We are proud to announce the launch of Reputation Masterclass 2025.

This new conference, scheduled for 16 January 2025 at Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre, is the first aimed at communications and marketing professionals in the defence and security industry. The masterclass will tackle the most pressing reputation challenges in the defence communications field.

Navigating misinformation and geopolitics

Reputation, ethics, and social responsibility

Public affairs in a shifting political landscape

Digital security and rebranding strategies

Confirmed speakers include Jerome Starkey (Defence Editor, The Sun), Philip Ingram (regular Sky News security commentator), and Rachael Clamp (Chartered Institute of Public Relations President and CEO of Ardesey).

This non-commercial event will donate all proceeds to SSAFA and Heropreneurs, benefiting military charities that support those who have served in the armed forces.

Canny has designed this event to provide practical strategies, foster professional growth, and build stronger networks within the defence communications community.

Lindsay Compton, CEO of Canny said: "Reputation Masterclass 2025 is a culmination of our years of experience in the sector.

"We wanted to create a supportive event for marketing and comms pros to come together, share knowledge, and tackle the sector’s big reputational challenges head-on. It's about supporting the growth of individuals while using the proceeds to give back to those who have served in the armed forces. We're excited to see the impact this event will have and the conversations it will spark. 

"If it goes well, we’ll aim to run it annually."

To see the full agenda, speaker list and secure a space visit: www.canny-comms.co.uk/masterclass

Reputation Masterclass 2025

We're proud to announce the launch of Reputation Masterclass 2025.  This new conference is the first aimed at communications and marketing professionals in the defence and security industry. 

First conference for communications and marketing professionals working in defence and security

Experience in communications and marketing (level dependent on role)

Growth mindset and natural curiosity about technology and defence

Interest in emerging technology, geopolitics, and military affairs

Proficiency in social media, marketing, and CRM tools

Willingness to undergo UK MOD security vetting

CIPR qualification (or willingness to obtain one)

Hybrid working with one day a week at Porton Science Park (SP4 0DQ)

Work alongside creative professionals and technical specialists

Purpose-driven projects in defence and security

Supportive environment for veterans, reservists, and military spouses

Send your CV and a note explaining why you'd like to join Canny to helena@canny-comms.co.uk. 

We review applications year-round and will contact you when suitable positions arise.

We actively encourage applications from veterans, reservists, and military spouses.

We're always looking for talented individuals at all levels to join our growing team. Whether you're early in your career or an experienced professional, if you're passionate about defence communications, we want to hear from you.

Join our team

We’re witnessing the profound impact that 3D animation is having on communicating emerging technologies in a military context. Lindsay Compton, founder of Canny and communications expert, shares the teams’ experience in deploying 3D design to help you consider if you need it in your communications and marketing toolkit. 

You are all well-versed in the speed at which tech is developing and how rapidly the threat environment is changing. Keeping pace and even getting ahead of the curve is, therefore, crucial. However, introducing emerging technologies to our military and defence stakeholders using just the technical specifications can leave the audience unsure as to what to do or how to consider its impact on future operations. 

The unique challenges of communicating complex defence technologies to military audiences are very familiar to us. We are, therefore, constantly looking for ways to be more effective, and this is where 3D animation is proving to be a game-changer. 

By leveraging the beauty and realism of 3D animation, we can bring emerging technologies to life in ways that traditional communication methods cannot match. Whether it is putting the capabilities of next-generation AI into a realistic environment or visualising the operational advantage of new sensing systems, 3D animation allows us to create dynamic and engaging content that resonates with end-users and decision-makers alike. 

Why is it working so well? Because it allows us to portray how the technology will make a difference. By translating intricate technical concepts into visually compelling narratives, we can ensure the audience understands the importance and implications of emerging technologies on their environment. This not only facilitates informed decision-making but also fosters enthusiasm and buy-in among stakeholders. 

However, achieving realism in animations goes beyond just visual fidelity – it requires meticulous attention to detail and accuracy. Every aspect of the operational environment, from terrain features to enemy tactics, must be faithfully recreated to ensure a truly immersive experience. By getting the operational environment right and concentrating on highly realistic design, your audience can suspend their disbelief to learn how your technology will change what they do. We’ve found that at the end of the video or virtual/augmented reality experience, the questions from the customer are more focused. The military audience can also share their insights into more applications it could be used in, driving the next phase of improvements in the technology. 

If you have technology that is difficult to explain, a 3D animation set in your target audience’s context could not only get you more stakeholder support but also facilitate your stakeholders in providing you with further insight into how they could use your technology and how they would like to see it evolve. By harnessing the power of storytelling and immersive experiences, you can effectively communicate the importance and impact of emerging technologies to military audiences. 

