Oliver Aust

For years in the communications industry we’ve been hearing the same sentence: “𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝.” The European report "𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐸𝑦𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐽𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑃𝑅 2026" by Mediaddress suggests the opposite. 𝟖𝟒% 𝐨𝐟 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞. So the problem is not the press release itself. The problem is 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐭. According to the study: – 𝟔𝟎% 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 – and among those that are read, 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝟑𝟎% 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 Which leads to a striking conclusion: 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝟏𝟏 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤. This is not a crisis of format. It is a 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬. Too many press releases still read like: corporate brochures self-referential texts advertising disguised as information. But journalism is not looking for promotion. It is looking for 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬. So perhaps the real question is no longer: “Do press releases still work?” The real question is: 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠? #PublicRelations #MediaRelations #PRStrategy #PressOffice #Journalism #CommunicationStrategy #ContentStrategy #Storytelling

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How much technology is involved in communications work (in the future)? There is an uncomfortable truth for women and men of the word in communications departments. Technological disruption – led by AI – will fundamentally change work processes. We will no longer think only in communicative terms, but also: What data do we have? How can we use it along the CommTech journey? How can processes be automated? How can we convincingly demonstrate our success with hard data? This is a huge challenge. But those who solve it will gain a huge competitive advantage in the diverse chorus of companies. Fortunately, the world's leading book on the digitalisation of communication has just been published: Mastering CommTech. The editors are Uwe Seebacher, Thomas Mickeleit and myself. You can find it here: https://lnkd.in/etPPvMNy utm_source=standard&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=000_LAN36_0000019083_Book+author+congrats+NEW&utm_content=EN_34155_20250803& mkt-key=42010A0557EB1EEB9FCDE966B64423F0

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Dear women founders, If you’ve ever tried building something of your own, you’ve probably heard these words more than once: → “Why don’t you just stick to a stable job?” → “Who’ll take care of the kids?” → “Are you sure you can handle the pressure?” I’ve heard them too. Quietly. Casually. Repeatedly. What’s more? When women pitch, they get asked about risks. When men pitch, they get asked about scaling. Let that sink in, too. Because this isn’t just unfair, it’s inefficient. Every time a capable founder is passed over due to bias, we all lose out. On potential. On ideas. On innovation. We can’t talk about building a “new India” and ignore half the talent pool. If we want India to lead globally, we need to fund, support, and amplify locally and inclusively. And to the women building anyway: → Pitching with a toddler on your lap. → Juggling growth targets with personal guilt. → Carving out space where none was offered. You don’t need to prove your worth. You already are the proof! Let’s stop framing this topic as a gender issue. It’s a business issue, a growth issue, and an innovation issue. Let’s not just raise capital. Let’s raise the bar. #WomenInBusiness #PujaPathakWrites #WomenFounders #StartupIndia #MediaMantra #FundWomen #InclusiveInnovation

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40 Kommentare

The shortest interview? 🤔 Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, recently walked out of a German podcast interview just …45 seconds in. It’s already called “the shortest interview ever” The reason? He was asked whether he’s the founder or co-founder of Wikipedia. Wales called it “the dumbest question in the world,” repeated that it didn’t matter, and then abruptly ended the conversation. The incident highlights the ongoing tension regarding his role versus that of Larry Sanger in Wikipedia’s founding, as well as how sensitive legacy questions can provoke public reactions. This short incident teaches us some crucial PR and media lessons: -> Reputation is fragile Even a few seconds can shape public perception. Leaders must anticipate sensitive questions about legacy, achievements, or co-founders. -> Preparation is key Media training equips leaders with tools to answer tough questions calmly, bridge conversations back to key messages, and maintain composure. -> Transparency builds trust How you respond matters as much as what you say. Abrupt reactions can overshadow accomplishments and reduce stakeholder confidence. -> Frame your story, don’t overreact Every interview is a chance to reinforce your narrative. Strategic preparation turns potential PR risks into opportunities for clear messaging. https://lnkd.in/dvTjnHTk

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Statistics are great in PR - a really easy way to share a message in a short, clear format. But I am a big fan of researching behind the statistics to make sure the information I am sharing is right. Today, I wanted to script a social post for a client about onboarding and using the right technology, and I found a stat that only 12% of employees strongly agree that their organisation does a great job of onboarding employees. But when digging deeper it looks like the research was done in 2018.....and with technology advances in the last 7 years I don't think that stat would be at all relevant now. But a simple search showed that it is being used time and time again. In 2022 it was described as a 'recent study'. The definition of recent is debatable, but four years is quite a long time. And it has been used a number of times in 2025.... I am not going to use it - I am going to keep looking for information more relevant to the current situation because I want the information my clients are sharing to be accurate and timely. It was a good reminder that not every stat we see is as current - or as accurate - as it may seem...... #MarketingResearch #InformationAccuracy #FactChecking

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Lately, people keep asking me: “With all the changes in government priorities and AI taking over so much agency work… aren’t you worried?” The short answer? Yes - and also: While a lot is shifting, some things simply can’t be replaced: 🧠 Strategic thinking 🤝 Human connection 💡 A deep understanding of the value of impact-driven work So no, we’re not resisting the changes - we’re working with them. At Sunflower, that looks like: Strategy → Smart + sustainable use of AI (and adapting how we work, if needed) → Building internal capacity → Stronger, more sustainable outcomes We’re using AI (and all the sector changes) to enhance our work, not replace the things that make it powerful. I keep coming back to this: AI as the assistant, not the director. At the end of the day, impact orgs still need people who understand their mission, and know how to help them tell their story. If you’re navigating all this change and want a partner who brings strategy, tech, and a whole lot of heart - let’s talk. 🌻

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🔄 You’re not short on input — you’re short on alignment. Board members. Policy officers. National associations. Everyone has ideas, but you carry the responsibility for coherence. That’s where it can unravel. With #inextremis, you gain tools to structure internal feedback and define a shared message backbone. We don’t replace your input; we organise it, so you can manage upwards and stay on track. 💡 Tip Build a one-page message framework before content production and circulate it early. This will set the tone, save time, and reduce scope creep.

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