About Applied Comms AI

Applied Comms AI exists because communications leaders need someone who's not just talking about AI transformation – they need someone who's actually building it, testing it, and implementing it with real organisations.

About Applied Comms AI
Photo by White Field Photo / Unsplash

Why This Exists

Every week, another AI tool promises to “revolutionise communications.” Most don’t.

Applied Comms AI exists because communications leaders deserve transparent guidance from someone who’s actually implementing these systems — building production-ready AI agents, deploying workflow automations, and testing tools with real client work.

This isn’t another AI newsletter written by tech enthusiasts. It’s written by a communications professional with 15+ years of experience and the AI training to actually build and deploy these systems in practice.

Who I Am

I'm Michael MacLennan, and I’ve built my career at the intersection of communications strategy, digital innovation, and now applied artificial intelligence.

My background:

  • Director of Social Media Strategy, Digital & Comms at Brunswick Group (five years), advising multinational clients on digital reputation and crisis communications
  • Digital innovation projects at Red Bull (launched the redbull.com VR channel, managed international website relaunch) and Barclaycard (developed new digital/social operating models)
  • Founder of Faur (2024), a progressive communications collective working with organisations including ParalympicsGB, Allwyn, and national NGOs
  • Board Director, ScotlandIS – Scotland’s technology industry body (elected Autumn 2024)

Earlier career: journalism with the BBC, ITN, The Herald, and STV, launching award-winning digital platforms and social channels.

Qualifications:

Professional Certificate in Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence (Imperial College London), Executive Leadership (Oxford Saïd Business School), CIM Advanced Certificate in Digital Strategy, MLitt Journalism (Distinction), MA Philosophy (First Class Honours).

What I've Built

Since launching Applied Comms AI, I’ve focused on turning AI concepts into deployable systems for real communications work.

Production AI Systems

  • A fully functional media monitoring agent using AI and real-time web data
  • Custom workflow automations that reduce manual processing time by 60–70%
  • Prompt frameworks and templates now used by communications professionals across organisations

Real Client Implementation

  • AI implementation workshops for multinational organisations
  • Digital audits incorporating AI readiness assessments
  • Practical AI adoption strategies for comms teams — from quick wins to long-term capability building

Public Experimentation

  • Testing AI tools across strategy, content, monitoring, and analytics
  • Transparent assessments of what works (and what really doesn’t)
  • Full build logs, including failures and lessons learned

Everything published through Applied Comms AI comes from actual implementation experience, not theory.

Why Applied Comms AI?

Because the gap between AI hype and AI reality is enormous.

Communications leaders are overwhelmed with claims yet starved of practical guidance. Applied Comms AI aims to close that gap by showing you what’s actually possible — and what’s not — when you apply AI to real communications work.

What makes this different:

  • I’m building AI systems, not just commenting on them
  • I test workflows with real organisations
  • I focus on transformation, not tools
  • I show the failures as well as the wins
  • I understand both communications strategy and how to actually implement digital systems

What You'll Get

Through subscribing for free, you'll receive:

  • Real Implementation Insights for comms teams
  • Tool Reviews That Matter, based on real use-cases
  • Practical Workflows you can use immediately
  • Leader Interviews with practitioners implementing AI
  • Transparent Experimentation across real builds
  • AI Agent-Driven Communications Series (Jan–Jun 2026) with webinars, templates, and case studies

My Approach

  • Build over theorise — no implementation, no recommendation
  • Honest over promotional — no tool hype
  • Workflow transformation over tool testing — the real value is in how work gets done
  • Communications-first — tailored to corporate comms, crisis, reputation, internal comms, and public affairs
  • Evidence-based — everything is tested, measured, and shown in practice

Beyond the Newsletter

Applied Comms AI is powered by Faur, my communications collective that helps organisations implement AI in their communications strategies.

Services include:

  • AI implementation workshops and capability building
  • Strategic consultation on AI adoption
  • Workflow audits and automation design
  • Custom AI agent development
  • Digital and social strategy incorporating AI systems

Clients to date have included: ParalympicsGB, Allwyn, national NGOs, membership bodies, multinational corporations.

Get in touch: michael@faur.site

A Personal Note

I’ll be honest: no one has all the answers about AI in communications. The field is too new and moving too quickly.

What I do have is experience building and implementing these systems — and a willingness to show the work, failures included.

I’m learning alongside you, documenting everything as we go. Because in a moment like this, transparency is more valuable than certainty.

Connect

Currently based: Near Edinburgh, Scotland.

Working with: Organisations across the UK and around the world.

Applied Comms AI is powered by Faur: we help communications leaders navigate and implement artificial intelligence in their work.