Battleplan Creative

Communications with Purpose

Outsourcing…

by

Yes or No?  Personally I’m pro.. but then again I would be….

Outsourcing communications introduces an element of objectivity that becomes almost impossible to retain when you’re part of an organisation, regardless of size.  Incidentally that’s one of the many benefits from working on your induction programmes and taking those initial, some would say naive, opinions seriously – there’s a lot to be learned from those fresh eyes and whilst new recruits may not immediately be delivering on ROI, they can start adding value from the outset with the right programme in place.

But I digress… That objectivity is  key, it’s not measurable and it requires trust and mutual respect to really demonstrate its value. Our working culture has become increasingly focussed on boxing everything up as commodities, putting an RRP on it and using that to evaluate its worth.  It’s such an unhealthy way to work, shoving the ‘soft stuff’ out to the periphery of operations when it should rightly be slap bang in the middle.. the hub of it all.

[Read more…]

a hospital visit…

by

Spent a day in hospital this week, never a pleasant experience but thankfully it was in a professional capacity. I’m writing about a piece of Radiography equipment which has had me pondering the nature of Technical PR. There’s a balance to be struck here between facts and figures and experiential insight and it’s vital to get it right, otherwise it’s just another really dry piece of copy.

Any PR is there to assist the selling process and I maintain that people buy from people… no matter what the model is according to the sales and marketing guru of the moment, that essential fact remains the same. Even online businesses recognise it – why else would Johnny Boden be writing to me every other day? He may be completely manufactured but Boden has created a compelling aura of reality and his target market buys in – success!

Fundamentally it’s always about the target audience, focus on what they need to know – tell them, tell them again, give them a chance to digest and leave them with one last little morsel to savour. Simple?

An Introduction

by

I’m experiencing something of a personality conflict; heart-pounding as if for an exam I’m sure I’ll fail, it’s clear in my head that this blog is supposed to be about me in my professional capacity talking about the power of expressive communications and yet….. I’m almost intolerably drawn to the idea of using it to spill in the manner of a teenage diary. I guess it’s a tangible lesson in how we’ve all come to view the internet and the sense of anonymity it grants us, not to mention the voyeuristic delights it affords us in tapping into the inner mechanics of a stranger’s brain.

I recently read a blog entry from “Outraged of Oxford” (identities have been changed to protect the innocent) bemoaning the lack of grammar, proliferation of misspellings and interminable text speak from ‘so called writing professionals’. I was interested in how personally he took the English Language being mangled and dissected and his sense of vitriol that people get paid to make a hash of communicating for others. Personally, I’m torn; I love this language and take great enjoyment from listening to those with a mastery that I can only wish for. But more than that I value the power of communication, the ways in which simple ideas can be translated and shared whether for profit or altruism and surely the method is less important than the outcome?

I’m contemplating my reasons for being here – not in a metaphysical sense, but in a real “Why am I writing this” kind of sense. It’s a curious leap for someone who makes a living from writing about other people’s businesses to devote quality time to writing about her own. Whether I’ll sustain it will ultimately come down to an equation involving time, inspiration and motivation….

You’re more than welcome to join me and see where it takes us…

Let’s talk!