Cuttlefish Communication

Cuttlefish Communication Experts in communication - training, strategy & planning. Are you a team leader or a business owner? Does your team need to improve their communications?

Do your leaders need some help improving team engagement? Maybe you have a strategy or a significant project you need to roll out and you're not sure how to communicate it most effectively? We might be your new best friend! We run workshops and training sessions on all things communications - storytelling, authentic communication, effective writing, change communication ... all tailored specifical

ly to your needs. If you've got a problem we might be able to help you solve, let's chat! In the meantime, check out the range of free comms resources on our website.

02/09/2026

Your brand is much more than your logo!

It's the way your organisation speaks, the language leaders use, the tone of an email, the way you talk about your people, your customers and your purpose. It's every touchpoint someone has with your organisation, including the ones happening internally.

…yet internal comms can sometimes feel like the place where the brand guidelines go to die. 😂

Which is a problem, because inconsistency can erode trust.

In the latest episode of the Less Chatter, More Matter podcast, we put a magnifying glass on why brand consistency matters in internal communication, where organisations often go wrong, and three practical things you can do to bring your brand to life internally.

Listen in here: https://www.heymelcomms.training/186 🎧
[Video imagery description: Mel in front of her microphone talking to the camera.]

Is your brand consistent internally… or does all hell break loose once you get behind the firewall? 😂We all know that ge...
01/09/2026

Is your brand consistent internally… or does all hell break loose once you get behind the firewall? 😂

We all know that generally speaking, the brand and marketing teams are pretty good at protecting the brand externally.

However, when it comes to internal… we suddenly get a random mix of new colours, tag lines and made up AI logos?

It may seem harmless, but brand consistency matters internally, too because it’s a representation and reiteration of what your organisation stands for, what people should expect from you and the experience you create.

Plus, a lot more; which you can read more about here: 👉 https://heymelcomms.training/blog/internal-brand
[Image description: A greyscale image of Mel presenting, with a scuffed filter over the top. The title in gold is in the bottom half of the image and says: "Does brand actually matter in internal communications?" with the word actually being circled. The white Cuttlefish logo is in the top left.]

The Brisbane Lord Mayor's Women In Business Grants are open for applications!As part of the application, you'll need to ...
01/09/2026

The Brisbane Lord Mayor's Women In Business Grants are open for applications!

As part of the application, you'll need to say how you'll spend the $5,000 grant. And that's where we can help!

Our Brand Messaging Package has been designed especially for grant recipients who need a hand to develop clear, powerful messaging that resonates with your customers.

It's always so much easier to get another person to create your messaging!

So send us a message to request a quote you can attach to your application.

And GOOD LUCK! X

What happens to the next generation of communicators when AI starts doing the work they used to begin with?That’s one of...
31/08/2026

What happens to the next generation of communicators when AI starts doing the work they used to begin with?

That’s one of the questions we explore in this fortnight’s newsletter.

Plus, we cover business skills everyone needs and what good change communication actually looks like.

We also look into recent observations on the consulting market, the Brisbane comms jobs scene, some spectacular examples of communications going wrong, and a collection of things worth reading, watching and listening to.

So, get amongst it here 👉: https://mailchi.mp/heymelcomms/31-8-26

Plus sign up for more free stuff here: https://training.us6.list-manage.com/profile?u=a4e0f5f80596568d857875e0d&id=89b2354fad&e=%5BUNIQID%5D&c=742f306292.
[Image description: A background of an audience participant reading content while Mel is presenting. On top of this is a light green rectangle that says "Ready for the recap?" in black, with a sub title in a white mock search bar under it saying "This fortnight's newsletter is here". A gold and green letter icon is at the top, and the white Cuttlefish logo is on the left of it.]

What did you want to grow up to be when you were a child?Maybe a doctor, firefighter, chef ... for me, it varied dependi...
28/08/2026

What did you want to grow up to be when you were a child?

Maybe a doctor, firefighter, chef ... for me, it varied depending on the week! (Nobody told me 'Marine Biologist' was probably a stretch.)

All kids had those dreams of what they'd be, but I bet none of them dreamed of being homeless.

But that's ended up being the reality for so many people, especially single mums and older women. Despite their hopes, dreams, and best efforts, more and more women are finding themselves without a safe roof over their heads, and often through no fault of their own.

There used to be a stigma (and there probably still is) about people who find themselves without a home ... that they must have mental health problems or be drug addicts.

