Communication Untangled

Why do we find it so hard to talk about death and dying? Our guests from the Good Funeral Guide and Hospice UK’s Compassionate Employers programme share advice on communicating around what can be a hugely difficult subject for so many of us.Isabel Russo and Fran Hall join host Sue Keogh – a communications specialist who is no stranger to bereavement herself – to explain how fear of getting it wrong can be a huge barrier. And about the specific techniques they use to encourage people to speak plainly when talking about death, not than retreat into the comfort of euphemisms.We find out about the Death Café movement. Marketing for sensitive topics. And how they’re actively changing the visual language around funerals – taking them out of the Victorian era and more reflective of the lives we lead today.And halfway through, Lucy Carpenter shares workplace tips to help you find the right words when supporting colleagues through bereavement.Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio. Got a knotty communication challenge you need untangling? Talk to ushttps://www.sookio.com/podcasthttp://sookio.com/contactThe Good Funeral Guide: http://www.goodfuneralguide.co.uk/Hospice UK: Compassionate Employers workplace wellbeing support: https://www.hospiceuk.org/compassionate-employersCommunication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio.Got a knotty communication challenge that needs untangling? We can help, through communications strategy, marketing consultancy and brand storytelling.Start here: sookio.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leading criminal defence barrister Chris Daw KC tells host Sue Keogh how to construct a winning argument – and Conflict Resolution Lady Zodia Hall shares tips on stopping arguments before they even start.With work ranging from the Hillsborough Stadium Disaster trial and inquests, to defending high-profile sportspeople like John Terry and Ryan Giggs, to serious cases of fraud, corruption and a £500m cocaine trafficking ring, Chris Daw KC has an incredible track record in winning over judge and jury.Sue caught up with him as he was relaxing in his garden between cases to find out about his toolkit of persuasive communication techniques.He outlines the clues he looks out for in the jury which help him decide which words and phrases to use. How he seeks out the ‘corridor of uncertainty’ – then goes on the attack! And why Donald Trump, teenagers, and short, snappy political slogans are so effective in winning an argument.We take a short recess in the middle, and move from the court into the workplace. Zodia Hall, the Conflict Resolution Lady, explains how arguments rarely start where you think they start – and how you can use the EAR framework to resolve tension and rebuild trust.Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio. Got a knotty communication challenge you need untangling? Talk to ushttps://www.sookio.com/podcasthttp://sookio.com/contactConnect with Zodia Hall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zodia-hall-the-conflict-resolution-lady-47809a76 Visit Chris Daw KC’s website: https://www.chrisdawkc.com Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio.Got a knotty communication challenge that needs untangling? We can help, through communications strategy, marketing consultancy and brand storytelling.Start here: sookio.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lessons in leadership communication from orchestra conductor Robert Ziegler and business identity expert Majid Islam, with communications specialist and host Sue Keogh.When you’re leading an orchestra, how do you communicate with 80 incredibly talented musicians, all at once – when you’re the one person in the room who can’t make a noise?Conductor Robert Ziegler shares lessons in leadership communication from his incredible career leading orchestras around the world. Not just performing classics from Beethoven, Chopin and Holst, recording the soundtrack to computer game Genshin Impact, the live tour of David Attenborough’s Ocean, and the film score to Lord of the Rings.He’ll talk about the importance of eye contact, how to read the room when you have your back to the audience, and why the best conductors are like the CEO, presenting a compelling vision everyone can get behind.We’ll also hear from Majid Islam, from Alignment Cubed, who explains how you need to adapt your communication style according to the type of organisation you’re leading – is it a Giant Monster, Elite Team, Visionary Ecosystem, or Efficient Machine?Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio. Got a knotty communication challenge you need untangling? Talk to ushttps://www.sookio.com/podcasthttp://sookio.com/contactRobert Ziegler’s website: https://www.robertziegler.co.uk/Alignment Cubed: http://www.alignmentcubed.com/Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio.Got a knotty communication challenge that needs untangling? We can help, through communications strategy, marketing consultancy and brand storytelling.Start here: sookio.