You don't need Twitter
“I need a Twitter account.” Andy’s Digital Connector at Rooftop, and in that role he needed a Rooftop sanctioned Twitter account. I sent him to look at the social media policy and I set it up for him. Splendid. Well, not so much. We set up a Twitter account, not so he could connect with his service users in a branded way, not so he could get to different audiences, but so he could be seen to have a Twitter account. We shouldn’t be so excited about Twitter. I’m a great believe
Ambush! The Graham Linehan Story
"Fine, if they were going to ambush me, I would ambush right back. I decided not to play. "Graham Linehan talking about the Radio 4 'Today' programme team. In 2011 Graham Linehan, the writer, performer and prince of twitter (Stephen Fry is the King) appeared as a guest on the Today Programme on BBC Radio 4. It didn't end well. I still use his appearance and subsequent push back, as an example of how media engagement can go wrong if you don't know the rules. The problem is, jo
Get Invited Back
You're the expert that will be explaining that difficult story, you're the one informing the presenter as much as the audience, you'll be the next Martin Lewis, the next Dr Mark Porter, or even the next Greg Wallace (he was a veg expert before Masterchef). Or you'll be an abject flop. The person that no one remembers, like, you know, thingy... So how do you get invited back? 1) This is their house not yours. Show the presenter some respect. They may be an idiot but that's no
Media Training - Coke & Sugar part 1
On the 9th of May James Quincey the President of Coca-Cola Europe appeared on the BBC Radio 4 programme 'PM'. He was interviewed by regular presenter Eddie Mair. The interview is available here... listen to ‘PM Programme Coke Interview pt1’ on Audioboo listen to ‘PM Programme Coke Interview pt2’ on Audioboo I think that this is a great example of a large organisation doing something to break their 'default narrative' which simply reinforces their 'default narrative'... The Co
Put The Phone DOWN!
I need to give you a little bit of personal background before I start this blog because I'm going to sound like an intolerant psycho by the end of it. I was born in 1974 and lived most of my young life in the mining village of Calverton in Nottinghamshire. My father was a policeman my mother is a chiropodist. We were not well off in the 70's. When the 1980's came events took a strange turn. In early 1984 I was 9 and still at junior school. All of my contemporaries were the so
