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5 tips to ensure design and words work hand in hand

Traditionally, graphic design and communications are studied at University as separate disciplines, however Pesel & Carr intern Bronte Hamilton is studying both as part of a Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Visual Communication at Swinburne University.

In this post, she provides her top five tips on how to make sure design and words work hand in hand.

While I sit here jealous of all my friends graduating university over the next couple of weeks as I enter into my fourth and final year, it is now that I start to reflect on how beneficial my degree will be for my future career.

Whenever I’m asked what I am studying, it will go one of two ways. Some people think that it is amazing I can study both communications and design, and others are a bit confused and struggle to understand how the two disciplines work together.

Since interning at Pesel & Carr, I’ve begun to really understand how they intertwine and are integral to communicating consistent and memorable messages to an organisation’s stakeholders.

Here are my top 5 tips to make sure public relations and design concepts can work together and enhance the effectiveness of one another.

1. Clear communication: This goes without saying. Both in the design and business industries, being able to communicate your thoughts and ideas clearly makes the job easier and more efficient

2. Goals: What does the organisation want to achieve through its communications; both through words and visuals? What is the key message that the organisation wants to get across to the selected audience? Is it clear? Do the words work with the design and say the same thing?

3. Keep it simple: Don’t over complicate things if you don’t have to. Short, straight to the point and catchy is the way to go. You want to have a key message that will stick in people’s heads!  

4. Be authentic: Does the logo/graphic design/brand work for the organisation and make sense for the organisation? If the answer is no, then change it. There is no point trying to associate something with the organisation if it doesn’t work, or trying to make the organisation look like something it is not.

5. Space speaks: It’s not only the words and images which communicate – white space also speaks volumes, by helping imagery and text to ‘pop’.

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A 101 in social media... from the Pope

When you think of twitter celebrities, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and even Barack Obama probably come to mind, having 78, 70 and 66 million followers respectively. With celebrity selfies dominating Twitter feeds around the world, it may come as a surprise to learn that the leader of one of the most conservative organisations in the world has also embraced the social media platform which shares bite-sized content. We are, of course, talking about Pope Francis – or @pontifex as he is known via his Twitter handle and to his 7.9 million followers. The Roman Catholic Church has clearly spotted the opportunities associated with embracing social media as a tool for communicating its messages directly with its followers and potential converts, particularly the younger generation. In a world where many are turning away from religion, it certainly appears to be a smart move in the battle to stay relevant.

During the Pope’s recent visit to the USA, the Vatican reportedly engaged a number of digital firms to maximise social media opportunities. Cue a number of catchy hashtags such as #PopeisHope popping up across the Twitter-sphere.

It’s a smart strategy on a number of levels, not least by positioning a once ‘out-of-reach’ figure as real and accessible. The Pope is doing what so many other leaders, organisations and celebrities have done, by effectively reducing the perceived ‘distance’ between himself and his followers. He is no longer a scarcely seen presence, existing behind the walls of the Vatican. He can now be found regularly engaging, directly and visibly with his audience. The Pope (or at least his team) has recognised the opportunity to stay relevant through playing an active role in the conversation. According to the 2015 Sensis Social Media Report, uptake of social media among small and medium-sized businesses is sitting at around 30%. For big business, it is around 55%. These figures indicate many organisations are yet to recognise the value of social media. Perhaps they are not fully embracing it due to concerns over return on investment. Or, perhaps they think social media only adds value for companies that are perceived as youthful or ‘trendy’. In a sentence many CEOs probably wouldn’t have thought they could relate to; leaders of such organisations could learn a thing of two from the Pope. His successful use of Twitter demonstrates that even the most traditional organisations can make effective use of the many platforms ready and waiting to assist in engaging stakeholders. Of course, there is another major advantage linked with the Pope’s social media strategy. Gone are the days when the media was built upon one-way interactions. Today, we all have a voice. If we are feeling disgruntled, we can immediately let our networks know by composing 144 characters on the matter, and instantly hitting the Tweet button. The consequent potential for brand damage is immense. As we are all aware, the Catholic Church has been no stranger to controversy in recent times. The Vatican is arguably in damage control, struggling to change perceptions and repair its broken brand. Twitter affords it the opportunity to take control of at least part of the narrative.

By Sam Watson

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Opening the digital doors currently closed to people with disability

Most companies are proactive about taking measures to ensure discrimination doesn’t occur when dealing with customers who have a disability, at least face-to-face – installing ramps and rails, providing disabled parking spaces and training staff to allow guide dogs.

However, many organisations are simply not giving their online presence this same level of consideration.

One in five Australians lives with a disability and, when you consider our ever-increasing reliance on the internet, it is clear that website accessibility is not something companies can ignore any longer.

Blindness has not held Sydney adventurer Nicholas Gleeson back from running the New York Marathon, hiking to the Everest base camp, trekking the Simpson Desert, or climbing the Empire State Building. However, it has hindered him in front of a computer screen when it comes to finding information online.

With the aid of a voice screen reader, Nicholas uses the internet for personal and professional reasons. However, most Australian websites are only partially accessible, meaning this process is fraught with challenges. Websites containing text in images, or ones that fail to properly describe photographs or graphics, are particularly problematic.

Recently, an online Centrelink form would not properly interact with Nicholas’ screen reader, meaning he had to request a paper form by phone and complete it the old fashioned way with the help of one of his adult children.

“The good websites make life much easier, but they’re rare,” says Nicholas. “Unfortunately, I don’t think web accessibility in the corporate world will improve until it’s mandatory.”

Web accessibility does not just impact people with visual impairments. Accessibility measures also need to be considered when it comes to people who have hearing, cognitive or fine motor control problems.

At Pesel & Carr, we have been working with U1 Group – a consultancy that specialises in online user experience and accessibility, and has developed a suite of online mentoring and training packages to assist businesses in creating accessible content.

When U1 recently reviewed Australia’s most-used government and commercial websites, the results revealed widespread shortcomings in website accessibility, even amongst the bigger corporate names.

Each website was checked against a list of 10 key criteria, including accurate descriptions of images and videos, the option to navigate with just a keyboard, and sufficient contrast between background and text colours.