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you communicate in high-pressure situations? East Anglian Air Ambulance paramedic Dr Brendan Fletcher explains. And Claire Percy, Head of External Affairs at Dublin Port, tells host Sue Keogh how to build an effective crisis comms plan. Dr Brendan Fletcher is an NHS Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridgeshire, and part of crew for the East Anglian Air Ambulance. They arrive on the scene of road traffic collisions, cardiac arrests and other medical emergencies, offering critical care and airlifting patients in their eye-catching yellow helicopters to hospital, giving them the very best chance of survival.He explains how paramedics use body language to inject a sense of calm in panicky situations, and the communication techniques he uses in different scenarios, from talking to injured children, breaking bad news to loved ones, or dealing with the modern very phenomenon of bystanders getting their phones out and filming at the scene.His 90-second rule is very interesting too – and you’ll soon be applying it in business situations yourself.We take a break in the middle to hear from Claire Percy, Head of External Affairs at Dublin Port, a critical site of Ireland’s national infrastructure with 1.8million passengers and 165bn Euros worth of trade passing through each year. She tells us how to build a crisis communications plan so your organisation keeps control of the narrative if something goes wrong. Which…let’s be honest, it always will!Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio. Got a knotty communication challenge you need untangling? Talk to ushttps://www.sookio.com/podcasthttp://sookio.com/contactPlease donate to the East Anglian Air Ambulance and support their incredible work: https://www.eaaa.org.ukConnect with Claire Percy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairepercyVisit the Dublin Port website: https://www.dublinport.ieCommunication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio.Got a knotty communication challenge that needs untangling? We can help, through communications strategy, marketing consultancy and brand storytelling.Start here: sookio.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Toby Freeman, Founder of The Robin Cancer Trust – and a man who runs marathons dressed as a 7ft high pair of testicles – joins communications specialist Sue Keogh to explain how the charity uses humour brilliantly to break the stigma and enable honest conversations about cancer.He outlines why it’s so important to make yourself the butt of the joke – not the people with the condition – and how charities can convert these moments of laughter into actual donations. He’s also got some great advice if you’re a business who wants to use humour in your marketing – but are holding back for fear of getting cancelled.We’re also joined by standup-comic-turned public speaking coach Jon Torrens, who’s got some very practical tips in using humour to win over your audience.Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio. Got a knotty communication challenge you need untangling? Talk to us.About Toby FreemanToby Freeman is Founder & CEO of Robin Cancer Trust, the UK's only dedicated testicular, ovarian, and germ-cell cancer charity.He founded the charity in 2012 after losing his brother, Robin, to late-stage testicular cancer when he was just 24. Toby’s personal mission was simple: to prevent another family from going through what mine did.A men's health advocate and podcast host, he uses honesty, humour and purpose-led leadership to break stigma and create impact. These bold campaigns turn taboo topics into normal conversations – like his Big Ballsy Challenge, which saw him run the London Marathon in 2026 dressed as a 7ft high pair of testicles to attempt a Guinness World Record for “fastest man dressed as a body part” and raise vital funds to support every man diagnosed with testicular cancer in the UK.---Donate to The Robin Cancer TrustDiscover Toby’s Big Ballsy ChallengeVisit Jon Torrens’ websiteCommunication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio.Got a knotty communication challenge that needs untangling? We can help, through communications strategy, marketing consultancy and brand storytelling.Start here: sookio.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do you get when you cross a basketball coach, orchestra conductor and two funeral directors with a doctor, criminal defence barrister and a man dressed as a giant pair of testicles?Series 3 of Communication Untangled! The podcast which explores the tiny facets of communication which shape our behaviour – but often go unnoticed.And it’s all hosted by me, Sue Keogh. Founder of Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and behavioural science enthusiast.In my 3-decade career in comms, working for the BBC, ITV, GOV.UK and with clients like the NHS and the University of Cambridge, I’ve always been fascinated by those little elements of communication which influence us in a big way.And for this series, we’re shifting the focus to different communication environments and untangling the techniques you can use within them. In each episode I’ll be joined by a guest who’s a brilliant practitioner in their field, with a short blast of tips in the middle from a specialist….sharing secrets you can steal to help convey ideas more powerfully in your own marketing, business or brand. Click subscribe to make sure you don’t miss an episode.Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio. Got a knotty communication challenge you need untangling? Talk to usCommunication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio.Got a knotty communication challenge that needs untangling? We can help, through communications strategy, marketing consultancy and brand storytelling.Start here: sookio.