Liz Franzmann in Delhi

Liz Franzmann, Project Manager, Conserve Delhi 2010 Project

Your elevator statement – who are you professionally and personally?

A sustainability professional combining specialist skills in project management, group facilitation and communications to deliver tactical change projects. At the moment I’m undertaking an Endeavour Executive Award Scholarship with a Delhi based non-profit, Conserve India. Conserve employs people from Delhi’s poorest slum-dwelling communities to create high fashion products from waste materials. We’re aiming to upcycle Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games waste into new products as well as delivering a communications campaign to share the project story.

Tell us about your typical day in communications?

At the moment it’s incredibly varied, as communications is just one aspect of my work in Delhi. Last week it ranged from liaising with senior figures of the Delhi 2010 Organising Committee to dodging mud puddles while hunting for useful waste materials at a recycling depot on the outskirts of the city.

When did you first know you wanted to work in communications?

I’ve always loved a good story and have always enjoyed writing. Mum kept a fairytale I wrote as a small child – it’s two pages long with nary a full stop to be seen. That tells you two things about me: I like doing things fast and I’m definitely guilty of crimes against grammar. For the past five years I’ve been more of a project manager – coordinating grant programs and delivering environmental awareness and change initiatives – in government and non-profit environmental organisations. It’s been full on but rewarding. Along the way I realised I really enjoy the challenge of communicating stories of change in the sustainability space.

I’ve also been following the rise of digital media since I came across moveon.org about five years ago. My interest is in using online communication tools to facilitate positive social change. Conserve India was keen to trial their social media tools to attract new customers. So the Conserve Delhi 2010 project has been a great way for all of us to test a lot of communication ideas through a small, practical change project.

Who’s your communication hero/mentor?

The friendly mentoring crew at the C word of course! A week before leaving for Delhi, I was introduced to them, rushed to their office, shook them by the shoulders crying, ‘social media…I know nothing…Just gimme the basics!’ They quelled my hysterics with more than a few hours of helpful social media advice and shortcuts.

Which tools can’t you live without?

My laptop. Without it I was looking at very long sessions at the local internet shop – where downloading a document can take up to thirty minutes. My other can’t-live-without at the moment is Rajesh, my local scanning man at the video editing shop (although he’s no tool). I don’t have a printer or a scanner so I’m making lots of little trips to support my neighbourhood business community.

What are the biggest challenges in your role?

There are many: technology, language and cultural differences, how to get my laundry dry in monsoonal downpours…

Sometimes tricky challenges, but also amazing learning opportunities and it feels great when you do overcome them.

Lately, the possibility of the Commonwealth Games not happening has loomed pretty large. I’d documented it as a risk in my project plan, but I’d never dreamed it could actually be possible!

Coming to Delhi one month out from the Games has also proved challenging – the core organising staff we need to deal with are so busy trying to just make the event happen. But we’re confident if we keep talking to people, our upcycling idea will get through – especially as we believe it will be the first time a Commonwealth Games has created new, valuable products out of event waste.

Tell us about the best campaign you’ve ever worked on?

Definitely the Summer of Sustainability Music Festivals project while I was the Events and Venues Program Manager with Sustainability Victoria. I called it an action-learning partnership, working with five major music festivals in Victoria to accelerate the uptake of sustainable event practices. I just met so many creative, inspiring change agents, many of whom we captured on a half hour documentary. We also helped establish a new sustainable events portal – the Sustainable Events Planner.

Which campaign do you most admire?

Really inspired by the recent Vindaloo Against Violence campaign – low budget, simple idea, beautifully executed with major results. Nice.

What’s been the biggest change to communication/marketing/public relations since you began your career?

The rise of online communication tools is changing the way we navigate our lives. Last year, I heard the former Saatchi and Saatchi Worldwide Creative Director, Bob Isherwood, describe the Barak O’bama grassroots and online election campaign as revolutionary. Isherwood argues that no election campaign will ever be controlled by an ad agency again. Big change.

