Powerful Communication Podcast

Nothing stifles a comms team like constant day-to-day firefighting. It's refreshing to get the team together, set some proper goals and go about achieving them with determination and focus. In one recent media training session delivered by my business, Comsteria Limited , we were discussing pitching stories to the media when one participant commented that 'you win some you lose some'. This of cour...

Comsteria delivers the UK's most relevant media relations training. We know modern audiences and journalists will rip the piss out you if you try to evade basic lines of questioning. We know the tricks journalists use to make stories seem bigger and more sensational than they really are. And we can teach you, and help you practice the techniques to keep you safe. Get in touch today to discuss our...

Comsteria's Colin Kelly is your trusted guide for the Metaverse and NFTs (digital collectables). Listen to the Powerful Communication podcast for regular insight and updates into this fast moving (and heavily hyped!) immersive internet of the future. Colin has recently delivered highly engaging, jargon free introductory in person talks and remote webinars on this topic for clients including the Ch...

Adidas has dropped Kanye West and his Yeezy line of shoes. In this episode of Comsteria's #powerfulcommunication podcast, Colin Kelly looks at the lessons for brands working with celebrities on endorsement deals, as well as smaller businesses who might be working with influencers. To find out how Comsteria can help your business or comms team, visit us online at www.comsteria.co.uk

Simon Cowell is at the centre of what he hopes will be another revolution in the music industry.   He's teaming up with Samsung and TikTok to launch a new 'beat making' competition.   It's called 'Stemdrop' and will involve renowned producer Max Martin who's worked with some of the biggest names in pop releasing a clip of music on TikTok but giving anyone who wants it access to the individual comp...

There's a great article on the Telegraph website about the Metaverse - the virtual future of the internet which Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has committed billions of dollars to.   Business reporter Io Dodds spent a week pretty much 'living' in the meta verse - or at least doing as much in it as possible and she's put together a fascinating account of what it's like.     Get the link on the  ...

Twitter's edit button is here at last but if you want it - you'll have to pay.   You need to use Twitter's Premium 'twitter blue' service.   Tweets that have been edited will appear with a pencil icon in the top right corner, clicking on that will show you what the original said.   Instagram is testing a new feature which would let users add multiple links in their biographies.   Currently, only 1...

I thought I'd mention a few favourite blogs today.   One of the most interesting in terms of communication, marketing and thought leadership is Seth Godin.   Find him at seths.blog - he's been blogging almost every single day more more than 7 thousand days.   I you love music industry stories then Bob Lefsetz is an essential read.   Some of his posts are incredibly long but fascinating, dealing wi...

Replika - with a 'K' is an artificial intelligence tool, delivered via an app which claims to offer companionship.   Marketing for the platform promises Replika is 'always ready to chat when you need an empathetic friend'.   It's not much more than a chatbot - you see an animated image of a person and interact by talking into your phone.     But what's it doing with all the information it picks up...

Disappointing news for children everywhere - Spongebob Squarepants and Paw Patrol are GONE from Netflix in the UK.   The deal to show the shows on the streaming giant has expired, there's no word of a new deal and the shows are no longer available - only some of the feature length Spongebob films can be watched.   Netflix viewers outside the UK can still enjoy the shows and there is the possibilit...

Can concrete go digital?!   Well, sort of.   A platform is using artificial intelligence and machine learnings to make the use of concrete more efficient.   It's responsible for about 8 percent of all global carbon emissions - the process of making it and moving it around uses large amounts of energy.   Cloud Cycle is a new start up which uses sensors in the truck to monitor fresh ready mix concre...

  'Moonshot' is the word used in the tech industry for huge, innovative projects aimed at finding the next big leap forward for society.   Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook have all had experimental projects or innovation prizes in the past..but now it looks the the Big Tech Moonshot era is over with the companies pulling back, and tightening their budgets.   Focussing on their core mission s...

Google is to close down its cloud gaming service Stadia in January.   The company announced the move - which was widely expected - in a blog post.   It's promised to refund all hardware and software purchases made through the Google Store and users will be able to continue playing games until the service closes.   Google says the service hadn't gained the popularity it hoped for but that the syste...

Could we end up playing video games on Netflix in the future?   The streaming giant is setting up its own games studio, which will be based in Finland.   There are more than 220 million Netflix subscribers around the world but the company has lost users and revenue since the end of the pandemic.   It's also facing competition from movie studios launching their own streaming services and taking som...

  Powerful comments from Apple chief Tim Cook who's criticised his industry and his own company over the lack of women in leadership roles in the sector.   In an interview with the BBC's Zoe Kleinman, Cook said there's no excuse for the lack of women at the table at the world's tech firms and says technology won't achieve nearly what it could achieve without a more diverse workforce.   He also spo...

A change on Instagram and I think it's one most users will welcome - videos under 60 seconds using the 'Stories' feature will no longer be split into 15 second segments.   Up until now there was a split second gap between the segments - that's going to end, making for a more seamless viewing experience.   TikTok meanwhile sees Google in its sights and wants to become the starting point for users l...

Are you using Emojis all wrong?   Research out today from language learning platform Preply claims young people have developed their own, secret Emoji language.   Apparently using a crying laughing emoji is old hat now and all the kids use the 'skull' emoji to show something is hilarious, 'so funny I could die'.   An emoji of a goat means 'Greatest Of All Time', clapping hands can be used in a sar...

As the nights draw in remember technology can help with the smooth running of a secure home.   Smart bulbs can be set via an app to automatically come on at dusk to give the impression someone is in.   Just make sure they're compatible with any other smart devices you might have in the home - many - but not all - of the modern brands are inter compatible so you won't need a 'bridge' to connect to...

Almost every day now we're seeing articles about the decline of Facebook and its parent company Meta. The latest comes from the Wall Street Journal which reports Instagram Reels are failing to have the impact the company hoped for and are already in decline. The feature was launched in 2019 in response to the rise of TikTok. It appears to have done nothing to slow the rise of TikTok, the newspaper...

The start of the college and university term means now is a great time to get a deal on a laptop if you're looking for one.   Many of the major retailers have discount deals on some of the big brands, including Chromebooks.   High quality graphics cards, webcams and processor speeds are what pushes up the price - if you're not going to use it for playing games then you're likely to be able to get...

People from all walks of life, from every corner of the world have taken to social media to share memories and express their condolences following the death of Queen Elizabeth The Second.   The official Royal Family Instagram account shared a black and white photograph of The Queen as news of her death was announced, followed by a statement from King Charles The Third saying his family would be co...

Apple held its 'Far Out' launch event last night and announced the iPhone 14.   There's also a new set of Airpods, an Apple Watch Series 8 and a new Apple Watch Ultra - a rugged sports watch made from aerospace titanium and a 36 hour batery life - this is made for triathlon and endurance athletes as well as serious explorers - the display has been configured so its easier to see in sunlight.   It'...