This document provides summaries of articles in a PR magazine. It discusses how design thinking processes can be applied to PR to foster innovation. It also discusses how thinking like an entrepreneur can help PR embrace opportunities. Additionally, it provides tips on using video in PR to engage audiences, such as through storytelling and testimonials. The magazine issue also previews an upcoming PR festival and provides an overview of the annual West End Festival in Scotland.
One Africa Network Webinar: Branding and Marketing in the Digital AgeSSCG Consulting
On Thursday 06 August 2020, One Africa Network (OAN) live discussion webcast on Branding and Marketing in the Digital Age.
Topics included:
- How social media, digital and remote economy reshaped marketing communication
- Essential principal of digital marketing
- Effective social media management strategies and best practices
- How to develop effective and engaging content
- Building credibility and protecting your brand reputation in the digital economy
- Establishing and managing relationships on social media
- How to boost your SEO and online presence
- Tackling fake content and media bias in the digital era.
A quick few pages on some key things I took away from this year's Planningness. It's fun and light, and I blatantly stole ideas, quotes and charts from our very lovely speakers. Thank you to everyone who came out! Such a fun time.
This book will provide you with new tools, skills,
and a mindset to harness opportunities born of
uncertainty in order to design a better business.
We’ve included tons of real-world examples of
people who have mastered the fundamentals of
design, as well as case studies of companies that
have created change using design as the under-
lying foundation for decision making. And, just as
design is a repeatable process, this book is meant
not only to guide you on your design journey, but
also to provide an ongoing reference to help you
scale the design beyond one project or product
to an entire company.
How To Fail: 25 Secrets Learned through FailureTaylor Davidson
25 Secrets Learned through Failure, by Taylor Davidson at Unstructured Ventures.
Visit the post on unstructuredventures.com/uv (short link to post: http://tinyurl.com/howtofail ) to add to the discussion, share your lessons learned from failure, and view more.
This is the presentation that I gave to the Young Planners at Cannes 2014. The data herein is taken from survey distributed through @cheiluk, @yellif and @cr
Colin Budd (Speaker) Global Design Strategist, IBM
Building a sustainable, scalable, and successful design practice is no easy feat. In this talk, learn the real techniques, tricks, and best-in-class methods for forming a true design practice that organically grows and transforms your business. Anecdotes and insights from in-field learnings that helped countless companies (from startups to Fortune 500s) build and grow their own sustainable design cultures will ensure that everyone - no matter their role/industry/team/company or perceived barriers - is able to bring the same transformative practices into their own worlds. You may have to cheat, borrow, steal, but that's all part of the game!
I concise and easy to follow guide showing the value of design and creativity to business with some helpful tips and advice on implementing a more creative business strategy and choosing a creative partner.
One Africa Network Webinar: Branding and Marketing in the Digital AgeSSCG Consulting
On Thursday 06 August 2020, One Africa Network (OAN) live discussion webcast on Branding and Marketing in the Digital Age.
Topics included:
- How social media, digital and remote economy reshaped marketing communication
- Essential principal of digital marketing
- Effective social media management strategies and best practices
- How to develop effective and engaging content
- Building credibility and protecting your brand reputation in the digital economy
- Establishing and managing relationships on social media
- How to boost your SEO and online presence
- Tackling fake content and media bias in the digital era.
A quick few pages on some key things I took away from this year's Planningness. It's fun and light, and I blatantly stole ideas, quotes and charts from our very lovely speakers. Thank you to everyone who came out! Such a fun time.
This book will provide you with new tools, skills,
and a mindset to harness opportunities born of
uncertainty in order to design a better business.
We’ve included tons of real-world examples of
people who have mastered the fundamentals of
design, as well as case studies of companies that
have created change using design as the under-
lying foundation for decision making. And, just as
design is a repeatable process, this book is meant
not only to guide you on your design journey, but
also to provide an ongoing reference to help you
scale the design beyond one project or product
to an entire company.
How To Fail: 25 Secrets Learned through FailureTaylor Davidson
25 Secrets Learned through Failure, by Taylor Davidson at Unstructured Ventures.
Visit the post on unstructuredventures.com/uv (short link to post: http://tinyurl.com/howtofail ) to add to the discussion, share your lessons learned from failure, and view more.