But for women in particular, the real reasons couldn't be more different:

- 45% of all women and girls seeking homelessness assistance cite family and domestic violence as the cause (Homelessness Australia)

- In Brisbane, 68% of families who are experiencing homelessness had left or lost housing due to violence in the home (Micah Projects)

- Older women (55+) are the fastest-growing group of people experiencing homelessness, largely due to having worked unpaid or in low-paid jobs for years, having little superannuation, and being priced out of the rental market after a divorce, being widowed, or retiring. (Housing for Aged Action Group)

As a woman who lives in a safe, stable home, I can't imagine the opposite being true. And I don't want it to be. Which is why once again, I'm joining the Salvos Sleep Out on 11 September in Brisbane.

All the funds raised will support the Salvo's Brisbane Women's Homelessness Service.

If you can spare a few dollars, please consider donating or, if you're in Brisbane, join in the sleep out with me!

Find all the details here: https://sleepout.qld.salvationarmy.org.au/t/sleep-out-squad

Yes it's almost the end of August and I'm only just now posting about what we got up to in July ... .. but that's indica...
27/08/2026

Yes it's almost the end of August and I'm only just now posting about what we got up to in July ...
.. but that's indicative of how busy it's been!

Here's a few things we got up to in July:

- Change communication strategy, plan, and materials for a major building project

- Crisis comms support for two clients

- Meetin' and greetin' with other comms folks and consultants

- Interviews with dozens of people following a restructure, and for another client's intranet / website project

- Started the annual report process for a couple of clients.

Phew! On top of the usual weekly podcasts, writing tasks, prepping for workshops, supporting IABC through different volunteering roles and of course, teaching group fitness classes, it was a whirlwind.

August has turned into a big one too ... looking forward to sharing that recap, hopefully before the end of September :D

27/08/2026

Do you love a good podcast?

Well, we’ve got the perfect one for you: in the latest episode of the Less Chatter, More Matter podcast, we’re giving you the short, sharp and shiny run down on what communication skills your team actually needs.

Yep, that’s it. Just like this post. Have a listen here: https://www.heymelcomms.training/185 🎧
[Video imagery description: Mel in front of her microphone talking to the camera.]

It’s easy to say we need better communication in an organisation… but being a good communicator doesn’t mean just writin...
26/08/2026

It’s easy to say we need better communication in an organisation… but being a good communicator doesn’t mean just writing a great email or comms.

The real skill we all need is to know what to say, who needs to hear it, how they need to hear it and what needs to happen as a result.

So, what kind of business comms skills does this equate to… and what do we all need? Find out here: 👉 https://heymelcomms.training/blog/biz-skills
[Image description: A black background with a white title that says: "The business communication skills we all need". Under this is a gold underline, with a photo of Mel smiling and talking to another person. There are gold embellishments around the photo and a white Cuttlefish logo at the bottom.]

There's a disconnect between comms people and our audiences when it comes to AI...It's one I spoke about at last week's ...
25/08/2026

There's a disconnect between comms people and our audiences when it comes to AI...

It's one I spoke about at last week's Workvivo by Zoom Engage Sydney event.

I asked the audience to answer two questions during the event - the first was 'How do you feel about using AI tools to improve your productivity?'

Most people responded very positively.

Then I asked: 'How do you feel about receiving content that's been AI-generated (eg, reports, social media posts, etc)?'

And as you can see from the chart, it was pretty negative!

And that's where the disconnect lies. We might be more willing to experiment with AI and use it to create content, but we don't like receiving the fruits of AI's labour.

Neither do our audiences, as my recent research uncovered.

So then, if you're using AI to create work, how do you make sure there's still a human element to it?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

19/08/2026

What if change communicators stopped waiting for the change to be handed to them?

In the latest episode of the Less Chatter, More Matter podcast, we chat with Jen Frahm about exactly this.

Jen has spent decades working in change and change communication, and her research challenges the idea that our job is simply to tell people what’s changing.

We talk about the difference between telling, dialogue and sense-making. We talk about why people fill information gaps with their own stories. We talk about uncertainty, neuroscience, expectation management and why acknowledging the messy bits of change can actually make your communication more credible.

All of which we can use to identify: what good change communication looks like?

Have a listen here: https://www.heymelcomms.training/184 🎧


[Video imagery description: Mel and Jen in front of their microphones talking to the camera.]


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