Interested in exploring how this could work for you? Book a call with me now: https://calendly.com/canny-compton/30min  

Leveraging 3D animation to build support for emerging defence technologies

Explore the fascinating fusion of military and commercial technology, the emphasis on human solutions, and the critical significance of the 'near-ground' battlespace. James Peddell, chief technology consultant for Canny Comms, delves into these key themes, offering valuable insights and lessons applicable to militaries worldwide. Discover how Ukraine's adaptive posture and relentless drive for innovation are reshaping modern warfare strategies.

 The Russian invasion of Ukraine has laid bare the advantages and limitations of hybrid warfare, with global news outlets following the stories of fake news and influence operations, through to control of oil supplies and threats of nuclear warfare. Behind the headlines, the closely fought ground battle is starting to expose the real innovation. After short-term successes, the Russian conventional forces have been matched by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), supported by Western equipment. However, it is the AFU’s agile and innovative approach that has delivered the edge. 

From artificial intelligence (AI) and 3D printing to unmanned platforms and commercial space, James Peddell, chief technology consultant for Canny Comms and founder of technology consultancy Black Jellyfish, identifies three key themes that militaries the world over can learn from Ukraine’s refreshing approach. 

A fusion of military and commercial technology  

The AFU has been remarkably effective at accessing and deploying both civilian and military technology in tandem. It has done this by using a global constellation of commercial ‘off-the-shelf’ and foreign military technology, each part modified and integrated to bypass the demands of a lengthy bespoke military programme. Many will have seen the example of SpaceX’s Starlink, which has been integrated into AFU communications and was able to rapidly overcome Russian attempts at jamming. Similarly, geospatial imagery from commercial satellite services is being combined with Western intelligence to provide a unique battlespace picture. Even controversial AI facial recognition is being repurposed using social media to identify Russian casualties of war and inform their families. The opportunities and benefits from leveraging both commercial and miliary advancements seem almost limitless. 

Yet, perhaps more important is the agility with which commercial and military technology can be put to use. The AFU is achieving this by creating specialist military and civilian teams, using the best talent it has available, to rapidly assess and implement technology at scale. These teams have developed tactics that combine commercial drones (Chinese DJI), to detect and identify targets, with military drones (Turkish Bayraktar TB2 and the US Switchblade) to deliver weapons. Intelligence teams have worked with Primer AI, rapidly repurposing its technology to transcribe and translate unencrypted Russian communications, automatically highlighting key intelligence and massively reducing costs in terms of both money and labour. In Ukraine, an adaptive posture and an open-minded attitude to solutions are proving an effective adversary.  

 The critical tactical importance of the ‘near-ground’ battlespace has been exemplified in the Ukraine conflict. This space is dominated by UAS, counter UAS and EW. Indeed, the sheer array and quantity of technology deployed in this battlespace is indicative of its importance. Drones are being used across all military roles, from surveillance, EW and communications through to logistics resupply, loitering munitions and weapon delivery. New capabilities are even being developed in the field, specifically for the near-ground battlespace. Obsolete anti-tank grenades are being fitted with 3D-printed tailfins to allow them to be air-dropped from drones, highlighting again the resourceful posture that has been so important. What smaller conflicts, like Nagorno- Karabakh, have hinted at has been proved beyond all doubt by Ukraine: whomever controls the near-ground battlespace can dominate the battlefield.   The Ukraine conflict has repeatedly shown the importance of an adaptive posture and an unsentimental preparedness to innovate wherever possible. Militaries from across the world should learn these lessons and seek to apply them to their own modernisation efforts. In the UK, there are significant strides being made that align with these lessons. The Future Commando Force (FCF) is transforming the Royal Marines into an ‘autonomous advance force’, including the creation of agile rapid response teams. Similarly, the Army’s programme on human machine teaming aims to leverage both commercial and military technologies, with a focus on the near-ground battlespace. However, I suspect that the hard-learned lessons of the AFU can be put to great use more widely, across the whole UK military.  

James Peddell has an outstanding track record of leadership at the forefront of global innovation and technology for defence. His previous roles include Head of Sensor Systems for the Defence Science & Technology Laboratory, Research Director for the Royal Navy’s £60M S&T programme, Defence Technology Attaché at the British Embassy in Washington and Head of Defence Innovation at Roke Manor Research. Through Black Jellyfish Ltd and a partnership with Canny Comms, James engages with government and industry to provide expert advice, develop partnerships and accelerate innovation in defence. 

What can the world learn from Ukraine's agile and innovative approach?

Warfare: the mother of all innovation

Following a recent site visit by Canny's Helena and Rory, our team witnessed first-hand the development of Fering's ground breaking all-terrain electric utility vehicle. With an unprecedented 8,000-mile range, this revolutionary vehicle has the potential to transform logistics operations worldwide.