This is the presentation that I gave to the Young Planners at Cannes 2014. The data herein is taken from survey distributed through @cheiluk, @yellif and @cr
Colin Budd (Speaker) Global Design Strategist, IBM
Building a sustainable, scalable, and successful design practice is no easy feat. In this talk, learn the real techniques, tricks, and best-in-class methods for forming a true design practice that organically grows and transforms your business. Anecdotes and insights from in-field learnings that helped countless companies (from startups to Fortune 500s) build and grow their own sustainable design cultures will ensure that everyone - no matter their role/industry/team/company or perceived barriers - is able to bring the same transformative practices into their own worlds. You may have to cheat, borrow, steal, but that's all part of the game!
I concise and easy to follow guide showing the value of design and creativity to business with some helpful tips and advice on implementing a more creative business strategy and choosing a creative partner.
Unlocking Creativity: How to Harness the Powers of Design, Art Direction & Cr...Digital Surgeons
Using gaming's concept of Progression, this presentation takes viewers on a journey that demystifies the roles and disciplines of Design, Art Direction, and Creative Direction – demonstrating how they can be mastered to take your creative work to the next level.
Design Thinking & HR - Caterina Sanders (SocialHRCamp Vancouver 2016)SocialHRCamp
Design thinking is not a new concept in many areas of business, but in HR it is beginning to gain serious ground. In a recent Deloitte report, of the 7000 respondents, 79% felt that design thinking was an important or very important issue for them this year, with HR professionals believing that they are ready for the journey of moving from “process developer” to an “experience architect”. (Deloitte Human Capital Trends 2016). This hands-on session will introduce you to the main tenets of design thinking and allow you time to try a couple of exercises as applied to the context of social technologies and HR. Participants will walk away with some tangible insights that they should be able to apply to their workplaces immediately.
This White Paper explores the role of planning in
today’s ever-changing world of advertising & marketing.
First, a job profile for the post-digital planner is defined on
the basis of 3 core duties. Then, two campaign cases are
discussed, explaining how post-digital planning added value
to the creative process.
The Pitch Process: Turning client briefs into great ideas, then selling themBeyond
As clients have more customers, stakeholders and channels than ever, briefs are getting more confusing; lacking focus, strategy and asking for the "moon on a stick". As the agency, it's getting harder to know where to focus with our ideas and strategy, then sell it effectively. This presentation was originally delivered at Miami Ad School's New York campus as part of the "Industry Heroes" lecture series.
Content marketing has been all of the rage the last few years – not just with big and well-established brands, but also with startups. And no wonder, according to the Content Marketing Institute, this form of marketing generates more leads than paid search while, on average, costing 30 to 40% less.
However, content marketing for startups is easier said than done.
This presentation was developed for entrepreneurs at the Hong Kong Science Park. It gives a brief overview of the different content marketing types startups can apply, provides a few success examples, and finally offers a set of practical tips to get started with a content marketing strategy.
I was sifting through some old files of mine and found this guidebook I put together for my junior planners when I was still working in Korea.
The presentation deck might be a bit old (it's in 4:3 format), and slightly more tailored to how I saw the state of strategy & planning in Korea, but a lot of its content should still hold true today.
Hope you enjoy the read!
6 Essential Elements for Leaders and OrganizationsO.C. Tanner
People in any role have the ability to create great work when they connect, question, collaborate and innovate. Here are 6 things leaders and organizations can do to help this happen.
To thrive in today’s dynamic and unpredictable business environment we need novel ways of doing things, whatever the economic climate. So in an age when traditional skills can be outsourced or automated, creative thinking skills are highly sought after.
We train and develop employees at all levels to think creatively and solve problems. We do this by helping them understand their creative strengths and take new approaches to business issues. Often this involves a significant degree of change – unlearning existing ways of working to adopt a more flexible, curious approach.
To ensure these new skills and behaviours are fully utilised and recognised, we also help organisations integrate innovation-friendly working practices into corporate HR policy. This includes how to promote and reward creative thinking, how to integrate this into appraisals and performance reviews, and how to recruit for innovation.
Human Capital Growth Webinar: Boost your hr practices with design thinkingHuman Capital Growth
This webinar will address the role of designing thinking and evidence-based talent management in developing tailored HR solutions to people problems.
http://www.humancapitalgrowth.com/boost-your-hr-practices-with-design-thinking.html
The Difference Engine has relaunched with a new team, and renewed focus on helping companies improve their existing products, services, and customer experiences, and on helping companies identify opportunities for innovation and organizational change.
Unlocking Creativity: How to Harness the Powers of Design, Art Direction & Cr...Digital Surgeons
Using gaming's concept of Progression, this presentation takes viewers on a journey that demystifies the roles and disciplines of Design, Art Direction, and Creative Direction – demonstrating how they can be mastered to take your creative work to the next level.
