Or, how to be more creative and innovative at work, and how this can impact positively on your communications.
Or, to put it another way. If you want to improve and grow your business, don’t be afraid of change, or being different.
Why you should sense check your communications before unleashing on your audience
You will probably have seen the news this week that Kleenex has decided to drop Mansize tissues from it’s range. I can hear some of you at the back shouting ‘about time too’, and I agree.
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that you’re going to exclude 50% of the population from using larger tissues by saying they’re only for men.
Why the gov.uk guidance on accessible websites is relevant to the private sector
I’ve written recently about the digital divide, and the importance of taking responsibility for ensuring that when we build something, it’s accessible to all.
One element of this is exactly that, accessibility.
"I'm a very simple man. You've got to have a computer nowadays to turn the TV on and off. And the nightmare continues" - Ozzy Osborne
How are we tackling the divide that still exists for so many people, in an age when everything is going digital?
I first used a computer in 1982. My dad had retired and bought a BBC B for the house, choosing a computer that had programming capability so 9 year old me and my younger brother could get some educational benefit, as well as play endless games of Paper Boy and Chuckie Egg. So I'm an early adopter of all things digital, as are many of my generation.
ONS publishes latest figures on internet access and use: what you need to know
he Office for National Statistics (ONS) published its latest report today on Internet access and use in Great Britain, including how many people have internet, how they access it and what they use it for.
This comes hot on the heels of last week's report from Ofcom on our communications habits which has plenty of data to get your teeth into, including:
Your communications works best as a mirror
I was back in Essex for a few days last week to look after the parents.
While I was there I went to Basildon hospital cardio unit, dealt with pest control, talked to the postman, the barista in Costa coffee and the cashier at the bank. And in every encounter, I heard the glorious Estuary English accent of the county of my birth.
#Commscamp: the number 1 public sector communications conference in the calendar
Plenty has been written about #commscamp in Birmingham on 12 July 2018; here’s Ben Capper plus all the activity on Twitter and LinkedIn and this from my old pals at Helpful Technology. It’s all good stuff, but doesn’t even scratch the surface for how much was on offer at this year’s event, with sessions on topics including AI, freelancing, podcasts, accessibility, Facebook workplace, creative play, media law and mental health. Needless to say, I've not been to a better public sector comms event, and it continues to get better and better.
Being creative and northern at #commscampnorth
I've just come back from the south. Sheffield that is. When you live in Durham, most of England is south.
I was volunteering and doing a bit of (net)working at the brilliant #commscampnorth unconference run by some top drawer colleagues including Dan Slee from comms2point0.
Innovating for good: the story of how we had a hack for a hospice
Using real stories to talk about hospice care
A guest blog post from Frances Fox, Strategic Communications Officer at Macmillan Cancer Support
Talking about death, dying and bereavement is perhaps not what most of us would choose to discuss on any given day, but it’s important to try and make sure people feel comfortable discussing it and their wishes for the end of their life – this is one of the many things a hospice may aim to do.
Creative innovation and a hack: an event to help a charity in Durham raise their profile
I am really excited to be running a creative hack on 22 February next year for a local charity up here in County Durham. I’ve run a few hacks in my time and really like the energy, the chance it gives people to innovate and take risks, the opportunity to work with and definitely learn from different people, and, most importantly, the chance to collaborate for good.
Northern Power Women - podcasts, awards and inspiration
Northern Power Women is a collaborative campaign to accelerate gender diversity from the North of England. It was founded by Simone Roche, and has spawned awards, networking, events and now podcasts. I was at their latest podcast recording at Sage in Newcastle, the sixth so far in a series of debates on a wide range of topics.