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The shocking truth about clickbait

Is clickbait dying or is it getting stronger? It’s absolutely everywhere we turn and can drive even the most sane individuals crazy. But here’s why your organisation needs to apply the principles of it. ...

Why I signed up to Vero today:

We are all suckers when it comes to new social media platforms - and even this pale, stale male is not immune:...

Hey, WhatsApp-ening?

WhatsApp is one of many communications channels that are worth exploring for wider brand communications and campaigns. Here’s why, says Luke Henshall:...

Why emojis show National won’t be in Government for years

The initial pitches being made by the three candidates for the leadership of New Zealand’s National party make it unlikely that we’ll see a change in government any time soon. And emojis are the reason why:...

Who decided this was a good idea? Super Bowl ad hits new low

Would you rather be shackled by a fear of offending or so oblivious to what’s appropriate that you use a speech from a hero of the civil rights movement to shift product? Those were the ends of the spectrum Super Bowl viewers were confronted with. ...

The 4 Whats can help you to win more contracts - here’s how:

As we slither sweatily into February and the pace of work starts to match the 30°C heat outside, there is certainly a lot of work being put out for tender at the moment. We are working on three separate bids, and it is good to be focused and rolling at speed. One thing we have noticed from the bids on which we are working at the moment is the heavy shift in weighting towards non-price attributes over price – in one case as far as 80:20. In this environment - in which organisations putting wo...

Tips to generate business leads while the NZ sun shines

Did your business go to sleep over Christmas? Some canny operators have been using the downtime to get in front of their target audiences and generate meaningful leads. Here’s how:...

6 communication trends you can’t ignore in 2018

Speed. Change. Technology. Disruption. Transformation. Our world is exploding with new technologies and new ways of communicating. Never before has the world of communication evolved so fast and in so many ways and directions....

We love these photos:

Visual content has never been more important - ever - which is why we love this story in the New Zealand Herald so much. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do:...

Opinion matters

I don’t know why I do it, but I do. No matter how much I find the views of Mike Hosking getting my back up, I continually go back for more. ...

Going into holiday mode over Christmas? Your clients aren’t.

Summer has officially hit NZ and pretty soon we’ll all be putting our Out Of Office on and business will come to a grinding halt. And yet, as you’re working on your tan your clients are glued to their phones, soaking in your competitors’ advertising…...

Brand is dead, CSR is dead: long live SOI

The Clarity Business yesterday hosted visiting British author and global thought leader Neil Gaught for a memorably provocative session on what organisations have to do to stay relevant in the rapidly evolving world in which we live:...

Free breakfast event - Thursday 23 November 8-9am

Visiting British author and global thought leader Neil Gaught is putting on a breakfast in association with The Clarity Business. Neil will share his insights on how society is changing business – and offer guidance on how businesses should position themselves for the future.  Neil is the author of CORE: How a Single Organizing Idea Can Change Business for Good and will share his powerful approach that will help you to better respond to today’s challenges. WHEN: 8-9am Thursday 23 Novemb...

What I learned about coworking at the rear end of a pantomime horse

It’s not every day that you get to be the rear end of a pantomime horse. But, thanks to coworking space Generator and its creative community building ways, this peculiar dream came true for George Hulbert on Tuesday this week. And he learned a lot:...

Unmasking social media audiences: new updates you NEED to know

Tell me if you’ve ever done this: you’re scrolling through your Facebook feed and an interesting picture or intriguing clickbait headline catches your attention. You stop and look at it. Turns out, it’s an advert or a sponsored posted. You’re interested in it but you don’t click on the link, you don’t ‘like’ it, you don’t comment, you don’t share it. As far as the advertiser is concerned, you’ve shown no interest in the advert. Right? Wrong. Introducing ‘dwell time’ Fac...

The No. 1 thing holding your company’s brand back…

If you’re struggling to increase your brand awareness and build meaningful, trusting relationships with your audience, the solution could quite literally be staring you in the face every day…...

An interviewing masterclass: Guyon Espiner tackles Winston Peters

As an avid consumer of media, I’ve always got an ear out for a good interview. And I heard an absolute humdinger on Radio New Zealand in the car on the way to work this morning:...

Dealing with haters on social media

Time and time again we come across businesses who tell us “Yes it would be nice to be on Facebook but we don’t want to expose ourselves to the haters out there who will attack us because of <insert contentious product or service impact here>.                                                                  In the most extre...

The secret to Facebook’s algorithm

I'm going to tell you a story. One day, a French poet named Jacques Prévert was walking the streets of Paris when he came across a beggar asking for money. Beside the beggar was a handwritten sign which read: ‘I am blind, please help’. Prévert stopped and asked the man how it was going to which the beggar responded: “Not very well, I hear people pass by but no one drops money in my hat. Would you give me some money?” “I’m a poor writer and I have no money. But perhaps I can help by...

Madness, energy and pus: messages from Election 2017

As the New Zealand General Election 2017 campaign gets underway in earnest, George Hulbert casts his eye over the messages that people might be taking from the whole crazy business:...

Are you ready for media interest?

Are you ready if the media spotlight shines in your direction? This blog post contains slides from a presentation George gave to the REINZ Property Managers Conference today - please click on the button below for the slides:...

How the Lions fans taught us to communicate

So you thought that the Lions tour was just about rugby? Not so, according to Lions supporter George Hulbert, who says that all the banter, media and social media shenanigans during the tour offer lessons for anyone looking to engage through communication:...

What Netflix can do for your organisation

What is Netflix? We all know the answer. It’s become part of our everyday vernacular to the point where ‘Neflix and chill’ has become a euphemism. So what’s the connection to your organisation and what can Netflix possibly do for your organisation’s communications? This week, I read a great article on TechCrunch which argued that with ‘4.6 billion pieces of content produced daily’, it’s got to the point where we are ‘drowning in content’. At present, when we want to acquire u...

Drinking games post America's Cup celebrations – reputation damaging or not?

What will be your lasting memory of Emirates Team New Zealand's America’s Cup win: a well-earned victory or drinking games with team members seemingly vomiting up lamingtons? Luke Henshall explores the fine line between personality versus professionalism in the public eye.. “Bermuda, Bahamas, come on pretty mumma. Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go…” Is it just me or have other people been quietly singing this classic tune from the 80s “hit” film Cocktail over the last few...

How to shoot yourself in the foot on the political stage #LabourCamp

A Labour Party scheme to recruit 85 overseas interns his week to campaign for the upcoming election has become a public point of discussion, generating much scrutiny of the party as a whole. What sort of message does this send out?...