Design Thinking & HR - Caterina Sanders (SocialHRCamp Vancouver 2016)SocialHRCamp
Design thinking is not a new concept in many areas of business, but in HR it is beginning to gain serious ground. In a recent Deloitte report, of the 7000 respondents, 79% felt that design thinking was an important or very important issue for them this year, with HR professionals believing that they are ready for the journey of moving from “process developer” to an “experience architect”. (Deloitte Human Capital Trends 2016). This hands-on session will introduce you to the main tenets of design thinking and allow you time to try a couple of exercises as applied to the context of social technologies and HR. Participants will walk away with some tangible insights that they should be able to apply to their workplaces immediately.
This White Paper explores the role of planning in
today’s ever-changing world of advertising & marketing.
First, a job profile for the post-digital planner is defined on
the basis of 3 core duties. Then, two campaign cases are
discussed, explaining how post-digital planning added value
to the creative process.
The Pitch Process: Turning client briefs into great ideas, then selling themBeyond
As clients have more customers, stakeholders and channels than ever, briefs are getting more confusing; lacking focus, strategy and asking for the "moon on a stick". As the agency, it's getting harder to know where to focus with our ideas and strategy, then sell it effectively. This presentation was originally delivered at Miami Ad School's New York campus as part of the "Industry Heroes" lecture series.
Content marketing has been all of the rage the last few years – not just with big and well-established brands, but also with startups. And no wonder, according to the Content Marketing Institute, this form of marketing generates more leads than paid search while, on average, costing 30 to 40% less.
However, content marketing for startups is easier said than done.
This presentation was developed for entrepreneurs at the Hong Kong Science Park. It gives a brief overview of the different content marketing types startups can apply, provides a few success examples, and finally offers a set of practical tips to get started with a content marketing strategy.
I was sifting through some old files of mine and found this guidebook I put together for my junior planners when I was still working in Korea.
The presentation deck might be a bit old (it's in 4:3 format), and slightly more tailored to how I saw the state of strategy & planning in Korea, but a lot of its content should still hold true today.
Hope you enjoy the read!
6 Essential Elements for Leaders and OrganizationsO.C. Tanner
People in any role have the ability to create great work when they connect, question, collaborate and innovate. Here are 6 things leaders and organizations can do to help this happen.
To thrive in today’s dynamic and unpredictable business environment we need novel ways of doing things, whatever the economic climate. So in an age when traditional skills can be outsourced or automated, creative thinking skills are highly sought after.
We train and develop employees at all levels to think creatively and solve problems. We do this by helping them understand their creative strengths and take new approaches to business issues. Often this involves a significant degree of change – unlearning existing ways of working to adopt a more flexible, curious approach.
To ensure these new skills and behaviours are fully utilised and recognised, we also help organisations integrate innovation-friendly working practices into corporate HR policy. This includes how to promote and reward creative thinking, how to integrate this into appraisals and performance reviews, and how to recruit for innovation.
Human Capital Growth Webinar: Boost your hr practices with design thinkingHuman Capital Growth
This webinar will address the role of designing thinking and evidence-based talent management in developing tailored HR solutions to people problems.
http://www.humancapitalgrowth.com/boost-your-hr-practices-with-design-thinking.html
The Difference Engine has relaunched with a new team, and renewed focus on helping companies improve their existing products, services, and customer experiences, and on helping companies identify opportunities for innovation and organizational change.
The Corporate Profile for And All.
And All is a media, publishing and content outfit, run by Devangini M Chauhan.
Check us out on facebook: www.facebook.com/studioandall
Our Website: www.studioandall.com
WHOA is an innovation agency based in Los Angeles that conducts market research, strategy, and design for Fortune 500 brands and startups. This deck is a copy of their capabilities.
http://www.whoa.agency
In boardrooms around the world, senior executives are discussing a common dilemma: how to create transformative experiences and business models that improve their customers’ lives, drive growth, and boost profitability and efficiency. Now is the time for leaders to reflect and consider the fundamentals of value creation in the business – to go beyond the immediate, incremental change.
In this 200-page book, we explore how CEOs, boards and executives should compete in the digital age with a combination of experience, management consulting and technology expertise.
Editor: Hilding Anderson
Outside In - Innovation and Insights Consultancy CredentialsMat Shore
At outside InTM we believe passionately that you can teach the core language and skills of disciplined insight and value proposition creation to commercial teams and R&D folks alike. Glowing testimonials from a roster of global clients suggest that we are able to build competency in even the most complex markets and organisations.