I’ve also observed the rise in ‘green marketing’, many would also say a rise in ‘greenwash’. In my view, there’s a big role for principled communicators in challenging the current system and helping people find better ways to live within the planet’s ecological limits.

What quality do you look for in your communication team members?

It’s always great working with committed professionals who share similar values and who know how to have a good laugh.

What’s your favourite brand?

Now there’s a loaded little word. At it’s worst, it represents the cynical marketing of an idea in order to sell stuff. But if we take it as the values or ‘personality’ that an organisation or product represents, aligning with what they actually do, then here are couple of emerging Aussie ‘brands’ I like. Dead serious about the environmental issues they’re tackling, yet both a little bit cheeky (the Natural Event guys have a motto ‘changing the world from the bottom up’, so they’re quite literally cheeky!). And there’s Haul.

What book/blog do you think every communicator should read?

I saw an amazing documentary, the Persuaders, on SBS a few years ago and I’ve thought a lot about it since. It’s an American investigation into the persuasion industries, the marketeers and advertisers of our world, and where these professions are heading. A little old now, but is still well worth a watch.

Finish this sentence:

‘Communication is…still possible even when you don’t share a common language; all you need are hand gestures, extreme facial expressions and the willingness to look like a complete wally.

Early 1950s Television Set (flickr)

Even if you don’t have Foxtel at home, you’ve most likely heard about Sarah Murdoch’s little mistake on live television last night.

If you haven’t heard, she accidently named the runner-up as the winner of Australia’s Next Top Model and then felt terribly sick about it and corrected the mistake!

But don’t fret, today it’s been announced both winner and runner-up will head to the big apple, both will feature on separate covers of Harpers Bazaar, and both will get some money in the bank!

Thank goodness … we can all rest easy knowing all is right in the world of modeling for another night!

We thought we’d look back at a few live television mistakes for a mid week chuckle!

If you’re a Queenslander, you’ll probably remember Channel Ten newsreader Marie-Louise Thiele calling her husband an arsehole while waiting to come back from commercial.

More recently, over on Channel Seven there was the banker looking at images of Miranda Kerr while his colleague delivered a live finance update.

And then there are the times people drop the f-bomb and the c-word on live TV. A couple of years ago, Jane Fonda used the c-word while talking about appearing in the Vagina Monologues.

And of course sometimes you can accidently kill someone off (or at least worry fans, friends and family) as Richard Wilkins and Jeff Goldblum know all too well!

Chat soon,

the c word

Heath Evans

Heath Evans is the Communications Coordinator at the AFL Players’ Association.

Heath has a wealth of public relations and marketing experience within the sporting industry having worked at the Sports Federation of Victoria (vicsport), The World Championship Sports Network, Sports & Entertainment Group, My Heroes and AFL Samoa.

He has a genuine passion for social media and is constantly experimenting, with his latest Twitter brainchild being the creation of the Social Media in Oz (#sminoz) hashtag, which is designed to connect users of social media within Australia.

You can connect with Heath via @heath_evans or on LinkedIn.

Now for the Q&A:

Tell us about your typical day

I turn off my alarm at 6.30am and roll over to check my Twitter, Facebook, email and Chess with Friends accounts in a flurry of morning activity. This is the reality of social media; while you sleep, the biggest issue in the world, or at least football, may have occurred.

Working within the AFL Players’ Association there is fresh news every day so it is crucial that as soon as I get to work, I check our media monitoring service for any issues or mentions which require immediate attention.

I assist with media inquiries and help prepare statements when required.

As a Communications Coordinator, with a focus on digital marketing, my tasks often revolve around what is occurring within the organisation and developing strategies as to how we are going to communicate this to the broader public.

My other focus is looking at how we can build our online community and encourage more fans to interact with our brand through our social media accounts, in the hope that one day they will become virtual ambassadors for the AFLPA and more importantly, the AFL players. Fans should have a full understanding of the tremendous work players do within the community and the reality of what it is like to be an AFL player in the modern day.

I coordinate our hard copy publication, which requires working with players to create new and interesting content which is unique in the marketplace. Tomorrow, I am interviewing Fitzroy legend Kevin Murray; a dream come true!

