Bite Size Comms

Three perspectives on this intriguing phrase. Firstly, what is the origin of the phrase, secondly some examples in the UK news recently, and thirdly, the link to trust and how this has been eroded.

Are we back to front in our sustainability communications? One sees lots of campaigns about recycling and practically nothing about reduction or reusing. We look at how the mantra 'Reduce - Reuse - Recycle' works. We also look at a new sustainability model, the Low Carbon Lifestyle wheel.

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week. I’m glad that there is more awareness of mental health among people in the UK. The stigma attached to talking about mental health is disappearing. That said, the conditions for stress and anxiety are ever-present. The CIPR and PRCA 2023/24 mental health wellbeing audit found that 91% of practitioners reported poor mental health in the last 12 months. We talk about how to help yourself, and how to help others.
#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek

Learning at Work is all about professional development. Something we should do regularly, although it is good to have a week to promote it. I recommend six points to my PR apprentices on how they can continue to develop as professional communicators upon completing their studies. Some of the points may interest you, too.

#CIPR Learn #LearningAtWorkWeek

The humble receptacle for a hot beverage has become the accessory of choice for MPs in photographs. A pint of beer is so last decade and reminds people of Nigel Farage. A mug with a slogan written on it, or a picture that portrays a certain image, is in.  We look at examples, good, bad, and funny. We explore how organisations can use a mug opportunity!

That question, put more eloquently, has been vexing PR scholars and professional bodies for decades. Is public relations about enhancing reputation, or is it about building strong relationships?  We address the question in tise episode and look at how to measure reputation.

After a crisis, what do we recall? The words spoken at a press conference or during an interview? Often it is an image that remains with us. We look at some examples and explore how to consider the images that accompany the words in crisis communications.

We look at how hashtags have been used to increase reach of posts, and how they are decreasing as their need diminishes. They are also a source of humour and we will look at some hashtag fails!

inclusivity and accessibility are fundamentally important in communications. It is a waste of time collecting measurement analytics if we can’t craft our messages so that they are likely to be heard, considered, and possibly even acted upon. 
We look at examples of good practice in making public relations content as inclusive and accessible as possible, to create effective communications.

Sound measurement and evaluation of our PR/comms activity is important. It is also one of the three big skills for practitioners. However, we tend to overcomplicate it. That, together with a lack of time and knowledge on how to do it, results in measurement and evaluation not being done. So here is my simplified 101 to measurement and evaluation of communications.