Unlike other training consultancies we don’t teach anything else but value proposition creation,so we are the experts. Watch our video to find out exactly what we cover.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVcBcwnO1cQ
Judging creative idea guide, this material will help the marketer especially those who work on advertising or brand to be able to formulate rational and structured thinking of judging creative idea
Based on this, you can craft your brand strategy and brand identity. Brand identity is the sum of all tangible (logo, typography, product features, pricing, name, color, slogan, packaging, etc.) and intangible (company culture, attitude, tone, communication style, etc.) elements of your brand.
I was invited to speak at the CIPR North East member event, about being an independent practitioner. One of my first slides caught everyone's attention. Are you an independent PR practitioner or a freelancer?! What's the difference?
I hope you enjoy the slides. I did a lot of talking!
Please feel free to get in touch www.aura-pr.com or laura (at) aura-pr.com - I'm available for other speaker and training opportunities.
Simple storytelling training/workshop for organisers and volunteers of Big Lunches. For enquiries as to how I can provide training for you, please visit www.aura-pr.com or email hello@aura-pr.com. Training is always tailored to individual groups.
AuraTalk is a FREE e-zine for small and medium businesses. The aim is to give helpful tips for businesses to use PR and marketing to help their business grow. Read more here http://bit.ly/2ksXhSa
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss how Aura can help your business grow. Covering audit, strategy, delivery of PR and digital marketing services, including social media. We'd like to work with design, retail, restaurants and automotive brands.
AuraTalk is a free e-zine by Aura PR which is geared towards helping SMEs stand out by having a clear PR and communications strategy, using up-to-date skills and tools.
AuraTalk is written to give handy tips for small businesses and a bit of insight into Aura's own work and news.
Visit www.aura-pr.com to see how we can help you and your business.
Issue two of AuraTalk brought to you by Aura PR- an e-zine created to help SMEs stand out in PR and digital marketing. Helpful hints and tips as well as a short showcase of Aura PR's recent work.
Visit www.aura-pr.com for regular helpful blog posts.
5 big bets to drive growth in 2024 without one additional marketing dollar AND how to adapt to the biggest shifting eCommerce trend- AI.
1) Romance Your Customers - Retention
2) ‘Alternative’ Lead Gen - Advocacy
3) The Beautiful Basics - Conversion Rate Optimization
4) Land that Bottom Line - Profitability
5) Roll the Dice - New Business Models
In this presentation, Danny Leibrandt explains the impact of AI on SEO and what Google has been doing about it. Learn how to take your SEO game to the next level and win over Google with his new strategy anyone can use. Get actionable steps to rank your name, your business, and your clients on Google - the right way.
Key Takeaways:
1. Real content is king
2. Find ways to show EEAT
3. Repurpose across all platforms
The digital marketing industry is changing faster than ever and those who don’t adapt with the times are losing market share. Where should marketers be focusing their efforts? What strategies are the experts seeing get the best results? Get up-to-speed with the latest industry insights, trends and predictions for the future in this panel discussion with some leading digital marketing experts.
The session includes a brief history of the evolution of search before diving into the roles technology, content, and links play in developing a powerful SEO strategy in a world of Generative AI and social search. Discover how to optimize for TikTok searches, Google's Gemini, and Search Generative Experience while developing a powerful arsenal of tools and templates to help maximize the effectiveness of your SEO initiatives.
Key Takeaways:
Understand how search engines work
Be able to find out where your users search
Know what is required for each discipline of SEO
Feel confident creating an SEO Plan
Confidently measure SEO performance
A.I. (artificial intelligence) platforms are popping up all the time, and many of them can and should be used to help grow your brand, increase your sales and decrease your marketing costs.In this presentation:We will review some of the best AI platforms that are available for you to use.We will interact with some of the platforms in real-time, so attendees can see how they work.We will also look at some current brands that are using AI to help them create marketing messages, saving them time and money in the process. Lastly, we will discuss the pros and cons of using AI in marketing & branding and have a lively conversation that includes comments from the audience.
Key Takeaways:
Attendees will learn about LLM platforms, like ChatGPT, and how they work, with preset examples and real time interactions with the platform. Attendees will learn about other AI platforms that are creating graphic design elements at the push of a button...pre-set examples and real-time interactions.Attendees will discuss the pros & cons of AI in marketing + branding and share their perspectives with one another. Attendees will learn about the cost savings and the time savings associated with using AI, should they choose to.