When did you first know you wanted to work in communications?

I first realised I wanted to work in communications when as a teenager I was the only one who loved TV advertisements and the thinking behind them. I was fascinated with the carefully crafted messages and manipulation of language and loved to wonder which markets they were tailored for.

I had assumed everyone shared this interest but when my family and friends muted the advertisements I quickly realised this was not the case.

This realisation came when I was about 18 and from that moment I had no doubt where I was heading.

Who’s your communication hero/mentor?

My communications mentor is my first boss, Trevor Young. He inspired me to continue with Twitter without him even realising it. When I first began two years ago I nearly gave up but then I saw his account and thought “if he is willing to begin learning about this at his age what the hell is wrong with me! If I start today then at least I will progress faster than if I give up now and start in a year”.

I think Trevor is an exceptional operator and I have certainly followed what he does and the articles he reads to try and improve myself in this industry by keeping up with the latest trends.

My communications hero is probably my grandpa as his joke-telling ability is second to none and his understanding of how to work a crowd is classic!

Which tools can’t you live without?

My iPhone would be the obvious answer.

But I love all types of online measuring tools as these are not only great indicators to show the boss that the company’s online interaction is growing but also to provide an insight into what type of communication and content people are responding to. These tools are only useful if you pay attention to them and respond with a plan.

What are the biggest challenges in your role?

At the moment my biggest challenge is being new to my organisation, as I have only been at the AFL Players’ Association for just over a month.

Understanding how the business operates and the huge variety of tasks each staff member performs has meant that every day I am learning more and more about the organisation and then trying to convey that to the public .

Tell us about the best campaign you’ve ever worked on?

To keep with the sporting theme, my favourite campaign was when I was working with AFL Samoa in the 2008 AFL International Cup.

During this tour the Peace Team was also introduced. This was a mixed Palestinian and Israeli team and seeing their interaction was one of the most inspiring experiences of my life as it showed how sport can break down cultural and religious barriers.

I would recommend people read about this campaign.

The Samoan boys were so humble and polite in the way they conducted themselves and it made me realise how blessed we are in Australia.

They were not fantastic footballers but before each game I was privileged to be in the room as they sang in prayer, preparing for the game ahead. They would sing at dinner, at lunch, at game time, free-time and basically at any opportunity they had.

They were like a modern version of the seven dwarves but much bigger and much more intimidating! See for yourself.

The AFL Samoa Team from the 2008 AFL World Cup

So I turned the focus of our program into the cultural uniqueness of this team and highlighted the different ways that different cultures prepare for Aussie Rules Football. I recorded the boys singing and had them perform at various events during the tour. Word spread very quickly and the phone didn’t stop ringing with clubs, organisations and most importantly newspapers and radio stations asking them to perform.

They performed on four radio stations and were a hit. This gives me hope for the amazing experience we will witness when the AFL becomes a global game.

Which campaign do you most admire?

I love Virgin’s campaigns!

Richard Branson is brilliant and is much like Keanu Reeves in the Matrix in that he sees everything so clearly and writes his own rules. It is only once he has completed a campaign that you scratch your head and think “that was so obvious!”

I love the fact that he incorporates full-scale entertainment into his brands and makes you feel as though he is genuinely behind everything that Virgin does. Whenever I meet a staff member from Virgin I genuinely feel connected to Richard and I believe they do too.

What’s been the biggest change to communication/marketing/public relations since you began your career?

The most recent change I have noticed is the creation of purely social and digital media jobs.

When I began, MySpace was all the rage and Facebook was relatively new.

I wrote my final university assignment on how I thought Facebook, Myspace and Youtube could change the Marketing and PR industry and I was almost laughed out of the university. I was too embarrassed to give it to the organisation I had written it for as part of my internship.

Organisations have now come full circle and many encourage social media, whereas when I began my career it was almost a “sackable” offence to be caught checking Facebook.

If you had to cut/keep something in your communication budget, what would it be?

Hard copy publications. I would rather spend the money on getting unique content and have an impressive website to engage fans once they arrive.

