n2n communications

By Stu

Having unfortunately spent most of Friday and parts of the weekend experiencing first-hand the Australian healthcare system due to an infected insect bite, it got me thinking about client service.  Although not perfect, my experience of GP, emergency and outpatient care was a good one.  Here’s four reasons why and how each element relates to what makes excellent client service in the PR world… Read the rest of this post

By Alec

I was fortunate enough to attend the Sydney unveiling of Qantas’ new Boeing 787 Dreamliner the other week.  For a guy who spent his youth taking things apart to see how they worked and has a geeky fascination with all things big and structural, it was a career highlight.

And it actually proved a good example of how to run a solid media and stakeholder event.

At n2n, we run events all the time, from small intimate media briefings to huge stakeholder events with the Prime Minister. But we’re normally on the organiser’s side so the Qantas event gave me a chance to see one from the guest’s perspective.  Below are a couple of observations about what I thought were the positives from the morning. Read the rest of this post

By Stu

Running a competition on social media can be a great way to build brand awareness, attract new fans and generate buzz.  But like any communications activity it’s worth spending time upfront assessing the potential risks with your campaign.  Competitions played out on social media are available for all to comment on, share with friends, and as we’ve seen this week with Qantas and Nissan, open to public criticism.

If you’re thinking about running a competition on social media here’s some brief pointers to keep in mind… Read the rest of this post

By Vicky

You’d have been hard-pressed earlier this month to avoid the hype surrounding this year’s Melbourne Cup.

Titled ‘the race that stops the nation’ it certainly lives up to its name, with the whole of Australia donning their best outfits for what has to be the most talked about three minutes of the year.

As we settled down in our Sydney local for a company lunch, armed with our ‘I-have-definitely-picked-the-winner’ tickets in hands, an interesting conversation started on how working in PR can sometimes be a little like taking part in the world’s biggest horse race. Read the rest of this post

By Vanessa

Effective issues and crisis management relies on simulations and practical scenarios. At n2n, we have regular internal training sessions for our team – and it’s timely that issues and crisis management fell last week.

The escalating industrial relations crisis at Qantas served for a challenging and relevant scenario for our team to tackle as a training exercise. Read the rest of this post

By Stu

Public relations agencies, and in fact all types of organisations, know that internal collaboration is good for business.  It’s how work gets done, plans get made and results get delivered.  Serious stuff.  So serious in fact that media articles this week report BBC bosses have banned employees from keeping bins at their desks because it makes staff territorial and stops them from mixing with other people in the office.

Necessary measure to increase workplace collaboration or a load of rubbish?  Whatever you think, the BBC’s policy on bins goes to show the steps businesses are taking to foster a collaborative working environment.

Surely though, there’s more to it than moving office furniture around? Read the rest of this post

By Stu

The sad passing of Steve Jobs sent shockwaves across the tech industry yesterday, leading many of us to reflect on the significant contribution he’s made to technology and innovation.  But aside from the products we’re all familiar with the news also reminds us, it’s people that matter.

Read the rest of this post

By Liz

In the past two years I’ve seen more transformation in the PR sector than I have in my entire 10 years of working in the industry.

Today, the PR toolkit is expanding faster than ever with digital, social media, event management, analyst, government and community relations now all important elements of the services we offer to clients.  Add to this the ever-changing media landscape and it’s no wonder we’re busy.  Not only are we required to help our clients keep up to speed with changes but at the same time navigate brands through an increasingly complex communications environment. Read the rest of this post

By Vanessa

A story this week in Mumbrella incited some passionate debate in our industry about metrics in public relations.

This is an age old debate in our profession.

Whenever measurement comes up in PR – it invariably focuses on media results. How much media coverage was achieved, audience reach, key message penetration and how it was published are some of the metrics commonly discussed and used. Read the rest of this post