Govcomms: The Future Of Government Communication

Initially aired in January 2017, today we hear Virginia Haussegger, highly regarded Australian journalist and champion for women's rights, discuss the importance of understanding your audience and using that knowledge to communicate from their perspective. With three decades experience in presenting for Nine, Seven and the ABC, Virginia is no stranger to audience-centric communication, having built a strong reputation for her approach to news broadcasting. In this podcast they discuss: The Order of Australia Dramatic changes in the news media The post-truth world How narrowcasting can be bad for the consumer Everyone needs to be a communicator, not just the comms team The continued use of formal language and jargon in government The first question you should ask at a press conference Understand your audience – stand in their shoes Find contentgroup on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Read more about best industry practices from our blog and weekly newsletter.

This week on the podcast we reach into the vault to present an interview with James Kliemt, former Senior Digital Media Officer for Queensland Police, and discuss the role of social media plays in crisis management. After launching the Queensland Police Services Facebook page without a policy or plan in place, Queensland Police Service is now close to one million likes (population of QLD is 4.5 million). Though a risky move, especially as a government body, it has paid off and during the Brisbane floods of 2011, it was a valuable asset to assuring the safety of many Australians. If you're interested in reading further on the topic of government social media here's a piece touching on similar topics: The Importance of Social Media for Government. We hope you enjoy this episode, originally released April of 2016. Find contentgroup on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Read more about best industry practices from our blog and weekly newsletter.

In part 2 of our interview with Daryl Karp, Director of the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House (MoAD), we learn how to take a skillset from one profession and apply it to another. Before MoAD, Daryl enjoyed a rich career in media; having held high positions in both the ABC and SBS (where she is still currently Non-Executive Director). Since arriving at MoAD, Daryl has brought the museum to life.  Today we learn from Daryl how she’s built a team rich in generalised and specialised skills; a real digital team of the future.   Discussed in this episode: Taking your skills from media to marketing The media and museums have a lot in common Building a strong audience The importance of digital transitioning Celebrating success rather than fixate on mistakes Find contentgroup on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Read more about best industry practices from our blog and weekly newsletter.

In part 1 of our interview with Daryl Karp, Director of the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House (MoAD) we explore the idea of selling an offline experience online. Though the internet initially damaged the museum sector in late 1990s and early 2000s, over the years audiences have begun making their way back in to museums and cultural buildings to experience history, ideas and art face-to-face, rather than behind a phone screen. MoAD has used this resurgence in the importance of the hands-on experience as a tool to reconnect Australians with their political and national identity. Through clever marketing across their social channels to engage their users beyond likes, comments and shares, MoAD is an example of how to reconfigure the offline experience, once considered obsolete, to make it meaningful in the digital age. Daryl is an experienced media communicator having worked in the industry for over 20s years with positions including Head of Factual Programs at the ABC and Non-Executive Dire

Phil is an early pioneer of social insight techniques, now with over 20 years’ experience in media measurement and evaluation. Currently the Managing Director of Newton Insights in London, Phil provides insights into how we can effectively start using measurement ourselves and overcome common fears of mass-data evaluation. Throughout his career Phil has built an impressive portfolio having devised insight programmes for large international organisations and brands such as GSK, Pfizer, Diageo, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Moet Hennessy, Burberry, Airbus Group, Dubai Holding, the International Olympics Committee and the Council of the European Union. And what's even better, he's sharing his email if you have any further M&E questions: philip.lynch@newton.net Discussed in this episode: The value of measurement and evaluation in communications How to effectively start using M&E yourself Questions to ask to put M&E in place when approaching new tasks and projects What you can do to avoid data fatig

This week we bring you a special edition of the InTransition podcast. In late 2017 contentgroup CEO and InTransition host David Pembroke travelled to the UK to announce the news that Eddie Jones, coach of the English rugby union team, would be joining contentgroup in an ambassador role. At a private event held at the Hilton London Tower Bridge, David and Eddie sat down to have chat about what’s at the heart of elite performance and how to build a strong team. Having travelled the world coaching culturally diverse teams, Eddie’s approach comes down to strategic planning, cultural understanding and mutual respect. Presented first to an audience made up of an impressive mix of senior business leaders, diplomats, professional sports administrators and communication experts, now it’s your turn to draw insights from the man himself and use them to inform your own approach to leadership. Further reading and information: England Coach and contentgroup ambassador Eddie Jones puts trust and culture at the heart of el

This week we are joined by cyber security professional Laura Bell, CEO of New Zealand-based boutique security firm SafeStack. Aiming to provide her clients with a better understanding of cyber security and the risks we face, Laura shares with us tips on being as secure as possible in the digital age. As people continue to live their whole lives online, our personal information has never been more vulnerable. SafeStack’s aim is to teach teams and individuals how to better protect their information; to decrease the fear of what might happen. Topics discussed in this episode: The role cyber security plays in the 21st century Information protection Delving into the unknown world of hacking Accepting that it’s okay to be vulnerable The importance of training staff to know how to behave online Why you should celebrate success What we can learn from illegal hacking Reasons to consider building a generalised team What is content communication? It is a strategic, measurable, and accountable business process that re