Canny will lead Fering's comprehensive marketing strategy, delivering end-to-end services including messaging development, website creation, public relations, and CGI production for the vehicle's launch at IDEX in February 2025. 

This partnership marks another exciting step in Canny's commitment to supporting innovative technology companies that are driving sustainable transportation solutions.

We are thrilled to announce our newest client partnership with Fering, the innovative electric vehicle manufacturer developing next-generation utility vehicles at its Battersea facility. 

NEW CLIENT: Fering

Following successful delivery of DPRTE's communications strategy and planning phase, Canny has now been appointed to implement the full communications and PR program for DPRTE 2025. This expanded scope will support the event's evolution into a two-day format, marking a significant development for the UK's leading defence procurement event.

The extended format will offer participants enhanced networking opportunities and deeper engagement with the latest developments in defence procurement and technology. Building on DPRTE's established success in connecting buyers and suppliers across the defence procurement and supply chain community, our team is now actively implementing fresh approaches across their communication channels, including a revitalized LinkedIn presence.

"Winning both the strategy and delivery contracts demonstrates the strength of our creative approach and deep understanding of the defence sector," said Lindsay Compton, CEO at Canny.

"We're excited to help showcase this premier event and the opportunities it presents for the defence community."

Keep up with the latest DPRTE developments by following their LinkedIn page, where you'll see Canny-created content bringing fresh perspectives to the defence procurement conversation.

DPRTE 2025 will take place between 26 - 27 March 2025 at Farnborough International. For more information about the event and registration details, visit https://www.dprte.co.uk/

We are delighted to announce the expansion of our partnership with DPRTE, having secured both strategic planning and implementation contracts for its landmark two-day 2025 event.

NEW CLIENT: Partnership with DPRTE 2025

Andrea joins us from WorldRemit, where she served as EMEA PR Manager, orchestrating comprehensive PR and marketing strategies across multiple markets. Her impressive career spans roles at prestigious agencies including Edelman and Smithfield, complemented by in-house positions at major payment and fintech organisations.

Her expertise encompasses strategic communications, social media campaigns, crisis management, executive profiling, and content creation. As PR and Marketing Manager, Andrea will lead client campaigns and communications objectives, bringing her wealth of experience to our growing client base.

Andrea takes the reins from Helen Massey, our interim account manager, who provided invaluable support during a critical growth period. We extend our warmest thanks to Helen for her dedicated service and wish her every success in her new employee welfare role at Pinnacle.

We're delighted to announce Andrea as a new PR and marketing manager, bringing extensive communications expertise from leading agencies and global fintech companies.

Canny welcomes new manager

Sophie joins us from Inzpire, where she excelled at translating complex technical concepts into engaging visual communications whilst adhering to strict security protocols. Her experience in the defence sector, combined with her ability to work within precise brand guidelines, makes her an ideal addition to our team.

With a diverse background spanning marketing agencies, in-house design studios and freelance work, Sophie brings proven expertise in creating thoughtful, targeted designs that resonate with specific audiences. Her experience ranges from supporting established brands to helping start-ups develop their visual identity.

Sophie's appointment strengthens our ability to deliver compelling visual communications for our defence and security clients.

We're delighted to welcome Sophie Croft to the Canny team as our new graphic designer, bringing over a decade of creative expertise to our defence and security communications work.

We welcome a new graphic designer

Canny Comms has welcomed Helena Holden to the team in the role of Marketing and Communications Delivery Lead. She brings with her a wealth of experience from her previous role as Campaign Manager in the Army Communications Branch. 

With a background in innovation and a focus on communicating the importance of Army modernisation, Helena is well-versed in strategy development and the planning of marketing communications products. Her expertise in the industry promises to elevate the team's capabilities, with a particular knack for building processes that ensure the timely delivery of products. 

Helena's deep understanding of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and industry partners was honed through her involvement in events like the Army Warfighting Experiment, DSEI, and Defence Cyber Marvel. This experience enables her to grasp the technical nuances of emerging capabilities effortlessly. 

Her contributions to the field have not gone unnoticed. In 2022, Helena was awarded the prestigious title of 'Army Communicator of the Year' and received a commendation for her exceptional work leading the Innovation Campaign from the Deputy Chief of the General Staff. 

Helena's journey began as an officer in the Royal Artillery, where she served as a Command Post Officer during the Iraq war, controlling the fire of a Battery of AS90 guns. This firsthand experience as an end-user provided her with valuable insights into how technology can significantly enhance the lives of soldiers. Over the past five years, she has focused on communicating the benefits of modernisation, spearheading successful communications campaigns around events such as Project Convergence, Army EXPO, and on platforms like Archer, Appache Helicopter (AH64E), and Ajax Armoured Fighting Vehicle. 

Helena’s arrival at Canny Comms marks the continuous growth of the company and the future certainly looks exciting. 