U1 found government websites considerably outperformed those from the commercial world. However, just one of the 10 most-used government sites scored 10/10 … take a bow qld.gov.au. All other government websites assessed scored between seven and nine out of 10.

Alarmingly, not one of the top 10 most-used non-media commercial websites received a perfect score, with three sites scoring as low as four out of 10. University website monash.edu.au was the top commercial site with nine points, while ebay.com.au scored eight.

U1 Managing Director Shefik Bey suggested many people don’t realise that inclusive design helps all web users, not just those with a disability. A readable font size with decent contrast is always going to be well received, particularly by people of a certain age.

“Some people believe that making a website accessible compromises its aesthetic appeal, but that’s a myth,” said Mr. Bey. “Creative elements such as images, diagrams, video and even PDFs are fine to use, provided alternative measures are in place such as alternate text, captions and keyboard operability.”

For organisations committed to improving their web accessibility, the rewards can be abundant.

Not only can they increase their market reach by considering the many Australians living with disability, they will simultaneously demonstrate a commitment to fairness, increase brand equity and positive social standing, improve search engine rankings and avoid the legal and reputational risks associated with discriminating against somebody with a disability.

For more information on U1 and web accessibility, click here.

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Why your brand doesn’t need to ‘own’ a day … the risks and rewards of piggybacking onto existing events

Seemingly, every day of the year is attached to some cause, tradition or big event. The conventional, like Valentine’s Day and Christmas; the worthy, like Clean up Australia Day and World Cancer Day; and, of course, the plain ridiculous … we’re looking at you, Ice Cream for Breakfast Day.

Friday 2 October is Victoria’s newest public holiday – Grand Final Friday. And this has got us thinking … for organisations and causes that don’t already ‘own’ a day, what are the advantages and disadvantages of riding on the coat-tails of existing dates in the diary?

For not-for-profits in particular, this tactic can provide a cost-effective way to generate publicity. In 2013, for instance, the National Heart Foundation of Australia successfully piggybacked onto Grand Final weekend by calculating that AFL and NRL fans would consume almost 900kgs of saturated fat and in excess of 170kgs of salt, thanks to takeaway consumption during the games. The resultant campaign smartly reminded people to consider their heart health before overindulging.

Even the more obscure days are being put to good use by brands and causes. As the world shouted a collective ‘Ahoy, me hearties!’ on September 19 in recognition of International Talk like a Pirate Day, Childhood Cancer Support and Marie Curie Cancer Care both creatively captialised on the day as an effective way of raising funds.

This tactic can be employed by brands not only to garner publicity, but also to demonstrate a sense of humour. Every April Fools Day, the number of parody media releases written, signed off and dispatched continues unrelenting. In 2015, for instance, Flight Centre announced it’s new ‘cargo class’ … basically, return fares to London for $199, on the condition passengers travelled in the aircraft’s cargo container.

ASOS Australia, meanwhile, got in on the action by using April 1 to announce the release of clip-on man-buns for wannabe hipsters, whilst Woolworths released faux-details of the ‘watermapple’ - a revolutionary hybrid watermelon and apple fruit. All good, harmless fun, we’re sure you’ll agree.

But, of course, there is the potential for the hijacking of existing days to go disastrously wrong. Most of us are probably aware of Woolworths’ now infamous Anzac Day faux pas. For anybody who missed it, the ‘fresh food people’ ran a social media campaign inviting people to pay tribute to the Anzacs by creating a picture for their social media profile using a photo of a person affected by war. The public were quick to condemn the move, accusing the company of exploiting Anzac Day and Gallipoli for commercial gain.

So, what can we learn from all of this? Brands and causes don’t necessarily need to take ownership of a day to make an annual publicity splash. By identifying and creating synergies that make sense, established days in the calendar can provide brilliant news hooks, with the added bonus of linking to a date or event that media and public have probably already taken an interest in.

But, sensitivity must always remain top of mind. Ask yourself first about the potential impact and outcomes. Is anybody likely to take major offence? Is there a chance your campaign could be viewed as opportunistic? If the answer to both of those questions is no, then piggybacking an appropriate date in the calendar could provide a new and innovative way for your organisation to get its message heard.

Incidentally, Pesel & Carr has employed this very tactic in the writing of this blog. Thank you, Grand Final Friday for the inspiration!

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Digital Campaigns: Speed, Simplicity, Success?

As the digital revolution continues to rapidly transform the fundamental nature in which many companies communicate and engage with their customers, and with more and more overall spend going to digital every year, being able to produce stand-out digital-centric campaigns is now central to ensuring corporate and personal success.

Don’t get left in the dust

The speed at which the digital space grows calls for constant innovation. A quick backward glance over the past few years, shows an evolution in digital marketing that is hard to believe. Previously Snapchat was seen as a nothing more than a teen app with little to no actual brand value, wearable technology was still the preserve of geeks in virtual-reality headsets rather than fashionable seamlessly integrated connected devices in demand by the masses, and Apple Pay – which looks set to shake up the Australian payment industry - did not even exist. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, change appears to be the only true constant, thus creating a continuous challenge to generate campaigns which are able to stay relevant in an ever-shifting market. In an era of rapid technological change and audience fragmentation, where we see intrinsic differences in communication habits evident generations, it is clear that a fundamentally new way of disseminating information exists. In the age of digital, people engage with ideas that are spread not as a one-to-many transmission, but through sharing by individuals and groups between one another, across a network of sites, platforms and apps delivered across a growing number devices. With so many platforms already in existence and more popping up with dizzying regularity; it is easy to be blinded by the multitude of options available and forget to prioritise simplicity and insight when contemplating how to utilise digital as part of a campaign. Can it ever be that simple? Digital campaigns need not be inherently complicated. Simplicity should be a guiding principle. Campaigns should be formed around an incredibly simple idea based on a good understanding of people’s behaviour in today’s digital world. The campaigns that seem to truly cut through the digital white noise are authentic with relevant content that feels unique to its audience and their culture. The new model for earning an audience’s attention is unwaveringly driven by content – information and entertainment that people will actually seek out, talk about and share. A key challenge here is that so much of what we find entertaining is driven by relevance, and in the digital era, the pace of what is relevant to us accelerates every day. On platforms such as Twitter, Vine or Snapchat, a meme, topic or trend which captivates the community, may go on to be discarded only a few hours later. Speed of production is critical in creating strong content to drive a digital campaign that resonates with people. Swift progression through the process of approval, development and sign-off ensures that the same idea that elicited excitement and engagement as a result of its poignancy at inception, is still as potent and relevant when it is released to the intended audience. Ten years ago, YouTube was unheard of. Now it’s a community of a billion users with an influence on mainstream culture greater than any single TV network. Furthermore, in time, the same could be true for any of the thriving new social platforms that seem to sprout up every month. The reach of digital allows for these communities go from a blip to a cultural force in the blink of an eye. What many overlook is that as they grow, the users of these communities act like gatekeepers; forming a set of rules, expectations and language conventions. In some instances, to those on the outside looking in, the nuances between how interaction occurs within each platform may seem slight, but they exist, and they are often paramount to those actively involved as part of those communities. Needless to say, there are often steep learning curves involved in the pursuit of gaining the value insights that are required to authentically communicate with different audiences. As such, it goes without saying that there should be a unique strategy developed for how each digital platform will be utilised across a campaign.