This also makes it far easier to measure who actually reads your publications and what content they desire.

What quality do you look for in your communication team members?

Creative, good personality, loyal, honest, funny. I am always more excited to be at work when there are good people around me and fortunately the AFL Players’ Association has a genuinely great team!

What’s your favourite brand?

In sport the NBA is the pinnacle! Their branding, delivery, game day activation and social media presence is full-scale entertainment.

Within the NBA there have been few brands better than Nike Air Jordan!

What book/blog do you think every communicator should read?

I think the best thing I ever did was follow people within the PR / Marketing industry whom I admired and made sure I read every article they recommended and every blog they wrote, so that I was keeping up with the best in the business.

What tips do you wish you’d known starting out in communications?

I wish I had begun work experience earlier at university as it is all about who you know.

Don’t be shy to show passion and energy and actually show that you enjoy your work.

Don’t hold anything back and throw all your energy into your work and you will lift those around you.

Finish this sentence: ‘Communication is… one of the only things that every person in this world does.

If you haven’t heard already (and frankly, where have you been?) Oprah Winfrey, the queen of day-time chat, is coming to Australia in December.

But she’s not coming alone. Of course not! Why travel on your lonesome in the comfort of a private jet when you can bring 300 of your nearest and dearest fans and turn a Qantas A380 into a travelling O-World?

Oh the excitement at Harpo was palpable as John Travolta donned his Qantas captains cap and helped the 300 Americans and their god-like talk show host kick off their Australian adventure.

Excited audience members aside, what does Oprah packing her bags and heading down under mean for Australia? Short answer: Lots of visitors!

No doubt Tourism Australia is hoping for a little or a lot of Oprah’s golden touch to rub off on Australia. And I’m sure it will. If nothing else it’s taken the focus of Australian politics for a couple of days…

For brand Australia and the places she’s visiting: Melbourne for shopping, Sydney for the Harbour and ‘Oprah House’ and the Great Barrier Reef, Oprah will make them household names well before Christmas. Even before her Australian shows air in January 2011, the buzz from having Oprah in Oz will reach her millions of loyal viewers, magazine subscribers, book club fans and online fans and have them packing their bags and heading to Australia.

I wouldn’t be surprised if hotels and flights aren’t already being snapped up in a holiday-booking frenzy.

And think of the 4.2 million people on Twitter who await her every tweet. Imagine the re-tweeting that will occur if she stops to take a happy snap along the way. Click, click, click ….

It will also be really interesting to see the characters she talks with on her trip to Oz. Perhaps she’ll find the next Dr Phil on a Harbour Cruise or a Nate Bergus at Bondi Junction.

As for where she’s going, her team has been working out the finer details for months with the help of Tourism Australia. They’ll also be travelling to Australia in coming months to hunt out the best places for Oprah to visit.

While Oprah decides which brand of sunblock to pack, her Australian fans will be waiting for their chance to score tickets to her once in a lifetime show at the Sydney Oprah House via a lottery system.

Perhaps it will be like the green card lottery to get into America. One thing’s for sure, it will ensure any Oprah fan who doesn’t use a computer regularly already will be frequent visitors of ten.com.au.

So what would you suggest Oprah and her 300 travel companions do while they’re in Australia? So many options …

I’ll stick with Victoria for our suggestion, although sadly she may only send her guests to our part of town. Two words: art and bars.

As Oprah says, cheers for now (I’ll work on my accent too!)

the c word

OK, where have the first eight months of 2010 gone?

Apologies for the lag between posts but it’s been a busy few weeks in our crib (OK, I was going to say chambers but I thought that was a little too legal, so I went with crib!).

A fresh blog promise (similar to Safeway/Woolworths fresh food promise) is to bring you a fresh blog about communications next week covering corporate social responsibility and the lessons Committee for Melbourne’s Andrew Macleod is sure to share at the PRIA Leadership Breakfast on Tuesday 14 September. (If you’re interested in CSR or Melbourne’s future you can still get tickets – come have coffee and hear what he has to say!)

