Online communities

By Emma McCleary

In 2003 I worked as a Concept Developer for Te Papa putting together exhibitions. One of my assignments was an exhibition on Maori Showbands of the 1950s and 1960s. Given that it was largely a photographic and text show I lobbied for it to become Te Papa’s first online exhibition – a radical idea at the time.

The online exhibition was developed – and was incredibly successful, particularly among the Maori Showbands community. Many of the community were elderly, frail, or simply unable to afford a trip to Te Papa in Wellington to relive their halcyon days as New Zealand’s most famous pop acts. And by putting their stories online they could access the exhibition from home, with their whanau or from the local library. We received many comments about the group, ‘feeling young again’.

Read more about the exhibition and see images here.*

Communities of people are diverse and increasingly online and communicating. In terms of professional communication it’s an area that shouldn’t be overlooked or underestimated but one that is often done badly, forced or done only through astro-turfing.

Creating lasting relationships

By Anna Kominik

On 11 November, Central Government and NGOs will come together in Wellington for a forum on a proposed relationship agreement between the community and voluntary sector and government.

This is not the first attempt to build stronger and healthier relationships between the government and the sector, which provides services in health, sport and recreation, social service, education, culture, emergency response and conservation.

Under the previous Labour-led government, there was the appointment of a Minister with specific responsibility for the sector (1999), creation of the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector (2003), and the Statement of Government Intentions for an Improved Community-Government Relationship (SOGI) in 2001, were moves towards a closer relationship.

The Statement reflected the aspirations of the Labour-led government at the time and was a response to widespread dissatisfaction among NGOs. The Statement was to give the community sector a clear signal that these new Ministers understood the need to significantly change the approach embedded from the late 1980s and which was not achieving the kind of outcomes needed at a community level.

Such a forceful Statement had the potential to give the leaders of government agencies, and other public bodies involved in relationships with the community sector, a clear focus and direction for leading this change. But the practical implementation of the SOGI framework has been largely true to its name – soggy.

While a number of government agencies established some mechanisms for building and developing relationships with non-profit organisations in their respective sectors, the nature of these relationships has varied greatly, impacting on the quality of delivery and value for taxpayer money.

The November forum will provide an opportunity for the sector, government officials, the Prime Minister and more than a dozen Ministers to discuss how the relationship needs to change – and what should replace SOGI.

The Sector is big business in New Zealand. Given our nation’s size, New Zealand has the seventh largest non-profit sector workforce in the world, with an unusually high share (67 percent) of the workforce provided by volunteers.  The sector contributes NZ$7.0 billion, or 4.9 percent of GDP and government funding is just part of the picture. Direct government support contributes some 25 percent of the income of the sector. Fees from the community contribute 55 percent, and philanthropy some 20 percent.

Slow on the blog

By Alice Taylor

Call me a bit slow to catch on – but when it comes to blogging, like many other things in life, it isn’t until one actually participates that the true benefits become clear.

Until earlier this year, when professional circumstances encouraged me to attempt my first blog, I’d considered this activity to be something geeks do, other geeks read and it all ends up as cyberspace trash.

However, I am now more inclined to see that indeed, blogging has its values.

For one, the initial process encouraged me to clarify and organise my views and then to indulge in writing them down in my own voice for others to read – as a writer of articles and columns, I am not accustomed to that luxury. And, in doing so I started to ‘think’ more about any other views that may be lurking in the depths of my mind and be of interest to others.

But more importantly, the fact that my blog posts have elicited responses has awakened me to that mass cyberspace community out there. What an exciting prospect that is to engage in a form of social interaction that encourages good honest opinion sharing without any need for the face-to-face niceties that so often inhibit us from saying what we really think.

Graffiti Crimes

Ideas Shop blog

Mark Russell

Graffiti Crimes

Anyone living outside Wellington may not be aware of Graffiti-Gate, which has unfolded on a famous wall on a busy suburban street in the capital.

For almost three decades a couple of undistinguished retaining walls in Wallace Street, Mt Cook, have taken it in turns to be a shrine of sorts to Joy Division singer Ian Curtis who took his own life in 1980, aged 23.

When passing, we walked in silence.

The big, white IAN CURTIS graffiti has survived repeated attacks. In its original location, some wag attached the memorable sub-heading ‘Laughing Boy’ – a superbly ironic comment on Curtis’ dark music and, ultimately, terminal outlook on life.

When the original graffiti was painted over, IAN CURTIS simply reappeared up the road at its present site.

When someone with no appreciation for Curtis’ music transformed “Ian Curtis RIP” to “Ian Curtis GRIPS” a year or two back, the G and S were soon transformed into tombstones by the Remember Curtis Custodians, and another chapter of this enduring Wellington urban tale written, if not in stone then at least on concrete.

In early September overzealous City Council graffiti cleanup artists painted over the iconic wall.  It was, the Council quickly assured the rumbling masses, a genuine mistake and they hinted if the tribute was to reappear it would be allowed to remain.