Success…. What great digital campaigns have in common is that they are based around great content that people find interesting. Nothing more, but nothing less. You don’t have to look far to find evidence of digital fails, but there are those that inarguably stand-out as exemplary and these are just a few that we find out of the ordinary: Twitter Vending Machine South African brand BOS Ice Tea created this vending machine in Cape Town that serves you beverages whenever you tweet it. Through its own account, users would tweet the vending machine using the hashtag #BOSTWEET4T and it would dispense them a drink. http://youtu.be/mzUXa6JThVQ Angry Birds Live Created for T-Mobile, people in Barcelona got to play a real-life game of Angry Birds through a smartphone and see the destruction unfold in front of them as they played. Genius in every sense of the word. http://youtu.be/jzIBZQkj6SY The Amazing Mind-Reader (Digital Privacy) Not one that strictly uses social media, but still a great way of using social to hammer home a point. An online bank gets a 'psychic' to tell unsuspecting visitors detailed information about themselves, showing just how much information we reveal about ourselves online. http://youtu.be/F7pYHN9iC9I Mercedes-Benz Twitter Race Using only the tweets of fans to run their cars, Mercedes-Benz created this innovative campaign that pitted four drivers against each other, choosing their own path to the finish line. Four tweets was the equivalent of one mile and so it got a lot of engagement that made it a massively successful campaign. http://vimeo.com/22300987 By Antoinette Lee.

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Big Data: adding maths to the magic

Imagine standing in the middle of a packed MCG stadium, yelling “hey everyone, we’ve just launched a brand new competition!” Imagine how difficult this would be, trying to tell an individual in a crowd of 100,000 about your brand’s new important information when you don’t know who they are, what they look like, or where they’re sitting. Now try doing that across the whole of Victoria, Australia or the world.

Before we had big data, this is what it was like launching marketing campaigns, releasing new products or trying to communicate other important news. You could agree on key messages, create the right story, sprinkle the creative magic to make it fly – but then it would still be a gamble whether people actually saw or heard your news. But now, thanks to big data, we know what our customer looks like. We know where they are; what they do; and how they want to receive our news. We also know what they eat; what footy team they support; and what time they wake up and go to sleep. Big data knows us better than we know ourselves. We can now walk straight up to individuals at the MCG and give them our news directly through Facebook or Twitter. What is big data? Simply put, big data is any large amount of data that has the potential to be mined for information. It can be ‘big’ because of its volume, variety, velocity or veracity. Big data is expanding at an astonishing pace. According to CSC, a global provider of information technology services for business, experts now point to a 4300% increase in the annual data generation by 2020. A key reason for this growth is the switch from analogue to digital technologies, as well as the rapid increase in data generation by individuals and corporations alike. How do we use it? Like with any traditional data sets, you should use big data to tailor campaigns and messages so that you reach the people you want to speak to – saving time and money, and having greater success. But whereas previously a survey might tell you that your customers read the Herald Sun; big data analytics gives us far greater insights, like what specific stories they’re reading and links they’re clicking. Let’s take Facebook and Twitter as examples.

Facebook 890 million people use Facebook every day, with smartphone users checking Facebook on average 14 times in a single day. It’s a powerful messaging carrier that, if you get it right and use big data to your advantage, will allow you to speak directly to the people you want to target, in a creative and engaging way. Through a company Facebook page we already have big data at our fingertips. We know who ‘likes’ our brand, and Facebook ‘insights’ tell us the gender of our fans, their ages, location, and what times they’re online. This data is immediately helpful, and gives us a clearer picture of our customer. When we craft our next creative post to engage our fans, we can tailor it to appeal to a particular gender, age or location, and post it at the right time so that our fans have a better chance of seeing it. Facebook is also where 46% of all social sharing relating to brands takes place, which creates even more data that the social media network cleverly stores and offers to companies. Fairly recently, Facebook introduced the ‘boosting’ option for company posts, which allows us to use their data to reach old or new fans. At a price, engaging posts can be tailored to appear on the news feed of IT workers, fitness fanatics, or fans of competitors. Twitter Did you know that 500 million Tweets are sent every day? That’s almost 3.5 million each minute, or around 35 million by the time you’ve read this article. With this amount of Twitter noise, it’s hard to make your message stand out – so you must use big data to give it the best chance of being heard. Like Facebook, we get a lot of information from Twitter about our followers, our tweets can be crafted with this in mind, making our followers smile or cry, but most importantly, take interest. The big data stored by Twitter also allows us to see which tweets are popular and which aren’t. For example, Tweets between 71 and 100 characters are retweeted the most, and Tweets with images get an 18% higher click-through-rate. When you send out creative Tweets to your followers, you should experiment with length, images, links and use of hashtags; analyse the data that is automatically collected; and experiment again. Finely tuning Twitter tactics like this will mean that in the future, you will know how to engage with your audience in the most effective way possible.

