The use of narrative approaches such as storytelling has emerged as a powerful business tool for collaboration, engagement, and all manner of business communication. Over the past two years, AstraZeneca has used storytelling in its management development initiative as a key plank in achieving sustainable culture change. Using story-based approaches as a supplement to more traditional methods is also providing valuable insights into the implementation of new values and helping senior managers understand what is really going on within the organisation. In this case study presentation you'll learn:

• How narrative has helped develop AstraZeneca's organisational culture by changing manager behaviours
• How organisational stories can be used to explore values
• How this technique can be used to communicate what's really happening to senior decision makers

Jenny Burn, Organisational Development and Learning Manager, AstraZeneca

As an information provider, Sensis faces the ongoing challenge of getting a share of the voice in a hugely competitive media environment. As a solution, the company is focusing on social media to identify, reach and engage with its audience. In this session discover how Sensis is tackling key issues around the use of social media tools for communication including:

• Identifying your audience using social media - what are the challenges?
• Choosing which channels to listen to and gauging the best response to maximise audience engagement
• Engaging with social media - deciding which tools to use and how best to use them for communications
• Policing the online conversation without losing the audience

Karina Keisler, Group Manager External Communications, Sensis

Telstra is almost three years through a five-year, end-to-end business transformation. Making better use of their intranet has been one of the key tools in optimising communication with the company's 48,000 employees, across diverse disciplines and geography with a single voice. This case study will examine how the communications team are:

• Expanding communications channels by using the Intranet as a news channel
• Improving employee engagement though the use of video and cross linking to the internet
• Next steps - using video to mobiles as an emerging corporate communications tool

Rosie Mullaly, Deputy Director News Services & Manager Corporate Employee Communications, Telstra

Crisis situations can define or destroy an organisation. Organisations that survive are crisis ready and keep business strategy clearly in focus as they move through their emergency response. Providing an essential service for more than 1.6 million Queenslanders, electricity transmission company Powerlink has a highly-developed emergency communication approach that has not only delivered on business strategy in the face of extended power outages and a severe category 5 cyclone, but is also award winning. Take away from this session:

• A roadmap to strategic crisis communications preparedness
• Insight into how to integrate business strategy in your crisis communication approach
• Tips on how to convert a potentially damaging crisis situation into one that supports business strategy, strengthens and enhances your organisation's reputation

Michelle Berardone, Manager Corporate Communications, Powerlink Queensland

In an age where change is constant and demands on communications teams are increasing, CGU has moved to a business-led communication strategy that drives stakeholder engagement and is tailored to business performance and innovation. Learn how the CGU communication team redefined itself to meet the challenges of:

• A new chief executive officer and business strategy
• Equipping its senior leaders to be accountable for their communications
• Responding to the deluge of email communications sent across the business

Chris Jackson, Head of Communication, CGU Insurance

Rapidly evolving science and technology is changing the face of health care, including the way in which the pharmaceutical industry operates and how it communicates with its employees. Drawing on almost 10 year's experience with the Australian operation of global bio pharmaceutical company, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Michael Moore will look at:

• Communicating global change at the local level
• The role of new communication tools in the global organisation
• The impact of globalisation on the local operation
• Functioning effectively in a matrixed organisation
• Building strong relationships across the global organisation
• Maintaining control - without authority
• Recognising geographical and cultural differences

Michael Moore, Manager Corporate & Business Communications, Bristol-Myers Squibb

At Shell, how the communications strategy is created is influenced and shaped by the results of a variety of measurements undertaken across the company, both internally and externally. In this session hear how Shell:

• Measure the company's reputation with both internal and external stakeholders
• Survey all employees to provide comprehensive organisational data
• Connects the reputation tracker results, people survey results and the business strategy to build the communications strategy
• Uses measurement results to shape new communication channels such as the magazine "Shell World Oceania"

Helen Taylor, Internal & Management Communications Manager, Shell companies in Australia