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When one of our clients needed to install essential infrastructure along an inner-city street of Newcastle, we knew it would be a challenge. The project was going to close roads, block access to people’s driveways for up to four weeks at a time, and worst of all, there was a substantial amount of night work […]

Focus groups are a great way to drill down into understanding the “why” behind stakeholder views. They can help to obtain qualitative insights to back quantitative results collected through surveys and polls. But focus groups have their own set of challenges, especially when Covid is forcing them to be held virtually. Challenge 1: Recruitment Recruiting

A project manager said to us the other day “all that early engagement is really paying off now” and we wanted to reach through the phone and kiss him, and maybe erect a little statue somewhere. Instead we urged him to tell all his project manager friends. It’s shiny little moments like these that remind

When it comes to consultation, we’re all about giving people plenty of ways to share their thoughts – whether it’s popping into an info session, completing an online survey, or just having a good ol’ fashioned chat. But while community input is super important, it’s only one piece of a much bigger puzzle: the decision-making

In the ever-spinning carousel of communications and public relations, where trends twirl and strategies salsa, AI tools have waltzed onto the scene, turning the whole affair into a tech-infused masquerade ball. It’s time to don your digital masquerade attire because we’re about to plunge into the dynamic world of AI, exploring when to use AI

We’re big fans of using verbatim quotations as part of our engagement practice. Too often we’re told by stakeholders that they don’t feel heard or listened to. Organisations failing to act on what’s been agreed to is a big part of that. But another, and equally important part, is that stakeholders want to “hear” and

There are places I’ll remember, All my life, but some have changed, Some forever, not for better, Some have gone, and some remain. So sang The Beatles in 1965 as part of their hit, In My Life. John Lennon said the piece reflects upon past friends and relationships, and these words convey the link between

When planning a community engagement workshop, it’s easy to focus on the big picture: the keynote speakers, the activities you will run, and even the catering (because we all know that if you don’t have good snacks, you’ll hear about it on the feedback form). However, there is another detail which you may want to

Residents in a beautiful residential suburb were initially less than thrilled earlier this year when one of our clients installed a small piece of infrastructure in a reserve nestled behind their homes. However, when the complaint came through to Spectrum Comms’ community engagement team, we saw that this wasn’t just a case of sour lemons;

Managing stakeholder and community expectations is a critical aspect of any project. When we’re developing key messages as communicators, we agonise at great length over the words we use to ensure we are not over promising on project deliverables and under selling project impacts. It’s a fine line between being transparent but not alarming, and