This is where, for me, urban folklore becomes hijacked for all the wrong reasons.  The graffiti did reappear, first in chalk (fine) along with tributes to Michael Jackson and Patrick Swayze, and then in paint  . . . with two ZM DJs claiming responsibility.  One, Mark Dye, admitted “I didn’t even really know who Ian Curtis was – I’m only 22…”

What the Zero Mana jocks from ZM failed to appreciate was that this was an iconic Wellington social commentary that had endured for 28 years.  It was a “by the people, for the people” gig, our own Welly insider’s gag with an ongoing punchline.

We didn’t want or need them and their radio station involved, particularly given young Mark’s admission of musical ignorance.  I wasn’t a sports journalist when Pele was playing but I still know who he is.

This fundamental failure to understand when commerce and social movements should and should not come together is played out all the time on online social marketing platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

Savvy brands create bands of supporters, interest groups and advocates on these sites – but it’s an invitational arrangement where people choose to let companies into their own little corner of the InterWeb.

Anything else is spam.  Unwanted. Not respected. Soon ridiculed.

I could try to be clever and quote the line from Pink Floyd’s The Wall about us not needing any thought control, thanks ZM.  Or refer to Mi-Sex’s Graffiti Crimes.

But it would probaby all be lost on young Mark Dye.

By Mark Russell

Anyone living outside Wellington may not be aware of Graffiti-Gate, which has unfolded on a famous wall on a busy suburban street in the capital.

For almost three decades a couple of undistinguished retaining walls in Wallace Street, Mt Cook, have taken it in turns to be a shrine of sorts to Joy Division singer Ian Curtis who took his own life in 1980, aged 23.

When passing, we walked in silence.

The big, white IAN CURTIS graffiti has survived repeated attacks. In its original location, some wag attached the memorable sub-heading ‘Laughing Boy’ – a superbly ironic comment on Curtis’ dark music and, ultimately, terminal outlook on life.

When the original graffiti was painted over, IAN CURTIS simply reappeared up the road at its present site.

When someone with no appreciation for Curtis’ music transformed “Ian Curtis RIP” to “Ian Curtis GRIPS” a year or two back, the G and S were soon transformed into tombstones by the Remember Curtis Custodians, and another chapter of this enduring Wellington urban tale written, if not in stone then at least on concrete.

In early September overzealous City Council graffiti cleanup artists painted over the iconic wall.  It was, the Council quickly assured the rumbling masses, a genuine mistake and they hinted if the tribute was to reappear it would be allowed to remain.

This is where, for me, urban folklore becomes hijacked for all the wrong reasons.  

Perhaps the polished performer isn’t the most influential…

By Amanda Woodbridge

I’m currently working with a Chief Executive who every week gives 30 minutes of his time to talk with his people about matters affecting the business.

It’s a significant investment in time – but one that’s paying dividends.

This particular CE is one of the old-school – and it shows in how he talks with his staff.

He’s shy, not charismatic; quietly spoken instead of booming; and while he’s very thoughtful, he’s not polished.

Yet his style works, and his staff love him. It’s not unusual for eighty to ninety percent of staff (including senior managers) to attend his weekly staff briefings.

Why?

Hard Hitting Headlines

By Kirsty Fyfe

The use of headlines in our online world is an excellent marker of the new democratisation of mass communication.

In the days of old (pre mid-1990s), headlines were the preserve of newspaper subeditors, many of who took great delight in the use of puns. Of course, the UK tabloids majored in this and some headlines are the stuff of legend: “Gord Help Us Now” (Gordon Brown moves into No. 10), “Moron Terror” (four people found guilty of London bombings), Super Caley Go Ballistic, Celtic are Atrocious (Inverness Caledonian Thistle football team beats Celtic).

When newspapers ruled, public relations consultants lucky enough to get their press release noticed by a news editor were unlikely to ever see their chosen headline in bold font.  A junior reporter would have gone out of his or her way to change the wording as much as possible to justify their by-line – something I was often guilty of as a young provincial journo.

Nowadays, this monopoly has been replaced with a free for all but headlines are still equally as important, just for different reasons than in the last century.

We communications consultants, of course, still want our press releases read by news editors and our email subject lines need to be as captivating as possible.

However, we – and every other person who communicates online – can use free services to post our news (Scoop / From the Horses Mouth); use stakeholder email networks; post our news on our own websites and in blogs; and direct people to those postings using tweets.

The reputation management circus

By Kirsty Fyfe

Reputation management can be like tight rope walking – good balance is vital and the wrong footing can pitch you over the edge into the abyss (of public criticism).

It appeared that Cadbury didn’t anticipate the angry customer response to its change to palm oil. It is now busy back tracking with a move to fair-trade and the hope that customer loyalty will bring people back.