Digital marketing is the art and science of promoting products or services using digital channels to reach and engage with potential customers. It encompasses a wide range of online tactics and strategies aimed at increasing brand visibility, driving website traffic, generating leads, and ultimately, converting those leads into customers.
https://nidmindia.com/
In this presentation, Danny Leibrandt explains the impact of AI on SEO and what Google has been doing about it. Learn how to take your SEO game to the next level and win over Google with his new strategy anyone can use. Get actionable steps to rank your name, your business, and your clients on Google - the right way.
Key Takeaways:
1. Real content is king
2. Find ways to show EEAT
3. Repurpose across all platforms
10 Video Ideas Any Business Can Make RIGHT NOW!
You'll never draw a blank again on what kind of video to make for your business. Go beyond the basic categories and truly reimagine a brand new advanced way to brainstorm video content creation. During this masterclass you'll be challenged to think creatively and outside of the box and view your videos through lenses you may have never thought of previously. It's guaranteed that you'll leave with more than 10 video ideas, but I like to under-promise and over-deliver. Don't miss this session.
Key Takeaways:
How to use the Video Matrix
How to use additional "Lenses"
Where to source original video ideas
Most small businesses struggle to see marketing results. In this session, we will eliminate any confusion about what to do next, solving your marketing problems so your business can thrive. You’ll learn how to create a foundational marketing OS (operating system) based on neuroscience and backed by real-world results. You’ll be taught how to develop deep customer connections, and how to have your CRM dynamically segment and sell at any stage in the customer’s journey. By the end of the session, you’ll remove confusion and chaos and replace it with clarity and confidence for long-term marketing success.
Key Takeaways:
• Uncover the power of a foundational marketing system that dynamically communicates with prospects and customers on autopilot.
• Harness neuroscience and Tribal Alignment to transform your communication strategies, turning potential clients into fans and those fans into loyal customers.
• Discover the art of automated segmentation, pinpointing your most lucrative customers and identifying the optimal moments for successful conversions.
• Streamline your business with a content production plan that eliminates guesswork, wasted time, and money.
How to Run Landing Page Tests On and Off Paid Social PlatformsVWO
Join us for an exclusive webinar featuring Mariate, Alexandra and Nima where we will unveil a comprehensive blueprint for crafting a successful paid media strategy focused on landing page testing.With escalating costs in paid advertising, understanding how to maximize each visitor’s experience is crucial for retention and conversion.
This session will dive into the methodologies for executing and analyzing landing page tests within paid social channels, offering a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical insights.
The Pearmill team will guide you through the nuances of setting up and managing landing page experiments on paid social platforms. You will learn about the critical rules to follow, the structure of effective tests, optimal conversion duration and budget allocation.
The session will also cover data analysis techniques and criteria for graduating landing pages.
In the second part of the webinar, Pearmill will explore the use of A/B testing platforms. Discover common pitfalls to avoid in A/B testing and gain insights into analyzing A/B tests results effectively.
Financial curveballs sent many American families reeling in 2023. Household budgets were squeezed by rising interest rates, surging prices on everyday goods, and a stagnating housing market. Consumers were feeling strapped. That sentiment, however, appears to be waning. The question is, to what extent?
To take the pulse of consumers’ feelings about their financial well-being ahead of a highly anticipated election, ThinkNow conducted a nationally representative quantitative survey. The survey highlights consumers’ hopes and anxieties as we move into 2024. Let's unpack the key findings to gain insights about where we stand.
The Secret to Engaging Modern Consumers: Journey Mapping and Personalization
In today's digital landscape, understanding the customer's journey and delivering personalized experiences are paramount. This masterclass delves into the art of consumer journey mapping, a powerful technique that visualizes the entire customer experience across touchpoints. Attendees will learn how to create detailed journey maps, identify pain points, and uncover opportunities for optimization. The presentation also explores personalization strategies that leverage data and technology to tailor content, products, and experiences to individual customers. From real-time personalization to predictive analytics, attendees will gain insights into cutting-edge approaches that drive engagement and loyalty.
Key Takeaways:
Current consumer landscape; Steps to mapping an effective consumer journey; Understanding the value of personalization; Integrating mapping and personalization for success; Brands that are getting It right!; Best Practices; Future Trends
How to Use AI to Write a High-Quality Article that Ranksminatamang0021
In the world of content creation, many AI bloggers have drifted away from their original vision, resulting in low-quality articles that search engines overlook. Don't let that happen to you! Join us to discover how to leverage AI tools effectively to craft high-quality content that not only captures your audience's attention but also ranks well on search engines.
Disclaimer: Some of the prompts mentioned here are the examples of Matt Diggity. Please use it as reference and make your own custom prompts.
