When our agency went virtual, we considered many remote working challenges and how to solve them. A bold vision and an enthusiastic team is great; but you also need a highly detailed plan and dedicated resources to make it happen. After our first remote working post, lots of people asked about the challenges we faced. So this blog shares some of our initial concerns and experiences. …
Employer branding is a major topic for many organisations these days, including housing providers. With many sectors facing talent shortages, and often equivalent pay and benefits packages on offer, it’s more important than ever that employers can differentiate their brand to attract the best quality candidates. In our latest blogpost, HR expert Anne Elliott of EMA Consultancy answers some frequently asked questions on how to…
Remote working can divide opinion. Advocates shout about work-life balance and greater productivity; detractors voice suspicion about duvet days or TV watching on employer time. But what’s it really like to work for a fully remote employer? We became a virtual agency in August 2018. Since then, all team members have worked remotely. Despite being a relatively small business, this move marked a major change…
Housing association brands have come a long way since England’s first whole council housing stock transfer in 1988. Senior Consultant Ian Hembrow looks at how business brands have changed since then, and shares some tips on what to think about and do if you’re considering a rebrand. Housing association brands: concepts match geography When the first transfer organisation (Chiltern Hundreds Housing Association) became Paradigm Housing…
“I’m not sure why you should let me, but I don’t think there’s a good why not...” That’s the current cheery retort that my seven-year-old sings whenever he wants to eat chocolate, play football longer, avoid practising spellings – or anything else that makes him undeniably happy. This glass half-full approach appears to have merit, according to my Master’s study on falsification theory (in short,…
Ahhhhhhhh, that first week in a new job feeling. Shiny shoes, gleaming teeth, a kicking iTunes playlist and lots of lovely people to meet - fantastic. What could possibly go wrong for an eager newbie ready to unleash their talents, conquer the world and be back in time for dinner? Well, apart from the minor frustrations of everyday life (such as roadworks, technology tantrums…
Well, not quite true, but week seven into my behavioural change course and here’s a summary of some studies, theory and areas of interest which might just help your next communications campaign. I’ve cut out the long academic words as – who knew – they baffle us and confuse the message. Well at least they do according to the studies undertaken by the same academics…
Apparently, Steve Jobs said: “The only way to great work is to love what you do.” Maybe I’m a fool, but taken at face value, I’m not sure I completely agree. You see, I think it’s a bit deeper than what you do that motivates… I believe it all starts with purpose. If you want to get geeky about it, a clever man called Gregory…
To celebrate our new brand, David Bardell, our executive creative director, has delved into the whys and hows of creating a dynamic brand. What is a dynamic brand? In a basic sense it’s a brand with more energy that can show change, movement and flexibility. Dynamic brands are often called living brands, because they physically change or move, reflecting the very definition of dynamism. Why…
My two-year old daughter has just learnt the question that every parent dreads – why? And, as annoying as it is, I want to give her an answer. Why? Because when I was a teenager I remember asking why trigonometry worked the way it did (I know, geeky AND annoying). But I didn’t get an answer. So, I stopped asking and my learning, on that…
