A Blended Communication Approach

Sue Penzig and Nici Cooper, University of Wolverhampton

Three different styles of communication are described to target three very different types of customer:

1. The IT Services Annual Report sent to senior University staff
2. A monthly email newsletter sent to technical support staff
3. Welcome emails sent to all new staff and students

We highlight how each method improved communication, and what criteria we used to evaluate this. The main problems we encountered in producing these different types of communication are identified, and our solutions to them, including sending the Director of IT Services home to write a personalised message on 200 bright pink post-its that we stuck on the front of the annual report! Also included are some ideas for best practice such as design for re-use, using information that’s already available and automating processes. We conclude that by using a blended approach to communication it has helped us to better target our communication with our customers, delivering the information they need in a format that suits them.

See Case Study 1

The UK Web Focus blog

Brian Kelly, UKOLN

This presentation will describe the first year of the UK Web Focus blog. The talk will explain why the blog was set up and the approaches taken to launching the blog. A description will be given of how the blog developed over its first year and became a key component of the dissemination and user engagement on behalf of Brian Kelly, the blog author, in his role as UK Web Focus at UKOLN.

The presentation will conclude by arguing that blogs should be playing an important role in the communications activities of IT Service departments. Brian will describe support materials he has developed to help others establish blog services and ensure that their successful deployment into service

See Case Study 5

IT Communications at UWE.

Derek Norris, University of the West of England

A practical insight into improving communications from IT to the wider University community. The brief presentation will describe the challenges, how to get started, a strategy for message delivery and discuss the wider benefits associated with the initiative. As with all things measurement is the method of benchmarking and a brief look at the types of measurement used will be included.

See Case Study 3