http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/ Ocean Wave Communications en-us Copyright 2012 Ocean Wave Communications http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=0&y=00 Ocean Wave Communications http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=0&y=00 Ocean Wave Communications Welcome to Ocean Wave’s web site and first blog. Launching a new business is a real roller-coaster experience. The current financial meltdown has added an extra twist to the experience. Hard times are always accompanied by worthy articles about why now is not the time to cut back on investment in PR and marketing. This may be true, but PR and communication professionals do need to think clearly about justifying spend and demonstrating their value to business goals. It is a good time though, for organisations to reconsider narratives and key messages for concerned and cash-struck customers. What reassures and persuades people to invest in products and change behaviour in good times won’t do when homes and livelihoods are at risk. Ocean Wave recommends that organisations go back to basics. People need re-assurance that the essentials in life are being looked after. That councils will keep the streets clean and dustbins emptied, that supermarkets can still offer good prices on basic foods and that 007 can still save the world (if not the global finance system). Think clearly about what guarantees you can provide about the quality and continuity of products and services. Make sure people know what they can rely on in an unreliable world. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=10&y=08 Ocean Wave Communications Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT In 2009 it was my privilege to once again oversee the Awards for Bridging Cultures (ABCs), as Creative Director. Now in its second year, the ABCs have become established as a key platform to promote grass roots activity to build trust and respect between people from different cultures. The quality of submissions was again impressive, especially the range and creativity of projects. Most of these are developed by individuals or groups of people who have taken the initiative to bring people together to improve local communities. And this has had real impact with better relationships between local communities matched by falling crime levels, reductions in anti-social behaviour and increased tolerance and respect. We were particularly pleased to see more projects submitted from Northern Ireland, which has its own unique challenges in building understanding and respect between different cultures. The basic premise underlying all projects is that when you bring people together and support effective dialogue and communications between them, bridges are soon built and tolerance and respect flourish. The 2010 ABCs launch in March. Visit www.bridgingcultures.org.uk for more information. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=1&y=10 Ocean Wave Communications Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT I am a firm believer in plain English. It helps people to quickly get the information they need. Plain English should not prevent creativity or mean that everything is written in monosyllables. It does mean avoiding jargon, where possible. The terms ‘product’ and ‘offering’ have become widely used and abused terms. Previously the jargon of marketing executives, they seem to have become a short hand description for a variety of different things. I read in a paper only this week of an actor’s “big screen offerings” by which I assume the writer meant films or movies. A while ago, the Guardian Saturday listings frequently referred to products and offerings, when in fact it meant programmes, films or documentaries. I worked for a while for an organisation that routinely called everything they did “the product” or the “offering”. A lot of the time this referred to some vague idea, which had yet to evolve into a new service or activity. These terms may not necessarily fall foul of plain English guidance. But they are lazy English. Call a spade a spade is what I say! http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=11&y=08 Ocean Wave Communications Fri, 7 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT David Meerman Scott’s excellent book “The new rules of Marketing & PR” (visit http://www.davidmeermanscott.com/ for more information) is critical of the public relations industry. He accuses American PROs of being over reliant on the media and expensive advertising to get organisations’ messages across. The premise of the book is that the ‘new’ rules of PR are about communicating with customers about things that matter to them through on-line channels. Ocean Wave Communications has always advocated consideration of a broad range of channels to communicate with target audiences. Starting from the customer / audience point of view, we work out which channels they will feel most comfortable with. We identify channels that give our clients and their services authenticity and credibility and look to build long term, sustainable ways of engaging with current and potential customers and service users. Measuring impact through printed column inches has never seemed a creative or intelligent way of demonstrating the benefits of public relations and communications activity. Sadly, this over-reliance on traditional PR techniques is not just an American problem. I am frequently surprised at how often I speak to clients who have been poorly advised about the need to focus on media relations and then wonder why they are failing to get their message across. Anthony Hilton, City Commentator on London’s Evening Standard highlights similar issues in a recent article (www.prweek.com). If you are thinking of getting PR / communications support and want a company that will provide intelligent and creative solutions to get your message across to your audiences, then Ocean Wave is right for you. We don’t rely on ‘traditional’ methods or the easiest, lowest cost (to ourselves) ways of reaching out. We will identify the channels that can have most impact in supporting delivery of your business goals. And that means putting the customer or service users’ point of view first. