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. The highs and lows of working remotely
Research by Currys PC World, in collaboration with Canon, has found that Brits are still not properly equipped to work from home. A year on from the start of the pandemic, more than a quarter (27%) don’t have their own office space and are working from the living room, while one in 10 have created a makeshift desk in the kitchen. A fifth of 16-24 year olds admit that they feel lonely working from home and are keen to return to the office. The results are worth a read for management teams trying to decide the structure of their business model post-COVID and underline the importance of engaging with employees when making decisions.
2. Trustworthy ads
A poll by YouGov of people in 17 countries and regions has asked how trustworthy they find advertising to be across ten popular media channels. In the UK, members of the public trust advertising on social media (10%) and on websites (18%) the least, while ads on TV and radio are the most trusted (both at 53%). The pattern follows globally with regards to social media, with just 25% of the global sample saying they trust these types of ads. It’s food for thought for any brands working on integrated campaigns over the coming months.
3. Developing business leaders
North East organisations looking to develop their talent don’t have to look far from home. A Capital on Tap study has rated the University of Cumbria as being in the top 10 for developing business leaders, producing a higher percentage of C-suite executives (those occupying the role of CEO, managing director or executive director) than other UK universities. The research targeted 10 million graduates on LinkedIn and also investigated the best universities for business, business founders and freelancers.
4. Move over Clubhouse
The competition between social media networks for share of audience continues apace following the announcement by Twitter that Twitter Spaces will launch in April. TechCrunch reports that this new audio chat room feature will be available to both Android and iOS users, unlike its rival Clubhouse, but raises questions over the longerterm potential of both. For anyone interested, Twitter has provided a handy guide on how to get started here: www.help.twitter.com/en/usingtwitter/spaces.
5. TikTok calls to be kind
The creators of social video app TikTok have responded to greater calls for control by content creators by introducing a new tool that allows comment moderation. The Filter All Comments feature gives the video’s owner the power to decide which comments appear under their work, while a new comment prompt asks people to reconsider posting a comment that may be inappropriate or unkind. The move comes at a time when the UK tabloid media is under the spotlight following comments from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex about institutional racism. The mother of Caroline Flack has also said the media have failed to learn lessons from the popular presenter’s death and should take greater responsibility for how they report news about public figures struggling with mental health problems.
