Category: Services

News items and blog posts relating to the services provided by the Mangold Consultancy.

Our key service are Crisis Management, Corporate Communications and Media Training

For details on the specific services we provide, please visit the main Mangold Consultancy Services page.

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Crisis comms sisters: Our superpowers at work

Abby and Jess Mangold - Crisis Comms Sisters

2 sisters working together?

Crisis superpowers, journalistic expertise, snacks 🥜

This is how Jess Mangold and I make it work…

Jess on Abby – “She puts people at ease within seconds, finding common ground and camaraderie, even in high-pressure crisis situations”

“Seamless makeup application for being on camera. What she doesn’t know about this topic is not worth worrying about.”

“Bringing and holding people together in a crisis, uniting individuals and the group. It’s her crisis communications superpower.”

Abby on Jess – “Her prep is second to none. Training notes, research, making time to practice – you name it, she’s prepped!”

“Snacks! Jess is not one to go hungry, so she avoids team energy dips by always having a healthy snack squirrelled away in her backpack.”

“She’s great at remembering reports she’s read, or experiences as a journalist; neatly sliding them into conversations with clients to add colour and demonstrate our expertise.”

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Facing the LinkedIn rollercoaster nerves

Facing the LinkedIn Rollercoaster Nerves. Image by Suntooooth on Wikipedia

My son made me…

🫣 when he recently convinced me to ride the UK’s tallest, fastest, most weightless rollercoaster.

🎢 Hyperia at Thorpe Park stands 236 feet tall, with two inversions and a 995-meter track, all at speeds of 80 mph +.

⏳ And in the 90 seconds it took to complete the ride, I realised the experience was not unlike putting myself out here on LinkedIn – nerves of steel and taut enthusiasm, all the while secretly fearing falling flat.

😰 And I am not alone. Speaking to women in business, both senior leaders and entrepreneurs at new business meetings and networking, it appears many of us feel the stomach drop, pre-post on LinkedIn.

🤲🏻 So for anyone feeling the LinkedIn ick – be assured we are all in it together. And for 90 seconds of fear, you may just get all the thrills of a completely new experience!

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5 things a crisis communication spokesperson does

5 Things a Crisis Communication Spokesperson Does. Photo by Fardad sepandar on Unsplash

Being the face of the organisation in a crisis is a BIG ask.

So a spokesperson must ask a few things in return before doing an interview.

Here are 5 things great spokespeople do in a crisis:

  1. Complete clarity on what they can say publicly at this stage.
  2. Answers on information gaps. Even if the details are not available.
  3. Space to rehearse key messages, and their way of saying them.
  4. Confidence to make the most of the interview, conveying empathy and personal commitment.
  5. A reliable deputy for their usual role so they can focus on the media.

Comment here if you have any more tips…

Featured Image by Fardad sepandar on Unsplash

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Navigating changes & strengthening client relationships in Spring

Navigating Team Changes: Strengthening Client Relationships in Spring. Photo by Karl Fredrickson on Unsplash

Spring into action. No seasonal pun intended.

Coincidentally, several clients have new team members who are replacing, stepping up or temporarily covering for other colleagues.

It feels a little unnerving when long-established relationships shift. So, we are taking a breath and using the opportunity to revisit their needs.

How to start?

• Make time to meet in person.
• Discuss the crisis comms blocker they most want to shift.
• Draw up an achievable plan.
• Remind them of how much we have already achieved together.
• Finally, remind myself and the team of our USP, the breadth of client issues we’ve helped navigate over the last 10 years and continue our growth to meet all our clients’ needs.

Photo by Karl Fredrickson on Unsplash

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This is Tom Mangold

This is Tom Mangold

Tom Mangold is an award-winning journalist and author.

Reporter on circa 120 episodes of BBC Panorama.

He’s 90 and STILL working

He cycles every day

At his heart, this man is a journalist. And he’s also our Dad.

Earlier this year I asked people what they’d like to ask him. It felt like the right time to put HIM in the hot seat for a change.

So, we sat down and discussed – media, truth, interviews, social platforms, crisis.

To kick things off, here’s his take on his craft.

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Where our love of music and media training collides

Music fans Abby Mangold & Jess Mangold

Thank you to all those speaking out about AI in the creative industries with the hashtag #MakeItFair campaign.

Your diverse views are transforming technical stuff into human speak, clearly explaining what this technology is and why it matters to artists and fans alike.

