Storytelling Through a Business Prism

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The Humane AI Pin Train Wreck Could Have Been Avoided

And those were some of the more “gentle” recent headlines. Let’s set the stage. Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri saw an opportunity to rethink mobile computing, so they founded a company called Humane. They invented a lapel pin that would essentially become your AI-infused digital assistant. This vision and the founder’s Apple pedigree landed $100M …more

Netflix CEO Shows Off Storytelling Chops

Ted Sarandos is co-CEO of Netflix. He’s the one greenlighting Stranger Things, The Queen’s Gambit and Bridgerton. He had better get the concepts of story construction. Does he? For the answer, we turn to his recent interview with the New York Times. Asked about how his interest in TV and movies came about, the 81-second …more

Dear College Grad: Don’t Follow the Resume 101 Handbook

Soon, the class of 2024 at universities across the country will be tossing their caps in the air. The days of cramming all night for a final have come to an end. Once the effect of too many White Claw mango beverages subsides, attention will turn to landing that illusive first job. This is a …more

Talk About Sponsored Content with Staying Power

We are increasingly executing campaigns that leverage owned media and paid owned media as well as earned media. Companies recognize that all three channels have a place in brand building. Plus, publications are willing to blur the line when it comes to journalism and sponsored content to increase the value of the paid stuff. Such …more

Global Communications Is a Mentality, Not a Function

When people talk about improving global PR, the discussion typically gravitates toward infrastructure or titles. But these are supporting pieces. At the core, the most important factor in the success or failure of an international PR campaign comes down to mentality. Two basic questions go a long way toward revealing the presence of a global …more

Picture Procurement Shaking Down a Heart Surgeon

All communication consultancies periodically encounter Procurement before contract sign-off and embarking on the fun stuff with a client. I am not a fan of Procurement. They always claim to be there to help the agency and make sure everyone — both the agency and the in-house PR department — enjoy a “happily ever after.” Yet, …more

You Call That Innovation?

That was the headline in a Wall Street Journal article back in 2012. The piece made the point that the word “innovation” (and its derivatives) was being used so much by companies to tout incremental improvement — or worse — that the word lost meaning. Raking through earnings calls from the previous 12 months, The Journal …more

Deconstructing a Wall Street Journal Story on Innovation

Most companies want to be known as innovative. To bastardize the Wallace Simpson line, “you can never be too rich, too thin or too innovative.” The problem is those same companies often depend on adjectives to tout their breakthroughs. The Wall Street Journal challenged the use of the “i” word over ten years ago: “Businesses …more