This Spring the PRCA (Public Relations and Communications Association) updated its Guidelines for Accessible Communications. They provide more detail on video and animated graphics, thoughtful use of language and representation, and hosting of physical and virtual events. We talk about making our processes and materials more accessible and at times…
The hot hand fallacy in basketball. Why we tend to grab a coffee to start our day or to have difficult conversations. The fact IKEA furniture is so hard to assemble sometimes is part of why it’s so popular. How does that make sense? All examples well-explained by Behavioural Economics.…
LANGUAGE IS CLEAN IN OPENING CLIP When actor Will Smith went up on stage at the Oscars and slapped comedian Chris Rock – the noise was shocking… the impact reverberating. At the Oscars, Rock had made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith having a buzzed haircut. Pinkett Smith…
The Harris Poll conducted a survey recently on how Americans understand and perceive the metaverse. While the majority don’t understand what it is, 70% of Gen Z and Millennials (22-40 year olds) are interested in interacting within it. They’re interested in video games yes but also social interactions and virtual…
Communication between and among cultures has existed for thousands of years. Successful rulers such as Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan built enormous empires because they appreciated and assimilated aspects of different cultures as they expanded. But fast-forward to 2022 and we as communications professionals can often seem to struggle…
A lingering pandemic, accelerating technological abilities, in turn creating ever increasing stakeholder demands and expectations – combined with misinformation and disinformation in rampant circulation. Where are we going? What does the role we fill today look like in the future? If it is our job as Comms Pros to help…
More working from home, more freelancers, great focus on influencer marketing, and the rising wave of popularity for audio and video formats. In her December newsletter, communications trend-setter Michelle Garrett takes stock of many of the things impacting marketing and communications right now. Surveys are showing more than 90% of…
We know it as comms-pros – communications is the glue that holds a business together. But too often smaller businesses can’t afford professional comms. It’s a pure expense that doesn’t seem to directly generate revenue. In this episode we speak with a New York Agency that has found a solid…
One could argue the concept of strategies that are both transparent (fully allowing for freedom of choice) and subtly manipulative at the same time is hardly new – perhaps only the term “Nudge Theory” is what’s new. In this episode we explore whether Nudge Theory is a brilliant concept of…
Nudge Theory burst onto the scene in 2008 when Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler published their book “Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness.” The simplest models of economics take preferences as given, but nudge ideas suggest we can be moved, steered, and in some cases manipulated. Nudge has…
Research shows more than one-quarter of crises spread to international media within an hour; two-thirds of crises reach media outlets worldwide within the first 24 hours (Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer). The democratization of information means we all have access to a global audience 24-7. First impressions set the narrative within minutes…
There has never been a more important time for good science communication. Not only is it important for us to understand the value of evidence-based solutions but to actually understand the fallibility and imperfection of science too. Since 2005 Laurentian, University in Sudbury Canada, has delivered graduate education in Science…
Podcasts are radio but on demand, dedicated to your niche interest, and (for the most part) commercial free. There are two million podcasts worldwide right now and counting. And lots of them need guests!! They are a terrific channel to advance your authority as a subject matter expert but like…
As early as 40,000 years ago humans used a combination of soil, animal fat, burnt charcoal, and chalk to create colour palettes (or color in America). We know that story… but here’s the one we don’t know. In a world before trains, reliable road networks, automobiles, and urban settings, most…
LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATIONS SERIES - Episode 4 The emerging science of epigenetics explains how our lifestyle and environment have influence on our gene expression over time. It’s a growing field of research that’s changing the nature vs nurture debate as we begin to understand gene expression is influenced by external factors…
LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATIONS SERIES - Episode 3 There are many articles written by psychologists about the “theory” of working with elite-level performers; extremely few people actually get to do it. Duff Gibson is a Canadian Olympic gold medal winner who was hired to coach the next generation of athletes. He knew…
LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATIONS SERIES - Episode 2 Communications professionals have long stated they “want a seat at the table,” meaning communications needs to be part of the executive decision-making function. And that seat should be filled by someone well-versed in strategy, best-practices, and able to represent the rest of the team…
LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATIONS SERIES - Episode 1 There is substantial evidence that cultures of high trust outperform those where trust is low. There’s less employee turnover, higher employee engagement, better aligned organizations and more collaboration if we trust one another. That all begins with strong leadership. In this episode we speak…
Adopting a growth mindset, as opposed to a fixed mindset, is one of the best strategies for accepting and giving constructive feedback. A growth mindset thrives on challenge and sees failure, not as evidence of unintelligence but as a springboard for growth and stretching existing abilities. From these two mindsets…
Professional communications is about making an impact to help the organization. It must get things done, change attitudes, or at least understand them. At the same time, we need to be evidence-based, use “best practices”, provide ROI and meet KPI. Is our battle on the street or in the boardroom?…
Those who respond to help people in high-tension, or even life-threatening situations, need strong communication skills and the right training. Police Officers, Security Guards, front-line health care workers, even bus drivers all find themselves, with alarming frequency, in interactions where safety is at risk. In this episode we speak with…
You may have recently heard on social media a song from the early 1970’s, Prisencolinensinainciusol, by Adriano Celentano. The song’s lyrics are in no language – total and utter nonsense. It was a smash hit in 1973 in Italy, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The song resurfaced on social media…
The Global Capability Framework is the Global Alliance’s benchmark for how professionals in public relations and communications management perform at their best. It applies to individuals as well as those who assemble teams of communications professionals, including entire departments. The framework took two years to build with contributions from all…
According to World Press Trends 2019, digital news subscriber numbers are up 208% over the last five years. That could be a welcome sign that local news may survive after all. As many legacy news outlets struggle, industry analysts are looking to digital start-ups to fill the need. And without…