Tonight, we’re off to the launch of the 9th annual Overload Poetry Festival. A ten day celebration of Victoria’s amazing poetry community with local, national and international guests. This is the third festival we’ve helped the poets with their publicity and each year the lineup just gets better.

While there are plenty of amazing events to choose from, we personally can’t wait for the poetry reading at the NGV and the launch of the Melbourne Poetry Map – both innovative parts of this year’s festival.

Then after a week of poetry, we’ll be heading back to 1928 next Saturday for our client Simon Robinson’s A Dinner to Die For at the Retreat Hotel. Again, tickets are still available if you would like to join us in 1928 England and help solve the murder mystery.

And that brings us to something to contemplate over the weekend … who is your favourite fictional detective?

While you’re contemplating that … and please do share your favourite via a comment … we’ll leave you with Earth Wind and Fires September.

Ciao for now,

the c word

Editing photo from Flickr by Nic's events

1. Plan – think about why you’re writing and how you want your reader to respond to it. Having a goal keeps your writing focused.
2. Put the issues up front – stating in the first paragraph what you’re writing about gives context to your communication. It helps readers to take in what you’re telling them or asking of them, within the boundaries you’ve set.
3. Write in plain language – using everyday words, short sentences, short paragraphs and other plain language writing techniques makes your writing easier to read and understand for all readers, regardless of their literacy level or expertise in the subject matter.
4. Structure your document – long, unbroken chunks of text are hard to read and almost impossible to scan. Headings, bullet lists, graphics and other layout techniques guide readers visually through the information.
5. Proofread – sloppy grammar, misused (or just plain missing) punctuation and spelling mistakes degrade your written communication, and your credibility.

Find out what other tips our senior copywriter and content strategist, Aimee Said, has to share by emailing info@thecword.com.au or calling 03 9676 9040.

Yours in clever copy,

the c word

The new team in front of the cameras for ABC News 24, (c) ABC TV Blog

While the culinary skills of Master Chef may hold the attention of some Australians tonight, many will be tuning into the official launch of ABC’s 24 Hour new channel.

It’s been a topic of much conversation around the country, and our office, since ABC Managing Director Mark Scott made the announcement earlier this year.

And as the months have passed, the anticipation has built with an exciting range of programs, contributing journalists and new formats announced.

So what will we see tonight?

Well according to the media, there is going to be a major announcement kicking off the broadcast with Kerry O’Brien at the healm (who didn’t notice Kerry in the 80s on Sunday’s Hawke on Ten?)

Before the clock strikes 7.30, we thought we’d take a little peak at some of the 24 hour news network’s operating around the world.

If you’re spending time in the US (or pretty much anywhere around the world) you can catch the trailblazing CNN. I love that CNN launched with a husband and wife news reading team! Since CNN’s debut, more than 70 television channels have launched with 24-hour news coverage.

And we can’t create a list of 24 hour news channel without mentioing Aljazeera. Headquartered in Doha, Qatar, the station gained worldwide attention following the September 11, 2001 attacks, when it was the only channel to cover the war in Afghanistan live from its office there.

If you’re wanting 24 hour coverage of business news, there is CNBC World, a business news channel operated in the United States by NBC Universal.

How about if you’re in Russia? Want to know what’s happening, change the channel to Russia 24 (formally known as Vesti) which covers major national and international events.

And if you’re in Indonesia, check out their first 24-hour news channel, Metro TV. The station was established nearly 10 years ago and now has more than 53 transmission sites all over the country.

Or if you’re in New Zealand for a spot of bungy jumping, tune into their commercial-free 24-hour news and information channel, TVNZ 7, which has been on Freeview digital television since March 2008.

And of course, in Australia but only on Pay TV, there is Sky News.

If you can’t wait for tonight, check out the preview below and then get ready to settle in for non-stop news from around Australia and the world.

We can’t wait to wake up with Virginia Trioli and her fellow breakfasteers and fall asleep with Tony Jones and Leigh Sales. While you can do both already, it’s always nice to have a new home to do it in!

Enjoy your news,

the c word

New crew member, copywriter and content strategist Aimee Said

Meet Aimee Said, our new crew member, copywriter and content strategist.