We're so pleased to welcome Helena Holden to the team as our Marketing and Communications Delivery Lead.

Kicking off the new year with a new team member

Canny secured the coveted gold award for 'Best Use of Media Relations' at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations PRide awards. This remarkable accomplishment reflects the outstanding dedication and unwavering commitment of our talented team. 

This award was due to the long-standing work we have done with Sibylline, a global risk consultancy company. Through our efforts, Sibylline has enjoyed widespread international media coverage and has been able to share their expertise on current global events. This award also recognises the team’s hard work in preparing for and carrying out the media engagement we have facilitated.  

This award signifies not just a moment of triumph, but a promise to continue delivering exceptional media relations strategies and solutions. Canny remains committed to providing the highest level of service and innovation to our clients, and we look forward to further opportunities to create lasting impact. 

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and, most importantly, to Sibylline Ltd., for their continuous support and trust. Together, we've demonstrated that when excellence meets collaboration, gold becomes the standard. 

Stay tuned for more exciting journeys and accomplishments from Canny!  

We're proud to share that we won 'Best Use of Media Relations' at the CIPR PRide awards.

Canny wins gold!

Our entry, 'a media service: unbiased geopolitical analysis' and was focused on our PR work with our long-standing client Sibylline.

They are an excellent case study of how a concerted, targeted media strategy can result in enhanced media coverage. From comparatively humble beginnings, Sibylline has established itself as one of the leading independent risk analysis firms. They now count many firms in the FTSE 250 and Fortune 500 as their clients, and their growth shows no sign of slowing down.

In 2019, Canny was enlisted to help Sibylline showcase its expertise to the world through PR. Given Canny’s specialism in defence and security, knowledge of the threat environment and the news agenda, we used our well-established relationships with national and international correspondents in the industry to build credible examples of commentary. This, combined with us setting up the systems to provide an expert commentary service for breaking geopolitical news, we quickly gained traction with the wider media.

Sibylline’s geopolitical analysis is now a regular fixture in the UK, and international press. Their CEO, Justin Crump can be routinely seen on BBC News, Sky News, Deutsche Welle and Radio Four's Today program, among many others. It’s not just their CEO either, the sage insights of their regional analysts can frequently be found in such publications such as The Sunday Times, Wired and Barron’s.

We now look forward to the awards ceremony in October and keep our fingers crossed for a win!

Justin Crump, CEO of Sibylline presenting a news bulletin on Sky News

Canny has been shortlisted for the Chartered Insitute of Public Relations 2023 Pride Awards in the category of Best Use of Media Relations.

Defence PR: Canny is shortlisted for a 2023 Pride Award

Olivia comes straight from the University of Nottingham, where she has just earned a first-class MA in international security and terrorism as well as a BA in politics and international relations.  This gives her a solid theoretical understanding of international security issues and an appreciation for the complex geopolitical challenges that our clients often face.

Olivia's master's thesis examined the challenges faced by the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament in Britain and explored whether the committee could operate effectively in the coming years. In the course of preparing her dissertation, she had the privilege of working with former members of the committee, gaining valuable experience in handling sensitive data. 

Olivia has always enjoyed a high level of sport, having spent ten years as an elite gymnast and, most recently, winning the national championships with her university's cheerleading team. Through cheerleading, she found a love for communication while managing social channels as the team’s publicity secretary.

Olivia lept at the chance to work for Canny as she'll be able to craft a career that combines her long-standing political interests with her emerging skills in communications. Within the first week of joining us, Olivia started a foundation award in public relations with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and immediately added value to our varied and interesting client work. 

We are happy to share that Olivia Berringer has joined the Canny team as an account executive.

International security and terrorism graduate joins the team

Wiltshire and Hereford-based communications consultancy, Canny Comms Ltd (Canny) is launching a new digital twinning service in conjunction with Monmouth-based Motion Real Estate Media.

This service was unveiled at the Three Counties Defence and Security Expo taking place at Three Counties Showground in Malvern on Thursday 3rd November. Three Counties is an opportunity for companies within Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire to come together to research and build opportunities within the defence and security industry. It was the obvious event at which to announce this regional partnership.

Motion RE Media specialise in 3D virtual reality, digital twinning and drone technologies. With an already impressive track record in property, aviation and consumer product industries and having worked with the likes of Audi on the launch of the RS5 and bootmakers Fairfax and Favour on a virtual shopping experience. 

By partnering with Canny, a communications and marketing agency which specialises in defence and security, the joint-team will deliver new ways to market and explain complex technology and products which will go on to protect national security. 

The first project the team undertook was to capture a digital twin of the Royal International Air Tattoo chalet line and showground within an interactive map. 

