If you’ve ever considered spending large amounts of money on a PR stunt but aren’t sure what sort of results it will yield – read on.

While in Auckland over Christmas, I watched the Kim Dotcom saga unfold with friends and family sharing first-hand opinions. Mostly a dry joke and nod to its sheer ridiculousness.

Dotcom, founder of now defunct Megaupload, is under investigation by the FBI for Internet piracy of seismic proportions. Despite a previous dossier of international Internet crimes committed from Hong Kong to Germany, Dotcom has managed to establish a home in New Zealand and launch his new controversial file sharing platform, Mega.

Dotcom, in one word, is a maverick. Someone who bends the rules (or breaks them entirely) in order to achieve his goals. His surname is a red flag having been legally changed to celebrate his success with Megaupload. The onslaught of publicity stunts has been both shocking, entertaining, a bit weird – and crude.

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When I was at high school and university, the idea of working in aged care was never brought to my attention. The plan was to either become a leading lady on the big screen, or work in the humanitarian sector.

Today I’m a marketing and communications consultant and passionate human rights advocate. I’m also looking to get back into theatre.

But I wonder what shape my path would have taken if I had been informed about becoming a carer for those in aged care?

It’s no secret that most aged care providers across Australia are in urgent need of Division 1 nurses and personal care workers. In addition, the challenge remains to attract young people, graduates, who have a passion to work in the aged care sector.

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Why are we here?

It is a question that is often difficult to answer when asked by a 3 year old, but should be more easy to respond to when asked at work.

Should be.

Ideally.

Not always.

Actually maybe a lot less than we think.

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When you think of newsletters what comes to mind? Is it that annoying letter that comes in the mail just to irritate you, that school newsletter reminding you about parent teacher interviews or is it something that is informative and entertaining that you ACTUALLY enjoy to read? Newsletters, as drab as they may seem, are an exceedingly powerful tool to connect with your target audience, stakeholders and broader community – if done well.

By creating a punchy, clear, informative and aesthetically attractive newsletter, organisations can build brand awareness, increase visibility, engage with, and more importantly, maintain their audience.  The trick is to find the balance.

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Multiculturalism is a buzzword that seems to be tossed about in political discourse, but what is it?

Multiculturalism is about different cultures coexisting. Multicultural societies have thrived because people learn to embrace cross-cultural communication. As we live in a proud multicultural society we must appreciate, be sensitive to, accommodate and most importantly, celebrate cultural differences if we are to maintain harmony.

In contemporary society, many people in culturally diverse areas practice cross-cultural communication quite naturally in everyday contexts. You’ll know you’ve mastered the subtlety of it when you successfully converse with someone from a different cultural background to yours, and without (fully) understanding the language you speak, they respond with vigour! This is because cross cultural communication can transcend language barriers. You can still effectively communicate through body language, gesticulation and a good old smile.

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It has long seemed to me that there is an amazing clash in the human desire to be like everyone else even when we think we are being different. Take the snappy dresser who looks in the mirror and says, ‘damn I look good, I’ll make heads turn in this’ – then heads into the street where everyone is wearing the same blue shirt and yellow silk tie (all feeling chuffed at their sartorial gift).

Sheepism is a human condition. And my journey to understand why, took me to two social scientists: Albert Bandura and Abraham Maslow.

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In November 2012, Ellis Jones’ Principal, Rhod, was invited to co-present at the WorldPR Forum alongside Paul Druckman of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) and Dan Tisch of the Global Alliance.

The talk was entitled “Integrated reporting: The role of corporate communication and investor relations in demonstrating strategy, governance, and financial performance in social, environmental and economic contexts”.

Not exactly the catchiest of titles, but a very important topic.

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Here’s some photos of Henry and I conducting in-field research on behalf of Regional Rail Link this week. We were positioned outside the Footscray Market and Footscray train station, fuelled by a couple of amazing Olympic Doughnuts and big cups of Vietnamese iced coffee asking people about how they shop in Footscray. The information collated will help Regional Rail Link support local traders create an even more vibrant food and retail experience in Footscray in 2013.

Whilst phone interviews and online surveys are a great way to gain insights, a couple of advantages to conducting this type of in-field research are:

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Older people are often the best stories tellers. As a Gen Y, I still love listening to the stories of older people, particularly when I get the chance to visit a residential aged care facility. Their tales of love, heartbreak, regrets and wisdom continue to intrigue me. It’s also one of those beautiful and rare moments where young and old come together.

More and more aged care providers are seeing the value of intergenerational activities – at Ellis Jones, we call this activity community engagement.

Rather than looking to create brand awareness through costly traditional marketing exercises such as advertising, some providers are seeing the value of introducing residents programs designed to keep older people connected to their community and loved ones through networking.

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It passed in a flash. It was great, it was hard, it was 2012.

Here is our definitive list of highlights, best books and music of 2012 and our predicted trends for 2013.

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