It’s that easy? No – it still needs the magic. Whilst big data gives you a clearer picture of your customer, Facebook posts and Tweets must still be bright, creative and appealing in order to engage them. In a world where customers are only willing to read 140 characters and watch six-second videos, the quality of your content matters more than ever. By Jack Dyas.

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How loud is a #?

What started as a single user-generated idea, hashtags are now synonymous with conversations by a generation of social media carnivores.

The first use of a hashtag to easily group and find content was proposed by Twitter user Chris Messina in 2007, whose idea to introduce the pound symbol was rejected by the social media giant because ‘it would never catch on’.

Boy, were they wrong.

It took two years for Twitter to officially adopt the use of the pound symbol and another two before it was introduced to the photo-sharing platform Instagram.

Fast forward to 2015 and almost every social media channel uses hashtags to organise and promote content created by users and brands.

If actions speak louder than words, do hashtags speak louder than actions?

Unless you live in a media-free bubble, you would be aware of some of the most recent viral hashtag trends in the name of activism and support, including #JeSuisCharlie, #PutOutYourBats, #BringBackOurGirls and #IllRideWithYou.

The deadly January 2015 attack in France on journalists from satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, sparked the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie (#IAmCharlie), representing solidarity for the French community around the world and advocating freedom of the press.

Australians also turned to social media to mourn the tragic passing of Australian cricketer, Phillip Hughes, several days after he was hit by a freak bouncer in November 2014.

#PutOutYourBats was first tweeted by Paul Taylor, who describes himself as an average “Joe Blow”, to his miniscule 14 followers with an image of a cricket back perched against his front door.

After it was seen by an ABC journalist, the trend gained enormous traction as hundreds of thousands of Australians posted photos of their cricket bats across numerous social media channels.

Do intangible symbols like hashtags make a difference?

The #BringBackOurGirls campaign would suggest the answer is no. Although the hashtag shined an international light on the abduction of hundreds of girls from a Nigerian school in April 2014 and attracted participation from the public, celebrities and politicians alike, the girls have still not been rescued almost one year after the kidnapping.

Unlike the spontaneous nature of #PutOutYourBats, the #BringBackOurGirls hashtag was deliberately created.

As seen from these examples, hashtags that generate significant media attention and worldwide public participation are often born from overwhelmingly tragic or horrendous events.

The opportunity for ordinary people to reach global audiences in a matter of mere seconds through the use of digital media technologies, gives these hashtags an unprecedentedly loud volume. It creates a groundswell of support for an issue – big or small.

However, even though hashtag trends are heard, it’s not clear if they are always acted upon.

We saw this following the Martin Place Siege in Sydney in December 2014 when #IllRideWithYou received global attention.

The hashtag invited Muslims to ride with others on public transport to combat anti-Muslim sentiment. However, what’s not known, is how many people actioned the sentiment of the tag in the days following the siege.

If the #IllRideWithYou hashtag eliminated even one person’s fear and allowed them to go about their daily life feeling a little safer, then maybe it doesn’t matter whether riding with someone actually occurred.

Yes, creating a sense of solidarity is important, but encouraging real behavioural change is rarely achieved by simply following a social media trend. If it was that straightforward and creating a hashtag was all that’s needed, we would have already solved the issue of religious discrimination and found the 200-plus kidnapped girls in Nigeria.

Reality is far more complicated.

Resolving issues, particularly those embedded in cultural disunity, involves building awareness and fostering ongoing dialogues among groups on both sides of an issue, to ultimately create a change in attitude and behaviour.

Pesel & Carr’s campaign, ‘Violence Doesn’t Discriminate: Her name was Tracy and she was loved’, for the not-for-profit St Kilda Gatehouse, effectively changed the way the media reported on the death of Tracy Connelly in July 2013.

Although Tracy’s murder had similarities to the murder of journalist, Jill Meagher 10 months earlier, Tracy’s tragedy received little media coverage. The coverage that did appear, however, identified her by her profession not by her name. Tracy was a sex worker.

St Kilda Gatehouse, which operates a safe house for sex workers, believed the media’s lack of interest and respect was because they considered the attack a normal risk for women of her profession.

As part of our awareness campaign, we sent Tracy’s photo to targeted media outlets and journalists. We did this in order to humanise Tracy and present her as someone with which other victims of violence could identify. Tracy appeared on the front page of major dailies and her story was told on television networks.

A candlelight vigil to celebrate Tracy’s life and bring attention to the issue of violence against women was attended by 500 people. Most were members of the public that did not have a personal connection to Tracy.

This shift in public attitude and the acts of compassion that followed, including members of the community walking street workers to their homes and engaging with them in conversations without judgement, is not something that is achieved through social media alone.

If we had created a hashtag for Tracy, would we have received the same response as from the photograph published in the newspaper?

And, could a social media trend have encompassed the same feelings of solidarity as the physical gathering of people at a vigil?

In the case of telling Tracy’s story, the use of a symbol (#) may have added to the cause, but what our campaign needed to do was to humanise her story and present a different view of street workers. The use of an image and name struck a chord that a trending topic could not have.

The jury is still out on just how loud a hashtag can be.

One thing is certain though, they are here to stay and with the right hashtag, you can use them to create awareness for issues that matter.

Awareness campaigns that are simply about highlighting an issue can do very well with the sole use of a hashtag to capture the attention of the masses. However, when changing behaviours and attitudes, the use of a hashtag needs to be integrated with tangible actions and community engagement.

In the case of Tracy’s story, we wanted to create a visible change that would make a difference to the lives of street workers, even though Tracy was no longer with us physically.

By Richard Liistro & Amanda Cirillo.

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Creativity gives campaigns flight

As I drifted in and out of consciousness from the lack of sleep that only mid-semester assignments could bring, I thought about the massive role that creativity has in the communications industry, especially when it comes to a marketing strategy. 

So after a bit of research (because apparently I don’t have much else to do on a Friday night), I managed to distil 3 key points about what it takes to be creative for strategic intent.

1. Connect on an emotional level

Campaigns that hit us right in the heart tend to stick with us the most. Emotions are one of the things that define us as human beings.