Lindsay Compton, CEO of Canny Comms said, “Often, the challenge with technology adoption is getting people to understand the potential of it and how to trust it. We aim to use our skills in communication and marketing to get great technology into front line hands more quickly. 3D virtual reality is another way of bringing technology to life; ensuring it gets the backing it deserves, whether that’s from an investor or the end user and everyone else in between. Even better that we’ve found the perfect partner just a whisker over the Herefordshire border.”

Harry Ravenhill, Director and co-founder of Motion RE Media said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with another company on our doorstep. To launch our new service at the Three Counties Showground is particularly poignant not just because of our locality, but also because our services were founded in giving farmers, property and landowners a digital view of their buildings and land. A service born in agriculture is now at an agricultural showground to launch into another industry for which the region is so well known.”

“Defence and security is a natural step for us. Where you need to take complex products and emerging technologies to market, you have to work harder to bring concepts to life and capture your audience’s attention. We are seeing more and more companies turning to drone mapping, 360-degree filming and 3D VR technologies to help them do this, now it’s time for defence and security campaigns to do the same. 

Canny partners with a Monmouth-based company to bring digital twinning and 360 imagery to defence and security organisations.

Canny Comms unveils its digital twinning services at the Three Counties Defence and Security Expo

Jonny has over a decade of experience, beginning his career with AirTanker at RAF Brize Norton, where he first worked with Canny’s CEO, before moving to the Royal International Air Tattoo to build its social following across five shows from 2016 to 2020. More recently, Jonny has been writing for and leading the marketing activities for general aviation publication FLYER. He now joins the Canny team on a freelance basis, bringing his creative flare and love for technology to specialist projects.

As well as being an expert content creator and comms pro, Jonny is also nuts about aircraft, a qualified pilot, a brilliant photographer and videographer, and a dab hand at graphic design. We are lucky to have him as part of the team.

Below is a selection of Jonny’s photographs, so you can judge his talent for yourself!

Canny welcomes Jonny Salmon, an expert in aviation and defence, to the team.

We welcome a new comms expert to the team

A team of academics, experts, or professionals in a specific field often develops their own communication style, filled with jargon that expedites dialogue within their bubble. However, when engaging outside of their expertise, understanding and conveying complex concepts becomes a challenge. That's where our multidisciplinary team excels. With our unique blend of communication, technical, and industry expertise, we bridge the gap by quickly grasping the intellectual and technical issues. From advanced computing to biotechnology, we ensure that engineers, scientists, and others are better understood through accessible language and compelling visuals. Collaborate, scale, innovate - let us help you communicate effectively.

A team of academics, experts or professionals in a specific field will often develop their own bespoke communication style. Between them, there is a collective understanding of complicated concepts which can often show itself as a shorthand form of speech, where a certain level of knowledge is implied. What might seem like alienating jargon is actually there to expedite dialogue.  

But that jargon, as it becomes the new normal, becomes a problem when that team needs to engage outside of their own bubble. This could be for reasons of collaboration, with experts in different fields, or for commercial reasons, with financial investors who want to know whether scalability, efficiency or innovation are possible. Often, with emerging technologies, this engagement is fundamental to the inception of the product or service. 

The difficult but not insurmountable communication challenge is to understand the intellectual and technical issues in order to frame everything within messages using more accessible language. This is where we are most at home, fitting neatly into a technical team, able to quickly understand the complex scientific, technical and industry details, before transforming that information into words and images that make sense to those outside of the bubble. 

We are able to do this because of our unique multidisciplinary team which combines communications experts with technical and industry experts.  Whether it’s advanced computing, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, autonomy, robotics, directed energy, hypersonics or biotechnology, we will understand what you do quickly so we can get on with making sure others get it too.  

A team of academics, experts, or professionals in a specific field often develops their own communication style, filled with jargon that expedites dialogue within their bubble.

Helping engineers and scientists to be better understood

Canny is a communications consultancy which specialises in defence, based in Wiltshire and Herefordshire.  The Canny team will be supporting 3CDSE’s communications across social media, the website and press media, as well as videoing the event itself and supporting our exhibitors in their marketing and communications.   

Canny is well versed in our industry with a unique multidisciplinary team which mixes communications professionals with technology and industry specialists, all of whom are experts in commercialising technology & innovation. 

Anna Roby-Welford, CEO of 3CDSE said, “We are delighted to have Canny Comms on board as our communications partner. Their understanding of Ministry of Defence, our industry and most importantly the people that we need to engage with will benefit all stakeholders. We have lots of exciting aspects to 3CDSE 2022, and are delighted to welcome some fantastic new and returning sponsors and exhibitors, so do watch this space for more news!” 

We would encourage all of our partners and exhibitors, as well as the media to get in touch with Canny to make the most of Canny’s experience and the event itself. 

Ahead of the highly anticipated return of 3CDSE on 2–3 November 2022, 3CDSE is pleased to announce that Canny Comms has been appointed as our official public relations and communications partner for the event.