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=6&y=09 Ocean Wave Communications Mon, 1 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT When out business networking, I regularly ask people, often in relatively senior positions, what they would do if a disaster struck their business. In most cases, the answer is “call head office”, “I’m sure someone has responsibility for that but I am not sure who”; and “I think that is Bill Risk’s responsibility. I would probably call him.” But in fact many risks to organisational effectiveness are created by individual employees, such as loss of data or damage to reputation. Merna and Al Thani in their excellent book ‘Corporate Risk Management’ (2008) state that: “The worrying fact for senior managers of all types of companies is that the potential for corporate disaster on a large scale is growing at an alarming rate, and, worse still, the spectre of corporate Armageddon is growing at a faster rate than the ability of most organisations to cope. History shows that corporate vulnerability is mainly due to human error.” The recent investigation into the BP oil spill highlighted that it was a series of individual decisions that led to catastrophic failure, rather than a break down of process and procedures. (See http://www.youroilandgasnews.com/investigation+panel+concludes+massive+bp+oil+spill+could+happen+again_58091.html) In a recent Spectator article ‘China’s spy network’ (4th December 2010, http://www.spectator.co.uk/), Fraser Nelson (2010) highlights two recent examples of poor individual decisions resulting in significant organisational risk. He writes: “Almost exactly two years ago, an American army officer found a memory stick in a car park in the Middle East and, out of curiosity, inserted it into his military laptop…Instantly, a malicious software code uploaded onto the US Central Command military computer network and embedded itself in the system. And there it lay undetected for weeks, able to send back all manner of classified information.” And… “When Gordon Brown visited China two years ago, one of his advisers was approached by a local girl in a Shanghai disco and he took her back to his hotel room. When he woke up, the bird had flown – and had taken his blackberry with her, with all its various contact information. He was told that he had succumbed to a classic Chinese honey trap.” The key thrust of Fraser’s article was that the UK and western economies are losing a cyber battle with the Chinese and that all organisations are at risk as a consequence. This may be true. But in these two cases it was the failure of two highly trusted people to apply common sense that allowed the risk to have organisational impact. This demonstrates that, as well as creating a culture of risk management, organisations should increasingly consider the incentives and disincentives they can use to focus employee, contractor and partner attention on their role and responsibilities and the benefits and dis-benefits to them of breaches in risk management. Creative approaches to employee engagement on risk management are as critical as having effective processes and procedures in place. If you want advice or support on the role of employee engagement and internal communications in supporting effective organisational risk management, contact Ocean Wave Communications Ltd. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=1&y=11 Ocean Wave Communications Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Ocean Wave Communications Ltd has helped Holland, Hahn & Wills to raise its profile and consolidate its reputation. Advice on a range of PR issues is always timely and closely tailored to our business goals. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/portfolio.php Ocean Wave Communications Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:16:59 GMT The media skills training offered by Jennifer Tankard, not only gave us the opportunity to explore how to put our messages out there but put the training into action immediately with on the spot recorded interview sessions. This helped us to test out our newly acquired techniques, to critique them and improve our delivery. It was an invaluable experience which has stood me in good stead ever since. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/portfolio.php Ocean Wave Communications Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:17:26 GMT In 2008, working on behalf of the Institute of Community Cohesion (www.cohesioninstitute.org.uk), we started work on developing and delivering a new awards scheme to run across the UK. The Awards for Bridging Cultures (ABCs) was funded for 3 years. It celebrated the work of grassroots organisations in promoting intercultural dialogue. With responsibility for design, delivery, marketing and PR, we were able to run a hugely successful scheme that helped to raise the profile of many small organisations. It also had real impact in raising awareness of the role intercultural dialogue can play in bringing communities together to tackle local issues. Visit http://www.bridgingcultures.org.uk http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/case_study.php?id=8 Ocean Wave Communications Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:32:32 GMT In 2009, Ocean Wave Communications was appointed to provide ongoing public relations advice and support to financial services company, Holland Hahn & Wills. Changes to branding were followed by improved communications to existing and potential clients. Media support resulted in an interview in the Sunday Independent. Commenting on our work, HHW said: "Ocean Wave Communications Ltd has helped Holland, Hahn & Wills to raise its profile and consolidate its reputation. Advice on a range of PR issues is always timely and closely tailored to our business goals." http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/case_study.php?id=9 Ocean Wave Communications Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:40:59 GMT In 2010, on behalf of iCoCo (www.cohesioninstitute.org.uk), Ocean Wave was asked to research and develop an evaluative framework to measure the impact of the Northern Ireland based Unite against Hate campaign. We looked closely at project goals, available quantitive and qualitative date and evaluation approaches of comparable campaigns. These were pulled together into an evaluation framework that was cost effective due to use of existing or easily obtainable data sources and highlighted good practice elsewhere. We ensured that implementation of the framework was proportionate to available resources. Measuring the impact of social marketing campaigns such as Unite against Hate can be difficult and this can then make it harder to access funding. The evaluative framework we developed will place the campaign in a stronger position to raise funds and use promotional channels that have the most impact. For more information about Unite against Hate visit: http://www.uniteagainsthate.org.uk http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/portfolio.php Ocean Wave Communications Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:33:31 GMT In 2008 Ocean Wave delivered communication reviews for two organisations which resulted in significant improvements in communications activity and impact. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/portfolio.php Ocean Wave Communications Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:34:07 GMT Reputation management is critical to organisational success. But perceptions about an organisation can be hard to understand. In 2010, a client had some quantitive data that implied low levels of organisational trust. But they struggled to address this as they had little clarity about the key reasons for these low levels of trust. Ocean Wave set up a series of focus groups that explored the quantitive data, gaining a much clearer insight into issues of dissatisfaction. A report for the client highlighted measures the client could take to tackle these issues and promote a more positive reputation. