If Christmas had a strapline
Merry Christmas everyone and happy holidays to all. I thought I’d take a seasonal approach to my thoughts on the difference between a key message and a strapline and, if Christmas had a strapline, what that might be.
From carbon copies to cyber copies
The clang of typewriter keys and the ‘ping’ of the return arm would ring out through the newsroom. The carbon copied sheets of A5 size newsprint paper were fed into the roller and away we’d go. Keeping the copy tight and trying not to make mistakes.
Communicating through change
Running an organisational restructure change process can be fraught. People may stand to lose their jobs, so it becomes about more than making sure you get the best outcome for your business and that you’re running a fair legal process. It’s about minimising the affect on the lives of people who need their jobs to support their families.
The power of the infographic
We’ve all heard that a picture paints a thousand words but what about an infographic? As a wordsmith myself it’s fair to say I’ve been a bit cynical about infographics in the past. I’ve seen lots over the years and, like most things, some are better than others. However, I recently became a convert.
Websites – nailing the brief
The world of websites has changed dramatically over the past 20 years. When I first started in communications I had some clients that didn’t even see the point of having a website. And those that did invest in a website viewed it as a one-off exercise and cost. Now the conversations are more likely to be around how often to refresh the website and how to get the best deal.
Debrief – how to know you got it right
Analysing what went well and what didn’t after an event or promotion is an important part of your evaluation process. Especially if you plan to run a similar event in future. A brainstorming session is a good place to begin.
Key messaging – not another strapline
Getting your key messages right is an artform. More and more businesses and organisations are recognising the importance of having a set of key messages that reflect what they’re doing and hit the right note with their audiences.
Getting what you need from a designer
Have you ever sat down, briefed a designer and ended up with something not remotely like what you wanted? Make sure you are on the same page so you get the right result. Nail the design brief and spend time learning their lingo. I’ve been dealing with designers for years and after a few rookie mistakes myself there are a few things you need to know and look out for.
The ‘how to’ guide to newsletters
Think you need a newsletter but don’t know where to start? Here’s my 10-step guide to producing a great newsletter. Firstly work out who your audience is and whether they want (or will read) a regular newsletter from you. Once you've nailed that you can follow my guide to figure out the best content, format, frequency etc.
Dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s
Tedious isn’t it. When you’ve worked on a document for so long that you just want to see the back of it. We’ve all done it though, the moment you get it back from the printer’s you see the glaring typo that literally leaps off the page and hits you in the head.