Blogs, insights and newsletters

Let’s say your business was closing some of its offices or shops, shutting down a service or discontinuing a product? How would you communicate the bad news?

Forgive me. I hadn’t intended to write about Boris Johnson again so soon in one of our blogs. We know we only recently covered the complications caused by his “not a corrupt country” remarks during COP26.

The words you say are crucial in media interviews and presentations. But, sometimes, a brief silence can be almost just as impactful. In fact, the pause is a media interview tool that offers lots of benefits for spokespeople.

The words you say are crucial in media interviews and presentations. But, sometimes, a brief silence can be almost just as impactful. In fact, the pause is a media interview tool that offers lots of benefits for spokespeople.

What do two statements made almost 50 years apart have in common? The answer is they both serve as painful reminders of the danger of negative language.

at is the most trusted source of information? Traditionally, people might have suggested the government. Perhaps the media. How many would cite the internal communications of their business?

All organisations are vulnerable to crises and rarely a day passes without a brand making headlines for the wrong reasons or finding itself at the centre of a storm. But some are much more memorable than others.

It has never been easier for organisations to get their messages out. Social media, video and email mean it takes just the click of a button to begin communicating with customers.

Covid placed internal comms teams in the spotlight like never before. As the working world changed dramatically almost overnight, internal comms professionals had an integral role in communicating new ways of working and ensuring employees felt safe and supported.

If you are one of the many people who has turned to online supermarket shopping, you may have endured a frustrating weekend. The Tesco website and app went down on Saturday (23/10), leaving shoppers unable to buy groceries online at the country’s biggest supermarket.

A local council meeting may seem like an unlikely source of a story that has captured the attention of the nation’s media. But then, not many council meetings discuss something so stomach-churningly bizarre.

Feedback was a crucial feature of our latest webinar. If you watched it, you will have heard us argue it should be a part of the media briefing process, enabling spokespeople to develop and improve their skills.

Everyone in our team is talking about Squid Game. And we are not alone. The Korean drama seems to have quickly taken the world by storm.

It has been a time of both celebration and controversy for followers of football in Newcastle. The Saudi Arabian-backed £305m takeover of Newcastle United has been met with scenes of fan jubilation outside the stadium.

Many thought-provoking questions were posed during our webinar about building better relationships with your spokespeople.

How do comms teams show their worth, validate their work and prove they are making a real difference? These are not new questions. But they are being asked more frequently as comms teams are hit by budget and visibility pressures and a greater focus on analytics.

Another day and another crisis to add to the queue of issues facing the government. Having already been hit by collapsing energy companies and concern about food supplies, the country has now been struck by another outbreak of panic buying, this time draining petrol pumps.

Have you been asked to make something mundane ‘go viral’? Perhaps you have been requested to gain front page national newspaper coverage for a niche or hyper-local story.

Your media spokespeople are busy. So, how can you ensure they are best prepared for that crucial next interview? Effective preparation always begins by checking they have had recent media training.

When the Government announced its plans to give 30 million people a covid booster jab to prevent another wave of the virus, we didn’t expect to hear a comparison to a wet and windy night on the side of the mountain. But that is exactly what we got.

Trade publications may not have the glamour of mainstream newspapers or appearing on TV or radio. In fact, some publications like Potato Storage International, Drain Trader and Poultry World have been the subject of jokes on Have I Got News For You.

One of the parts we enjoy most about writing our media training blogs is the interviews our readers ask us to review. It’s always great to see the media appearances that have caught your attention and interest.

There’s often much to be learnt from the way others perform in media interviews. Highlighting both the good and the not so good performances can help others prepare for their time in the spotlight and understand what to expect.

This is a question that is increasingly coming up when we speak to clients about presentation skills, hosting webinars and creating videos for both internal and external audiences.

It’s your worst nightmare at work: taking that phone call that says there’s been a fatality. No matter how long you’ve been with the comms team or how tough a PRO you are, nothing can really prepare you. There is that overwhelming feeling of shock followed by a hundred questions in your head which you don’t know the answer to. Then you have to put your own emotions aside as you know the media will soon be hammering on your door expecting/demanding answers.

We are often asked during our crisis communication training courses whether organisations should try to put an incident into context.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson's A-level memory lapse offers critical media training lessons on personal storytelling, preparation, and responding to questions effectively. Learn how to avoid similar pitfalls.

It’s that time of year where much of the news coverage is filled by exam results. Students across the country have been receiving their A-level, GCSE and BTEC grades. TV screens, radio airwaves and newspapers have been full of students and teachers reacting to the results.

Spokespeople are precious. You need them to tell your story and make the most of media opportunities. And they are crucial for protecting your reputation when things go wrong.

This time of year used to be known as silly season. A six-week period when news would take a well-earned holiday and be replaced by obscure stories unlikely to be covered at any other time.