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/portfolio.php Ocean Wave Communications Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:43:40 GMT In 2010 it is my privilege, once again, to oversee the Awards for Bridging Cultures (ABCs), as Creative Director. Now in its’ third year, the ABCs have become established as a key platform to promote grass roots activity to build trust and respect between people from different cultures. Visit http://www.bridgingcultures.org.uk for more information. The quality of submissions this year was again impressive, especially the range and creativity of projects. Most of these are developed by individuals or groups of people who have taken the initiative to bring people together to improve local communities. And this has had real impact with better relationships between local communities matched by falling crime levels, reductions in anti-social behaviour and increased tolerance and respect. The basic premise underlying all projects is that when you bring people together and support effective dialogue and communications between them, bridges are soon built and tolerance and respect flourish. A learning event and awards ceremony in London in December will showcase the fantastic work that goes on to promote intercultural dialogue across the UK. Ocean Wave Communications Ltd is now working hard to make sure the event is a fantastic success. The ABCs is funded by the Baring Foundation http://www.baringfoundation.org.uk/. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=11&y=10 Ocean Wave Communications Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT I was recently invited to become a Trustee of Sea-changers, a new charity raising funds for marine conservation work by encouraging those that use the oceans for leisure purposes to contribute financially to its preservation. I was delighted to get involved and add expertise on brand development and reputation management. As founders and trustees were setting up Sea-changers, Channel 4 was showing The Big Fish Fight. http://www.channel4.com/4food/the-big-fish-fight. This programme highlighted the problem of over-fishing of oceans around the world, encouraged consumers to shop responsibly for fish and raised awareness of the issue of fish discards. It was hugely successful in getting the EU to change its policy on fish quotas, which are responsible for the high level of discard. It also significantly raised awareness of the problems of declining fish-stocks. But the, presumably, unintended consequence was the increase in demand for all types of fish amongst consumers, keen to try out the recipes highlighted on the show. A frequent question I get asked by clients is whether and how you can predict people’s reaction to campaigns or public relations activity. Even with huge amounts of consumer testing, this is difficult. For small businesses this isn’t always possible within the confines of tight budgets. Thinking through messaging, narratives and calls to action are critical. Testing these out on friends, colleagues and trusted clients can give you useful insights. Creating space between campaign development and launch can give time to think through all the possible outcomes and consequences of any activity. But still always be prepared for the unexpected and build in the flexibility to react. For more information about Sea-changers, visit: http://www.sea-changers.org.uk/index.html http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=2&y=11 Ocean Wave Communications Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT For industries such as public relations, demonstrating that organizations are getting real benefits from the investment made, is always difficult. It is hard to measure what influences peoples’ decisions. I have recently run some focus groups, which discussed a range of issues, including community safety. Participants were adamant that their views of local policing and crime were shaped by individual experience not media reporting of crime. So does that mean money spent by police and councils on promoting ‘safer neighbourhoods’ a waste of time? Not necessarily. But it does reinforce the evidence that good public relations cannot paper over shoddy service delivery. This makes it even more important that PR professionals do evaluate the work they do, to show what impact they are having and how it supports the achievement of broader business goals. The launch of a new global standard for PR measurement, reported by PR Week (www.prweek.com) provides much needed guidance for the industry on how to evaluate. The ‘Barcelona Declaration of Research Principles’ also rejects Advertising Value Equivalent (AVEs) as a way of measuring media management. Something I have long argued against. The global standard sets out seven key principles of good evaluation. These principles provide a useful framework for any PR practitioner wishing to prove that they do make a difference, or organisation wanting re-assurance that PR spend is really adding value to the business. For more information and to view the principles visit: http://www.cipr.co.uk/content/news-opinion/presidents-blog/4912/barcelona-principles-the-end-of-ave- These principles are also set out on this site. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=6&y=10 Ocean Wave Communications Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT Good internal communications are critical to organisational success. There is a huge amount of research to support this. And engaging with employees about difficult decisions and through difficult times is as important as sharing all the good news stuff with them. But too many organisations focus on the good news, the employee awards scheme and staff suggestion boxes and move rapidly into the bunker when difficulties arise. No one likes to have the difficult discussions about restructuring, job losses and potential pay cuts. But in my experience of managing internal communications and employee engagement, without the honest discussions in difficult times, the good news / morale boosting initiatives quickly lose credibility. Everyone knows that when times are tough, people like to see clear direction and good leadership and have the opportunity to consider what the implications and options are for their own personal situation. This doesn’t avoid creating stress and uncertainty for people but it gives them more control over managing their future. A recent YouGov survey, commissioned by financial comms agency FD and highlighted in PRWeek (www.prweek.com), showed that only 15% of respondents felt that their employer had communicated news about job security ‘very well’. 