Canny Comms announced as official public relations and communications partner for 3CDSE 2022

We are very privileged to work with such a client in Sibylline Ltd. Below is a snapshot of some of the expert comments they have provided in the run-up to, and since, the invasion of Ukraine:

The i newspaper: "For tanks to be truly effective against Russia, Ukraine needs a large and comparatively common fleet, which it will be able to secure with the Leopard 2," said Mr Crump, a military veteran and reservist and founder and chief executive of intelligence risk firm Sibylline.

BBC Newsnight: Watch Alexander Lord, Senior Eurasia Analyst, as he joined BBC Newsnight to discuss Russia’s deadly mercenary force known as the Wagner Group. What the full stream: https://lnkd.in/eu4wEJ-X. Alex’s segment starts: 19:00

BBC Radio 4 World Tonight: Listen to Justin Crump, Sibylline Ltd CEO, as he joins the World Tonight program to discuss Russia’s procurement and use of inexpensive drones from Iran in the battlefields of Ukraine. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/e-tayBZ6. Justin Crump’s segment: 09:50

The Times Red Box: It's time to prepare for the worst in Ukraine... Let's hope they remain mired long enough for us to learn and not lapse into old habits. Justin Crump is chief executive of Sibylline...

The Times: CEO, veteran and intelligence expert, Justin Crump speaking to Larisa Brown said "the resistance was stiffer than expected, with Ukrainians fighting “tooth and nail” in places and denying the Russians the use of bridges and railways." https://lnkd.in/g2mQwm-r

BBC Radio 4: Justin talking about the "dichotomy as to how Russia is doing". Listen from 55:33 https://lnkd.in/d5dM5ZUz

Business Insider, for Phil Rosen: "The central bank needs access to foreign exchange reserves to stop the [bank] run, but with G7 sanctions preventing access, the domestic economic situation is likely to deteriorate further," said: John Harley Breen, lead global risk analyst: https://lnkd.in/diCZW2jE

BBC News: Justin speaking to Maryam Moshiri on the key aspects of Russia's advance. Watch from 16.18: https://lnkd.in/dcQKYj2d

BBC Worldwide: Liana Semchuk, Ph.D talking about businesses operating in the region. Listen from 5:15 https://lnkd.in/dFE9UrKd

Times Radio: Ukrainians are trying to retake Kherson "slowly, steadily and possibly successfully." Listen to Sibylline Ltd CEO, Justin Crump, speaking to Aasmah Mir and Stig Abell on Times Radio Breakfast. Listen from 01:25: https://lnkd.in/dp5pvCrW

DW News: Read Justin Crump's, Sibylline Ltd CEO, comments for DW News on the weapons systems and the difficulties in increasing deliveries.

Sky News: Justin Crump, Sibylline Ltd CEO, on Sky News talking to Jayne Secker about Russia making advances in the city of Severodonetsk. First broadcast on the 16 June. Watch the full clip here:https://lnkd.in/e3w3Kq5u

Business Insider: Read Liana Semchuk, Ph.D, Lead Europe and Eurasia Analyst at Sibylline Ltd, comments for International Business Times UK on Russia cutting off gas to Europe:  https://lnkd.in/eRns9TkD

iNews: Read Justin Crump's comments for iNewsTV discussing the war in Ukraine: https://lnkd.in/e5qysE-f

Sky News: Justin Crump's, Sibylline Ltd CEO, comments for Sky News on the missile strikes in Ukraine. The article was written by Jack Taylor and Adam Parker, data and forensics unit.

These are just a few of the 600 pieces of coverage secured for Sibylline between February 2022 and January 2023. 

As we all try to understand what's happening in #Ukraine, it has never been so important to have unbiased, insightful and accurate information from genuine experts.

Explaining the Ukraine war

Their successful research project, in collaboration with leading organizations and experts in global forecasting AI, demonstrates the potential of advanced NLP and generative deep learning technologies. By combining communications and technology expertise, Canny Comms delivers competitive advantage to technical organizations, enabling effective engagement and goal realization. Explore their groundbreaking work in improving forecasting performance and deploying innovative technologies in defense and commercial applications.

Canny Comms has successfully delivered its first research and development project for the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). 

The project, led by us, brought together a multi-disciplinary team to assess the feasibility of emerging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies in improving geopolitical forecasting performance.

This collaborative approach combined domain expertise from communications strategy, defence technology and intelligence analysis through Canny, Black Jellyfish and Sibylline, with experts in emerging areas of natural language processing (NLP) and generative deep learning (GDL) in Verge Technology and x-Sentience. 

