Last month, I teased a new piece I was writing about the similarities between PR in the 21st century and high school. Based on the number of comments my post received, I can only imagine that anticipation for the actual treatise has finally reached a fever pitch! So in order to milk this for all it’s worth, I am presenting it now in it’s entirety. As a reminder, I wrote Read More »
Almost every company these days touts responsibility. Social and environmental are the ones I hear of most often but responsibility in some form is almost the new trend in business today. And there is good reason why. According to the Corporate Social Responsibility Perceptions Survey American consumers are willing to pay more for goods from socially responsible companies. 70% said they would pay more for a $100 product from responsible Read More »
Last week, Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook and organizer of U.S. President Barack Obama’s social media election campaign announced the soft-launch of his latest project: Jumo, a new social network set to start in the fall that will help connect people to the issues and organizations that are likely to be of interest. Once launched, members will be able to find different ways — whether with giving time, money or Read More »
The Social Innovation Forum, a Boston-based program that helps promising nonprofits improve and grow, just launched an “Innovator Wish List” that details donation requests from its portfolio of organizations. Requests range from a digital camera for the Actors’ Shakespeare Project, to a coat rack for domestic violence organization Close to Home, to board meeting space for Girls’ LEAP. It’s a great example of a simple, concrete “ask” that goes beyond Read More »
Recently, I was asked to write a “big think piece” about how the field of public relations will be different after the world is destroyed in 2012. Okay … I’m joking about the world being destroyed part (although that would be a great topic for another thought piece). I was actually asked to write about how organizations must totally rethink PR practice to thrive in this brave new interconnected world. Read More »
With the recent tragedies in Haiti and Chile, a reoccurring topic I’ve heard in a handful of recent conversations is “What drives people to give?” Many of these discussions have gone on to consider why people give. Is it a moral responsibility? A social one? How much is enough to give? Is it better to give until it hurts or until it feels good? CBS Sunday Morning (must see TV Read More »
We are only a few days into March and already 2010 has seen a fair share of crisis communications–some well executed, some leaving much to be desired. In light of this, I offer three simple, universal “to dos” that can be applied to help successfully navigate through any crisis situation. 1. Create a crisis plan–NOW. Every company, organization or public figure should have a plan at the ready. When a Read More »
Last week, Tiger Woods apologized to his friends, family, fans and business partners at a nationally televised speech from Florida, expressing regret for his recent illicit behaviors. Few people will likely ever find themselves in his shoes, but there are several communications lessons that can be drawn from his speech, applicable to anyone trying to communicate effectively: Be authentic. In good times, and especially during the bad times, it is Read More »