The guerrilla marketing campaign for The Blair Witch Project, a documentary-style horror film from 1999, best highlights this point. It was one of the first examples of a ‘viral internet campaign’. The official website had fake police reports and interviews, flyers were handed out at film festivals which asked people to come forward with information about the ‘missing students’, and the actors’ IMDB pages actually had them as ‘missing, presumed dead’ for about a year.

Blair Witch sparked a massive Internet debate about whether the movie was an actual documentary or a work of fiction. By playing with two very human emotions, curiosity and fear of the unknown, the film managed to get people hyped up and ended up earning $248.6 million at the box office. Not bad considering it only took $22,500 to make the actual film.

2. Simplicity is key

I’m going to use our beloved TV series Game of Thrones as my next example to show how the  most simple (but ingenious) idea can have the biggest impact.

At the core of its campaign, in all of its subtle glory, was the simple shadow of a dragon. It might not sound like much, but when you first see it on magazine covers…

And then on a double page spread on the New York Times…

And then on BUILDINGS…!

You have to admit, it looks pretty damn cool. And a lot of people agreed. It generated a lot of chatter and momentum in the lead up to season three’s premiere.

And it was SO SIMPLE.

HBO has been pretty creative with their marketing campaigns. If you have time, you should check out what they did for True Blood. I won’t go into detail, but I will mention that it involves sending prolific bloggers hidden messages to decode, fake news reports, and cans of fake blood.

3. Get with the program

Welcome to the new age! With people using Facebook, Instagram, Vine, YouTube, and countless other social media sites, as well as all of the cool new tech that’s been developed (Apple watch, anyone?), the integration of social media and new creative technologies into marketing campaigns is something to bear in mind.

One part of Interstellar’s marketing campaign involved the use of the Oculus Rift, a virtual reality headset. In four major cities in the US, movie-goers could take a virtual reality tour through the spaceship Endurance.

Similarly, during the San Diego Comic-Con 2014, attendees could use the Oculus to take the place of Professor X and chase Mystique around the convention centre, to promote the film X-Men: Days of Future Past.

The American home improvement and appliance chain, Lowe’s, use of vine is an example of how social media can be effectively used as a marketing technique. In six seconds, less time than it takes to make a cup of coffee, they presented visual solutions to common home-owner problems. You can see an example of the video here.

Recently, I used Nutshell, a newly-released social media app, to add a little spice to my University presentations.

Keeping these creative tips in mind, all brands can create out of the ordinary campaigns for their marketing endeavours.

By Justin Villar

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First day jitters

I believe that in the PR industry you either sink or swim.

It’s now 1:33pm on my first day of my internship at Pesel & Carr. I have just come back from my lunch break and Richard who is currently overseeing my internship, has asked me to write a blog entry about what I was expecting for my first day and what I am expecting for the rest of my time here.

It all started with a phone call I received yesterday when Richard asked me to come in today. I was so nervous and honestly didn't know what to expect on my first day. I was fairly certain that the first day was going to be all orientation-based, they were going to show me how the agency is run, where everything is, and inputting my details into their system. I was wrong.

Thus far my first day involved an hour long introduction to the agency, then once that was out the way I got given the task of media monitoring. Media monitoring was pretty interesting as I have never done it before. It is the task of looking through all news articles both in print and online for stories that are relevant to the clients the agency has, as well as for the public relations industry. I must have done it correctly (or he might have just decided to be supportive as it is my first day), as I got good feedback from Richard.

After and during the media monitoring task, I was providing feedback on survey questions that had been drafted for a survey to be taken out next weekend at a golf course. After which the survey results need to be analysed and developed into a report. Both of these I am doing, as I never say no to an opportunity to enhance my set of skills. To be frank, the whole work load of this is overwhelming, but I think I feel this way as I am completely new to agency life and I want to prove to my peers and myself that I have what it takes.

I like that this agency is treating me like a normal employee and not just another coffee-fetching intern. I think this agency will be a good starting point to gain the necessary experience and skills I will require on my PR journey. I am expecting to gain experience with real-life clients, real-life briefs with real-life schedules, as well as real-life consequences and outcomes, as I have only dealt with theories and bookwork through my university course.

Whilst at Pesel & Carr I also want to increase my skill in writing media releases and social media content and to gain “hands-on” experience with campaigns.

I am now finishing this blog entry at 2:10, so I can move on to my next task which is to think of some animal committee names. There is no time to spare, not even on my first day.

By Joel Brock

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Office Space

Pesel & Carr is an award winning independent communications firm founded way back in 1997 and specialises in managing issues that matter.  So, you may have gathered that we are not a graphic design studio, but we do have a great space and we have a free desk.  A desk fully equipped with the latest Mac stuff and subscribed to Adobe Creative suite perfect for someone looking to start their own design business or move to a space with other people and, more importantly, a dog. Check out our office space it the photos above.

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Set yourself up for success in 2015: SMART goals

For many of us, the New Year represents a chance to set personal goals or commit to resolutions with the aim of giving ourselves ‘two thumbs’ come December 31. However, many of us often don’t last longer than a month, surrendering to too many factors that make the goal unachievable. Often it’s because we set ones that have been rehashed year-on-year (the constant “this is the year” statement), or they are too lofty that the reality of achieving them is nearly impossible.

Yet, those who do look back 12 months later in success can reflect on having set SMART goals - specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, and time-bound.

Brands and business aren’t any different. The New Year provides an opportunity for them to look back at what worked, what didn’t work, gain clarity on where they want to head, refresh current practices and set new goals, that are SMART.

To start, all you need is a pen! The act of writing your goals down significantly contributes to their attainment as it represents a physical commitment to putting that idea into action.

For example, a goal could be to increase market share from 5% to 15% by the 1st of December, 2015 by doubling our sales force and widening distribution and reach to become a category leader.

So, let’s break it down:

Specific – The goal shouldn’t be complicated. It should be simple, written down for the entire team to see and clearly articulate what you are going to do to achieve it.

Increase market share.

Measureable – Use tangible evidence to show that you have accomplished the goal.

From 5% to 15%.

