What's new @ Aurora April 2009

Internal communication key to delivering results in 2009

2009 is stacking up to be an intriguing year for industry - times are changing and there are certainly challenges ahead. Yet there is much to be positive about, and we have been working with our clients to help communicate this to internal audiences. Two examples are of note: assisting one client with getting company-wide buy-in to an organisational restructure and new business approach; the other with defining the recruitment offering of a client's new business unit.

To ‘zing up' internal support for a redefined operational structure and approach within our client's head office and across all European markets, we applied leadership theory to help steer the path. Some of the principles are:

Clearly communicate a credible sense of urgency
Rapidly secure internal advocates
Use your ‘coalition' to talk to their peers and explain why change is needed and what it means for all
Identify a short-term win based on the new approach that can be communicated to all

We worked with the management team to define the communication messages relating to the restructure; these were infused with urgency, yet conveyed calmness and control. We then reached out to known ‘thought leaders' at every level of the organisation and discussed the new corporate position and what it meant for them and their colleagues. This internal ‘chatter' was combined with communication from the senior management team in the form of e-newsletters and open dialogue, as well as a company wide meeting to clearly explain the position and inspire support.

Importantly, all of this activity was tied together with a consistent creative theme that brought a playful, friendly yet focused tone to the communication activity. For example, fun props were used in the meeting that created a ‘wow' factor and got people talking to each other and engaged with the purpose of the meeting. This approach yielded great results, with an energised company ready to take on the new year and new challenges. Aurora will be working with this client to keep the change communications rolling throughout the year and to lock the approach into the company culture.

On the recruitment side, Aurora held an interactive workshop with another client to drill down to the company's differentiators and then establish what this means for a potential new hire, with specific focus on sales force and brand managers. The values that a company is so often proud of may not always be directly relevant to the recruitment process - a potential hire will want to know what these actually mean for them on both a day-to-day basis, and in terms of career growth. Aurora developed ‘careers values' and then concept tested them with employees in the client's organisation. Refining and tweaking as necessary, we developed a recruitment collateral pack for distribution to all markets, where all resources were tied together by a creative theme that reflected the unique recruitment proposition of our client's offering

Blogtastic - get involved for a hearty debate

2009 has seen the launch of our blog, click here to read and get involved. Our blog brings interactivity to the online Aurora experience, allowing readers to engage with our opinions on the issues of the moment. Recent posts have explored NHS cost sharing agreements, pharma vs. medical device industry reputation, the family growing pains that our ‘PR Mum' has to deal with, and the use of colour in healthcare communications.

Not being controversial for the sake of it, the Aurora blog puts office discussions online and posts are written by the entire team. Feel free to join the debate: http://auroracommsblog.com

Aurora has also been sharing its views on, and experiences of, Web 2.0 with the industry press - look out for further comment and opinion popping up in the month of May.

The brain game - effectively communicating in the mental health arena

Aurora Insights detail the agency's thinking on communication approaches, challenges and issues in specific disease areas - to date we have laid down considerations for migraine and coronary heart disease communications. The first new instalment for 2009, ‘The Brain Game' is an insight that explores why communicating in relation to mental health issues requires the vision to understand: the motivations of disparate key opinion leaders; the internal challenges associated with repurposing of medicines; the very sensitive nature of the individual patient's condition; as well the impact of societal stereotypes.

To read more on Aurora's insights on this fascinating topic, click here.

New hire

A new year, a new face in Aurora HQ: we welcome Ed, a statistical whizz and video production guru. Ed joins as an Account Executive, having completed a Science Communications MA and worked as a researcher on scientific documentaries for the BBC and Outline Productions. A North Londoner through and through, Ed cycles to the Aurora office and has shown us this breathtaking experience on our blog, see the post ‘On your bike.'

Christmas donation 2008

And finally, thank you to all those who clicked on our online Christmas card. We pledged to donate £1 to Ovarian Cancer Action for each unique click, and we are delighted that you helped raise £1,500 for this important charity.

So that's a little bit from us to you! We would love to hear from you. Why not call us on 020 7424 7940 for a chinwag?

Take care, Team Aurora

Aurora Healthcare Communications Ltd Registered No. 5591618 England and Wales.
Registered office at 85-87 Bayham Street, London, NW1 0AG, UK.