37% said the communication had been poor or non-existent. As usual for surveys on internal communications, the grapevine and rumour mill was seen as a more trustworthy source of news than official channels of communication. None of this is news. But it seems no matter how many similar surveys are published or how many successful companies highlight effective employee engagement and internal communications as key to success, many more organisations choose to ignore the evidence. Difficult times demand more effective leadership. Effective leadership is built on honesty and integrity not hiding in the bunker. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=6&y=09 Ocean Wave Communications Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT Ocean Wave Communications Ltd regularly gets asked to advise on how and whether to use social media as part of reputation management. While social media is increasingly seen as a ‘must-have’ element of reputation management, clients are not always sure of the benefits or ROI. Social media is often portrayed as a low cost, high impact channel of consumer engagement and communications by its many fans. In 2007, Which? released ‘Working for yourself’, highlighting the value of social networking sites for creating business opportunities. http://www.which.co.uk/about-which/press/press-releases/product-press-releases/which-books/2007/09/social-networking-sites-good-for-small-business/ But there are real costs in terms of the time involved both in promoting business through different social media platforms; monitoring and responding to positive engagement and comment; and monitoring negative comment on the business and industry issues. Accenture’s very good report ‘Social CRM: the new frontier’ (available at http://www.accenture.com/us-en/Pages/insight-social-customer-relationship-sales-marketing.aspx) highlights the opportunities and risks of using social media. It recommends companies should develop a social CRM strategy to support a focused approach to social media use. But that still doesn’t help answer whether time invested offers good ROI. This is a critical issue for SMEs, often hard-pressed to stay on top of the more basic tools of public relations. The Financial Times highlights this very real dilemma (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/240f19d4-5afc-11e0-a290-00144feab49a.html#axzz1IXUqpSPL). It quotes research by The World Federation of Advertisers (http://www.wfanet.org/en) that found that few respondees to a survey knew why they were using social media and half were unsure of the returns. It is critical that if you have or are about to jump into the social media pond, make sure you have a strategy that is integrated with a wider reputation management strategy. This strategy should create clarity both about business goals and expectations in using social media and a realistic assessment about the balance between investment and return. For more information, help or advice get in touch. We are always happy to help. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=4&y=11 Ocean Wave Communications Mon, 4 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT March 2009 saw the launch of the second year of the Awards for Bridging Cultures (ABCs, www.bridgingcultures.org.uk). Funded by the Baring Foundation (www.baringfoundation.org.uk) and delivered by the Institute of Community Cohesion (www.cohesioninstitute.org.uk), the ABCs identify and celebrate projects that make a real contribution to building bridges between communities and cultures. As Creative Director for the ABCs, I designed and manage delivery of the ABCs. This is a challenge as the funding for the awards is geared towards prize giving and a learning event at the end of the year, rather than development and support and rightly so. But it is also a pleasure as I have detailed involvement in every aspect of the ABCs. As well as managing the 2009 launch, I am currently going through 2008 applications to look at what underpins the success of those projects that have real impact. The aim is to share this knowledge with community and voluntary groups across the UK so they can benefit when developing their own projects. What was clear from the 2008 applications is the amazing amount of good work underway across the UK to bring different communities and cultures together to build respect and understanding. Many of the projects are run entirely by volunteers on tiny budgets and were created by one or two people with vision and commitment. If you have a project that could be eligible for an ABC, visit www.bridgingcultures.org.uk for more information. The deadline for applications is Monday 14th September 2009. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=5&y=09 Ocean Wave Communications Mon, 4 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT In 2007, Ocean Wave worked with a local authority to develop a strategy and campaign to promote a better image of the town and local area. The strategy and campaign created clear focus and direction, helping to deliver key business goals. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/portfolio.php Ocean Wave Communications Mon, 6 Oct 2008 11:30:08 GMT http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/portfolio.php Ocean Wave Communications Mon, 6 Oct 2008 11:31:38 GMT In 2007, Ocean Wave supported the launch of the Institute of Community Cohesion, iCoCo (www.cohesioninstitute.org.uk). This included managing bids for interviews from the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme and Radio 5 Live, and securing interviews with national print media. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/portfolio.php Ocean Wave Communications Mon, 6 Oct 2008 11:33:58 GMT 2009 marks the 25th anniversary of the introduction of PowerPoint. Like Marmite most people love it or hate it. Unlike marmite, for anyone in management, working in an office environment or in public relations there is no escape. I remember at one seminar I attended, not only did the speaker read out the slides, he did so with his back to the audience. No surprise that I can’t remember any of the subject matter that day. When I am working with clients on presentation skills, I always try and encourage them to move towards speaking with as few prompts as possible. But for many people it is too nerve-wracking. For some subjects, such as detailed financial issues it is not appropriate. And my experience is that audiences like to have slides or a hard copy speech to take away. The BBC on-line magazine has helpfully published an article by Max Atkinson on successful use of PowerPoint. You can read this at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8207849.stm. The thing to remember is that public speaking is about engaging with your audience. And most audiences are made up of people with limited attention spans. Keep it sharp, keep it simple and keep the slides for illustration. