People Want News Now!

The immediacy of news just got quicker.

News cycles just got shorter.

Dealing with the media and staying on message just got harder.

For example in an ABC Media Release: "The month of August saw unprecedented audience figures across the ABC’s mobile offering – and that’s before taking into account the record-breaking audiences that accessed ABC Mobile content on Election Day.

ABC Mobile applications for iPhone, iPad and Android devices have all broken significant download milestones in the last week. To date there have been:

· 1 million downloads of the ABC iPhone app in 17 months*

· 200,000 downloads of the triple j Unearthed iPhone app in 7 months*

· 100,000 downloads of the ABC iPad app in 2.5 months*

· 10,000 downloads of the ABC Android app in 17 months^"

Expect the trend to continue.

Need help with dealing with the media. Our next course is September 21st 2010. Book here.

Custodian of the Culture Podcast with Dr Bob Every

Dr Bob Every (pictured right), Chairman of Wesfarmers Ltd a Metallurgist by profession having completed a Bachelor’s Degree in 1968 and a Doctorate in 1971. In 1995 he completed a senior management course in Switzerland held by the University of Michigan and the University of Nawarra IESE. In 2000 he was awarded a Centenary Medal for service to Australian society in Metallurgy.

After a very brief time in Industrial Research he pursued a management career predominantly with Tubemakers of Australia Ltd, Australia’s largest steel pipe and tube manufacturer and distributor.

From 1982 onwards he held various senior executive positions with Tubemakers of Australia Limited, including Chief Executive Officer of Steel & Tube Holdings Limited in New Zealand from 1988-91. In 1995 he was appointed Managing Director of Tubemakers.

After the takeover of Tubemakers by BHP in mid-1996, he worked on for BHP and held a number of senior roles before becoming President of BHP Steel in early 1999.

His first role with BHP was as Group General Manager International Division (Steel) and here he gained considerable experience as the executive responsible for the construction, commissioning, ramp-up and business development of steel mills, steelmaking and processing plants in the USA, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia – all up an investment program amounting to some US$1.5b.

When he became President of BHP Steel, the then Managing Director (Paul Anderson) asked him to come up with a strategic plan for BHP Steel that would generate cash and downsize BHP’s exposure to Steel. It was from this study that the spin-out of OneSteel originated.

The Board asked him to consider heading up OneSteel through the public listing and then become Managing Director & CEO of the public company. Dr Every took up this role in February 2000 and remained in that role until 1 May 2005 when he retired from that position.

Since that time he has pursued a career as a non executive director and is Chairman of Wesfarmers Limited and Chairman of Boral Limited.

BOARD EXPERIENCE

His first experience as a director of a public company was in 1988 when he joined the Board of Steel & Tube Holdings in New Zealand as an Executive Director. He became Chairman of Steel & Tube in 1996 and retired from that position in May 2005.

He became a Managing Director of Tubemakers of Australia Limited in 1995 prior to the takeover by BHP in May 1996.

As a member of the Policy Committee of BHP he attended all the BHP Board Meetings from 1999 until he took up the role of MD & CEO of OneSteel when that company listed in October 2000.

Listen to this podcast with Dr Bob Every on his topic of "Custodian of the Culture" and he will be keynote speaker at a Graduate Management Association Dinner on September 11th in Perth and I will be MC of this event.

This will take 19 minutes and 40 seconds to listen to.





Click here to download…

Need a podcast or MC for you event? Contact us.

More on "Psychic" Animals That Make Headlines

After my recent post on Paul the octopus making headlines, I couldn't resist this story (Source ABC Online)

*'Psychic' croc predicts Gillard victory*

An enormous saltwater crocodile named Harry picked Julia Gillard as the winner of the federal election in Darwin this afternoon.

Harry weighs about 720 kilograms and is nearly five metres long.

He lives in an enclosure at a popular tourist attraction on one of Darwin's busiest streets.

And this afternoon, two chickens were held over his enclosure. One had a photo of Prime Minister Julia Gillard; the other a photo of Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

Harry took five minutes to make up his mind, but eventually decided to chomp on Ms Gillard's chicken.

Last month, Harry correctly picked Spain to win the soccer World Cup.

Another crocodile at the enclosure, Bert, picked the winner of the Darwin Cup from a field of 12 horses earlier this month.

For decades, handlers have used the crocodiles to settle a range of issues, from who should do the chores to which lotto numbers to pick.

If you want media attention - consider our media writing, media interview and public speaking courses on September 7th and 21st and October 26th. More here.

Investing in Innovation with David Shelton

Investing in Innovation with David Shelton (pictured) from Transition Capital.

Listen to this podcast of his speech.

Click here to download…

Why Paul the Octopus Made World Headlines

=== Why Paul the Octopus Made World Headlines ===

By Thomas Murrell MBA, CSP International Business Speaker

According to online reports Paul the Octopus (reportedly hatched January 2008) is a common octopus living in a tank at a Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany.

