Consistent values-based communication. We believe everyone benefits when a mission-driven business or nonprofit focuses on words, messages, issues, and strategies that emphasize shared values. So when my 14-year old grandniece asked “Why?” -- the question brought me up short.
Argh! Don’t you just hate it when you find yourself and others who know better making common communication mistakes? My theory is that so much of what’s out there now is poorly written that our writer’s ear gets numbed. Here are my top communication pet peeves and tips on how to avoid letting them sneak [...]
A fresh focus on how customers think tends to come up annually about this time of year for many of us. There’s nothing like planning for a new year to crystallize how important it is to understand your customers. How do they make decisions? How do they think? I’ve blogged and blabbed about the workings [...]
In today’s overcrowded media marketplace, nonprofits and values-based businesses struggle to achieve a shared communication goal — changing minds, the challenge of moving beyond creating awareness to motivating action. Thankfully, effective storytelling techniques are now recognized (and documented) as a shared solution to this increasing challenge. Today, you can either learn to tell stories that [...]
Brand and branding are terms you hear used and misused daily in marketing and advertising. Once terms used only by those in the field or by business people, it’s now commonplace to hear in everyday conversations: “My favorite brand is…” or “XYZ has a really good brand.” Perhaps it’s the popularity of Mad Men, or [...]
I thought the explosion of infographics and visuals on sharing networks would mean I’d have no problem finding 6 good ones on the subject of sustainability, but this turned out not to be the case. Ideas to make the world a better place can be powerful — and complex. It seems social math examples, process [...]
Crisis communication priorities and protocols are not something I really want our clients to gain experience with. But no matter what your industry or sector, you have at least one potential crisis lurking. (What if your manufactured product failed and caused a tragedy? If you are a nonprofit, what if an employee harmed a person [...]
