We all know that Twitter can be annoying. Its cacophony of voices screaming 24/7, its herd mentality taken to the nth degree and its perpetually haranguing (and harangued) character @realDonaldTrump hovering over it all, like a big orange balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. But there are some people who are tailor-made for Twitter, and […]
Category: Blog
The Intersection of Business and Politics Doesn’t Always Result in Death
This item (below in italics) from today’s AXIOS A.M. caught my eye and provides a chance to share a few thoughts: “At the end of the day, politics comes for you.” That’s a hard reality that startups must face and embrace, according to Bradley Tusk, an ex-Mike Bloomberg campaign manager turned tech investor.” Why it […]
A Funeral That Gives Me Hope
Former President Barack Obama expresses his condolences to Cindy McCain after delivering a eulogy at her husband Senator John McCain’s funeral on September 1, 2018 at Washington National Cathedral. (photo credit: James Boyle) When you get to be my age, you start to attend lots of funerals. In just the past decade I’ve buried both […]
“Crisis Communications on the Cutting Room Floor” Part II
In Part I of this series, “Setting the Trap,” we looked at a real example of a company that fell for the interview trap, not once, but twice! What fundamental error did the CEO make? She agreed to do taped interviews. By providing 20 or 30 minutes of dialogue for the producers to slice and dice according […]
“Crisis Communications on the Cutting Room Floor” Part I: Setting the Trap
Your organization is in full crisis management mode. Armed with legal counsel and a communications strategy, it’s time for your CEO to speak to the media. During a taped TV news interview, she hits all the right notes – staying on message, bridging to key points and projecting a calm, but concerned, demeanor. You and […]
How to Plan a Successful Advocacy Trip to Washington
(or, Who ELSE to See When You’re in DC) While most Americans were taught in grade school that the three branches of government are legislative, executive and judicial, those of us who can measure our mileage along the city’s marble-floored corridors in triple digits know that getting something done in Washington, DC today requires working […]
Got News? How To Conduct a Media Tour
For those who came of public relations age in an era when “desk-side visits” to editors ensconced in high-ceilinged offices in midtown Manhattan were the key component of media outreach, the answer to the question “how to conduct a media tour?” has evolved radically over the past few decades. A media tour today is still […]
How Hard is Your Website Working for You?
Your website is the online hub of your business where people come to learn, to engage, and ultimately, to make a purchase or a donation or to join a cause. It’s also your “digital workforce,” driving traffic and converting visitors. A successful website relies on a complex ecosystem, where the performance of each individual element impacts […]
Signs It’s Time to Update Your Association’s Website
Does your association’s website resemble an old house to which many rooms and closets have been added and others are collecting dust? Does it scream to your members “We don’t care if it’s easy or a pleasure to visit?” Does the site never come up in searches of information you host? Is it difficult to […]
How Associations Can Use Videos to Grow Membership
Videos help humanize industries; they turn complex issues into compelling stories; they inspire action and they create community. That’s why nearly half of all associations have integrated videos into their communications strategies and 24% are planning on doing so shortly, according to one study Videos will constitute 82% of all consumer internet traffic by 2019, […]