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Before becoming a writer in training at Wordbird I was oblivious to the plethora of promotional material that is imposed on us daily. Companies often make big claims, even if they’re not precisely true. But things have to be so much stricter when it comes to healthcare. It’s common sense really, but something…(Read More)

Zinc the Flobodeegoob

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“Zinc the slide deck, find this SPC on the EMC, and call the PMPCA” are but some of the weird and wonderful phrases I remember hearing in my first few weeks in the world of healthcare copywriting and communications. Starting out can be a little overwhelming New recruits learn quickly that copywriting is a world…(Read More)

At the end of an internship our trainees capture their experience. If you’re applying for an internship with us, read on. Medical report: patient is under observation for 12-week period. When told the good news about the internship, I felt a brief cardiac arrhythmia. I couldn’t help showing symptoms of uncontrollable smiling…(Read More)

Back in October we explored an exciting festival of ideas: New Scientist Live. ExCeL was packed, with over 120 speakers in five immersive zones, covering Humans, Engineering, Earth, Technology and Cosmos. From a Q&A with an astronaut to seeing naked mole rats, there was no shortage of wonder. Here’s what we took…(Read More)

In what ways do you add zest to the world around you? Have you ever thought about what happens when you leave a room? Creating and maintaining a good first and last impression is key to setting the mood. As part of the continuous personal development training at Wordbird the agency attended a half-day…(Read More)

As a science graduate I’d never given much thought to the idea of brands until I came to Wordbird. Following our training on the ‘Biology of Brands’, I couldn’t wait to see how the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising would help me develop my brand understanding. The museum is sorted chronologically. Big…(Read More)

I spent the day sewing together banners at the internationally organised Protest Banner Lending Library workshop hosted by artist Aram Han Sifuentes at the Design Museum. It was incredibly fun and despite it being quite different from what we do at Wordbird, I was still able to take away some wider relevant learnings. Five thing…(Read More)

The digital age has revolutionised sectors such as retail, banking and media. Now healthcare is finally getting the attention it has longed for. And so it should. User-centred design within this sector can make the difference between life or death. London – and much of the UK – are leading the way with a huge…(Read More)

Clinical commissioning groups. You’ll know they sprung to life in 2013 and commission healthcare services, but how much do you really understand how they work in practice? CCGs are complex and constantly evolving so the textbook theory can be very different to reality. With pharma’s UK audience becoming ever more payer focused, it…(Read More)

A review of my favourite stands at The Royal Society 2017 Summer Science exhibition. Teams from all walks of science have translated their work into cool interactive educational spaces at this Royal Society summer event. It’s impressive and it’s free. If you go, find the scientists, get talking to them and make sure…(Read More)

Come summer, degree show season is always in full swing. Around the country, graduating students from art and design schools work tirelessly towards a big finale: the hotly anticipated degree show. Doors open wide to industry, and then public. It’s a taste of innovative work to come and a chance to forecast the creative…(Read More)

One of our ambitious team leaders has just completed a Business Leader course at the IPA. We like the IPA because like us, they are also champions of Continuous Professional Development (CPD). The IPA is widely recognised as the world’s most influential professional body for practitioners in advertising and marketing communications. They set the…(Read More)

At the end of November I went to the PAGB EU Exit seminar. Here’s the top 5 things I learned: EU exit is incredibly complicated for medicines – maintaining medicines supply in the UK is the goal for all. Negotiations must work for all UK trade – the deal may not be what is best for…(Read More)

At Wordbird, we work in our audiences’ shoes. Because knowing what your audience wants makes it easier to write for them. And what better way is there to find out what they want than talking to them? Talking to your audience can give unparalleled insight, as I discovered when I attended my first advisory board…(Read More)

SXSWi (South by Southwest interactive) is a massive film, interactive media and music festival that takes place in Austin every March. There are hundreds of talks about advances in tech, trend predictions and demonstrations. One of the speakers described it as ‘Nerd Cochella’… I’ve wanted to go for ages so was really grateful for…(Read More)

Have you ever read a boring report? Or rather, read the same text again and again, but still not taken it in? How can a boring report ever be a page turner? And how can your healthcare communications always be an utter joy to read? Here are my top tips for readability…(Read More)

Happy birthday to us

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Birthday parties are always fun, but ours was particularly special We celebrated on the gorgeous rooftop garden of the suitably birdily-named Coq d‘Argent at No 1 Poultry. Situated on the original site of the Royal jeweller, Mapin and Webb’s silver foundry, and looking out at the twinkling London skyline, it certainly felt…(Read More)

Recently I went to a business workshop at Bush House in central London as part of an executive education open day. For the previous 80 years the building was home to the BBC World Service – renown for broadcasting across the world in 30 different languages. I was there as a guest of the new…(Read More)