Achievable – The goal should stretch you, but is clearly defined so that you can achieve it. Ensure you have the right skills in place to meet it.

Double sales force.

Results-focused – The goal should measure outcomes, not activities.

Become a category leader.

Time-bound – The goal should be linked to an achievable timeframe that creates a sense of urgency.

By the 1st of December, 2015.

Increasing market share may seem like a lofty goal for many, but it’s ultimately a goal most businesses have.

SMART goals provide a clear direction that the whole team can stick to. Creating concise and realistic ones, supported by a thorough plan, is one of the most valuable tasks you can do at the start of a New Year. Not only does it help everyone work towards the same end point, but it also provides guidance if there is ever a sticky situation.

Don’t dwell on past or failed goals. Learning what went wrong and how to improve, or what went right and how to do more of it, is crucial to a fresh start.

Regardless of what your goal, make sure it’s SMART and focus on the future, not the past.

Just like fireworks mark the New Year with vibrant colours and loud blasts, brands can also begin 2015 with a bang.

By Richard Liistro

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A Russian Perspective

A real hands-on experience with a reputable company, like Pesel & Carr, is a huge step forward for any recent graduate, especially for the one with a different cultural background like mine.

The Russian PR industry is relatively young. It came into being during the last decade. Many Russians, if asked, still wouldn’t be able to define the actual meaning of it. In Russian language, there is even a widely used phrase, derived from English “to pr yourself”, with some negative connotation attached to it.

My interest in PR was sparked around six years ago, when I was working for a publishing house in Moscow and was asked to help generate free publicity for a new author. We hardly used any social media, except for blog posts, or any cutting-edge technologies to converse with the target audience, and, in retrospect, acted in a rather intuitive way. Luckily, we managed to figure out that our communication objectives should be aligned with our business goals. It allowed the campaign to go well and eventually resulted in decent sales.

Generally speaking, there are two major differences between Russian and Western approach to PR: mentality and methodology. Russian companies are often impatient and expect quick, miraculous results, while the implementation of a strategy is sometimes a painstakingly slow process and might take longer than six months.

The Western approach has a much better structure and includes a well thought-out strategy, measurable outcomes, a whole set of different techniques and diverse platforms.

Furthermore, in Russia, companies often don’t put much emphasis on ethics and reputational issues, still not realising its impact on customers’ trust. Non-transparency of big companies in Russia doesn’t make PR specialists’ efforts any easier.

I became familiar with the terms “two-way-communication”, “transparency”, “measurable outcomes”, “IP2 Spectrum of Public Participation” and so on, only when I started a Master’s degree at RMIT here in Melbourne. This course is a very big milestone for me. It has changed my perception completely: PR practices – if conducted the right way – hold incredible potential for any company, in any area of business or community service. My internship with Pesel & Carr is a precious opportunity not only to see this in action, but to be part of it. And needless to say, you discover some basic but crucial things they don’t teach you at school, like how to communicate with clients, how to put together a media list or how to write media releases.

By Natasha Baburova

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Where's the thinking these days?

Something exciting has happened. Twitter feeds are floodedwith tweets and retweets. Facebook is overloaded with images and links to moreinformation. People are commenting, clicking, sharing, liking, posting, as well as trolling. The cyber world has exploded with endless sources of news about this very exciting, newsworthy event. 

The next day, no one cares.

The rise of social media has meant that people have access to news as soon as it occurs, and within minutes everyone seems to know about it. Nowadays, it also seems everybody wants to have their say before the story has had time to break and all the facts are heard. People are often responding quickly to a situation, rather than thoroughly looking at every bit of information and considering all possible perspectives before posting their views online for the world to see.

So, where is the thinking these days?

“As we expect more from technology; we start to expect less from each other,” says Sherry Turkle, an Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor in the Program of Science, Technology, and Society at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

“…With the speed of technology and pace for which many people respond, do they really consider and think through the potential consequences of what they are conveying?”

There are many cases in the media that demonstrate this lack of thought before posting very provocative articles or opinions online. The tragic death of actor Robin Williams was respected in the sense that adoring fans and fellow actors posted tributes amongst various social media platforms, created pages dedicated to his work, and tweeted photos and videos reminiscing his achievements. However, some chose to take this time to post insensitive attacks online instead.

American musician and writer, Henry Rollins, experienced severe backlash after posting his uncompromising blog criticising Robin Williams’ suicide. The Saturday Morning Herald responded to this blog piece, stating that Rollins was “….almost universally damning.” Did Rollins really consider the consequences of posting such an article so recently after the death of such a well-known actor and admired comedian? Should he have considered how those affected by suicide may react to this issue? Shouldn’t he have been more empathetic to the Williams family? Rollins lack of thought certainly leant him a bad reputation.

And he isn’t the only one.

Zelda Williams was tormented so much by internet trolls that she chose to delete her Twitter account. If people really took the time to empathise with not only Zelda, but with other people sensitive to the issue, then perhaps there wouldn’t be so much negativity on social media.

I challenge everyone to put their thinking hats on before posting anything online. Your six thinking hats, in fact.

Edward de Bono’s ‘Six Thinking Hats’ model provides a way for groups to plan thinking processes in a detailed and cohesive way, and in doing so to think together more effectively. It encourages decisions to be considered from multiple perspectives, forcing people to move outside their habitual thinking style to get a more rounded view of a situation.

Even before you make an important decision, think about which hat best reflects your thinking…

1. White Hat

Gather your facts and thoughts before making an informed decision. Make sure you consider past information and research, as this will steer your future research.

2. Red Hat

The Red Hat uses your gut intuition. Listen to your heart, be in touch with your own emotions and try to empathise with others.

3. Black Hat

Time to consider the flaws in your decision, proposal or idea. Although you don’t want to dwell on them, it’s best to consider and outline the possible downfalls or weak points. This can help you eliminate them before they occur, or simply be prepared for them.

4. Yellow Hat

On the other hand, you have to be positive about your ideas and decisions as well. When you put on the yellow hat, you are maintaining an optimistic approach to your idea, and thinking about all the benefits that could arise as a result.

