicate effectively with employees are also the best financial performers.

In their 2009/2010 report titled: Capitalizing on Effective Communication, Towers Watson summarizes the findings of their 2009/2010 multiregional study and identify what companies with highly effective communication practices are doing to inform and engage their employees in challenging economic times, and shows how these practices vary around the world.

Key Findings:

  • Effective employee communication is a leading indicator of financial performance and a driver of employee engagement. Companies that are highly effective communicators had 47% higher total returns to shareholders over the last five years compared with firms that are the least effective communicators.
  • The best invest in helping leaders and managers communicate with employees. While only three out of 10 organizations are training managers to deal openly with resistance to change, highly effective communicators are more than three times as likely to do this as the least effective communicators.
  • Companies are struggling to measure the return on their investment in social media tools. Highly effective communicators are more likely than the least effective communicators to report their social media tools are cost-effective (37% vs. 14%).
  • Measurement is critical. Companies that are less-effective communicators are three times as likely as highly effective communicators to report having no formal measurements of communication effectiveness.

Download the full report via the Towers Watson website >

Melitta

By | May 1st, 2010|Other resources|0 Comments
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Twitter Tools for Communications Professionals

Brian Solis, a prominent thought leader in all things social media, has created a list of the numerous tools and applications available to Twitter users. The list is regularly updated making it a useful resource for communicators and marketers wanting to develop an effective Twitter strategy.

Twitter Tools for Communications Professionals >

Melitta

By | May 1st, 2010|Other resources|0 Comments
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