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=9&y=09 Ocean Wave Communications Mon, 7 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT This morning I picked up "Everybody's Book of Politics". It is unclear what year it was published (isn't that annoying, when people do not clearly date things?) but judging from the content, I would guess the 1930's. The preface starts by saying "Its a strange world we live in today - a world racked by depression and tortured by wars and rumours of wars;.......At home, there is uneasiness and dissatisfaction with the poverty and sickness, pain, unhappiness and unemployment that afflict so many." I am not, in any way, implying that the current financial morass and uncertainty we face in 2009 is similar to the crises faced in the 1930's. Nevertheless many people think we are in bleak and uncertain times. Not all is doom and gloom though. I have been looking through the February edition of .net, the excellent magazine about web development and design. The creative talent around and speed of technological change are truely impressive. The opportunities for public relations and comunications to reach people through technology are immense. But balancing technological wizardry with creativity is essential to reach people and engage their interest. This is where public relations professionals can add real value, in understanding audiences and getting the best from creative design and technology to reach people in new ways. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=1&y=09 Ocean Wave Communications Sun, 11 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT In 2008, Ocean Wave Communications Ltd, was appointed to improve public relations activity at a unitary council. This followed a strategic communications review of the Council that highlighted three key areas for improvement: Brand fragmentation PR activity co-ordination Political oversight of PR activity. Over six months, Ocean Wave worked with PR professionals, other officers, elected councillors and key local partners to improve these areas. Building a clear consensus about what needed to change and how that change should happen ensured wide spread support for new approaches. At the end of six months, real change was seen in the three key areas: The Council had moved from over 30 sub-brands to one brand, applied consistently across the Council Regular cross departmental meetings and new planning systems helped to improve co-ordination of PR activity Elected councillors had clearer lines of involvement with public relations activity and more confidence that PR activity investment was wisely spent. "Ocean Wave provided us with high quality advice throughout a challenging review of our communications. This contribution has given clear shape to our strategic direction, combined with a refreshingly straightforward approach to implementation" Director, unitary council. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/case_study.php?id=4 Ocean Wave Communications Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:20:40 GMT In 2009, Ocean Wave Ltd was approached by a creative industry start-up business. OurBlink.com was looking for brand development work, media and social marketing support to get ahead in competitive market. Working with company owners, Ocean Wave Ltd gave advice and support suggesting new approaches and creative solutions to launch the new product and promote it to target audiences. Mike Spurgeon, co founder OurBlink.com, said: "Ocean Wave Communications provided valuable insights that helped us focus our market positioning and several cracking creative PR ideas to really deliver brand awareness." Visit: http://MindFont.com for more creative industry start up information. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/case_study.php?id=5 Ocean Wave Communications Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:33:41 GMT At Ocean Wave Communications Ltd we are often asked to support clients with a specific problem: A crisis to sort out, a newsletter that needs writing, or managing the media on a contentious issue. We are always happy to help. But generally public relations works best when integrated campaigning is used, promoting a consistent message through a wide range of channels to persuade target audiences to buy the product or service, change behaviour, or develop trust in the brand. MarketingWeek’s best campaigns of 2010 highlight the impact of creative, consistent approaches in promoting key brands during a recession, http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/analysis/the-best-campaigns-of-2010?/3021989.article. But even the best names can get it wrong, with McDonald’s and Calvin Klein amongst those that have had to pull campaigns that damaged their image. Political campaigns can just as easily impress or misfire. Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign was possibly one of the best American political campaigns ever. At the time the USA was fighting two wars and a recession. But his campaign remained focused and stayed on-message. In the UK the recent ‘yes to AV’ and ‘no to AV’ campaigns were disastrous. They failed to get a clear message across and reverted to trading personal insults. The ‘no to AV’ campaign claimed victory with a decisive majority of votes and many commentators interpreted it as a vote of no confidence in the Leader of the Liberal Democrat party and chief cheerleader for the ‘yes to AV’ campaign. But this seems a simplistic analysis. Speaking to voters on election day, I just got a real sense of annoyance amongst voters, who repeatedly said things like “they only ask us for views on things that matter to them not on things that matter to us.” They didn’t think the current voting system was broken and there were no clear messages about why it needed fixing. There was a real sense of disconnect between what the politicians were talking about and what people wanted to hear. The best consumer and political campaigns focus on clarity, consistency, repetition and close alignment to customer / voter needs and concerns. The worst do none of these things. If you want some help to improve your organisation’s reputation through effective integrated public relations, contact us. We are always happy to help. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=5&y=11 Ocean Wave Communications Thu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT Public relations and good communications have a key role to play in reputation management. Research based on public sector performance shows that producing high quality newsletters and good media management can have real impact on people’s satisfaction. But spin will only get you so far. It certainly won’t make up for poor service. My own recent experience proves the point. I bought a car from a flash garage with glossy literature, chrome and metal interiors and smooth salesmen. It looked the part, as did the car. When the brakes failed hundreds of miles away from home, I had no choice but to go to a scruffy back street garage. No glossy brochures and the only slick think in sight was engine oil. But the lads in the garage were as good as gold and did a top job in sorting the car out and making sure I got home safely. The message for PR practitioners is that you need to use what influence you have to drive service improvement and remind those in charge that PR can only do so much. The message for all of us is always look beyond the hype and check that the spin is matched by the substance. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=11&y=09 Ocean Wave Communications Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT This week (17th May 2010) saw the new Prime Minister launching the details of his ‘big society’ ideas. http://www.conservatives.com/News/News_stories/2010/05/Plans_for_building_the_Big_Society_launched.aspx Cameron may well have wished that the Conservative Party had fleshed out the concept and proposals behind the Big Society at the start of the election campaign. But the fact that he has re-stated a commitment to community empowerment so early on after taking office, confirms that effective empowerment and engagement is here to stay. The Conservative Party (www.conservatives.com) states that: “The new proposals aim to create a climate that empowers local people and communities, building a big society that will “take power away from politicians and give it to people.” Many organisations (although not enough) already take effective empowerment and engagement seriously. But many others now need to stop going through the motions and start to seriously plan for a new era of customer, consumer and user involvement and the increased transparency that comes with that. The Consultation Institute (www.consultationinstitute.org) is a good starting point for any organisation looking to improve their track record in this area. The excellent new book ‘The art of consultation’ by TCI founding members, Rhion Jones and Elizabeth Gammell gives practical steps on effective engagement. Ocean Wave Communications has extensive experience of delivering effective engagement and involvement activities around difficult issues. Thinking long term about how engagement and involvement can support business goals is key. So if you haven’t already, start thinking about the big society now and contact us to discuss what it could mean for you. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=5&y=10 Ocean Wave Communications Thu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT Recent commissions include writing articles for print media and reviewing and editing several publications. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/portfolio.php Ocean Wave Communications Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:07:12 GMT In 2008, Jennifer Tankard and Davy Jones delivered a series of seminars across England on community engagement, on behalf of The Consultation Institute (www.consultationinstitute.org). These enlightening seminars were well attended and received high satisfaction ratings from delegates. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/portfolio.php Ocean Wave Communications Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:07:34 GMT It was a pleasure to work with Jennifer Tankard. She understood our communications requirements immediately and devised proposals that were both innovative and practical. As a result we have seen marked improvements in our brand awareness and cohesiveness in our corporate communications http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/portfolio.php Ocean Wave Communications Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:35:47 GMT Jennifer has worked closely with me over a number of years and always comes up with creative but practical solutions which are based on her wide-ranging experience http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/portfolio.php Ocean Wave Communications Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:36:24 GMT If BP thought that releasing a detailed report of the investigation into the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico would put the bad publicity caused by the spill behind them, they were wrong. Headlines covering the report included “BP spreads blame over oil spill” (BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11225623); “BP tries to spread blame for gulf spill” (Financial Times www.ft.com) and “BP … points the blame at oil contractors” (Mail Online UK http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1310095/BP-admits-failures-Gulf-Mexico-oil-spill-points-finger-contractors.html). While BP shares rallied at the publication of the report, media opinion, which significantly influences public opinion, blew a clear raspberry. The report (available at http://www.bp.com) focuses on the technical failings leading up to the explosion and consequent oil spill. It states that: “The (BP investigating) team did not identify any single action or inaction that caused this accident. Rather, a complex and interlinked series of mechanical failures, human judgments, engineering design, operational implementation and team interfaces came together to allow the initiation and escalation of the accident. Multiple companies, work teams and circumstances were involved over time.” It also says: “At times, the evidence available to the investigation team was contradictory, unclear or uncorroborated. … In evaluating the information available to it, the investigation team used its best judgment but recognizes that others could reach different conclusions or ascribe different weight to particular information.” Both these statements are relevant to most crisis situations. There is rarely one single action or person that can be blamed for a significant organisational failure. And in trying to analyse what went wrong and to learn the lessons for future risk management, there will be as many different views about the situation as there are people to ask. This makes managing communications, especially managing the media, extremely difficult. The two questions everyone will want rapid answers to are: “What went wrong?” and “Who is to blame?”