It seems everyone and everything these days is strategic. We have strategic plans, enter into strategic partnerships, undertake strategic marketing, make strategic hires, and even, according to one State Department official, practice “strategic patience” in the Middle East.
One of the secrets of successful people is that they make lists of things they want to accomplish. Then they march along their to-do list to accomplishment nirvana. While that may work for productivity, it’s a terrible technique for communicating.
For a milestone wedding anniversary, my husband announced he had gotten me a great present. My first thought was, “Tiffany.” After all, what girl doesn’t like the blue box and the delights that might be found within it? Instead, I got something better: an Apple Watch.
If asked, most executives will say that clear, compelling and effective communications is essential to the success of their enterprise. The reality is that this is an area where so many organizations fall short.
As an avid runner and supporter of various nonprofit causes, springtime means deciding, which 5Ks and 10Ks? Until 2012, the Komen 5K in Washington, DC, was always at the top of my list. It was a positive and powerful brand that I admired. For more than 15 years, I ran that race until they so bitterly disappointed me with their decision to withhold funding from Planned Parenthood, which I wrote about in this post.
It seems that my opinion is in high demand these days. Companies from Comcast to Toyota to my neighborhood dining spot all want to know how they are doing. Or do they?
Brian Williams may have disappeared from our television screens. But the issue that led to his becoming the news instead of merely reporting it, has not—and that is, trust. For a journalist who is supposed to seek and tell the truth, embellishing the truth is careless malpractice.
Media relations have never been more challenging. With the speed of communications, the multitude of communications platforms, and the rise of press release distribution services, reporters and editors are simply overwhelmed by the number of pitches and press releases they receive.
Clear, compelling messages that resonate with your target audiences are the building block of an effective communications effort. One of the biggest challenges for organizations is speaking with a consistent and compelling voice. Silos abound, and even those enterprises that have a positioning platform find it difficult for the organizational messaging to take hold.
The start of any new year […]
