New ways of working for Press Teams in unprecedented times
Press room environments have always been frenetic places to be, often with numerous time-sensitive activities to carry out. The buzz of the newsroom, the support from colleagues and the ability to speak to others when help and advice is needed, has been the norm. Press teams work in a highly people-oriented and collaborative way, because it is crucial to monitor a breaking story closely with constantly changing views, opinions and angles. Due to the unprecedented impact of COVID-19, press officers are now required to work remotely, which is a challenge for this very collaborative industry. Simultaneously, the workload continues to rise.
We are all still getting used to the recent social distancing rules and this is a considerable change to the routine for those who have always been office-based. We are being reminded daily by social media, TV and radio that we have now moved from a world of social interaction to a temporary world of video conferencing and social distancing. In this new environment, organisations are reaching for technology solutions to close the gap in the void of office collaboration.
Manage the increased workload
COLIN was conceived and developed in the demanding Press Office environments of major UK Government departments. This tool is a proven Press Office solution designed to support and empower large media teams under extreme pressure. Unlike in other departments, the workload for Press Offices has been increasing significantly as the world is clamouring for updated news and individuals are tasked with responding quickly and accurately to press requests. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, on average, we have seen a 200% increase in the use of our media management tool as press teams react to a massive influx of media interest.
COLIN can help by taking some of the workload off the press officers. The forecasting tool can ensure convenient planning along with a dashboard that provides a clear overview of the newest updates. Furthermore, calls with journalists can be logged with future “lines to take” to maintain consistent messaging across dispersed teams.
Maintain a culture of collaboration
COLIN is proving an invaluable tool, as it provides a single console for the team to work from, ensuring consistency of messaging from everybody within the team. Strong collaboration will be preserved as COLIN can keep dispersed teams connected at all times. COLIN can be accessed through tablet, mobile phone, desktop or laptop. This is a cloud-based Modern Workplace solution, available anywhere and anytime, to ensure any user can access the very latest information or news story at all times.
COLIN’s support team is largely unaffected by the current outbreak. As an IT business, all our staff are now working remotely, continuing to support our range of clients. As ever, our aim is to deliver the highest levels of support to all our clients through these challenging times.
If you need any help or support managing media enquiries, we would love to help. To support the increasing demand on Press Offices that are now having to work remotely, Intelogy Limited are offering preferential pricing for COLIN to support businesses through these unprecedented times.