. Answers needed in ten word sentences, preferably written in monosyllables, provided within hours of the event. Everyone you speak to about the BP oil spill has a comment to make on how badly the Company has managed its publicity. Step back a few months and everyone was saying the same about Toyota. A few months before that, it was Eurostar. And before that, BAA with its Terminal 5 fiasco. If these huge corporates with access to the best public relations and reputation management advice in the world can get it so wrong, how can any other organisation get it right? Like most aspects of effective crisis and disaster management, it is crucial to plan in advance and have well thought through public relations / reputation management strategies in place. A simple ‘who, what, where, how, why?’ approach should give a good starting point to planning: Who will act as spokesperson in event of the crisis? Do they have the leadership skills and are they a confident communicator? What is the message? Is it clear, consistent and credible? Where should the message be delivered from? Certainly not from a swanky office in the City if the disaster has affected a rural village, for example. How will you deliver the message? Which channels of communication are most suited to reach targets audiences? Why wasn’t the problem prevented? Of course, you should address that within your messages but it will be the first thing everyone asks, so keep it top of mind. Planning your public relations response and embedding it within your crisis management plans shouldn’t take that long or require too great an investment of resources. Failure to do so could result in reputational collapse and business failure. It’s not a risk worth taking. This article was written for Disasternet - http://www.disasternet.co.uk http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=9&y=10 Ocean Wave Communications Thu, 9 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Last week I went to see the excellent 'Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition' at the Natural History Museum (www.nhm.ac.uk). I was impressed not only with the incredible photographs on show but also the explanations of how the images were captured. In many instances, photographers had waited days if not weeks to get that one, potentially, iconic image. And this was often in extreme conditions of harsh environments and minimal comforts. I believe that truly creative work does require time and space. Many people will claim that they do all their best work when they are under pressure and working to tight deadlines. It's true that high pressured environments can help people meet multiple deadlines with work that is acceptable. Whether it is creative is another matter. As we enter a recession, calling for people to take more time to do fewer things more creatively is unlikely to win many fans. But for those people who suddenly find that they have extra hours on their hands, it is perhaps a time to slow down and put creative energy to good use. In London, especially, we are proud of our creative industries. Many see them as the engine of future economic growth. But to realise this may well require a new approach to the culture of work and rewards for success. So, if you do have a few spare hours, you may find your creativity nurtured by the Natural History Museum. It won't happen by being chained to your desk. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=2&y=09 Ocean Wave Communications Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT In 2008 community empowerment and engagement was the buzzword across local and central government. Political parties were competing to demonstrate their commitment to citizen power and community involvement in local decision making. It was expected that local authorities would take the lead in facilitating and supporting this engagement, based on their long history of doing just that. But how to make sense of new rights for petitioners, a new duty to promote local democracy and new arrangements for engagement on health issues amongst a range of other initiatives? On behalf of the IDeA (www.idea.gov.uk) and The Consultation Institute (www.consultationinstitute.org), Ocean Wave Ltd together with Davy Jones Consulting (www.davyjonesconsultancy.co.uk) developed a series of seminars about community engagement. Aimed at practitioners and managers in the public and private sector, these seminars gave participants the tools they needed to make sense of the agenda and start to deliver it back at base. Our role was to research the policy and legislative landscape and bring that together with central government initiatives on engagement, both planned and already launched. This was turned into a one day seminar that gave participants an in-depth understanding of the issues and practical steps to implement the agenda back in the workplace. This resulted in ten fully booked seminars across England with excellent feedback and high satisfaction ratings from participants. For more information about community engagement and consultation training and seminars visit www.consultationinstitute.org http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/case_study.php?id=3 Ocean Wave Communications Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:48:45 GMT Businesses and organisations are rapidly jumping on the bandwagon of social media to build their brands and reach new customers and users. A new report by Accenture ‘Social Networks: Enabling the Marketing of Me’ available at: http://www.accenture.com/Global/Services/Accenture_Technology_Labs/R_and_I/Social-Networks-Market-of-Me.htm shows the huge potential of social media as a marketing tool. But what is social media? We are all familiar with the term and identify it with those channels we use most often – Face book and LinkedIn for many of us. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media, states that: ‘Social media are media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Social media use web-based technologies to transform and broadcast media monologues into social media dialogues. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content." ‘ (Taken from Kaplan and Haenlein’s article at: http://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/bushor/v53y2010i1p59-68.html#download). But like any channel of communication or engagement, businesses need to think through whether its use is appropriate to reaching the target audience and achieving a clear business goal. The Guardian has reported, today (3rd August 2010), that the new UK Government’s first attempt at crowdsourcing may have reached a target audience but failed to achieve a business goal of demonstrating a willingness to listen and engage. 9,500 people responded to a request for suggestions of changes to Government policy. Not one policy was amended as a result. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/02/coalition-crowdsourcing-results-unheeded-whitehall Although businesses such as the New York based SeeClickFix - http://www.seeclickfix.com is an example of how to usefully channel audience participation. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/jun/01/crowdsourcing-internet. If you are thinking of using social media for any aspect of your business, do think about the following: • What is the target audience and what is the business goal? Don’t ask for views if you have no intention of taking any notice of them. • What resources have you allocated to managing the social media channel? If your face book site or crowdsourcing activity get hijacked by competitors or disgruntled consumers can you rebut or remove unfair or false comments? • Do see it as an opportunity but build it into a strategic approach to engaging and communicating with customers with clarity about how you can use it to achieve business goals, rather than to show that you are on the latest bandwagon. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=8&y=10 Ocean Wave Communications Tue, 3 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT Ocean Wave Communications Ltd recently advised Allabouttea on developing a communications approach as part of a wider risk management strategy. In an ideal world, the company will continue to grow and prosper. But faced with the potential for flooding in the local area and other potential disruptions to supply and distribution, it was decided to get plans in case, should the worse happen. The company was advised on a range of issues, from supplier through to employee communications and media management. This should help to ensure that a crisis doesn't become a disaster. Managing Director, Andrew Gadsden, said: "Ocean Wave Ltd provided clear, actionable advice about risk management and business continuity. Jennifer Tankard was professional, punctual and efficient. She immediately understood our priorities and her advice was intelligent and practical. I am glad that we decided to ask her to come and see us. Most companies go out of business when they experience a fire, flood or other catastrophic event. Jennifer's analysis and advice has taken another worry from us because now we feel better prepared for these misfortunes." http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/case_study.php?id=7 Ocean Wave Communications Tue, 8 Feb 2011 13:45:33 GMT Ocean Wave Ltd provided clear, actionable advice about risk management and business continuity. Jennifer Tankard was professional, punctual and efficient. She immediately understood our priorities and her advice was intelligent and practical. I am glad that we decided to ask her to come and see us. Most companies go out of business when they experience a fire, flood or other catastrophic event. Jennifer's analysis and advice has taken another worry from us because now we feel better prepared for these misfortunes. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/portfolio.php Ocean Wave Communications Tue, 8 Feb 2011 13:47:19 GMT Ocean Wave Ltd provided us with high quality advice throughout a challenging review of our communications. This contribution has given clear shape to our strategic direction, combined with a refreshingly straightforward approach to implementation http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/portfolio.php Ocean Wave Communications Tue, 8 Feb 2011 13:47:58 GMT This month I was delighted to become an Associate of The Consultation Institute (www.consultationinstitute.org). The Consultation Institute promotes the highest standards of public, stakeholder and employee consultation by initiating research, publications and specialist training in order to disseminate best practice and improve subsequent decision making. Last year on behalf of The Consultation Institute and the IDeA (www.idea.gov.uk) I delivered a series of regional seminars and training events on Comprehensive Engagement Strategies. These looked at how the public sector could join up their consultation and engagement work to save money while having more effective engagement with stakeholders and communities. This is especially important given the number of recent Government initiatives to encourage the public sector to consult and engage. The recent, successful, challenge by Greenpeace to the Government’s consultation on new nuclear power stations shows why it is important to consult properly or face the potentially costly consequences. All three mainstream political parties are committed, at least on paper, to better consultation and engagement on public service delivery and decisions on local issues. The Consultation Institute’s focus on effective consultation is absolutely relevant to all professionals who accept that people have a right to have their say and increasingly wish to do so. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=4&y=09 Ocean Wave Communications Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT Ocean Wave Communications Ltd is now in its third year. One of the real joys of running a PR company is the range of projects we get involved with. A new project that we are supporting is Project Vernon. Project Vernon is the campaign to design, construct an install a monument dedicated to the Mine Warfare and Diving Heritage at the site of the former HMS Vernon (now Gunwharf Quays) in Portsmouth. It aims to raise £250,000 to cover the costs. Mine Warfare and Diving are significant elements of combat operations within the Royal Navy today. Members of both disciplines work closely together to clear naval mines and other ordnance from seas around the world. Project Vernon aims to raise funds to build a monument that commemorates the history of the site and pays tribute to the expertise and bravery of the generations of Mine Warfare and Diving practitioners. The monument will also serve as a reminder that the Royal Navy continues to make the land and sea safe in peacetime and conflict. Ocean Wave is delighted to support this project. Visit www.vernon-monument.org for more information. Or follow the project as it develops on Facebook at Project Vernon - The Mine Warfare and Diving Monument. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/what_we_think.php?m=3&y=10 Ocean Wave Communications Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT In 2009, Ocean Wave Ltd was asked, at short notice, to develop and deliver media skills training for members of a Government task force. Having assessed the needs and current skills set and confidence levels of different members, a training programme was put together. This combined group work and peer review with individual support and tailored development plans for each participant. Councillor Mimi Harker, who attended the course commented: "The media skills training offered by Jennifer Tankard, not only gave us the opportunity to explore how to put our messages out there but put the training into action immediately with on the spot recorded interview sessions. This enabled us to test out our newly acquired techniques, to critique them and improve our delivery. It was an invaluable experience which has stood me in good stead ever since." This training was delivered through Solace Enterprises. Visit www.solaceenterprises.com for more information. Feedback from this course was so positive that Solace Enterprises are now running a series of media skills courses for elected councillors. Ocean Wave Communications Ltd will deliver these. http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/http://www.oceanwavecommunications.co.uk/case_study.php?id=6 Ocean Wave Communications Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:09:56 GMT