Core Web Vitals SEO Workshop - improve your performance [pdf]Peter Mead
Core Web Vitals to improve your website performance for better SEO results with CWV.
CWV Topics include:
- Understanding the latest Core Web Vitals including the significance of LCP, INP and CLS + their impact on SEO
- Optimisation techniques from our experts on how to improve your CWV on platforms like WordPress and WP Engine
- The impact of user experience and SEO
Short video marketing has sweeped the nation and is the fastest way to build an online brand on social media in 2024. In this session you will learn:- What is short video marketing- Which platforms work best for your business- Content strategies that are on brand for your business- How to sell organically without paying for ads.
How to use Short Form Video To Grow Your Brand and Business - Keenya Kelly
AuraTalk Issue 3
1. Photo credit: The Herald Magazine shoot with Morgan Cars 2011
AURATALKHELPING SMEs STAND OUT
Issue No.3
A human-centred process-
driven exercise for innovation
in business
Our top five tips for using
video in PR to excite, engage
and get shares
PR has the opportunity to
embrace entrepreneurial
thinking
DESIGN THINKING
IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
THINKING LIKE AN
ENTREPRENEUR
USING VIDEO IN PR TO
ENGAGE AUDIENCES
2. EDITOR'S NOTE
E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F
WelcometothethirdissueofAuraTalk.Iamreallypleasedwiththefeedbackfromourfirst
twoissues,whichseemtohelpourclientsandindeedotherPRpractitioners.
Inthisissuewethinkoutsideofthebox,lookingathowdesignthinkingprocessesand
entrepreneursovercomechallengesandturnthemintoopportunities.Wecanlearnfrom
otherindustiresanddisciplines- it'swhatmakesus innovative.Thebiggestopportunitywe
haveistolearnnewwaysofthinkingandhowthatcanapplyto business/organisation
strategy,ultimatelyleadingtosuccess.
ThePRofessionalsPRfestivalwillbekickingoffinamatterofweeksandI'mworkingto
developareallyengagingcoupleofdayswithspeakersfromNewYork,Belgium,
Stockholm,LondonandofcourseourveryowntalentinScotland.
Alsointhisissuewelookathowvideoengagesaudiencesandwetakeabrieflookatthe
2016WestEndFestival,whichtakesplacethisJune.BignameslikeBillyOceanandBelle
andSebastianhavebeenannouncedtoperformasthefestivalcelebrates21years!
Inthenextissuewe'llcoverThePRofessionalsandtakealookatwhatconsumerbrands
needtobedoinginthesummer,planningforChristmas!
Thanks- Ihopeyouenjoythisissue.
W W W . A U R A - P R . C O M
Laura Sutherland
3. IT IS THE LONG
HISTORY OF
HUMANKIND (AND
ANIMALKIND, TOO)
THAT THOSE WHO
LEARNED TO
COLLABORATE
AND IMPROVISE MOST
EFFECTIVELY
HAVE PREVAILED
Charles Darwin
4. Design thinking -
human-centred processes
In the past, design has most often
occurred fairly far down in the
development process and has
focused on making new products
aesthetically attractive or enhancing
brand perception through smart,
evocative advertising. Today, as
innovation’s terrain expands to
encompass human-centered
processes and services as well as
products, companies are asking
creatives to generate ideas rather
than to simply dress them up.
'Design thinking' is a method of meeting
people’s needs and desires in a technologically
feasible and strategically viable way.
It attempts to inspire the essential element of
creativity, the ability to take an abstract idea and
create something with it. It’s based upon the
fundamental belief that an unexecuted idea,
one that is never realised, is a worthless
proposition and that doing is equally as
valuable as thinking.
A big part of the Design Thinking concept
involves empathy for those you are creating for.
It’s often manifested through a series of
activities, which attempt to create an
experience of what or how your idea will
ultimately be consumed.
In public relations, a good example is in the way
we map a customer journey, either through
service, route to buying or user experience, for
example online.
It's essential that we understand the journey
before we can start to think of creative ideas.
Empathise
Define
Ideate
Prototype
Test
The process...
5. The interesting part of Design Thinking is like
the creativity it attempts to foster, the very
concept itself is continually evolving. One
example of a design thinking process could
have several stages: Empathize, Define, Ideate,
Prototype and Test. Within these steps,
problems can be framed, the right questions
can be asked, more ideas can be created, and
the best answers can be chosen.
The steps aren’t linear; they can occur
simultaneously and can be repeated.
The critical sixth step is to
LEARN!
Learn
The distinguishing characteristics of
Design Thinking?
