Archive: March 2015

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Lee Kuan Yew, His Communication Skills Also Defied Convention

  Since Lee Kuan Yew’s passing, every media outlet in the free and not-so-free world has chronicled his accomplishments. If you haven’t spent time in Southeast Asia, it’s hard to appreciate the “miracle” of transforming this speck of geography into a world-class economy. It’s not quite Moses parting the Red Sea, but it’s close. I …more

Should HR Be Telling Stories?

I’m not referring to fiction or fabrication. The question relates to the role of storytelling techniques in the HR function. The question also happened to be the thrust of my talk at the Alexander Mann Solutions (AMS) conference last week in Hong Kong. It turns out that one can make an argument for HR more …more

Visual Storytelling, Online Radio and SEO Media Covers Storytelling

The grab bag post is back. Here goes. Visual Storytelling from VentureBeat VentureBeat publishes stories every day on the latest startups to secure venture funding. As you might imagine, the visuals that usually accompany these stories might  be called uninspiring (to be kind). So I enjoyed the double entendre when VentureBeat channeled Breaking Bad in …more

Hey, Everyone Enjoys a Pat on the Back

There are times when it’s just not possible to say what you want to say in a headline and also optimize that headline for SEO. This is one of those times. The Bulldog Digital Awards recently named my blog as “Best Blog for PR Agency/Consultancy” with the gold designation. I’m thankful that the judges didn’t …more

PR as the Conscience of a Company

Public relations at its best acts as the conscience of a company. Here’s what I mean. Companies often go through the painstaking exercise of crafting a mission or values statement. For example Starbucks adheres to the following values: Creating a culture of warmth and belonging, where everyone is welcome. Acting with courage, challenging the status …more

Man Bites Dog; Makes Plea for Your Input on the Name “Ishmael’s Corner”

Would you have reached this point if the headline simply read, “A Plea for Your Input on the Name ‘Ishmaels’ Corner’?” It doesn’t matter. You’re here; clickbait be damned. Here’ the situation. The “look and feel” of my blog harkens back to a time when AOL dominated and MySpace was hot. I believe my first …more

A PR Perspective on the Demise of Gigaom and a Few Words on Tech Media

I’m sorry to see Gigaom go under. The media property produced a quality product in the form of journalism with fresh takes. Anyone can provoke. Gigaom provoked with intelligence. It was fitting that Gigaom communicated the news with raw honesty: “Gigaom recently became unable to pay its creditors in full at this time. As a …more

Return of Ishmael’s Greatest Storytelling Hits

Taking a page from the music industry, I introduced our “greatest storytelling hits” in 2013 pulling from posts published before 2011. Now I’m going back to the well, showcasing some of my favorite posts published between 2011 and 2013. I hope you’ll find that they still have relevance and some spunk. 1. An Open Letter to …more

How a Personal Touch in Communications Failed Big Time

I have this theory that as our world increasingly tilts toward the digital side, the human touch, the personal touch, becomes more valuable. It’s only a matter of time before a newly minted Stanford MBA makes the rounds on Sand Hill Road trying to raise venture capital for the radical idea of bringing back the …more