Happy New Year and welcome to 2018! To kick the year off while our host Mr. Pembroke is enjoying his time off we're going to be playing our most popular podcasts of 2017. This week, hear Sonya Sandham, a professional storytelling, discuss the power personal storytelling in communications. Find contentgroup on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Read more about content on our blog or from our weekly newsletter. -Original-description- Sonya Sandham is so passionate about the power of storytelling in the public sector that she’s doing a PhD at the University of Canberra, to explore the evidence base for embedding oral storytelling in organisational communication practices. Sonya started her career as a journalist at the Sydney Morning Herald and the Jakarta Post telling people’s stories. She now works as a strategic communication specialist and over the past two decades has helped Qantas and state government agencies promote their organisational stories. In this podcast she speaks with David Pembroke about: the pow

Happy New Year and welcome to 2018! To kick the year off while our host Mr. Pembroke is enjoying his time off we're going to be playing our most popular podcasts of 2017. This week, hear from Gillian Field, an internal comms professional throughout the public sector, discuss building trust with your internal communications. Find contentgroup on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Read more about content on our blog or from our weekly newsletter. -Original-description- Gillian Field has considerable experience in the Australian federal government, managing corporate and internal communications at the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defence and Centrelink. Before her career in communications Gillian was a journalist. She is now at contentgroup consulting for government clients, and joined David Pembroke for this podcast. In this episode they discuss: reporting and writing are two different skills the secret to getting an audience’s attention why internal communication is important building trust with 

Happy New Year and welcome to 2018! To kick the year off while our host Mr. Pembroke is enjoying his time off we're going to be playing our most popular podcasts of 2017. This week, hear Elliott Franks, Queensland government social media manager, discuss how to break into niche markets. Find contentgroup on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Read more about content on our blog or from our weekly newsletter. -Original-description- Queensland government social media manager Elliott Franks lets us in on the inner workings of state government social media strategy. From the significant number of social media channels he and his small team run to how they use multiple platforms to appeal to small and passionate communities, the online expert offers up many interesting insights applicable across all levels of government and the public sector. Franks and contentgroup’s David Pembroke cover off: The four Queensland government agencies Franks handles social media for, including the Department of Agriculture and Fisherie

Join us this week for a special and extended episode of InTransition where we explore the history of contentgroup, where we are today, key highlights for 2017 and what you can expect from us in 2018. With a rich history in journalism and marketing, David describes the process of starting this company 20 years ago, and why we believe the relationship between government and citizens is so important to improving the well-being of the Australian population. Talking about the power of effective communication, we hear what happens when communication breaks down between government and people. For contentgroup this has been a big year, hence this lengthy episode. Below are the topics covered and where you can find them. History of contentgroup and how we got where we are today – 00:00 Our company’s ethos and mission – 13:00 Why it’s important to work towards strengthening government comms – 15:00 Using both traditional platforms is still important today – 19:00 Where the money goes in public vs. private comms 23:00

Countries all over the world are slowly working towards building digital governments. While nations such as Estonia and the UK have built digital havens for citizens, other countries around the world are trying to catch up. Understanding that the transition to digital-first doesn’t just happen overnight, we talk to Brian Lee-Archer, Managing Director at Accenture, about why countries should start investing in an e-upgrade. According to Brian, there has never been a better time to start working towards taking your government online. It creates transparency, promotes trust in the government and increases citizen engagement. Discussed in this episode: The importance of including measurement and evaluation in your communication strategy Why governments need to a higher level of transparency, and how going digital can help The dangers of countries using people’s data to track citizen’s Understanding the political process is important to keep up with political communications E-government isn’t a passing trend; it’

Jenny Muir is the Chief Council of Primary Communication, an Australian strategic communications agency. As one of Australia’s leading communication professionals, Jennifer shares decades of experience in media relations, government policy development, strategic community and stakeholder engagement, and high level advocacy. Jenny is the National President of the Public Relations Institute of Australia and has been a member of the Mindframe industry Advisory committee since 2007. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the Public Relations Institute of Australia recognises over 1,200 job titles Where are the challenges and opportunities of communications? How can communicators become influential? How has technology allowed public relations professionals to create more value? Do executives understand how large the transformation of digital and communications is? Why the public sector should be more vulnerable and more human? Two ways to use the authentic first-person story   Follow Jenny Muir on Twitter @jennymuir

Following a successful trip to the UK recently, we thought for InTransition this week we'd dig up one of our favourites for you and revisit episode 100 with Alex Aiken, Executive Director of Government Communications for the UK government. He has been responsible for creating the Government Communication Service and developing many of the UK’s very successful cross-government campaigns and offers 5 tips on strengthening the value of communications. He speaks with David Pembroke about: Public trust in government communications The lessons of Brexit and economic change Governments need to listen to be nimble Sharing research across government departments Five ways to strengthen the value of communications Proving your value to your political masters The new professional skills required for communications Find contentgroup on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Read more about content on our blog.