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sound designer Sian Harris (Star Wars, LEGO, Need for Speed) from Fuse Games explains how audio in games has a huge impact on our emotional response as we play. We talk elephants, toucans, and why she’ll never replace humans with robots. Plus, remember the classic Nokia ringtone? It was heard nearly 2 billion times a day at its peak – but now we keep our phones on mute. Whether you're accelerating at speed in Grand Theft Auto, collecting coins in Super Mario, or you've just caught a fish in Animal Crossing with a satisfying splosh, the way the sound is designed in gaming has a huge impact on our emotional response as we play. It helps you become immersed in whole new worlds, and alerts you to points won – and lives lost. Someone who knows all about games audio and the techniques used to heighten our emotions is Sian Harris, Lead Sound Designer at Fuse Games. She's worked on numerous titles in the Star Wars and LEGO franchises, along with racing game Need for Speed and Sea of Solitude, set in a flooded city with big monsters making scary noises! She tells host Sue Keogh about all the subtle ways she uses sound to get people really tuned into the game...and how she strikes a balance between using AI technology and keeping it old school.  Speaking of which! We’ll also remember the famous Nokia ringtone, a total classic from the early days of mobile phones which at its peak was heard nearly two billion times a day.Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio. Got a knotty communication challenge you need untangling? Talk to us About Sian Harris Sian Harris is an award-winning Lead Sound Designer currently working at Fuse Games. With over a decade of experience in sound design, audio direction, leadership and mentoring. Sian has played a pivotal role in shaping the soundscapes of some of the most innovative games in the industry such as the Need for Speed, Battlefield and Star Wars franchises. Take a look at her reel to see some of her work:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3MXt35X2Ts&t=2s&ab_channel=SianAudio Useful links Connect with Sian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sian-harris-b4a13644/ Subscribe to her YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SianAudio-pq6tg Fuse Games: https://fusegames.com/ --- Sookio podcast page: https://www.sookio.com/podcast Produced by Rob Birnie at Made By DBM: https://madebydbm.com Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio.Got a knotty communication challenge that needs untangling? We can help, through communications strategy, marketing consultancy and brand storytelling.Start here: sookio.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chef and food writer Noor Murad joins Sue Keogh to Untangle Recipes. Part of Yottam Ottolenghi’s Test Kitchen team, she’s cooked trackside at Formula 1 and trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York.  She explains how you how you test and proofread recipes, the difference in writing recipes in Arabic and English, and questions whether social media put us under too much pressure to make our food look glamorous.  We also look at a different kind of recipe – the formulations for beauty products – and the challenge for iconic brands like Chanel in not giving away trade secrets.  Sue Keogh: One of my early copywriting gigs when I first went freelance was to get hundreds of recipes from print – onto a new online portal. It had literally never occurred to me before that point, that there was a consistent structure in the way that recipes were written.  You list the ingredients in order of use, putting the most important ones first…and any the salt and pepper and other seasoning goes at the end. It suddenly seemed so obvious! But I’d just never noticed. And the way a recipe is written affects how well we cook it too. So in this episode we’re going to untangle recipes and find out how it’s done. I’m joined by Noor Murad, who is part of Yottam Ottolenghi’s Test Kitchen team. Her recipe books include Shelf Love and Lugma – an ode to the food she grew up eating during her childhood in Bahrain. She’s cooked trackside at Formula 1, and trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. She now lives in London, and invited me over to the very kitchen where she develops her delicious Middle Eastern recipes.  She tells me how you test and proofread recipes, how social media puts us under too much pressure to make our food look glamorous, and the challenges of translating clotted cream into different languages.  We’ll also think about a different kind of recipe – the formulations for beauty products – and the challenge for iconic brands like Chanel who have to list the ingredients by law – but not give away their trade secrets.  Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio. Got a knotty communication challenge you need untangling? Talk to usAbout Noor Murad  Bahrain-born, London-based and New York trained, Noor Murad joined the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen in 2018, where she worked as a recipe developer for Falastin and Flavor as well as Ottolenghi's New York Times and Guardian columns.  She became the head of the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen, and wrote the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen books: Shelf Love and Extra Good Things.  Her own recipes have featured in the New York Times and she has cooked on BBC's Saturday Kitchen. Her Middle Eastern roots have a strong influence on her cooking, with Arabic, Indian, and Persian flavours making a prominent appearance in her recipes. Useful links Follow Noor on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noorishbynoor  Buy Noor’s book Lugma (which means ‘a bite’ in Arabic, yum!  https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/466601/lugma-by-murad-noor/9781837832019Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio.Got a knotty communication challenge that needs untangling? We can help, through communications strategy, marketing consultancy and brand storytelling.Start here: sookio.