Tara Davies

Last month delivered a flurry of intriguing stories – from ‘too nice’ company cultures to AI adventures, sustainability showdowns, and even a dash of OpenAI drama. Let’s look through this month’s coverage highlights, where tech talks met tales of talent, transparency, and a sprinkle of retail wisdom.

 

Hyperview:

The big debate: should marketers be afraid of greenwashing?

As climate change awareness rises globally, brands are increasingly referencing sustainability in their marketing campaigns. But is this drive truly genuine or is it merely "greenwashing". In Raconteur, Hyperview's CEO Jad Jebara argues that authentic, accountable marketing is a powerful tool organisations can use to combat climate change. When sustainability claims are supported by real business practices and measurable positive impact, marketing builds trust and rallies collective climate action.

SoftwareOne:

Cloud skills shortages are pushing developer teams to breaking point

In a CloudPro article on the growing cloud skills gap crisis, a SoftwareOne survey finds cloud skills shortages have pushed developer teams to a breaking point this past year. With organisations struggling to retain overburdened staff and meet digital goals, SoftwareOne's Craig Thomson asserts closing the cloud skills gap is critical for businesses to "innovate faster while reducing their risk profile."

 

Aptum:

Aptum expanding channel ecosystem

Aptum's newly appointed VP of Partnerships Michael Stephens reveals plans in Microscope to grow the organisation's channel ecosystem. By forming new alliances, he sees opportunities to assist customers with AI and cloud, unlocking major channel growth across the $5 trillion managed services market.

 

Ten10:

Artificial Intelligence A Game of Risk and Reward

Ten10's Chief Academy Officer Ash Gawthorp analysed AI’s risks and rewards in Futures Parity, cautioning the powerful technology poses dangers like malicious attacks. Underscoring oversight’s importance, he champions developer training to optimise AI productivity while mitigating disinformation and bias concerns.

 

CloudSmiths:

The channel reacts to this week’s OpenAI drama

"It's been a whirlwind, hasn't it?" – CloudSmiths' CTO Tom Fowler wryly reflects in CRN about the OpenAI drama of the past month. Yet despite the turbulence, he remains eager to see what founder Sam Altman does next. As Fowler considers OpenAI's one-of-a-kind not-for-profit, for-profit structure, he questions whether alignment spanned across the whole organisation.

 

Monkhouse & Co:

Antidote to a toxic culture is not a nice one

In HR Director, leadership advisor Dominic Monkhouse contends that conflict avoidance can breed mediocre, "too nice" company cultures which lack accountability. Instead, he advocates for "Radical Candor," whereby leaders strike a balance between caring personal relationships and high standards. This means tackling difficult feedback directly, and having the necessary tough conversations to unlock people's full potential.

 

Ivanti Wavelink:

Managing retail returns

With Christmas shopping now at its peak, Ivanti Wavelink's UK&I Territory Manager Marcus Jeffrey outlined return struggles UK retailers face in A1 Retail Magazine. He said arming stores with data and shipment tracking reassures anxious holiday shoppers awaiting refunds. Keeping customers posted on return statuses preserves loyalty, making transparent time estimates crucial so happy buyers come back for more.

 

Alludo:

How financial institutions can combat cyber security threats in today’s day and age

Parallel’s SVP of Product and Program Management Kamal Srinivasan highlighted financial services’ security exposure in Finance Derivative since few have IT infrastructure clarity. With potential breaches and compliance risks, he argues proactive strategies are crucial.

While this month brought exciting headlines for our clients, our clients scored big coverage wins this past October too. Revisit the top fall headlines by reading last month's highlights here.   

For more information detailing how Champion can assist you in securing earned media coverage, please email: letstalk@championcomms.com