5. Green Hat

The Green Hat encourages creative thought and thinking outside the square. Innovative and imaginative ideas can take you far!

6. Blue Hat

The person wearing the blue hat is often the leader of a group. To be an overall great thinker, you need to be organised and in control of processes occurring under your guidance. Or simply just be organised of your own progress.

“Logic will take you from A to B. Creativity will take you everywhere,” Albert Einstein.

Thinking is often an understated tool. Throughout history ‘thought’ has transformed people’s lives, conquered global issues and ultimately, changed the world. And as the famous Robin Williams quoted, “No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world”.

By Barbara Pesel

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Has online numbed our senses?

IRL, meaning in real life, is an acronym coined by gamers who spend their days in a virtual world. Instead of brushing this three-letter term aside as something only used by middle-aged men and teenagers engaging in computer spats, it could actually reiterate an important, yet often overlooked, lesson.

In this digitally-obsessed age, we must not underestimate the importance of real.

Just like we often ignore our friends by hiding behind the screen of a smart phone, our senses are also feeling neglected. Touch, smell, taste, sight and sound are not used as regularly as they were before the ‘little’ discovery known as the Internet came along.

A moment or emotion is much more powerful when we are able to experience every aspect of it. Freshly-baked bread would not be as tantalising without the smell of it cooking, and cotton sheets would not be as luxurious without the smooth touch.

In order to truly connect with someone, we must make them feel something. Digital should serve to enhance real experiences, not replace them.

A poster developed by the University of Sheffield in England does just that. Its message conveying the importance of air quality is powerful because of the poster’s surprisingly tangible effects. It is coated in titanium dioxide that reacts with sunlight and oxygen to destroy pollution in the air. This poster can remove the pollution of up to 20 cars a day – apt considering it is located next to a busy road.

The poem on the poster is written by award-winning poet, Simon Armitage, who claims it is “a fun collaboration between science and the arts to highlight a very serious issue of poor air quality in our towns and cities”.

The real contribution to the environment makes this poem much more powerful than, say, a virtual like on a Facebook page.

More recently, Pesel & Carr held two focus groups on the topic of shopping online for clothes, as market research for an up-and-coming online fashion retailer. During the sessions, we saw the importance of having a physical presence first-hand.

The term, touch test, was continually mentioned as the participants emphasised the importance of feeling clothes with their own hands to determine the true quality and style. They felt the clothes looked better in person as the high quality and stylistic details were not fully translated through just the photography on the website. When dealing with an unknown brand, caution was also expressed about trusting whether the products would arrive looking as they did on the website. Evidently, it is much more difficult to develop trust in a company over computer screens than in person. 

This highlights the importance of delivering on promises and more importantly, of conveying a human connection through digital means. Relationships can be fostered by interacting with customers on social media, supporting causes that affect the community, having a high standard of customer service and telling the story of the brand’s history and purpose.

The convenience of online search engines and mobile devices has made the internet the first point of call for audiences to connect with brands and vice versa, but does real life offer a more trustworthy opportunity?

At Pesel & Carr, we believe the right combination of the two is crucial to the success of any organisation. Tangible relationships with audiences and stakeholders should be reinforced by an ongoing digital connection so they continue to flourish.

Making sure you have a presence IRL will help make sure you are your audience’s BFF and that they will want to TTYL (that’s best friend forever and talk to you later in cyber-speak).

By Amanda Cirillo

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The Russian invasion, citizen journalism and what this means for PR

Despite recent hype, citizen journalism is not a new phenomenon. Public engagement in the news has been around for almost as long as news itself, however the volume and influence of citizen journalism has amplified dramatically with the increasing accessibility and mobility of new technologies since the 1990s. The internet, smart phones, blogosphere and social media platforms have made it easier than ever for an Average Joe to spread their message across the world with just a few clicks of a button.

In Australia, three quarters of the population aged over 14 years visited social media sites at least once a month in 2013, while 58% used their mobile more regularly than their home phone - and these figures are increasing every year, according to Roy Morgan Research findings (Finding No. 5324 and Finding No. 5077). 

Thanks to technological innovation and more importantly, participation, there have been countless examples of citizen journalism throughout the last decade. Reports covering the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti in January 2010 are viewed as a major breakthrough in revealing the potential of participatory media. Users of Twitter and Facebook used the sites to provide on-the-minute updates on the situation and send pleas for help that, unlike traditional media channels, had the potential to instantly reach a worldwide audience. Mobile monetary donations sent by text message also received unprecedented levels of contributions.

More recently, social media has been used by citizens in Ukraine to let the world know of the Russian invasion last week. The invasion caused an explosion of tweets in the Twitterverse, many of which were accompanied by the user-generated hashtags #RussiaInvadedUkraine and #UkraineUnderAttack. The tweets encouraged mass retweeting and were rapidly filling twitter feeds all over the world, for example, this tweet by Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ukraine, shown below:

Other notable accounts of participatory reporting include the Hudson River Plane crash in 2009 which saw a Twitter user break the news 15 minutes before mainstream media, the Occupy movements starting in Wall Street in 2011 and then spreading internationally, the Egyptian Revolution and the ongoing conflict in Syria both beginning in 2011, the protests in Turkey during 2013 and 2014, and the recent Ferguson demonstrations that have used digital technology to give the community a voice. The following tweet was especially telling; highlighting the blurred lines between professional and citizen journalism in today’s social media age:

Reporters will not always be at a natural disaster, amidst war zones or present at other breaking news events as they occur, however citizens often are. This means we all have the opportunity to break news and provide updates as they happen. Individual tokens of information, such as a 140character tweet, a trending hashtag or a YouTube video, can piece together an overall picture of what is going on.

Citizen journalism, also known as participatory journalism or journalism 2.0, has undoubtedly changed the way that news is gathered and distributed all around the world. Although there is criticism regarding its lack of professionalism or expertise, contribution to information overload, as well as the potential for propaganda, the overall outlook suggests that an increasingly participatory culture creates a more transparent, accessible and democratic press system.

As traditional modes of news reporting are being broken down, there is a consequential impact on the rest of the communications industry; including public relations. 

