Where Media Meets Communication
Below are some news items and blog posts relating to the Corporate Communications services provided by Mangold Consultancy.
Our aim is to help you assess, develop and create the right “tone-of-voice” for your corporate communications.
For details on the full range of services we provide, please visit the main Mangold Consultancy Services page.
It is weeks like this which keep us chomping at the bit.
*No puppies were harmed in the making of this film. In fact, they inspired this film, just by doing what puppies do best, when presented with a bone.
Only watch this if you KNOW how to handle a doorstep*
The infamous doorstep only ends when the journalist leaves with something.
A no comment, a closed door, or in this case a response.
Managing a doorstep takes some well thought through choreography.
*Full disclosure, this one features my Dad, Tom Mangold, in action on BBC Panorama in 1997 so I may be biased.
Good Vibes only.
I’ve started the year with a short stay in hospital and am determined to stay positive and come out the other side smiling.
So as my starter for 10, I unapologetically share some of my favourite things clients have told us recently.
“Fantastic training experience from industry experts…delivered in a safe environment…”
Head of Retail, Leading UK Retailer
“Making it in real situations with feedback, watching our performance after the media interview was a great experience…Highly recommend this training.”
Head of Sales, Global FMCG
“…well tailored to my practice and area of focus which made a big difference from training where we deal with generic issues.”
Partner, International Law Firm
It’s times like these that I miss making TV.
Watching Mr Bates vs the Post Office and the long overdue response from the Government I’m reminded about the power of TV and its reach – 9.2 million people watched the first episode, and that was before people started really talking about it.
Yes, there are lots of means to get publicity for your cause these days but there is nothing more convincing than real human stories, told well, through public service broadcasting.
Meanwhile, a BBC investigation has found that Boohoo put ‘Made in UK’ labels on clothes made overseas.
Ooooh to have been part of the team uncovering that little nugget.
These dramas and investigations take big teams of highly talented individuals, they take money (so lacking in journalism these days) and they take a collective will to ‘out the truth’ even when it can be months and years to gather the evidence you need.
My advice to any business on the receiving end of one of these investigations is take it seriously, if they’re coming for your response, they’ve already got the evidence they need and the truth, well the truth will always out, even if it takes 25 years.
Sh*t sandwich anyone?
Three pointers on giving constructive feedback to senior leaders and their teams.
Challenge accepted…
Loyal global client presents a new challenge.
“How do we grow our crisis comms resilience as a new team in multiple continents, time zones & cultures”
We got to deliver our solution at their European HQ. The energy, positivity & comments in the room suggest we exceeded expectations.
Job done.
This was followed by a welcome moment to reflect on where the training goes next while enjoying the beautiful surroundings.
No offence intended. None taken.
When clients chose us as their 24/7 crisis comms support, we get that a good Christmas for them means not speaking to us.
But if they do, we’re here. Poised with slightly wonky paper hats.
And to anyone else in need of 24/7 crisis comms support on speed dial…You know where to find us!
Happy Christmas to our wonderful team, clients and wider network – may 2024 be everything you wish for.
Soaking up the soap in Port Sunlight!
Jess and I were thrilled to be asked to the historical home of Unilever this week to work with the fab R&D team.
We geeked out on the science and it was a real pleasure to be hosted in such a special part of the world.
There’s a lot to be said for a change of scene and some bracing Northern rain!
Some people are surprised to discover Jess Mangold and I are sisters.
Don’t judge by appearance. Judge on results.
In a crisis, being open and honest with each other is rule number one
Or as one client recently put it brilliantly – “Let’s talk, warts and all.”
Honesty defines how an organisation manages a crisis AND then how its people recover from the impact
Whether you create a safe space, share skeletons, speak up or speak out – always be honest.
My first instinct when someone we were media training announced this was to be appalled…
But it is a fair challenge – does the busy executive need to ingest and digest the media to be able to give a good interview?
I know what I said… what would your response be?
Who’s the best person to put forward in a crisis?
How does good crisis comms impact the bottom line?
And lessons from NatWest, the British Museum, BBC and Nike
I had a fab time talking to Mark Schmid on his podcast The Hunch about all of the above, and more.
Listen below or follow this link to The Hunch Podcast Episode with Abby Mangold.
“There’s no escaping it, if you run a high-profile business or organisation you will face a reputational issue in the short or medium term. We asked former BBC Watchdog producer Abby Mangold about the changing media landscape and its impact on how leaders prepare for and handle the toughest challenges.”
The Hunch is a Podcast about data and technology. They love educated guesses and gut instincts, too. The Hunch asks experts to predict what’s coming down the line with a focus on the ‘when?’ and the ‘why?’
Is it just me or does anyone else still get that beginning of term feeling?
