The team at Astute.Work are constantly curious about anything that might impact the world of business communications.
Here managing director and management and PR consultant Sarah Waddington shares five things that caught her attention and might interest you and your organisation too.
1) Ping Pong The world of work has been transformed by video calls since the start of the pandemic. Now new startup Ping Pong is bouncing on the scene in a bid to appeal to businesses which have employees working across different time zones. While it currently integrates with Slack, in time Ping Pong aims to become a rival alternative. The functionality allows users to organise threads and conversations, and exchange video, voice and screen recordings.
2) Spotify buys Locker Room
In more tech news, Spotify has announced its purchase of Betty Labs, creators of Locker Room, which is a live audio they say “is changing the way insiders and fans talk about sports”. Locker Room will be expanded into a range of sports, music and cultural programming with interactive features that allow listeners to engage in real time. Brands should pay close attention as this offers a whole new way in which to engage.
3) Facebook turns off comments
Following Twitter’s lead, social media giant Facebook has announced that users will be able to decide who can or can’t comment on posts, providing greater control over what is posted on individual profiles and ongoing conversations. The move relates not only to members of the public but celebrities, politicians, brands and news outlets too, who will all be able to choose between comments from the public, friends, or profiles and pages mentioned. On Twitter, users can already allow everyone, people they know or people they mention to respond. The idea is to make social media a safer space for everyone.
4) BSI Net Zero Barometer report
BSI has published a New Zero Barometer report, which is worth a read for anyone with an interest in the environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda. Every organisation has a responsibility to act and reduce its carbon footprint since the UK became the first major economy in the world to pass laws to end its contribution to global warming by 2050. BSI surveyed 1000 senior decision makers across a range of sectors to understand how advanced their plans are in this area and the challenges faced. What’s clear from the report is that knowledge about the move to net zero is low – 64% of respondents said they were not confident they understood the implications and 82% said they required more guidance if they were to hit the target.
5) LinkedIn thought leadership
A quick start guide from LinkedIn called The Business of Thought Leadership is a good read for management teams wanting to understand how thought leadership on the platform can drive brand and reputation, market consideration, demand generation, talent attraction and employee engagement. According to the guide, strong thought leaders explore new opportunities and potential challenges, identify things people may have overlooked in their own thinking and include guidance on how to address the matters raised. It advises those new to LinkedIn to find their own white space, have a unique perspective and to participate in communities. The number one KPI users should focus on is the amount of comments generated by each post.
