Staying cyber-secure while keeping your social distance
We don't know how long the COVID-19 crisis will last - but there are important cyber security steps we should take while working away from our usual environments.
Why you shouldn’t laugh at the idea of a four-day working week
Fundamentally altering the way our society has worked for more than 200 years means being truly prepared to embrace change and brave enough to be bold.
Why deep fakes should trigger deep thinking
We’re at an interesting point in our history when it comes to identity manipulation. And the consequences could be alarming.
The how-to-guide for a successful Canberra lobbying trip
A trip to Canberra to engage with politicians can be a daunting prospect - so we've broken down the process of finding success in the nation's capital.
Why 5G could spell trouble for your crisis comms
The ongoing rollout of 5G networks around Australia won’t just make for much faster internet connections on our mobile devices – it is also set to pose an increasingly challenging test of the crisis communications capabilities of businesses and organisations. Speaking at a recent webinar on crisis communications hosted by media monitoring company Meltwater, international communications expert John Bailey said 5G capabilities would supercharge existing trends in our behaviour around disasters and noteworthy public incidents. Bailey, who has extensive experience working with airlines on crises responses, mapped out the evolution of social media around airline emergency situations in recent years. While the crash
Why somebody else’s data breach crisis might also be yours
The recent hacking of information from a specialist cardiology unit in Melbourne highlights the importance of being prepared in advance for a data breach – potentially even one that doesn’t belong to you. The January attack “scrambled” the files of some 15,000 patients at the Melbourne Heart Group (MHG) clinic, with a cryptocurrency demand issued for the return of information believed to have been obtained using malware from North Korea or Russia. Some patients’ information was reportedly still missing weeks later and the situation was made even more intriguing by the possible on-flow of reputational damage to a third party: Cabrini Hospital.
What is ‘doxxing’ and what do we have to worry about?
We live in a connected world where our personal information, if not protected properly, is easier to access than it has ever been. Often that access, uninvited as it might be, is harmless enough. But in some instances it crosses the line into the realm of a personal attack, which can be both emotionally and financially harmful. Recently, the perils of ‘doxxing’ have been put under a new spotlight, after an ABC journalist wrote about his experience of being ‘trolled’ en masse. So what exactly is doxxing and why should you be worried about it? Doxxing defined The term is derived from dox, which is an abbreviation of documents. Dropping
Is WordPress management leaving you open to the world?
Nothing in the digital world stays still very long. WordPress and its associated plugins are no exception - but what does that mean and why do you need to regularly maintain your website? WordPress has grown since 2003 to become the most used content management system in the world. It exists as an open source platform, which means that any developer, with any skill level (or motivation) can create a plugin. A plugin is a packaged-up piece of code which saves time and effort for website developers. Plugins can run form enquiries, ecommerce stores, Google maps, calendars, photo galleries and almost everything
What is the Generation Z change agent?
In the first instalment of our Real Relationship series - exploring stakeholder engagement across a wide variety of topics - Jordin Payne takes a look at the new kids on the block: Generation Z. Born between 1995 and 2012, Generation Z is the first fully global generation of our society. A study conducted by McCrindle has labelled Generation Z as change agents capable of having influence over brand success. With 10.1 million Australians being avid users of social media, it is increasingly clear connection and perception matter. So, what’s important to Gen Z? Concerned with social impact, inclusion, authenticity and value, by
Scratching the surface: what your Facebook scrolling is really teaching you
Here’s something worth stashing away in the back of your mind as an Australian election campaign looms – a new study shows Facebook users do pick up political knowledge from their news feeds…but many won’t learn as much as they think they have. The research, published last week in Research And Politics, was undertaken by Nicolas M Anspach of York College of Pennsylvania, Jay T Jennings of the University of Texas at Austin and Kevin Arceneaux of Temple University. The results – and the methodology – are fascinating. Wanting to test to what extent people could glean knowledge from a Facebook feed
Know the DRILL – how to pitch your story to the media
Clients - and colleagues - often ask me how I go about pitching ideas, talent and content to media organisations. I am fortunate in that I have spent more than 20 years in newsrooms in Australia and the UK and I have a strong network of contacts and a detailed appreciation for how news outlets work, what types of stories are likely to gain traction and what deadlines are applicable to different organisations. But I still go back to one basic premise every time I make a pitch: DRILL Do you know? What is your story? Why is it a story? What collateral do you
Ten steps to getting the most out of Twitter for your business
So, you’ve signed up to Twitter and to your disappointment no one is reading your tweets or responding to your brilliant insights. It’s a common complaint for many Twitter users: if you’re not already famous, no one is listening to anything you say. So, to help you get a little more out of the platform here are some top tips to assist you with being heard. Use your real name If you want to build a professional network and for people to take you seriously, you need to use your real name. People are much more likely to trust you and what
Six ingredients to a healthy brand
Here are some simple and easy tips for optimising your existing brand or developing a new one. Don’t try to do everything in one logo There are many things I love to eat. I love a great, thin crust pizza with a simple range of ingredients. I also love big, fluffy waffles covered in chocolate ice-cream and one thing I can never go past is my mum’s pumpkin soup. However, just because I love all these individual foods doesn’t mean I can cram all the flavours together to make a super food. Indeed, quite the opposite. What I would end up
The Cannings Purple Quiz: How Well Do You Know Social Media?
So, you think you know your Bebo from your mySpace and Facebook from your Snapchat. Below are a few simple questions any marketer worth their salt should know.
Three tips for using hashtags during an event
We know what it’s like. You’re at an event, you’re busy with conversation and looking to catch up and grow your network – but what attention are you giving to your digital network? How do you network online at an event and join the digital conversation? I’m going to unpick how to use hashtags (those words and phrases prefixed by a #) to break into the digital conversation likely taking part at any event. It’s already happening with or without you but you can find that being a part of what’s transpiring will advance your real-world networking as well as pushing your
Sorry your worship, it’s a right royal mess
The world of prefixed titles or the rank and status of political leaders can seem to be a completely foreign language. But getting it wrong in correspondence can mark you out as a political novice and you can't always trust websites to get it right. Think you’ve got the conventions down? Try our quiz to find out.