A veteran in the world of marketing and content creation, Trevor Young joins us this week to talk about the changes he’s observed in his 25-year marketing career. While the internet has made it easier for people to communicate, the daily saturation of content in people’s lives means it’s becoming ­­harder and harder to break through the noise. In this episode, Trevor provides us with ways to do just that; break through the noise and engage a following. His tips include finding what interests your audience, then building your skill set to meet those interests and specialising as required, to make your relationship with your audience a successful one. Like our host David, Trevor is one of the old dogs in the industry, busy teaching us all the new tricks. There’s a lot we can learn from those communicators who began their careers at the dawn of the internet, and this podcast is a rare insight into those times. Listen to two old friends discuss the past and future of content. Discussed in this podcast: How to bu

Engaging your supporters 100 years ago was simply showing up and giving it your all. These days you’ve got to create and post relevant content, produce beautiful videos, reply to questions, tell engaging stories and provide frequent updates. You could say it’s gotten kind of complex. Tom Nickson is the Digital Media Manager of the Western Bulldogs, and it’s his job making sure the above is happening. From assisting and directing his production team daily, to leading his social media team to boost engagement, this is a job that doesn’t stop when the season ends – this a 365-day commitment. This week we take you behind the scenes of the AFL’s Western Bulldogs communication team and how they build their library of content. Comprised of two video producers, a digital marketing coordinator, a social media and digital coordinator, an editorial manager AND a graphic design team, they have almost as many players as the Doggies themselves. Key points: Developing a strategy beyond the wins and losses Creating an exper

This week we have an extraordinary guest for you. With 30 years’ experience in marketing and a decade in recruitment for the Australian Defence Force, Pat Duffy is no stranger to the ins-and-outs of adapting and embracing change. Starting her career at Defence Jobs in the late 2000s while the internet was on the verge of becoming the beast of a machine it is today, Pat has been at the forefront of innovating recruitment practices and efficiently making the most of the resources available. While technology advanced and connecting with people has become a whole lot easier, Defence recruiting had to adjust its approach. With the use things such as social media, AI and storytelling Pat was able to keep her team up to date and move defence recruitment into the 21st century. We are excited to announce Pat is the newest member of the contentgroup team; we couldn't be more excited. Discussed in this podcast The history of content in marketing – Telstra, Optus and Amdahl Corporation The value of face-to-face communic

Leading is always challenging; you need to have authority, be an inspiration to others, guide your people through change, diplomatically manage the politics of internal and external stakeholders – the list may well be endless. For those searching for someone who has navigated these turbulent waters with finesses, we have the man for you – Paul Maddison, once Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy and the current now High Commissioner of Canada to Australia. Paul has seen dramatic changes in his 38-year naval career, the rise of consultative communication and women in the workforce to name just two. Now as High Commissioner, he fosters bilateral relations between the two nations using an innovative communication strategy. A must listen for all in a leadership role, with any interest in defence or international communications. In the podcast: Changes seen during Paul’s 38 year long military career, including the introduction of a consultative communication approach and the rise of women in naval roles The import

Libby Varcoe, Content Community Lead at the Digital Transformation Agent, is no stranger to the content world having started around the same time that contentgroup was in its early stages. It all started with a conversation she had with a fellow communications graduate in a café back in 1997 who merely said: “look, I think we need to break into this content world.” And from then on, she was hooked. Opening her own agency in 2002 called write-minded, she has worked with some massive names from around Australia including The Australian Museum, The National Museum, St. George, Qantas and many more. As a boutique content agency, she would help brands create and implement their best content strategies focusing on online channels. While doing a nine-week contract for the Digital Transformation Agency, she was offered the opportunity to join the team permanently, which she took. And two years on she is now the Content Community Lead, leading a team of content designers to transport our government across federal, sta

Starting her career on Myspace, Lola Berry built an audience alongside a growing, though niche, market focusing on nutrition and health products. Though today these can be considered as standard for most social platforms, for Lola it was quite the opposite and early days for healthy blogging. Through consistency and perseverance, she was able to build her empire by mastering YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well as finding time to have a successful writing career. Her ability to adapt as platforms changed built her audience and through her belief of honesty to her fans, they remain to watch her journey. There’s a lot we can learn from Lola, who can be labelled as one of the first Australian influencers. Whether you are creating a social profile for personal growth or for work, Lola provides valuable insights into how she built her empire, and how you can too. In this podcast The how and why being honest on your platforms promotes growth and builds relationships with your audience/ Why honesty is t