Oh hi 👋 – had a fair few new followers and connections in the past month so wanted to reintroduce myself.

(And make use of my photos that usually sit dormant in my Google Drive! Here's one of me sitting proper casual-like, definitely on a real phone call.)

Are SMEs the strong, resilient cart horses to pull the UK out of a recession? If they invest and spend, they may just be...

"It may seem like a paradox, but recessionary periods actually provide fertile grounds for marketers to grow their brand’s market share if they’re prepared to think long-term." (Ritson, Marketing Week, 2020)

A well-worn approach in strategic marketing communication, yet one that is good to revisit, and refresh, regardless of your role or years of experience.

‘Think-Feel-Do’ is an outcome-based framework looking at three key outcomes of effective communication, whatever your organisation or business, sector or objective.

Dine off it. And don’t forget about teasing in advance. How to make your content marketing work smarter, not harder, to optimise your content output and maximise returns, results and outcomes.

Press release: Adam Driver, founder and director of Authentic Comms Strategic Consultancy, has been shortlisted for the UK-wide CIPR Independent PR Practitioner of the Year award, in the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Excellence Awards.

This interview, hosted by Ruth Farenga, is with John Timpson, chairman of Timpson’s. In it, he candidly shared his ups and downs, experience of saying goodbye to the wrong people, examples of upside-down management (a phrase the business has owned ), and his focus on extra, great service – and enabling that at all costs.

Guest blog by Nick Winn: Formula One wasn’t saved by a Netflix documentary series; its openness to digital marketing and social media did the hard miles. The fourth season of Formula One: Drive To Survive, Netflix’s hugely popular Formula 1 fly-on-the-wall docuseries, will be released in March 2022.

Driving on the motorway can be a lot like your business or organisation’s strategy – stay strategically focused, be clear in your strategic actions, don’t be distracted. Read on for car-based analogies and puns.

Governance matters – especially in not for profit. In this guest blog, charities consultant and former charity CEO David Burland looks at last week’s charity governance news. What happened with the Charity Commission’s enquiries into the Captain Tom Foundation and the results of their enquiry/review into the Kids Company?

So, here’s a brief summary of some reasons why we’re not seeing much about the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022. Some may seem obvious – human rights etc – but are we seeing a sea change in the way sports and politics/purpose intersect and evolve?

What is hubris, what is the origin and definition of being hubristic or showing a hubristic personality, and how can you deal with someone at work with showing behaviours of acting with hubris.

They were all the brainchild of one person – John Murphy, aka the ‘Brandfather’, with his branding agency Interbrand.
Read more about the man who created the phrase branding and brand value here.

Sorry seems to be the hardest word – why is it so difficult to say sorry? Apologise when needed? How can you may sure your apology is sincere and heartfelt, and see how apologies come across. How to apologise.

The targeted problem solver. Someone external to the everyday, picking off particular problems, without the requirement of getting stuck into an organisation’s history, its biases and dragged into the day-to-day.

Do what’s right for you! Why have I gone freelance? What are my reasons for working for myself? Flexibility and affirmation. A timely reminder for me, a blog to help other marketing or comms freelancers not feel overwhelmed.

Three examples of where the little guy takes on the big bully, in court. Intellectual property (IP), copyright infringement, branding challenges and marketing ownership are to be taken seriously. Just, mind how you go about it...

Email segmentation and personalisation is where it’s at. Be brave and make the time upfront to adapt your email database and personalise communication for B2B and B2C. You will reap the rewards of a few small changes.

What can Love Island 2021 and the contestants teach us about communication from life in the villa? What comms lessons are there to be gleaned?

A handbook aiming to cause disruption from within during World War II has resurfaced after becoming declassified by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). How to sabotage and disturb meetings specifically resonated as relevant now as it was c.80 years ago.

Sir Gareth? Here are three things I believe make him a stand-out, modern leader. He cares, he’s empathetic, he’s honest, he’s balanced – I’ll leave it to others more erudite than me to go into detail about leadership. This is the alternative take.

Social media is changing in 2021 – partly due to the pandemic and lockdown, partly to do with changing trends. Check out these three social media platforms (Twitch, Clubhouse, Nextdoor) to see how online community and communities are changing and how you could use them for your organisation, brand or business.

The PR Hub Podcast | An interview with the minds behind the mic: here’s Jon Wilcox and Adam Tuckwell in their own words, on starting a podcast, public relations, comms and podcasting advice.

Three kick-ass copywriters to follow online for inspiration and ideas. Clever content creators, copywriters and wordsmiths to inspire & engage you with tone of voice, techniques for copywriting and beating writer’s block.

The first Burger King rebrand for 20 years has taken inspiration from its heritage, with 1960s/1970s colours, stripped back font and echoes of the dawn of the fast food revolution. New Whopper logo, BK font, graphic design overhaul in this fast food rebranding.

2020: the deregulation of life increases | The concept of deregulation has been accelerating across all aspects of our lives, the pandemic has switched it into top gear. As we push through a second lockdown, in winter, Tom Johnson of Trajectory Partnership looks into the acceleration.

Hollywood stars @ Wrexham AFC | Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney became joint-owners of the football club with a whopping 98% of fan support. Take a look at one of the best mission statements in years, and their brilliant tone of voice in communications.

Guest blog by Michael Brennan | With Lockdown 2 in England, and other UK restrictions, Michael looks at the importance of marketing to local audiences for businesses of all sizes, and engaging via mobile first channels during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Guest blog by professional photographer Thomas Skovsende | Why do so many profile pictures look poor. Check out these tips on how to improve the look of your personal brand, frame and light your image.

How to be strategically objective – brand projects and marketing/PR campaigns require a fresh look to remain unbiased by legacy decisions and activity. At Authentic, we take a channel neutral, sector agnostic approach.

Kate Vogelsang: Effective local gov comms – for local authorities, personality of place is a key tool to effectively communicate public services with their communities. They know local history, what makes their area tick and how to tell stories that are authentic to the area and evoke a sense of pride.