Our technology specialists demonstrated emerging and ‘generation-after-next’ technologies, providing an insight into what future technologies the intelligence community could adopt or need to counter. This project has demonstrated the significant potential for AI and ML to enhance an analyst’s ability to forecast complex geopolitical events. Advanced NLP was able to understand the military and political context of news articles, whilst the GDL technology proved to be a powerful automated predictive tool. There is now an opportunity to develop this technology further and exploit its potential for wider defence and commercial applications. 

Canny has grown over the past three years to include security and technology specialists from industry, government and defence. This fusion of communications and technology expertise allows Canny Comms to deliver competitive advantage to technical and complex organisations, allowing them to successfully engage with their audiences and realise their goals. 

Speaking after the demonstration of the project’s findings, CEO Lindsay Compton said, “Our driving force is to use our expertise to get great technology into the hands of military users quicker. This contract has made great use of the skills within the team and our network to do just that.”

Canny Comms leverages global expertise in AI and ML to enhance geopolitical forecasting.

Clearer times ahead as Canny collaborates to push the limits of global forecasting using AI

This award reflects the effort that Canny Comms has gone to make service personnel, community members, and supporting reservists as part of its team.

Canny Comms CEO, Lindsay Harbottle, a military spouse herself, said, “We provide really flexible and rewarding roles which suit spouses, veterans and reservists well. The skills and experience we gain in the organisation are fundamental to our services and our clients benefit hugely too. Its lovely to be recognised for our efforts to support a community we care passionately about – now to start planning for gold!”  

Canny Comms signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant in January 2021, first achieving the bronze award. Further requirements for Silver Award include the need to proactively demonstrate that the armed forces community are not unfairly disadvantaged during the recruitment process, that the workforce is aware of positive HR policies and a framework exists to support Reserves personnel, including at least 5 days additional leave.  

To find out more about the scheme visit the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme. 

Canny Comms has been announced as the recipient of a Silver Award by the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme.

Canny Comms wins Armed Forces Covenant - Silver Award: Proudly supporting those who serve

This is the topic of an entire management course. Course content may include a romp around areas such as a flawed business case, a weak understanding of your current position, over-optimism about almost everything, a change in the environment or customer/competitor behaviour that you didn’t predict and to which you can’t respond… the list goes on.

Many strategies also fail, of course, because they don’t get implemented: they stay in a folder – usually a blue one in my experience – so that companies can say they have a strategy.

Strategies are generally about people.  One of the great weaknesses of almost everyone is the overpowering desire to believe that the future is simply more of the past – more specifically, that the future is a linear extrapolation of the past. 

Despite there being overwhelming evidence to the contrary, a majority, certainly those who deem themselves to be ‘doing ok’ have a cognitive bias that reinforces the perception of future stability which is rarely seen in practice.

This is important when a business wants people to change to implement its strategy.  Much advised is the notion of a “north star”, the “burning bridge”, the “sunny uplands”, ensuring your teams understand what they are all striving towards and their part to play in achieving it.  But selling these ideas to a workforce – or a wider stakeholder community - who might have to undergo some instability or change is a non-trivial element of strategy implementation.

At its core, this is about strategic clarity, simply expressed in a language to which all stakeholders can relate and which is constantly reinforced. 

This isn’t about broadcasting a message – if a business undertakes this journey of change, the management and strategists must allow themselves, as part of this communications process, to embrace the almost limitless demands for evidence, cross-examination and dialogue. Silence, although often hoped for, is far more worrying, than engagement and critique: these are signs that stakeholders are trying to understand 

No matter how well-founded the intent and no matter how well-crafted the strategy, without consistency and clarity in communications, your stakeholders – be they clients, customers, employees, local communities – cannot be aligned, even if they say they are, with the strategic intent of the business. As important as the plan, is the plan of how you’ll explain it to your team, including the time to listen and adapt your plans, based on your employees’ challenges and ideas.

Les is a defence and security industry specialist. Up until last year, Les was a board member of £650m pa BAE Systems Maritime services.  He is now one of Canny Comms senior consultants, providing expertise in business strategy, business development and win strategies.

Wise words from experienced strategist, Les Gregory, to help you achieve strategic success and avoid failure.

Unlocking Strategic Success: Insights from Experienced Strategist Les Gregory

Last week, the UK’s new Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin KCB ADC, gave his first public speech to the Royal United Services Institute, in which he outlined his view on key challenges and priorities for the Ministry of Defence (MOD). 

While he did not focus on the role of technology and innovation, the opportunities and threats posed by them were implicit throughout.

He emphasised that we face a complex and dangerous global environment, comparable to the Cold War, as democracies and autocracies confront each other. Yet, while he used the Cold War analogy, Admiral Radakin also noted that we are closer to Kissinger’s view of co-evolution or, for my scientific brain, ‘each action eliciting an equal and opposite reaction’, rather than in a static stand-off. 