When we first started working with music industry leaders a few years ago, the position on AI was still evolving and the language to make it understandable to everyone was something we discussed at length in media training.

Since then IFPI has joined with others, including PPL, to speak about the threat to creative livelihoods and Warner Music Group is among the world’s largest music companies backing a campaign that opposes the UK government’s AI copyright exception proposal.

Musician Paul McCartney and Gina Neff, Professor of Responsible AI at Queen Mary University – just some of the names recently making their case across multiple front pages and broadcast bulletins.

As a music fan I care deeply about this issue.

As a media trainer, I am hugely impressed by those taking the time and thought to tell this story.

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Pretty proud of this one

Pretty Proud: Abby Mangold & Jess Mangold: "They are the critical friends you want on speed dial"

We’ve been working with this retail client for 5 years.

We’ve gone through the good times and the tougher ones.

We’ve supported each other to grow as organisations.

So we were chuffed when they told us:

“Abby and Jess consistently provide clear thinking and boil down complex matters, into concise guidance.

As media trainers they are industry experts, give honest and fair feedback in a safe environment.

They are the critical friends you want on speed dial.”

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Spoiler alert. Crises are nothing like disaster movies

Disaster Movie. Photo Credit:IGN

Spoiler alert. Crises are nothing like disaster movies.

Disasters (unlike the Rock) don’t fall out of the sky.

99% emerge from issues which have been bubbling for some time. People are aware and assume someone else will fix it or it will ‘just go away’.

Surprise – there are no silver bullets (or the Rock suddenly appearing to save the day). Solutions come step-by-step, from the A – Z of preparation and a tonne of hard work in ‘peacetime’.

Real heroes don’t look like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Well, some might but universally heroes are the people doing their jobs well, who know their organisation and have the empathy and communication skills needed to act in difficult situations.

Full transparency I’m a huge disaster movies fan (nothing to do with the Rock)

Photo Credit: IGN

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Busy days for Team Mangold Consultancy

Jess Mangold, Justin Clark & Abby Mangold

Busy days for Team Mangold Consultancy.

Jess Mangold and Justin Clark were in leafy North London with our client the historic Alexandra Palace and Park, delivering a workshop to evolve their use of social media to better serve their visitors.

Abby Mangold headed to sunny Westminster talking with the UK Government Communication Service, finding out more about how they are using “Assist”, the dynamic AI tool transforming government communications.

Worth noting that their Crisis Communications Planning Guide and STOP Template are a fantastic resource for anyone interested in managing crises.

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What did dodgy washing machines & Matt Allwright teach me?

Matt Allwright & Abby Mangold

Walking onto the set of BBC Watchdog in Television Centre in 1997 was daunting.

As a Junior Clerk my job was simple – do whatever anyone asks and do it well.

It was always fast paced and often last minute – as you would expect when producing a live, weekly, consumer affairs programme for BBC1.

As I moved up the ranks to Researcher, Assistant Producer and finally Producer/Director there were a handful of people who took the time to teach me the skills I continue using today.

Matt Allwright is the best scriptwriter I’ve ever worked with.

  • Where I used 20 words, he could say it in 10.
  • Where I struggled with structuring a 5 minute film, he knew the narrative before I’d put pen to paper.
  • Where I battled to make broken washing machines look sexy – he always had a clever, and often funny, treatment.

Producing programmes for a BBC1 audience meant making every word count and finding an engaging way to keep viewers interested.

I use those same skills every day, helping clients communicate in a crisis which ironically, is often triggered by a call from BBC Watchdog.

And I think it’s fair to say that Matt Allwright and I continue to learn from each other to this day.

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Tom Mangold has worked in media for 70+ years – what would you ask him?

Abby & Tom Mangold

This is my Dad, Tom Mangold.

  • He’s an award-winning journalist and author.
  • Reporter on circa 120 episodes on BBC Panorama.
  • He’s 90 and STILL working.
  • He cycles every day.
  • He continues to inspire me and our work at Mangold Consultancy.

If you asked him, he’d tell you I stole everything I know from him. I will neither confirm nor deny this.

I’m going to film interview content with Dad and share it online.

We tend to talk about:

  • the state of journalism and television
  • crisis communications
  • media interviews
  • “news” on Social Media
  • rubbish spokespeople

Watch this space for unique insight from someone who has worked in the media industry for more than 70 years!