It’s training time!
We’ve been run off our feet answering requests over the last weeks after uploading free guides for you – just the way we like it, so thanks for getting in touch. However, it’s got us thinking about how else we could help set you on the right track and really get you and your team trained up.
So what do you do when you take a call late on a Friday night and, alas, it’s not a social call? Instead it’s a complaint from a resident who has just found out that the scheme manager has run off with all the cash for the coach trip. If you don’t know how to react or who to call then the chances are your team don’t either. And even if things aren’t quite so serious, we believe that in the current economic climate protecting your brand will keep you in the top spot – and that means making sure all of your people are clued up on reputation management, as much as controlling a crisis.
We’ve been sharing our expertise through training courses for quite a few years now and have had good fun with many of you along the way. Right now we’ve got our eyes on the prize of preventing media crisis and more general media training. So if you think you need an extra boost to help get to the finish line as a winner, check out the media crisis training guide right here and the media news training guide here. Get your running shoes at the ready…
Friday, 25 March 2011
Friday, 18 March 2011
All winners at the National Housing Federation conference
Brand brain wins the bubbly.
Oops, we did it again. Played with some brands, got lost in the game…
…yes, once again, our annual battle of the brands was a hit at this year’s NHF marcomms conference, in London.
With bubbly up for grabs, plenty of delegates took on our baffling brand challenge but as always, there’s only one winner. This year it was congratulations to Eddie Kelly, head of communications at Richmond Housing Partnership.
Plus for the digitally adept among you, you might also like to know that the quickest person to complete our digital puzzle was Sam Platt, communications manager at Somer Housing Group.
A big thanks to everyone who came to say hello or took part in our competitions on the day. It was great to see so many familiar faces and we hope you had as great a day as we did. Don’t forget to brush up on your brands for next time…
Oops, we did it again. Played with some brands, got lost in the game…
…yes, once again, our annual battle of the brands was a hit at this year’s NHF marcomms conference, in London.
With bubbly up for grabs, plenty of delegates took on our baffling brand challenge but as always, there’s only one winner. This year it was congratulations to Eddie Kelly, head of communications at Richmond Housing Partnership.
Plus for the digitally adept among you, you might also like to know that the quickest person to complete our digital puzzle was Sam Platt, communications manager at Somer Housing Group.
A big thanks to everyone who came to say hello or took part in our competitions on the day. It was great to see so many familiar faces and we hope you had as great a day as we did. Don’t forget to brush up on your brands for next time…
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Free download: how to handle a media crisis
Free guide could be music to your ears.
It’s 5pm. It’s Friday. And you’ve a reporter on the phone querying about the safety of your newly-launched product or enquiring if the rumours of your finance director putting his hand in the till are accurate.
Media crisis may strike at the worst times, and we can’t promise to make them the best of times, but our latest how to guide should help ease the pain. And hopefully avoid it in the future with tips on trigger points and media crisis plans.
Our work on this project got me thinking about media crisis that haven’t been well handled, especially in the world of social media. One of my personal favourite oft-quoted case studies is United Airlines’ lack of crisis management when they managed to break the guitar of one of their passengers. Dave Carroll happened to be a musician (no surprises there given that he was travelling with a guitar), but what United would have benefitted from was an understanding of the strong YouTube following Carroll had and the power of this medium. After Carroll saw his guitar being thrown around, he was ignored by cabin crew and ground staff at his destination and then spent a year arguing with United Airlines customer services. His YouTube video attracted 2.3 million views and a story in the LA Times within 12 days - exposing the brand and the story to the worldwide public.
The point is, whether in social or traditional media, there is no point trying to ignore a crisis. United made a feeble and very late attempt at Tweeting back an apology. What United could have done, (aside from providing decent customer service in the first place) would be to post a response video, such as a public apology by the CEO to sit on YouTube alongside the original.
If you know the online complainant has a point, and that their views will reach the people that matter to you, it’s certainly better to reply on the same medium your public is using (i.e. if they’re tweeting, tweet back but if they’re uploading videos, consider uploading one back). ASDA did just that after rogue employee posted a video of himself rampaging around the ASDA store in Fulwood, destroying stock and property in his path. Within 24 hours ASDA had posted a response video which showed various employees at the store talking about how shocked they were with this behaviour and stressing what a great place it was to work. Crisis averted.
Help before you need it most. Download the free guide here.
It’s 5pm. It’s Friday. And you’ve a reporter on the phone querying about the safety of your newly-launched product or enquiring if the rumours of your finance director putting his hand in the till are accurate.
Media crisis may strike at the worst times, and we can’t promise to make them the best of times, but our latest how to guide should help ease the pain. And hopefully avoid it in the future with tips on trigger points and media crisis plans.
Our work on this project got me thinking about media crisis that haven’t been well handled, especially in the world of social media. One of my personal favourite oft-quoted case studies is United Airlines’ lack of crisis management when they managed to break the guitar of one of their passengers. Dave Carroll happened to be a musician (no surprises there given that he was travelling with a guitar), but what United would have benefitted from was an understanding of the strong YouTube following Carroll had and the power of this medium. After Carroll saw his guitar being thrown around, he was ignored by cabin crew and ground staff at his destination and then spent a year arguing with United Airlines customer services. His YouTube video attracted 2.3 million views and a story in the LA Times within 12 days - exposing the brand and the story to the worldwide public.
The point is, whether in social or traditional media, there is no point trying to ignore a crisis. United made a feeble and very late attempt at Tweeting back an apology. What United could have done, (aside from providing decent customer service in the first place) would be to post a response video, such as a public apology by the CEO to sit on YouTube alongside the original.
If you know the online complainant has a point, and that their views will reach the people that matter to you, it’s certainly better to reply on the same medium your public is using (i.e. if they’re tweeting, tweet back but if they’re uploading videos, consider uploading one back). ASDA did just that after rogue employee posted a video of himself rampaging around the ASDA store in Fulwood, destroying stock and property in his path. Within 24 hours ASDA had posted a response video which showed various employees at the store talking about how shocked they were with this behaviour and stressing what a great place it was to work. Crisis averted.
Help before you need it most. Download the free guide here.
Thursday, 3 March 2011
Scores on the doors
Digital delight is the score on the door for us this month, as we take our place at stand 20 for the 2011 NHF Communications and Marketing Conference.
For the 4th year, we're making our presence known - and we're pretty sure you'll be pleasingly puzzled by our new digital engagement games. Plus, following our merger with VU Creative in January, we’ll also have our new specialist digital director on hand to answer any of your digital dilemmas on the day.
Held at Hotel Russell in London on the 10th March, this is the only national conference for communications and marketing professionals in social housing, and offers speakers from a host of organisations including Ken Livingston, Lembit Opik and Lesley Riddoch. They will be presenting on topics like best use of social networking, increasing local media profile and putting value for money at the heart of your messages.
With a brand new stand and digital jigsaw puzzle game on show, we’re looking forward to a day of fun, friends and possible a fistful of chocolate or two to keep things lively. Do come and say hello, play some games and win some prizes. And don’t forget to keep your eye out for special competitions on twitter during the event.
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