SERIOUS SUBSIDIES

Did you know that if you’re a small company based in Brussels, you can get up to 50% of your costs for a coaching session with Clear Europe paid for by the regional government? Our business and communication manager Aurélie has the low-down on how to boost your skills on the cheap. Check out the details.

CHAMPIONING CHANGE

Thanks to George Perlov for an enthralling News & Booze session on how to affect change through campaigns. Drawing on a recent study on why some campaigns work and some don’t, the US communication and marketing consultant said successful campaigns don’t just prescribe but offer positive alternatives. If you missed George’s presentation you can find it here. The next News & Booze session for NGO comm folks is on May 29. Check the facebook group shortly for more details.

PERFECTING PRESS RELEASES

Grabbing the attention of journalists is hard. Our Perfecting Press Releases course gives insider tips on how to craft catchy press releases with juicy news, sticky messages and punchy quotes. But don’t take it from us. Here’s some feedback from two recent training sessions to Council of the European Union press officers: “Fantastic. Tailor-made with clear, practical examples.” “Nicely interactive.” “Very good and useful. Well prepared examples and exercises.” “Excellent. Recommended for anyone working on press releases or any texts for a wider audience.”

THINGS WE’VE LIKED ON SOCIAL MEDIA

• A TED playlist on public speaking to help you get pumped up before a presentation.
• The box, holding the ball, pyramid hands… Here are 6 ways to look more confident during a presentation.
• Hmm, IMHO, I was wondering if… Try to avoid unnecessary qualifiers.
• Good (business) journalism requires: research, interviewing and analysis. These days, add data visualisation to your toolbox.
• Have you heard of nuzzle? A short-cut to the most shared stories in your Twitter timeline.
• Ahead of the World Press Freedom Day, a video on how media can help strengthen tolerance, dialogue and critical thinking.
• Every push alert, every tweet, every Facebook update creates a neurochemical rush that conditions you to respond. You can’t escape it, and, worse, may not even want to. So how can we slay the tiger?