But Foodstuff’s move last week to back down on the 5 cent levy for plastic bags has left many people somewhat bemused. Sometimes giving in to customer demands can actually damage your brand or at least confuse your customers.

Foodstuffs must have anticipated a negative response from some customers over the levy and introduced the changes regardless. So why back down now when those responses have come to pass and why back down so soon – just a month after the levy was introduced?

Social media effective in your communications campaign

By Emma McCleary

Turns out, if you say the same thing long enough to enough people they’ll start to listen. In PR we call that ‘reiterating key messages.’ At home my husband calls that nagging.

I was a late comer to the online world. I remember sitting around our first at-home internet with the family like it was some kind of campfire, staring for minutes at its flame-bright screen wondering what we should look up. It wasn’t until university that my brother set me up with a hotmail account and explained the concept of email and realistically, I didn’t use a computer daily until 2000.

With social media it’s a different story though – since coming to it five years ago I’ve been a keen blogger, tweeter, facebooker and enjoy talking to people about how social media can become part of their business, and an effective tool in their communications.

That’s why I was so happy to see the recent social media revolution video, which gives the facts and figures behind why social media isn’t a fad and backs up my experience that,

• Social media is an effective way to communicate key messages,
• Democratising information – letting everyone have their say – strengthens what you’re trying to achieve,
• Social media is not just for young people, and
• Being present online will build community and encourage others to participate if you communicate in an informal, personable way.

This year the Cancer Society approached Ideas Shop to help them use social media tools to promote Daffodil Day. Like any good communications plan, our use of social media had an aim, a plan and a risk assessment.

Business benefits to night classes

ACE decision not so ace

Good managers lead by example. And extremely good managers aim to create a workplace culture that results in wins for everyone. That is, an environment that fosters the behaviour and knowledge that can bring in new business, add to the quality of work or, at the very least, result in happy, motivated employees.

In public relations, the best workplace culture is one that encourages team members to enjoy a variety of interests and social networks outside of their working life.

Well-rounded individuals usually have an accompanying wide network of friends and acquaintances. These networks can often convert into new business or referrals.

Even without direct new business generation, a worker who is actively encouraged to pursue his or her interests and spend time with family and friends is usually one who is pretty happy to turn up on time, work hard, have a thirst for new knowledge and skills and be a positive influence in the office.

To say, therefore, that the recent announcements from the Government about the cuts to adult community education funding are disappointing, is a bit of understatement.

If the nation is being led from the top, then to broadcast the message that outside interests and hobbies have no importance is short sighted. Of course there are plenty of non-subsidised classes still underway and possibly well attended but the risk is that access to night classes will become the preserve of those with more discretionary income.

Screeds of letters to the editor have been saying as much. One letter to the Dominion Post cited long-time successful potter Len Castle and ‘Dinosaur Lady’ Joan Wiffen as two examples of the outstanding success and passion that can be germinated through community night classes. There are thousands more examples, less well-known but no less important.

A person’s zeal for life in all its multi-coloured glory can provide inspiration in a work place and can help businesses grow and develop. This kind of passion should never be sidelined or be the subject of unwarranted sarcasm in the House.

By Kirsty Fyfe

Good managers lead by example. And extremely good managers aim to create a workplace culture that results in wins for everyone. That is, an environment that fosters the behaviour and knowledge that can bring in new business, add to the quality of work or, at the very least, result in happy, motivated employees.

In public relations, the best workplace culture is one that encourages team members to enjoy a variety of interests and social networks outside of their working life.

Well-rounded individuals usually have an accompanying wide network of friends and acquaintances. These networks can often convert into new business or referrals.

Even without direct new business generation, a worker who is actively encouraged to pursue his or her interests and spend time with family and friends is usually one who is pretty happy to turn up on time, work hard, have a thirst for new knowledge and skills and be a positive influence in the office.

To say, therefore, that the recent announcements from the Government about the cuts to adult community education funding are disappointing, is a bit of understatement.

Change – it’s all about the people

By Anna Kominik

About this time last year, we had an inkling that the economy was turning. The reason was that our internal communications practice shifted from promoting Employee Value Propositions, Performance Management and Leadership and Diversity Programmes to reorganisations – in the space of two weeks.

We are now supporting our 12th reorganisation in as many months. I’m glad to say not all are downsizings (to use the vernacular). Some are companies making the most of the opportunities in a recession and changing to keep pace with their own growth. But most are organisations merging, trying to do more with less and/ or chasing that seemingly elusive productivity increase.

The common thread through every single change is to make sure the organisation realises the results from the investment they are making.

Organisational change costs. And sometimes more than it should. Multinational professional services firm Towers Perrin estimates that companies are investing US80 – US$145 billion a year on change initiatives that fail to achieve their collective results. That is a huge amount of money that is not being used as effectively as it could or should be.

From our experience working with senior leaders, the most common cause of failure is when not enough attention has been placed on the people aspect of change.