The sea creature became internationally famous for correctly "predicting" the winner of Germany's seven matches at the 2010 World Cup, as well as the final.

During the divinations, Paul was presented with two boxes containing food in the form of a mussel, each box marked on the outside with the flag of a national football team in an upcoming match.

Paul ate the mussel from the box with the flag of the winning team in four of Germany's six Euro 2008 matches, and in all seven of their matches in the 2010 World Cup. He correctly selected a win for Spain against the Netherlands in the World Cup final on 11 July by eating the mussel in the box with the Spanish flag on it.

With all the media attention he has been subject to death threats, song dedications and Iranian dissent.

On July 12, 2010, Paul was retired from making predictions.

"He won't give any more oracle predictions – either in football, or in politics, lifestyle or economy. Paul will get back to his former job, namely making children laugh," according to his keepers.

So we won't see him make a prediction for the Australian Federal election.

As a reward for his accurate predictions, aquarium staff presented him with his very own replica World Cup trophy garnished with his favourite food – mussels.

He made all the big news channels, BBC and CNN for example and made media headlines around the world.

Why was it such a big news story and what can we learn from it?

**1. Quirky and Unusual**

"Dog bites man is not a story, but man bites dog is" is a common phrase used to describe news.

An octopus predicting 8/8 wins in the world cup is quirky.

What quirky and unusual stories can you pitch to the media?

**2. New Benchmark and Perfect Record**

His predictions were 100 per cent (8/8) correct for the 2010 World Cup.

Paul's apparent success was considered to be comparable to a run of luck when tossing a coin.

University research has shown that under the hypothesis that Paul was equally likely to choose the winner or the loser of a match, and neglecting the possibility of a draw, he had a 1/2 chance of predicting any single result and a 1/256 chance of predicting eight in a row.

So this perfect record is very newsworthy. If he predicted six out of eight wins it would not be as newsworthy.

What records or new benchmarks are you setting that can be newsworthy?

**3. Controversy**

Iranian president **Mahmoud Ahmadinejad** criticized Paul several times during a speech in Tehran, which took place in the weekend of 24–25 July 2010. Ahmedinejad accused the West of using the octopus to spread "western propaganda and superstition."

This controversy just added to the news value.

What controversial issue can you make a comment on as an expert?

**4. Conflict**

A local businessmen in O Carballiño a town in Galicia, Spain collectively raised around A$60,000 as a "transfer fee" to have Paul as the main attraction of the local Festa do Polbo festival.

**Manuel Pazo**, a fisherman and head of the local business club made assurances that Paul would be presented alive in a tank and not on the menu. Sea Life Centres rejected the offer nonetheless.

After accusations of betrayal by the German newspaper Westfälische Rundschau, the Spanish prime minister **José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero** promised to send a team of bodyguards to protect Paul, while the environment minister Elena Espinosa said she would give Paul protection under conservation laws so that Germans do not eat him.

What is the conflict angle for your story pitch?

**5. Comedy**

Paul and his predictions have been spoofed by various segments of the media from across the world.

On the web, applications and websites exist that support and spoof Paul. A website called Paul Predicts went online soon after the 2010 World Cup.

Another popular application called Pulpo Paul went online soon after the World Cup. A song for Paul was made on YouTube and was used on CNN when they did a report on Paul.

The media loves humour. How can you find a comedy angle in your next story pitch to the media?

**6. Sex**

Like advertising, sex sells a story in the media.

The latest story on Paul is that he is going to be a father.

How can you make your story sexier to the media?

**7. Visual**

Visual media like TV loved the story because of the moving pictures.

The flags were critical to the packaging of the story.

**Matthew Fuller**, a senior aquarist believes it was more than luck and the flag shapes and colours may have influenced the outcome.

"[Octopuses] are the most intelligent of all the invertebrates and studies have shown they are able to distinguish shapes and patterns so maybe he’s able to recognise flags," he was quoted as saying.

**Vyacheslav Bisikov**, a Russian biologist, agrees that it is possible for an octopus to become attracted to a striped flag like the Spanish one.

How can you make your story visually appealing to the media?

(Source Wikipedia)

Please consider: Tuesday September 7th 2010, Subiaco Arts Centre, Perth, Australia
Writing and Pitching Winning Media Releases
Numbers are strictly limited so book here.

Wild Child - The Leanne Preston Story

Thursday 15 July, 11.45am-2pm. Graduate Management Association Professional Series - Up Close and Personal Lunch With Leanne Preston, CEO Wild Child Pty Ltd, Formal Dining Room, University Club, Hackett Drive
Celebrating Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Pictured with Leanne Preston and Paul McCann GMA President.

Is Your Reputation Worth $37 Million?

What is the price of reputation?

$37 million dollars in the case of Australian retailer David Jones.

