Fish Sounds
Making a Splash with New Science Research
How do you communicate relatively obscure science findings in a way to drive media interest and coverage?
In this case the University of Victoria used a media release about the launch of a quirky new website where fish and the sounds they make can be searched for and listened to.
Although the co-author of the research was based out of the University of Florida, the team at UVic was the driving force behind the website and the hundreds of research hours required to bring the site to life.
Cooperation was a core element in the success of the communications strategy.
As the senior communications officer I worked with researcher Kieran Cox to craft a release that would spark curiosity around the research and the site, FishSounds.
The effort was amplified through a positive and collegial partnership with the University of Florida communications lead. Canadian media were receptive and shared the story across the country and international media contacted Kieran as well.
Did we succeed? We hoped for a positive profile for the research, the unique web platform, the people brought it to life and the academic community who supported the results. We succeeded together.