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A ticket is way more than just a slip of paper that gets you into the gig, show, or football match. But with the move to QR codes, barcodes and digitisation, do they still feel special? In Untangling Tickets, designer Jules Akel draws on his extensive experience in designing beautiful tickets for Lord’s cricket and Wimbledon which helped build a sense of anticipation ahead of the day. Along the way we talk forgeries, buried treasure, and the power of wit in helping brands connect with the audience.  And how does Disney take tickets to a whole other level, with their wearable technology – the MagicBand? A ticket is more than just a slip of paper. It’s something you gaze at longingly as you look forward to the event, and hold onto afterwards as a keepsake. It’s as much about anticipation – as the basics of gaining entry on the day. In this episode we’re going to Untangle Tickets, with designer Jules Akel.  For 25 years he created beautiful tickets for Marylebone Cricket Club at Lords. And he has designed an abundance of materials for Wimbledon, Ascot, whiskey distilleries and music festivals. Of course, nowadays – we just flash a QR code or barcode stored on our phone, but as Jules explains, we can still design tickets so they feel special. Giving us a sense of joy and fun about the whole experience.  Along the way we talk forgeries, buried treasure, and the power of wit in helping brands connect with the audience.  We also break off to look at how Disney take tickets to a whole other level, with their wearable technology – the MagicBand. Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio. Got a knotty communication challenge you need untangling? Talk to usAbout Jules Akel  Jules is a graduate of Preston Poly where he was taught about the primacy of the idea over decoration. Of course the art is important, but in the service of communication. He has enjoyed creating all manner of designs to help companies large and small to prosper. These companies have included Marylebone Cricket Club, Wimbledon Tennis Championships, Greenpeace, L’Oreal, Dalwhinnie Distillery, Marlborough College, Wellington College, Skibo Castle and others. Useful links Connect with Jules Akel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jules-akel-33028a13  Explore his design work https://www.akel.co.uk Buy his book, Cricket Tickets. It’s available from Christopher Saunders the publisher. https://www.cricket-books.com/search_results.php?typeofitem=&author=akel&title=&search=&anyallexact=all&submit=search&pricemin=&pricemax=&sortorder=creationdate&maxrows=30&advancedsearch=advancedsearch And thank you to Christian Wolmar for kindly allowing us to use your front room to record! Listen to his podcast Calling All Stations: https://cogitamus.co.uk/calling-all-stations---Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio.Got a knotty communication challenge that needs untangling? We can help, through communications strategy, marketing consultancy and brand storytelling.Start here: sookio.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Democracy is a design problem.” Whitney Quesenbery, Co-Founder of the Center for Civic Design in Washington, talks voting slips and the many factors that influence how we behave in the polling booth.  We’ll talk hanging chads. Dogs in polling station! And we pop on a posh frock and prepare a tearful speech to take a look at the Oscars and how the Academy votes for the most sought-after awards in entertainment. You’re in the polling booth. Just you, the ballot paper and a pencil on a string. You’re hovering over the names as you decide where to put your cross.  Can the design of this tiny slip of paper affect how you vote? Can you make sense of the information? Do you just go for the candidate at the top of the list? In this episode we’re going to explore a small-but-important part of democracy; the voting slip. Our guest is someone who cares deeply about the design of ballots. Whitney Quesenbery is the Co-Founder and Director of the Center for Civic Design in Washington. She advises government organisations, non-profits and tech companies on best practice in election design. Their core principle is: ‘Democracy is a design problem’. Elections should work for everyone, and as she explains, design is a tool for building a better democracy where more people can take part.  We’ll talk hanging chads. Dogs in polling stations! We’ll also look at the Oscars and how members of the Academy vote for the most sought-after awards in entertainment. Useful links Connect with Whitney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitneyq  Explore the Center for Civic Design: https://civicdesign.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-for-civic-design  They have extensive resources that support good election design. --- Sookio podcast page: https://www.sookio.com/podcast Produced by Rob Birnie at Made By DBM: https://madebydbm.com Links recorded at Cranes Nest podcast studio in Cambridge: https://www.thecranenest.co.uk/  Communication Untangled is a podcast from Cambridge communications consultancy Sookio.Got a knotty communication challenge that needs untangling? We can help, through communications strategy, marketing consultancy and brand storytelling.Start here: sookio.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.