Here's the story:

"A female publicist whose complaints led to the resignation of David Jones chief executive Mark McInnes is suing him and the department store company for more than $37 million.

In her statement of claim filed in the Federal Court, Kristy Anne Fraser-Kirk says Mr McInnes made unwelcome sexual advances and comments to her at a May 23, 2010 lunch and at a June 7, 2010 function.

She is claiming punitive damages of about $37 million, being five per cent of Mr McInnes' salary and five per cent of the store's profits during the time he worked there.

If successful in her claim, she wants the money to go a charity, nominated by her, helping people in the area of sexual harassment and bullying.

Mr McInnes resigned on June 18, after he admitted to behaving "in a manner unbecoming of a chief executive to a female staff member" at two recent company functions.

In her statement of claim, Ms Fraser-Kirk alleged Mr McInnes placed his hand under her clothing to the point where it touched her bra strap.

As well as the store and Mr McInnes, Ms Fraser-Kirk is suing nine David Jones directors.

She claims the company took no action to address the inappropriate behaviour."

Source: WA Business News.

Need help with yoour reputation? Contact us via our website.

Culture and Share Value - Is There a Link? BP Case Study For Investor Relations Professionals

Is there a link between share price and a company's culture?

What is the role of the investor relations professional in communicating culture to investors?

Where did BP go wrong?

Why is culture now so important?

What are your thoughts on BP's latest move announced in the media?

*BP's new boss vows 'change of culture'*

BP's new boss Bob Dudley has vowed to "change the culture" of how the company tackles safety issues following the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

Outgoing chief executive Tony Hayward will step down from his job in October, and will be replaced by Mr Dudley, who has been in charge of BP's clean-up operations in the Gulf.

Mr Hayward told a conference call that he has been "demonised and vilified" over the oil spill, and the company cannot move on in the US with him as leader.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says the departure of the BP boss does not mean the company is abandoning its responsibilities in the Gulf.

"I don't think a lot of people in any country are feeling overly sorry for the former CEO of BP," he said.

Mr Dudley says the oil spill has been a "wake-up call" for his company.

"Sometimes events like this shake you to the core, the foundation, and you have two responses," Mr Dudley told America's ABC News.

"One is to run away and hide. The other is to respond and really change the culture of the company and make sure all the checks and balances are there, just to make sure this does not happen again."

Mr Dudley says his top priority is to permanently seal the Gulf well, contain the crude spill and to clean up and restore the area's beaches.

"We'll be doing that for a long time and that is my number one focus, particularly over the next month-and-a-half," he said.

Mr Dudley praised Mr Hayward, whose PR gaffes handling the oil spill made him a target of fury in the US, for laying "the foundations for a strong focus on safe and reliable operations" at BP.

US congressman Bart Stupak, one of the leading congressional investigators into the Gulf spill, says he worries that Mr Dudley is not a true reformer.

He says he fears BP board members are "playing a high stakes game of musical chairs and simply rotating top leadership into different high-level posts."

- Source: ABC/AFP

Need help with investor relations and culture? Our specialist skills can help. Enquire now here.

Wesfarmers Results Positive For Investor Relations Message

Investor relations tips are hard to come by.

But if you're planning an investor relations strategy or looking for investor relations advice or an investor relations consultant, Wesfarmers, a listed Australian company with its head office in Perth, is one Australian company setting high standards.

Investor confidence and a fair price for a stock is a balancing act in terms of how much information you release to investors.

This is called the investor relations balancing act. Yes, you have to be compliant and meet the regulators laws on materiality and continuous disclosure.

Wesfarmers certainly has reached "best practice investor relations" with its latest efforts.

Investor confidence is driven by positive numbers (sales, revenue etc) but also by execution of strategy and quality of strategy.

Wesfarmers has the numbers but its implementation of strategy is the standout from an investor relations perspective.

Wesfarmers results are impressive after increasing sales by 4.3 per cent at its Coles supermarket business over the past year in a turbulent market.

For example, sales at Coles for the 12 months to June 27, 2010 totaled $29.77 billion compared with $28.55 billion a year earlier.

More importantly, Coles' sales for the fourth quarter to June 27 totaled $7.448 billion, up 5.5 per cent.

The company in its investor communications said the retail division's sales performance for the year was solid overall, especially given the positive impact of the government's stimulus payments on sales in the prior corresponding period, which had now worn off.

"Good progress continues to be made on growth strategies across the group's retail businesses, with customers responding well to improvements in product range, value and service," Wesfarmers chief executive Richard Goyder said in the statement.

Great detail on strategy.

"Over the last 12 months, our retail businesses have established or reinforced sound business platforms and have strategies in place to further improve the customer experience."

This is a great example of communicating a message that the results highlight excellent strategy implementation.

Need help with investor relations strategy, advice and implementation? Contact us now.