What are senior managers across the globe and across multiple industries concerned about these days? Reputation. So says a recent study conducted by Spencer Stuart and Weber Shandwick. Not surprising given the hit that many companies have taken over recent years in terms of their reputation, credibility and trust among consumers. So what are senior leaders’ expectations of the communications function according to the study? Continue reading “How to Meet Senior Managers’ Expectations for Corporate Communications”
Tag: Strategy
How To Be a Strategic Doer
If you’re like many people who have been involved in strategic planning efforts, the thought of becoming involved in another one may leave you less than enthusiastic. Why? Too often, despite the significant time and effort that may have been put into the process, once the plan is complete, not a lot happens. It seems we often feel fairly adept at the planning part of the process, but when it comes to the doing part we falter.
There may be a variety of reasons for this: Continue reading “How To Be a Strategic Doer”
Oops! Mistakes That Matter – But How Much?
We all make mistakes, but those of us in communication roles are likely to be more subject to those mistakes being spotted than those in other professions. Usually, the mistakes are embarrassing, but inconsequential. We’re not, typically, dealing with issues of life and death after all.
But sometimes even seemingly small mistakes can have big consequences. Yesterday, Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign received some probably unwanted attention for misspelling America in its new iPhone app – “A Better Amercia.” Oops. Ugh… Continue reading “Oops! Mistakes That Matter – But How Much?”
Facebook Ads – Does GM Know Something Others Don’t?
As Facebook prepared to launch a much-anticipated public offering, GM announced that it was discontinuing its use of Facebook ads. If you haven’t heard about this already, you haven’t been paying attention! Now, I’m guessing GM is Continue reading “Facebook Ads – Does GM Know Something Others Don’t?”
Don’t Be the Victim of Disruptive Innovation!
- VHS tapes.
- Landlines.
- Encyclopedias.
- Film (the Kodak kind).
All examples of products that have already, or will probably soon, disappear from use. Why? Because they were made obsolete due to new advancements, replacements or changing consumer demand that led to their demise. That kind of evolution is happening all of the time. Sometimes slowly. Sometimes rapidly. Just as Continue reading “Don’t Be the Victim of Disruptive Innovation!”
Don’t Be Afraid of Strategic Planning — Debunking the Myths
Someone told me once that the definition of creativity is the ability to pull a range of random pieces of information together to develop an idea. It might be an idea for a new product, an idea for a new process or an idea for a new approach to a vexing problem. The point, though, is that the more you know about a lot of things the more likely you are to be able to use the things you know to create new ideas. Continue reading “Don’t Be Afraid of Strategic Planning — Debunking the Myths”
Greatest Marketing Challenges Facing Businesses Today
A student asked me the other day what the greatest marketing challenges facing business today were and whether I think these challenges are different than they have been historically. That’s a great question and I’ve pondered it for a while.
Ultimately, what I decided is that Continue reading “Greatest Marketing Challenges Facing Businesses Today”
Is PR the Answer? Remaining Relevant in Changing Markets
In an online discussion I was recently involved in, prompted by my blog on Borders’ recent announcement, I was asked whether I thought PR could be the answer for businesses that are feeling the pressure from increasing competition and ever-narrowing margins. My short answer: “Yes, I think that PR, in a broad sense, can definitely help businesses in our current environment.” What businesses Continue reading “Is PR the Answer? Remaining Relevant in Changing Markets”
What Kind of Manager Are You?
Many managers struggle with choosing a management technique for the decision making process. Some managers tend to simply issue orders based on their own judgment and expect obedience, while others actively engage their subordinates in the decision making process. Listed below are some common management styles along with some of the pros and cons for each. There’s nothing necessarily right or wrong about any of these styles, but some are more appropriate in certain situations than others. Continue reading “What Kind of Manager Are You?”
Could Facebook Business Pages Make Sense for You? (This is a trick question!)
I recently responded to a reporter’s request for perspectives on Facebook’s new feature that allows people to have business pages as well as personal pages and whether it will make a difference in the way small businesses use Facebook to market to customers and prospects.
These types of questions are always interesting to me because they seem to prompt a somewhat Continue reading “Could Facebook Business Pages Make Sense for You? (This is a trick question!)”