CommsCon full session lineup revealed with Twitter, Mona, Ogilvy, Sportsbet, a special interactive session and more

The full session lineup for Mumbrella’s CommsCon has been finalised, with a number of big brands and agencies being added to the program. Joining newly announced sessions are Ogilvy PR’s new CEO, Richard Brett, Mona’s director of marketing and communications, Robbie Brammall, Sportsbet’s head of communications and social content, Ben Hawes, and Twitter’s head of brand strategy, Grant Baxter.

Mona’s Robbie Brammall will discuss how controversial communications can work for a brand

Also added to the lineup is a special interactive session with Chris Lonergan, managing director of Lonergan Research, who will conduct a live, anonymous, survey in order to illustrate how data can be manipulated. The survey results will be discussed in the session, as will how much impact the wording of questions can have, and how quickly you can lose the trust of your audience.

Mumbrella’s CommsCon takes place on March 22 at The Westin in Sydney, with tickets on sale at earlybird rates until tomorrow.

Twitter’s Baxter, who has been with the social media platform for almost three years, will explore the flows of communication on social media, particularly what happens when it goes wrong. Looking at strategies across multiple platforms, not just on Twitter, Baxter will outline the options, what to think about in terms of a response and what to do if the brand has already dug a rather deep hole to ensure the minimum impact.

Ogilvy PR’s recently announced CEO, Richard Brett, will push the industry to move on from fake news

Joining Baxter in the lineup is Richard Brett. Having recently stepped up to the CEO position at Ogilvy PR, Brett will deliver a presentation on our obsession with fake news and disaster, and why the moment for bad news is over. He’ll explore how emotive stories, the power of uplifting and joyful experiences, and the rise of purposeful marketing are a massive opportunity for the industry. Brett will also look at how to use these opportunities appropriately and whether cynicism could become an issue.

Mona’s Brammall and Sportsbet’s Hawes will join a panel touching on disaster, but in a positive light. PR is an industry with a traditionally tight workflow and boundaries, but those are slowly being pushed out, making way for new methods of doing things. Brammall and Hawes, along with other industry experts, will discuss how controversial positioning can work for a brand. Once thought to be suicide for business growth, pushing the limits has worked wonders for the pair. The panel will discuss why this is and what can go wrong.

Are influencers still relevant in communications? Simone Bevan from Magnum & Co will join a panel to find out

Also announced is a new panel looking at the future of social influencers. It’s been a relatively quiet 12 months for influencers but is this because the industry sector is consolidating or shrinking? TheRight.Fit’s founder, Taryn Williams, and Simone Bevan, head of integrated media at Magnum & Co, will join a panel discussing where influencers sit in the marketing and communications mix now and whether they are any better understood compared to 12 months ago.

Fromm’s Matt Kendall will also deliver a newly announced session exploring disconnections in content marketing and why 2018’s hot topic may not be working for everyone. The session will also look at the opportunities that come from a long-term strategy combined with agile, iterative processes, particularly looking at briefs, planning, production techniques, execution and how different roles fit into this process.

What does PR’s future look like from the perspective of young practitioners? One Green Bean’s Jayde Galvin is the latest young mind to join the panel

A number of new speakers have been announced to join already launched sessions. Hello Espresso CEO, Corrie McLeod, will join the panel on crisis and culture, Frank PR managing director, Laura Jones, will sit on the panel discussing creativity within PR, Mike Doman, creative partner at Attention+Influence will participate in the panel looking at the identity crisis PR is having while Jasmine Tobia of the Cancer Council NSW and Jayde Galvin of One Green Bean join the special panel for future PR leaders discussing their thoughts on the industry with HR leader Lynnette Edmonds. More speakers will also be announced shortly.

Tickets for Mumbrella’s CommsCon are on sale now and can be purchased here. Following the conference will be the CommsCon Awards gala dinner with the the shortlist to be revealed tomorrow.

Damian Francis

Damian is the head of content at Mumbrella, overseeing all content and editorial within the business. He has worked as a journalist and communications consultant across a number of industries for over 15 years. He has been with Mumbrella for more than three years, initially running event content. Damian was previously print editor of AdNews.

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topics ben hawes CommsCon Grant Baxter Mumbrella CommsCon Ogilvy Ogilvy PR Richard Brett Robbie Brammall Sportsbet Twitter

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