“We co-operate, we contest and we even confront. But frequently we are doing all at the same time, in the same place and even with the same state.” 

In the Cold War, reliance was on nuclear weapons to offset Russia’s strength in numbers. In the ’70s it was a reliance on technological superiority. The 2010s highlighted the ability for non-state adversaries to adopt cheap and emerging technologies quickly with little thought to risk, much to their advantage in the midst of a slow-moving MOD. 

Once an exclusive capability of Western militaries, specialist and deadly technology can now be developed quickly by anyone, with good or bad motivations. Today’s arms race is not so much about might and size but instead about the speed and delivery of capability to outpace our ‘diligence-free’ adversaries, all while maintaining a moral high ground. It’s no longer just an issue of resources but one of mentality and creation of the right incubation environment; the advantage is gained in the speed and reliability with which new technology can be developed and deployed. 

CDS recognises that a change in approach is the only way to win this race, especially given the need to modernise what they already have, at the same time as exploiting emerging technologies. 

The first change is clear from the increase in budgets and strategic intent laid out in the Integrated Review. This will go a long way to addressing the challenge of delivering.

Coming into the role with the strategy and budgets in place, Admiral Radakin’s clear focus is the “delivery, delivery, delivery” of a modern and proactive armed force, at a far increased pace - no simple task. Being forced to deliver more quickly usually leads to the avoidance of risks associated with emerging technology, favouring tried-and-tested solutions. 

So how does he propose to do it? By “transforming, reforming and integrating” to streamline structure and processes. Done well, I see this as a move to foster greater collaboration, sharing knowledge and technology to accelerate capability. It should not just be limited to the internal workings of the MOD. Instead, collaboration must extend to industry, especially SMEs and those innovating outside of defence, as well as taking advantage of more “active and engaged” armed forces around the world, to learn and partner where appropriate. 

There are some brilliant SMEs in defence, some of which we have the privilege to work with and, therefore, see the potential applications of their technology. But we cannot expect them to develop brilliant solutions when only understanding half the problem they are trying to solve. A new approach to collaborating must avoid the tendency of one-way hoovering of innovation from these sources, and instead enact a two-way sharing to give these groups a clearer idea of what’s needed. With knowledge, you will see the most brilliant and innovative companies respond with gusto, solving a significant part of Radakin’s problem of delivery in one clear effort. 

The leap forward this requires in terms of managing risk is undeniable. Radakin notes that this means a whole new appreciation for the role, people and culture of the MOD and armed forces. 

Unlocking potential and empowering individuals, in my mind, has to be the single most important way to achieve a step-change in delivery. In CDS’ own words, “We have to overcome our risk aversion that dominates when we are in the business space and infuse some of the confidence in risk taking we always have when we are on operations.” 

If this sentiment alone can be delivered upon, then I am cautiously optimistic that he will succeed. I promise to do my bit in making sure the MOD, armed forces and its supply chain hear all about the brilliant and innovative companies we have the privilege to work with.

The last year has seen a clear recognition that technology and innovation must play a central role in defence.

A canny take on CDS’ first speech: collaboration, unlocking potential and empowering individuals

New ideas, whether they be processes or technology often struggle to get traction. 

Whether an inventor strives to establish themselves in the market or, as is more often the case, seeks an established business as its route to market, things are tough.  Ralph Waldo Emerson is often quoted (wrongly and out of context, I think) as saying “if you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door” – nothing, of course, could be further from the truth.

However, if you are seeking a general ‘law of innovation latency’ might I suggest that ideas take longer to get to market than the idea generator thinks because, from the point of view of the market, the risk-adjusted business case for so doing is not sufficiently compelling.

What this means is that the case for adopting a new gizmo will be overwhelming to the inventor when it’s on the laboratory bench or in the workshop – ‘even an idiot couldn’t fail to see….’.  But from the point of view of a business seeking to pick up new ideas and take them to market profitably, there is a blizzard of other, and from the inventor’s view, often tedious and irritating, issues to be dealt with.

Being able to see both points of view – the inventor’s claim to be able to change the world AND the worry of “how do I know this isn’t a massive cash sink which doesn’t result in a differentiated market position?” is fundamental.  Even more so when the language of the inventor isn’t necessarily the language of the market.

A better understanding of where it will be applied informs development, but it also gives you the opportunity to understand and explain your technology in a way that your target market can understand – accelerating its success. Funding is easier to source, investors easier to secure, adopters will demand its development and competing solutions will be left in the dust.

The key to not taking 20 years; integrate business development, communications and marketing early on in the process to provide vital insight, inform the development and ensure its success – or fast failure. 

Our industry advisor, Les Gregory looks at how you can speed up the success of new ideas.

Why do things seem to take 20 years to become an overnight success?

Mark has 18 years of experience in researching and managing technology in defence and security.