Public relations practitioners can provide valuable tools to increase cause awareness and advocacy, which often require more than a hashtag and a Facebook ‘like’. Expert media relations can gain greater coverage, while a PR pro’s contacts can attract influential voices in support of a cause.  Stakeholder and government relations help to forge long-lasting relationships and offer the potential for financial contributions through sponsorship and funding. Research, a factor often overlooked by citizens before making a statement, is integral to the PR process and is extremely beneficial to communication. The research and analytics that PR provide can identify audiences and opportunities that are fundamental to a program’s success, or those that could act as possible threats. 

Cartoon by John Cole

However, public relations professionals still need to adapt to the increasing participatory culture of today’s world in order to remain relevant and maximise the industry’s full potential. A stronger focus on encouraging two-way dialogue is crucial to the future of PR. Acting as a boundary-spanner for an organisation, PR people must relay information from an organisation to its publics and just as importantly, provide feedback from publics back to the organisation. 

Traditionally, the public would receive information about an organisation from a journalist’s article, which was informed by a press release coming straight from an organisation’s PR team. Now, every citizen can act as a reporter as their opinions are another source of information that is becoming increasingly credible. These citizens can include customers as well as ex- and current employees. For this reason, a good reputation and culture must start within the organisation to create positive word of mouth that is relayed to the outside world. Public relations workers can no longer just rely on traditional media coverage, as social media offers an accessible and convenient channel to distribute opinions about an organisation to a large global audience. 

New media technologies have made it easier than ever for citizens to actively contribute to news reporting; at times breaking the news before mainstream media even has the chance to assign a journalist to the event. This participatory culture has contributed to a more transparent and up-to-date press system; however, it also has the potential to threaten an organisation’s hard-earned reputation in an unprecedentedly short time frame. Public relations practitioners have the option to either succumb to the challenges of this culture, or embrace participation and engage in a mutually beneficial dialogue for both the organisation and its publics.

by Amanda Cirillo

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Do social companies = smart companies? Make digital work for you

This article was originally written for the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) blog.

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Tumblr, Instagram.  A little over 10 years ago these names were unheard of. Social meant something entirely different and for brands the term engagement meant having a website inquiry button. With communications well entrenched in a digital realm, smart companies know that embracing social media is more than just having an online presence or a Facebook page.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of social network systems (SNS) out there and more are launched every day. Knowing which media to use as a conduit to converse with customers can seem daunting. However, choosing the right platform starts with knowing your brand’s personality and having a consistent voice that has already been embraced by your customers offline.

Extending into social media isn’t about just being part of the ‘in’ thing to do. It’s not a contact format or a chat room. It’s about understanding how it allows your brand to connect with your customers and how they want to find out about you, your products or services.

Making social work begins with choosing the right tools for your brand and integrating them into a wider communications program. It's a program that relies on strategic planning and is based around your target audience and importantly adhering to your corporate messages and ‘personality’. From a 140-character tweet to a 400-word blog post, your online content should be uniquely, identifiably, yours.

Using a consistent voice and developing a unique brand personality, social media gives companies access to enormous potential new 'like-minded' audiences as well as platforms to attract attention and engage on a personal level like never before, returning real results.

Companies thriving on social media are those giving a sense of the company’s ‘personality’ through their content. It could be through the use of a list of key terms and phrases representing your brand and style of communication. It may also be reflected in the online networks and communities you are a part of or you contribute to – such as who you follow on Twitter or whose blog you have commented on or contributed to. Factors such as language and phraseology, key messages, communication style and visual identity (such as logos, profile pictures and colour schemes) help to create a unique ‘voice’ for your brand.

When these aspects are delivered consistently throughout all digital media channels, a company can take ownership of their online content and become recognisable and unique in the crowded social media landscape – converting online engagement into positive consumer sentiment and sentiment into action, delivering bottom-line results. 

But do social companies equal smart companies? Do all smart companies use social media?

Image source.

by Barbara Pesel 

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Social customer service

While many brands are making the move to digital and social media channels, not all of them know how the customer experience translates online. PR Daily reported this week that while “80 percent of companies think they’re crushing it at customer service…only 8 percent of paying customers agree.”

The channel may change and the medium may offer different features, but the basic tenets of customer service remain the same.

Personality and friendliness

When a customer walks into your store or office, what sort of person greets them? A blank-faced receptionist with a monotonic greeting? Or a smiling welcome from an approachable member of your team?

One of the great features of social media is that, if done well, it allows your brand to have a distinct personality that is consistent. Think about the sort of greeting you would give a customer in person, and translate this tone and friendliness online.

While it is important to strike a balance between being approachable and being over-familiar, social media is an immediate and personal way to engage with your customers. You want them to finish their exchange with you feeling positive about it, not feeling like they’ve been snubbed or had a conversation with a robot.

Know your product

Well-informed, understanding and adaptable sales people are vital when dealing with customer enquiries. If a customer walks into your store or showroom, you want to be assured that the sales person that meets them is able to answer their questions, give information about a variety of products and make educated recommendations based on the customer’s needs.

The same need to be informed exists on social media. Studies have shown that many social media users cite researching brands, products and services as one of the reasons they go online. If the people behind your social media accounts are not able to give customers the information they need, those customers will quickly look elsewhere – and that may result in a lost sale.

Word of mouth, multiplied

If someone comes into your store, café, office or showroom and is thrilled with the service, they can become your best advocate. A Nielsen survey in 2013 found that 84% of respondents trust recommendations from people they know, as opposed to between 37% and 68% for various kinds of advertising.

At the same time, this can be your undoing. A negative exchange with a customer can lead to them publicly criticising your brand and discouraging others from visiting.

On social media, the same situation exists – but on a magnified scale. With the ability to instantly reach thousands of people, customers can give their feedback in a much more public – but also somewhat anonymous – setting than they have had in the past.

It is crucial to keep this in mind, because while positive feedback can be a great testimonial for your company, negative feedback can spread further than it otherwise would and can result in serious consequences.

Moving into the online realm does not require a complete reworking of your customer service values. Think about what your customer wants and what is the best way to interact with them, and social media could become your best new marketing tool.

by Alison Coffa