The Holmes Report recently shorted-listed our Asia Pacific team as Tech Agency of the Year in the region. As an agency that competes against companies 50+ times larger, this type of industry recognition is important. It reminds the outside world that bigger isn’t better (said the guy who tips 5 foot 4 on a good …more
Roughly two years ago, I wrote a post about then-candidate Trump and how he used conversational language as a differentiator. Given his communications since moving into the White House, I decided to dust off the point of view that riffs on a Wall Street Journal column. Unfortunately, skipping to the end, bombastic did win the …more
The San Francisco Giants paid tribute to the Beatles a few weeks ago. It reminded me that deciphering the inner meaning of Beatles lyrics was a public sport during the band’s heyday. Those over 50 will remember playing the White Album backward and supposedly hearing “Paul is dead.” Rather than play all the albums backward, …more
I recently made an online purchase from Canterbury of New Zealand which makes great stuff even if you don’t play rugby (I don’t). After placing the order, I realized I had forgotten to plug in the discount coupon. I went back to the site and figured I would take a shot with the online …more
Nothing says storytelling like the “F” word. Point to a movie or book or TV show that captivates, and I’ll show you failure. I’m currently watching “Better Call Saul.” The man goes from untangling drug lords from their legal difficulties to shaping dough at Cinnabon, the classic story arc with the requisite failure. . …more
Business communicators can learn from novelists and their storytelling techniques. I’ve always been partial to the Kurt Vonnegut advice: “Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them – in order that the reader may see what they are made of.” It’s never easy for a …more
Between the internet, social media and human beings’ proclivity for talking, transparency is the rage. Companies figure that even sensitive information — especially sensitive information — eventually finds its way to the outside world, so they’re better off sharing their perspective before the grapevine kicks into gear. Yet, there’s zero transparency in the letters that …more
Google is once again in the news for a decision on China. According to the news report, Google is considering a move to re-enter the China market, this time with a search engine that capitulates to government authorities. With that as the backdrop, I thought it was worth dusting off a post from a few …more
