A recent article in the Harvard Business Review, How Companies Should Weigh in on a Controversy, starts with parallel stories of Bud Light and transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, and Brazilian cosmetics company Natura and its sponsorship of a transgender actor Thammy Miranda. Bud Light experienced a firestorm backlash and lost customers and market share; Natura stood by […]
Category: Blog
Be in the Room Where it Happens
Let’s look at several news events from 2023 to help identify corporate communications trends, and set communications goals for 2024. Corporate Communications Trends and Events Each of these issues has profound communications and reputation impacts. None are going away any time soon. Each was a seismic event, and is an indicator of corporate communications trends […]
Apologies “AND” – Don’t just say you’re sorry
The recent uproar about changes to the Delta Airlines Sky Miles program and apologies from CEO Ed Bastian got us thinking yet again about when and how to apologize, with the added emphasis on the word “AND”. AND what are you going to do about it? We don’t know of any Delta flyers who are happy […]
Cybersecurity Awareness Month: AI Adds a New Wrinkle
We are about halfway through October, aka, Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Communicators should be using this time to alert employees, retirees, vendors, shareholders, and their families and friends about being more aware of their on-line habits and the increasing danger of generative AI scams and attempts. The U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has a […]
When to Put Your CEO Out Front in a Crisis
Last month, we wrote about when to ask the CEO to serve as lead spokesperson or representative of the brand in a proactive, positive communications situation. What about a crisis or emergency? CEOs that come to mind who made a difference to a brand or organization in crisis: Jim Burke, at Johnson & Johnson during the Tylenol […]
Client Spotlight: Providing Executive Briefing Skills to the Federal Government
Executive briefing skills are a cornerstone to success, whether you’re presenting information to your team, your supervisor, or to an audience of decision-makers. Your ability to brief senior executives in a compelling way can be a game-changer for your career personally, and for your team’s objectives agency-wide. Mastering the art of delivering a compelling message—one that instills […]
When to Proactively Put Your CEO Out Front
A recent study by FTI and a Washington Business Journal article on the CEO as the embodiment of the company or organization’s brand got us thinking. Since CommCore works in both camps – proactive communications for media interviews and presentations, and reactive crisis communications and reputation protection, we will devote two issues of The Observer, our monthly newsletter, […]
Presentation Training with CommCore’s Keith Blackman
From visuals to vocals, presentations are a powerful tool to deliver information, educate others, and leave a lasting impression. I had the opportunity to sit in a presentation training with Keith Blackman, a senior consultant at Yes& CommCore, where he shared tips on delivering influential and memorable presentations. The training covered different aspects, including preparation advice, voice control, visuals, […]
The Crisis Plan You Wish You Didn’t Have to Write
It’s a sad commentary on the current U.S. environment that most schools – from pre-K through high school, and colleges and universities — have plans and have run drills with teachers and students on what to do if an active shooter shows up. For obvious reasons, these plans and drills are primarily about safety and […]
Don’t Be Caught in a Deep-Fake AI Crisis
Most organizations have a list of things that can go wrong, including natural disasters, cyber hacks, and unfortunately, active shooters. We are adding AI to that top ten list. Anyone with a smartphone or laptop knows that various versions of AI are everywhere. Corporate Communications Plans for AI Crises AI is making our lives easier […]