Riki’s Read: July 2025

Hello hello there!

Last week, I completed a Driving Leadership in AI course with the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre, and it was an eye-opener. So many learnings from the course but central is the seismic change that AI will have, not just in our workplaces, but in life. This is the biggest change since the introduction of the internet - even bigger some might say – and for me, this means there are two immediate takeaways:

1. Our need to constantly learn - we need to know more, understand the developing picture, continue to experiment with AI and also embed AI Guiding Principles within RNN.  
2. Focus on ‘real life’. Authenticity matters, and standout campaigns and brands will not just live online. There’s been so much focus on online and digital campaigns, and rightly so, but it’s the real-life, experiential campaigns where customers can see / taste / engage with brands that will stand out. 

Recently, we have just commenced a significant sampling campaign for a FMCG brand across Ireland and Northern Ireland. The goal is to reach thousands of people, encourage them to taste the product and engage with consumers in a fun way that’s reflective of the brand’s personality. 

The actual sampling delivery is relatively straightforward, but the devil is in the detail of the planning.  Working across shopping centres and entertainment venues across Ireland and Northern Ireland, the logistics and coordination of the campaign were epic. Agreeing permits, insurance, the right team, stock quantities etc. takes time and can be frustratingly slow, but now, as the campaign comes to life, we’re reaping the rewards of all of the detailed planning with the various aspects of the campaign falling into place. 

Here’s a blog by Tara on the campaign: https://rnncommunications.com/blog/sweet-success-how-experiential-marketing-is-driving-buzz-for-bazooka-candy/

The campaign has also reminded me of the value of getting back to basics. We’re as guilty as anyone of coming up with ‘big ideas’, new online concepts etc but for FMCG brands, people need to be reminded of your product and also encouraged to taste it. This leads to new customers, awareness, and ultimately sales.

Why ESG Matters

In addition to helping clients develop their ESG strategies, frequently delivering on the ‘S’ (social) element of ESG and working with social enterprises and charities within this arena, ESG forms an important part of many of our clients’ business and marketing plans.

A more sophisticated evolution of CSR that covers environmental, social and governance, ESG is no longer a ‘nice to have’ but a business imperative. It helps companies to future-proof their operations, meet stakeholder expectations, and build a sustainable competitive advantage in an increasingly transparent and values-driven world.

Discussing our ESG work, Sarah has published a more detailed blog post here: The Feel-Good Factor of ESG: Why Working in Social Matters & How to Strengthen Your ESG Communications Strategy - rnn communications

As a business, we’re currently undergoing our B-Corp assessment. This is a VAST BODY of work and not for the faint-hearted, even for a small organisation like ours. It takes funding and resources. We’ve started the process and have a timeline in place. I’m working with Sinead on this, and it’s rigorous, as it should be, but we’re getting there…slowly! Our summer project – RNN to transition to B-Corp – that’s the aim. 

RNN Gets Lean 

Not one to rest on our laurels, we’re never complacent. Last year, I was introduced to the concept of LEAN – generally a term for manufacturing companies that focuses on a systematic approach to minimising waste without sacrificing productivity in the manufacturing process.  It originated from the Toyota Production System (TPS) in Japan and has since been widely adopted across industries worldwide.

This appealed to me immediately for two reasons:

1. The identification of what ‘wastes’ there are in a business e.g., for us, overservicing, complex processes, underutilised skills
2. The focus on continuous improvement - this has my name all over it, but I didn’t have a process-driven approach to this - now I do 

I’m a Co-Founder of an entrepreneurs group called SOAR NI, and many of my fellow SOAR members have started to adopt LEAN processes within their businesses. We set up a study group and really started to delve into the LEAN processes and how they can be adapted and interpreted for our respective industries.

A company called Seating Matters here in Northern Ireland is leading the way with its Lean Made Simple   - and so in late May, Jill, Sinead and I headed off to Seating Matters for a tour of the facility and to see how the business has created a vibrant culture using LEAN methodologies.

We were BLOWN AWAY. I have never been in a cleaner factory where the team is engaged, living and breathing LEAN values, and with team members of all levels confident to present to outsiders on how they have made LEAN decisions to improve their departments etc.

We had so many takeaways from the tour, and it gave us renewed vigour for LEAN. Since then, we’ve made a number of improvements at RNN with many more to go: 

• No more dual ownership. The lesson of ‘dual ownership is no ownership’ has really struck a chord. I think that this one learning could have transformed our business years ago, if only I had known. I do now… 
• Fix what bugs you - we ask this question every week to team members and have ‘improvement time’ in our working week
• Improvement board for suggestions and actions 
• Jazzed up kitchen and bathrooms through a 20-minute makeover (of course, I loved this one) 
• Kitchen and bathroom rota for everyone. No more kitchen tidying by one person. We’re all on the rota. I was on duty last week and aligned to the LEAN principles of respect and leaving things better than you found them, I honestly didn’t have much to do. This is how it should be.

We’ve so much more to do, and it’s over to me to ensure I keep the momentum going, but one thing is for sure, RNN is getting LEAN! 

Wishing you a super July. If you haven't booked that holiday, do. You will thank yourself for it later. 

If you’ve any questions on the above or would like to get in touch, my inbox is always open: riki@rnncommunications.com   

For now, it’s over and out.

Riki