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- 02 9247 6000
- media@commsroom.co
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It’s been an eventful year for communications professionals, to say the least.
Apart from a global pandemic that has changed how we communicate forever, there is also the rise of short form content, the fall of Twitter, the rise of TikTok, and the explosion of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools, among others.
This year, it is no stretch to say that communicators have had to hold on the edge of their seats as they try to keep up with the breakneck pace of technological and social trends that shape the audience, the market, and our society in general.
It is against this backdrop that the 9th Annual Comms Leaders Summit has come into fruition. With the theme, “Improving your brand reputation and consumer engagement through innovative content and social media approaches,” communications leaders and practitioners gathered for two days to discuss recent challenges and exchange best tips and best practices.
Some 150 attendees graced the event to hear from Australia’s finest comms leaders, plus a workshop from Chris Riordan of the Victorian Department of Education and Training.
The two-day summit covered various topics, from responding and communicating effectively in times of crisis to utilising social media effectively in today’s highly connected society.
No comms summit post-2020 would complete without discussing crisis response to health emergencies.
Caitlin Cash of Queensland Health talked about growing their audience during the global pandemic by “developing a deep understanding of the content that resonates with them, and how we harness the power of UCG to tell our brand’s stories.”
“A presso about Queensland Health’s socials wouldn’t be complete though, without a healthy dose of conversation about utilising pop-culture and trends to deliver content that cuts through. I think I was the only speaker to mention poo, STIs, and penis hygiene in their presentation. A great side effect of working in public health socials,” Cash said.
Michelle Cooling of Sydney Swans talked about emerging platforms and “the important role social managers play in the wider brand and business and ensure that they are doing the platforms they are on well without getting overwhelmed with the current landscape.”
Meanwhile, Matt Moran of Ford talked about how marketing and comms teams can work effectively together to achieve business objectives.
He also joined panel discussions on measurement, data, influencers and more with Booktopia’s Adam Freedman, Archie’s Footwear’s Ruben Thompson, Louisa Luscombe of Forbes Australia, Julian McCrann of Roy Morgan, and Dan Connell of SEEK.
Also big in this year’s summit was the topic of inclusivity. In her session, Dana Thomson of Guide Dogs Victoria talked about “the significance of creating content that’s inclusive and accessible for all users, including best practices, strategies to enhance accessibility and implementation.”
“The event was an incredible platform for communication leaders to dive into cutting-edge strategies and trends shaping our industry today. It was an honour to discuss the importance of developing accessible social media and digital marketing content in my session,” Thomson said.
Comms Room, through its mother company, Akolade, is proud to facilitate learning and the exchange of ideas designed to benefit communications professionals and society as a whole. We hope to see you on our upcoming events, particularly the Public Sector Comms Week and the 6th Annual Social Media for Gov NZ Summit 2024, all slated for next year.
