Politicians tend to be skilled communicators. Lee Kuan Yew was gifted. Today marks the five-year anniversary since his passing. Much has changed in Singapore on the communications front. Maureen Tseng who heads our Singapore office offers an on-the-ground snapshot. Social media represents the biggest change over the past five years. Previously perceived as elitist and …more
Update: I dusted off this post because the content remains relevant today. The President continues to struggle with the concept of delivering a clear and consistent message. Yet, he’s a “natural” at generating earned media. . Before addressing the question, let’s consider the high-level objectives of the typical communications campaign. Increase awareness, often in …more
The Saudi Arabian government. Let’s give the Crown Prince a round of applause for the entry, “The gang that can’t talk straight.” Before going further, the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul was an act against humanity. I am by no means making light of it. As I followed the …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
I consider myself more of a writer than a talker (though my mom might disagree). Still, I appreciate organizations periodically hoisting me up to a speaking pulpit to scrutinize and evangelize the wonders of storytelling in business. Such will be the case on April 18 when I’ll take on the topic of “Life, Liberty and …more
Before addressing the question, let’s consider the high-level objectives of the typical communications campaign. Increase awareness, often in the form of media coverage. Strive to fortify the brand. Of course, the ultimate goal is to win people over to your way of thinking so they “buy.” By this definition, Trump’s unconventional approach to communications has …more
It’s been a rough week for United Airlines. When my mom — who is still getting the hang of this thing called the internet — asks if I’ll continue flying on United, you know the PR debacle has reached the masses. I have this theory that a PR crisis typically breaks down into five stages: …more
Consider this quandary. Caterpillar makes heavy machine equipment like hydraulic excavators, tractors and the ever-popular backhoe loader. Pushing dirt from point A to point B doesn’t exactly conjure drama. Recognizing this point, Caterpillar developed a series of videos that do tell compelling stories by connecting the company’s equipment to a human element. My favorite involves Caterpillar’s role in uniting the country of …more
It pains me to say what I’m about to say. Advertising recognizes the power of narrative more than the PR profession. This isn’t to say that PR efforts aren’t using storytelling techniques (sorry for the double negative, Mr. Harper). There are consultancies like us as well as corporations who have got the storytelling religion. But you don’t see narrative …more