The end of a holiday is never a highlight. But with plenty of behind the scenes Mangold Consultancy gubbins completed over the summer we are now rested and recharged for a busy Autumn.
Bring it on.
What do you do when you discover one of your employees has behaved inappropriately?
How do you respond when people challenge your business practices on social media?
What do you do when you get a customer complaint?
The list could go on.
Using experience and nous to assess and respond to live issues, based on the specific set of circumstances is absolutely the way to go in an emerging crisis.
Recently however, clients have asked us to compile a “playbook” of responses for the most frequent and reputationally damaging issues, after we’ve completed a reputational risk audit of their competitors and the wider sector.
A playbook is more than collating your “lines to take” or communications responses. Done well, this live document should become part of the Communications Team’s armoury with which you can effectively respond to issues as they develop. The playbook provides important insight such as :
All too often the post-crisis sands of time slip away and soon the next issue is upon you. Taking time to stop and reflect on how you responded and what you can learn should be part of the ‘playbook’.
By taking a quick and thorough sweep of actions post-issue you will assess; did we get our message out there or are we just repeating the same old tired platitudes which don’t cut it with our customers / stakeholders.
Questions to ask post-event are:
Your playbook is the bible you refer to so the next time you’re challenged about the business, you approach it kitted up with knowledge from previous experiences as well as a starting form of words to use in response.
Background image by Joanna Kosinska , book composition by Studio JERO
Global Media and Entertainment; Health, Sports and Fitness; High Street Brands, City Law Firms and Entrepreneurs. Over the last 12 months we’ve trained senior leaders from some of the world’s biggest and most successful brands.
When we pivoted to virtual media training, we never imagined the roll call of people we would work with. And yet a year on, we have had a privileged and unique insight into a diverse roster of senior leaders from many industries.
Continue reading “5 Lessons from Senior Business Execs to make you a better leader”
The Chairman of Beattie Communications, Gordon Beattie, resigned last week for comments he made in a LinkedIn post. You can see the post for yourself below.
His only defence was that his post was made with “the best of intent”. Others have called his comments insensitive, racist, homophobic, utterly unacceptable, and abhorrent. I don’t disagree with any of these descriptions.
The nature of the comments is one thing.
The language he used is offensive, outdated, and demonstrates how far removed this ‘PR juggernaut’ (as described in the media) is from the society in which we live today. The recent resignation of FA Chairman Greg Clarke for using similarly inappropriate language shows that Beattie’s ‘error’ is not an isolated incident.
But what this highlights is how even the most senior people in a business require external support; a second pair of eyes from someone outside the organisation provides the objective sense-check that can stop these incidents from happening, especially when communicating on such a sensitive issue. After all, it’s often difficult for staff to say no to senior figures in the business.
Beattie’s post brings to the fore another major issue in the industry – using provocation to gain likes, higher reach, and attention. Social networks are often fuelled by dissent, disagreement, and polarisation. Unfortunately, being provocative ‘works’ if all you want to do is reach a wider audience.
But it’s lazy practice and a cheap trick. It’s for people who have run out of ideas. It can be damaging, dangerous, and as Gordon Beattie is realising, can destroy reputations in an instant. He was clearly trying to be ‘clever’, but the provocative approach was all wrong. Instead of shining a light on an important issue, his lack of understanding of the platform, the nuance of messaging and the society in which we live, has been his undoing.
Featured Image by Steve Johnson
Listening to and watching interviews is my lockdown fix. News bulletins, current affairs and podcasts – I am compelled to tune in. And as a media trainer, I tell myself this is a healthy, if unconventional daily diet.
The definition of a successful interview depends on whether you are reporting the story or ‘in the chair’. Every journalist has an agenda and as I always explain in media training, interviewees too, need a plan to make themselves heard. And tuning into 3 recent interviews, I heard three people, in very different circumstances, making a success of their air time.
Continue reading “Dissecting a successful interview – the media trainer’s diet”
As a BBC producer I heard many outstanding female voices – from presenter Anne Robinson cross-examining CEOs on BBC Watchdog, to numerous female Executive Producers standing up to big bullying businesses trying to kill a great story.
I was part of production teams crafting complex programmes in challenging circumstances. These experiences shaped my own voice, including in the media training room, where I support people preparing to go on the record or in day to day interactions providing crisis management and corporate communications support.
More brands today are using digital campaigns to signpost their values (think Nike, Dove and Under Armour), leaving people in no doubt as to where they stand, and how they will effect positive change. Being big with global reach helps, but even then bravery is fraught with reputational and financial risk. Just ask L’Oreal or Pepsi.
Continue reading “Parents, Social Media & Reputation Management”
Good biscuits plated up on arrival and participants hovering at the door ahead of schedule. Throw in a tailored crisis simulation – part challenge, part playing to individual strengths – and all the positive omens are there for a good training day.