Aimee is a writer, editor and web content strategist who has worked in the arts, publishing, not-for-profit and government sectors. Her writing and editing experience includes website content, annual reports and other organisational documents, news articles and training manuals.

Having written and managed website content for more than ten years, Aimee is also passionate about content strategy: planning, publishing and managing content that meets users’ needs and is aligned with organisational goals.

Tell us about your typical day in communications?

The actual ‘work’ part of my day depends whether I’m writing, editing or strategising (or juggling all three), but my daily morning ritual is: coffee, reply to email, coffee, scan blog feeds, coffee.

When did you first know you wanted to work in communications?

When I typed my first html tag, back in 1998.

Who’s your communication hero/mentor?

Gerry McGovern constantly reminds me that the best communication is audience-focused.

Which tools can’t you live without?

I’m a google-hag – I use everything from gmail, to blogger to google docs. If I could choose only one? Email.

What are the biggest challenges in your role?

Convincing People to Stop Overusing Capital Letters.

Which campaign do you most admire?

At the moment, Get Up’s ‘enrol to vote’ campaign – a great example of using the right medium, tone and distribution channel to reach your target audience.

What’s been the biggest change to communication/marketing/public relations since you began your career?

The internet! When I started my first job after uni (back in the online dark ages of 1994), only a couple of our clients had email addresses and the only content we could find that wasn’t scientific research was a weekly rundown of Melrose Place.

If you had to cut/keep something in your communication budget, what would it be?

Cut: website design bells and whistles, like animated site introductions (unless you’re in the animation business). Keep: well-written content (no bias here, obviously!).

What quality do you look for in your communication team members?

An ability to see a project from all angles, not just the part of it they’re responsible for.

What book/blog do you think every communicator should read?

Gerry McGovern’s Giraffe Forum.

What tips do you wish you’d known starting out in communications?

Know your audience: writing for ‘Joe Public’ is never going to be effective.

Finish this sentence: ‘Communication is…’

…finding the balance between an organisation’s goals and its audience’s needs.

Aimee is also the author of Finding Freia Lockhart, available online and at all good book stores.

the c word guest star on Mad Men

Whether you’re tending to your flock of sheep on Farmville, testing your coordination with iDare on your iPhone, or turning yourself into a ‘Mad Men’ character with the help of JibJab, you’re immersed in the world of digital applications.

They come in all shapes and sizes; there are practical applications like the iPhone’s sleep monitor, as well as media applications like ABC and then there are pure entertainment applications such as “Age My Face”.

And with iPhones, iPads, BlackBerries and androids – to name a few – becoming a common part of the digital toolkit, the application is here to stay!

So what is an application? No we’re not talking about the form you complete when applying for a job at a fast food joint; in the digital age an application is computer software designed to help the user perform tasks.

Whether they’re helping get you to your destination – thanks Google Maps – or showing you what you might look like in 30 years, the aim of an application is to make your life easier or more entertaining.

If you’re an organisation looking to make your mark on the digital world, and you have a creative idea and access to the resources to create an application, get developing.

There are some excellent examples of branded applications, including Office Max’s ‘Elf yourself‘, Nike’s jogging applications, various banking applications and Wendy’s Shake ‘n’ Dog game.

Finally, to the inspiration for this post, earlier in the week the c word crew basked in the glow of a fabulous application which allowed us to bring our crew to life as 1960s Madison Avenue Mad Men (+ Women).

JibJab are a very interesting group out of California. They rose to fame thanks to their video of George W. Bush and John Kerry singing “This Land is Your Land” during the 2004 US Presidential election.

They’ve since gone on to develop a number of humorous video applications, which allow you to put your face onto the characters. You can be an ice skater, a disco dancer, the President of the US or have a starring role in Mad Men.

It’s a brilliant way to promote your brand because when people are having fun they’re more likely to share their experience and help spread the word.

On that note, enjoy our version of Mad Men and watch out for the new series hitting AMC on US Cable in a couple of weeks!

Cheerio,

the c word

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