Pete Austin
@pete-austin.bsky.social
Deputy Director, Communications in the NHS. Formerly Imperial War Museums, UAL and Goldsmiths. Founded a brand agency. Run a brand course at City University. Ex-news journalist. Views are mine (obvs)
To celebrate (hopefully) explaining to students at this weekend’s City, University of London ‘Introduction to Branding’ course why AI will never replace brand agencies, I asked ChatGPT to make me a poster. Copy: full of typos Design: unoriginal Messaging: unclear Verdict: hire me instead
And breathe. Very lucky to have been able to take a proper winter break. As we come to the end of the trip the mind inevitably strays back to “real life”… Ready to come back to NHS pressures, comms challenges and sub zero temperatures! 🔥
“Do we launch a corporate account on Bluesky?”… Hands up if this has been a question in anyone else’s comms dept? 🙌🏻 We’re seeing insane engagement on TikTok and Instagram — far greater than anything we could imagine on here. Which begs the ultimate question…
Happy Kids Go Back To Childcare Day Eve…
a woman with a netflix logo behind her
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An estimated 410,000 NHS staff will be giving up their Christmas Day to care for patients and their families. Thank you to them all! #ThankYouNHS
TL;DR My daughter got sick and was treated in A&E of the Trust where I work and it was petrifying, life-affirming, humbling and ultimately wonderful. 🧵👇🏻 Last week, our NHS Trust ran its Great Big Thank You Week - a week of food, fun and festivities to show gratitude to the amazing staff.
As sure as day follows night, on the eve of the beginning of all the Christmas parties… …the toddler falls ill 🤒
doc brown from back to the future is holding a cell phone in front of a brick wall with the words precisely on schedule below him
ALT: doc brown from back to the future is holding a cell phone in front of a brick wall with the words precisely on schedule below him
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The tree is up at West Middlesex University Hospital, complete with super festive “switch on” with local school children & Brentford FC mascots 🐝 Extra points for the very festive “switch on button” 🎄 #NHSXmastrees
Who has got the best NHS Christmas tree? Hospital, ward, surgery, clinic - open to everyone. Feels like there should be a national competition… #NHSXmastrees
Pretty sure a comms guy who has been in the NHS for 10mins wasn’t who this free coffee was aimed at — but thank you anyway Starbucks! NHS colleagues — get to a Starbucks today ☕️
The Starbucks NHS festive giveaway is back and bigger than ever! Tomorrow (Thursday 5 December) Starbucks are giving away a free Tall beverage to all NHS workers in stores across the UK. Tag an NHS staff member who you know would benefit from a festive pick-me-up 👇
Me: I could do with a new brand case study for our February course, but none spring to mind from the past few months… Jaguar: Hold my beer
The Guardian@theguardian.com · 2y agoImages of new electric Jaguar car leak out before official Miami unveiling
So #NHScomms folk, what one thing do you wish someone had told you when you started out in the NHS? #askBluesky #NHScommsnewbie
Big surge of #NHScomms followers in the past 24 hours (thanks to @antonytiernan.bsky.social’s Starter Pack 🙌🏻). I’m 15+ years in corp comms but BOX FRESH to NHS comms! Right now it feels like the 1st day of school every day. The small print to following me is that you’re all now my support group.
My socials are overwhelmed with people’s Christmas trees. How are you all so organised!?
I’ve made a starter pack of folk who work in NHS communications and engagement (aka #NHScomms). Please let me know if you’d like to be added (or taken off)! go.bsky.app/6NfZx5Q
My obsession with finding a GIF to accompany every post seems to have crossed platforms from Twitter to Bluesky. Sorry.
a man with a mustache is sitting at a table and says `` i regret nothing , the end . ''
ALT: a man with a mustache is sitting at a table and says `` i regret nothing , the end . ''
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Twitter, X, Bluesky, whatever — it’s still a weird look to repost your own posts
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Wonder how many people use AI to answer those LinkedIn “ask an expert” AI-generated questions, aimed at harvesting content to further feed AI LLMs…
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There is something wholesome about building a (digital) community from scratch again here. It’s a bit quiet to start with but you realise how much noise (even pre-Musk) there was on the other platform. Maybe #Bluesky is my mid-life crisis. Cheaper and less destructive than some alternatives.
Against all better judgment, asked a friend for TV recommendations. She told me Disclaimer* was “some of the best TV” she’s ever watched. Now, how to take this friendship forward — having watched it… #appallingTV #appallingwriting #askBluesky #advice #disclaimer #cateblanchettwhatwereyouthinking
Wrote my “I’ve left Twitter for Bluesky” tweet. Realised I’ve been there 12 years! Goodness knows how many ramblings. But also friends, debates, communities. What a waste. Anyway, onwards 🦋 #twitter #twitterexodus #leavingtwitter #hellobluesky
a poster for the legend of vox machina shows a man standing in front of a burning city
ALT: a poster for the legend of vox machina shows a man standing in front of a burning city
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Everyone with toddlers looking at this weekend’s weather forecast
a man in a suit and tie is smiling in an office .
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I’m not new to comms but very new to #NHScomms so any folks out there who want to connect, say hello 👋🏻
a woman says i 'm new here with a buzzr logo in the background
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