- Finding simplicity in complexity
- Beauty as well as functionality
- Improving quality of experience
- Creating elegant solutions
- Serving the needs of people
- Design Thinking as a Strategy for
Innovation
When design principles are applied to
strategy and innovation the success rate for
innovation dramatically improves. Design
thinking is at the core of effective strategy
development and organizational change.
Aura's top tips for
developing design
thinking in your
organisation
While learning to be a good 'designer' takes
years, non-designers can learn to think like a
designer and apply these skills to leadership
and innovation. Hands-on innovation
challenges will guide you through a design
thinking process from start to finish.
#1 Develop the 5 discovery skills that
make up the Innovator’s DNA and
optimise your ability to innovate
#2 Examine the four primary forces that
shape innovation and 10 types of
innovation you can leverage
#3 How to connect more deeply with
customers to uncover opportunities for
innovation
#4 Transform insights and data into
actionable ideas
#5 Explore the tool-sets and skill-sets
used by designers: empathy for your
customers, idea generation, critical
thinking, aesthetic ways of knowing,
problem-solving, rapid-prototyping and
collaboration.
#6 Develop a wide variety of concepts
for products, services, experiences,
messages, channels, business models,
or strategies.
#7 Create and implement elegant
solutions that create value for your
customers, faster and more effectively.
6. Celebrating 21 years!
Since 2011 Aura has worked with Scotland's largest
community event, the West End Festival.
Aura works with the West End Festival (WEF) to help raise awareness of the events within the festival
programme and to position WEF as a leading event in Scotland - there really is something for everyone!
So far this year, we've announced the dates, launched the programme, announced headline events and acts,
including Glasgow's own Belle and Sebastian who celebrate 20 years, this year, Billy Ocean and many more.
We've also just launched a crowdfunding campaign to help the festival bring back it's much-loved Festival
Sunday in 2017.
We're looking forward to celebrating #WEF2016 - Friday, 3 to Sunday, 26 June! westendfestival.co.uk
7. Thinkinglikeanentrepreneur...
What does it take?
PR has the opportunity to embrace
entrepreneurial thinking
Business skills and entrepreneurship
are not the same thing. Business
looks at financials, spreadsheets
and marketing plans whilst
entrepreneurs look at finding
problems and coming up with
solutions. It’s the way someone
thinks.
f you look at risk, for example, business will teach
you how to mitigate risk and most people in
business fear it. To an entrepreneur, risk is
exciting, and creativity and innovation are
essential. If you learn more about being an
entrepreneur, you’ll learn how to embrace risk.
Entrepreneurs love to collaborate, share and
exchange ideas, even with potential
competitors. Something PR is often guilty of
running away from, thinking more like a
business, guarding innovation and ideas.
Being an entrepreneur isn’t a job, it’s about a way
of thinking and approaching challenges and
opportunities. Real entrepreneurs can flourish in
any sector, whether it’s government, not-for-
profit or business, as a leader or an employee.
Entrepreneurial thinking allows people to
identify the problem early-on and present a
solution. Something all businesses and
organisations absolutely require.
For PR, entrepreneurial thinking is possibly one
of the biggest assets a practitioner could
possess. It fits with how PR practitioners have to
deliver innovative and creative solutions to tell
client’s stories and help build brands.
Being the same as everyone else has never
allowed a brand to standout. Diversity in PR is
essential if we are to represent any business or
organisation which speaks to diverse audiences.
Technology is PR’s best friend. Technology is the
common denominator for all new successful start-
ups, including developing software, data mining,
algorithms etc
PR should be, arguably, scalable – entrepreneurs
are focused on scaling their business, more
rapidly, maximising productivity and delivering
faster more efficient results.
Thinking like an entrepreneur requires a unique
approach to the world and a mindset to help view
the world as limitless in its possibilities for
improvement, change and, ultimately, innovation.
PR seeks to change something.
A lot of entrepreneurs don’t succeed first time.
They learn and they develop as the grow. PR can
apply the same thinking – when innovating with
clients it may not always work out, but the
learnings from that will help you improve going
forward.
Business is all about building relationships. PR is
the driver of building and maintaining good
relationships with a business’ publics.
Relationships are essential for survival and growth.
Entrepreneurs instinctively build relationships and
keep growing them. Specifically, it means
recognising and valuing the people who you will
encounter in your business and personal life, and
bringing them along with you on your journey. You
have much to learn from others, just as they can
learn a lot from you. As Richard Branson put it,
“Other people have ideas also.”
8. Using video in
PR to engage
audiences
Mobile is increasingly taking over a) how
we consume media and b) our evenings!
Do you sit on the couch with your mobile beside
you? Guilty!
The time has come for PR practitioners to up the
tactics and start using video in PR. It keeps your
audience excited, engaged, and you are
effectively encouraging them to share the
content.
A study done by Forbes stated that 75% of senior
executives surveyed said that they watched work-
related videos at least weekly, and 52% watched
work related videos on YouTube at least once a
week.
Cisco forecasts that by 2019, video will make up
80 percent of all consumer Internet traffic, up from
64 percent in 2014. They also forecast that every
second, more than 1 million videos will be
transmitted across the Internet.
Some quick statistics:
- Millennials turn to YouTube for instructions. - -
67% of these users say they can find a video on
“anything I want to learn.”
- 5 percent of all videos are responsible for 95
percent of all views.
- Globally, a third of people watch more videos on
their mobile devices than last year.
Aura uses video for all of its clients, from the West
End Festival, to The Lighthouse's exhibition and
events, through to The Big Lunch. Each has its
own YouTube channel for hosting the videos and
URLs are used for posting on social. We also
upload files directly to Facebook as it prefers
direct uploads and will normally rank your content
higher than if it was a link used.
Here are our top 5 tips for using video in PR:
#1 Storytelling - it says more than a press release
You can capture emotions, allowing the audience
to get a flavour of the brand's personality and an
authentic approach is always the best.
A real-life video can inspire people to take action
based on the emotional connections. Think of the
ad campaigns which have moved you to tears.
Videos should be telling a story and gaining a
reaction.
Figure out what you want the story to do - what
action do you want the viewer to take?
contd...
9. #2 A picture says a thousand words - so what
does video do in a minute?!
It doesn't take much effort to watch a video, and
with most videos being effective at 30 seconds,
viewers can consume more information than just
a visual image.
Aura has started using iPhone for recording and
iMovie for editing. A two-minute interview 'on
location' can be quickly edited, topped and tailed
on-site and uploaded immediately.
Think about using sound-bytes rather than long-
winded interviews . Give a top-level overview -
short videos have been proven to get more views
according to testing done by video management
service, Wistia.
#3 Authenticity -Testimonials are critical for
businesses and organisations. The willingness of
someone to speak in a positive way about their
experience, you just can't buy. Well, you can, but
then that's not necessarily authentic as it's paid for.
Video testimonials are more effective and may
take a little extra effort, but the impact of video will
be greater than copy on a website. As I
mentioned before, you can upload directly social
platforms or you can upload to YouTube and use
the link.
This recent video Laura did for the West End
Festival launch was shot on iPhone, edited in
iMovie and uploaded to YouTube and directly to
Facebook. It's had 1000 views on Facebook in
less than a week! If we had a budget we could
have paid to promote the post reaching a wider
audience - but we don't.
#4 Got a great news story or blog post? Turn it
into a video
Repurposing a news story into video is a great
idea, particularly if the news was a success
originally.
If you have a blog post which was successful,
why not take the key themes/points and turn it
into a video? You could even do a mini series,
taking one key point at a time.
#5 Make it easy to share - Video, as owned
content, is a great opportunity to promote
branded content, in an entertaining and engaging
manner. With sharing button embedded, video
can be shared over multiple platforms with very
little effort.
The easier you make it for people to share, the
broader reach you will have.
According to YouTube’s social statistics:
17 million = the number of people that people
have connected their YouTube account to at
least 1 social service.
12 million = of those connected and auto-sharing
with at least one network.
150 years = number of years of YouTube videos
that are watched each day on Facebook.
Over 50% = the number of videos that have been
rated or include comments from the community.
How Aura uses video:
To activate launches and news announcements -
once the news has been broken across print,
broadcast and online media, get your video ready
and start to share.
Offer videos as part of a news story - some media
outlets, increasingly, will use video content you
provide in a raw format
Think of video as a visual podcast - in the past
we've used videos for discussion and debate
Bring events alive - whether you pre-record a
video for use at an event, record and broadcast
live at an event or produce a video from an event
Use video to entice sponsors - sponsors want to
know what they will get and what the sponsorship
is all about - show them, visually
Trailer - get people excited about an event or
piece of news coming soon by recording a trailer.
10. aura-pr.com
Aura works across the UK with a wide range of clients, large and small. We'd be delighted to hear
from you should you have any enquiries.
T: 0141 337 6712 E: hello@aura-pr.com Tw: @AuraPR
A highly creative, solution-driven public
relations consultancy working across paid,
earned and owned media.