Let’s say that there is a particular leadership expert whose work you have admired for many years. You have consumed this person's content across various mediums and refer to it often for inspiration. Then one day, you find that the person that you so highly revered has actually been accused of abusing his power to sexually exploit women. Despite your initial shock, the women’s claims turn out to …
Communicating experience and impact in higher education
A couple of years ago, I was the hiring manager for a public relations position that came down to two qualified candidates. Person A had an undergraduate degree from an “average” school. By this, it was a school that you would have heard of, but isn’t known for being an elite or prestigious university. Person B had a master’s degree from an Ivy League school. While this educational achievement …
The meaning behind my company name – Experiential Communications
My wife and I had the pleasure of naming our first child in 2012. Like all parents, we wanted something different and unique that would personify our son. We chose Luca Salvatore. The name reflects my Italian heritage and Salvatore is the name of my grandfather. Luca is also one of the most popular names in Switzerland (where my wife and I met). To me, Luca sounds like a great sports name, and …
What bad content marketers and annoying people at social gatherings have in common
You are at a social gathering and don't know many people in attendance. You are looking to engage in an interesting conversation. Finally, it happens - you connect with a new person and start to converse. However, after a few minutes, you feel trapped. The other person - let's call him Joe - begins a rant about his accomplishments, lavish vacations and how his child won the second grade spelling …
Unpersonalized communication in our relational times
SPAM. Unsolicited emails. Unpersonalized invitations. Untargeted press releases. Odds are you received some of these types of communication in the last couple of hours. You may have received a message that might have the appearance of being personalized, yet a quick scan shows that it was the simple use of a mail merge. I receive all too many of these types of messages, and I find it mind …
Communications advice to all the people giving Marissa Mayer communications advice
It has been interesting, entertaining and alarming to see all the criticism coming at Yahoo and CEO Marissa Mayer following the leaked internal announcement from the company's HR director to ban all telecommuting. Numerous "experts" have voiced their dismay at how the communications was handled. Many of us enjoy being pundits and giving our opinion. Here is mine - unless you have inside …
Communications advice from Mexico’s Tourism Secretary – “Focus on your Assets”
Let's play word association - what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word Mexico? Do you think of Mexico's beautiful beaches? Immigration? Danger? Or do you think about some other unique and positive attribute of Mexico? Gloria Guevara Manzo contemplates such questions as the country's Tourism Secretary. She's had to alter perception about Mexican tourism to emphasize …
Communicating impact as a global think tank
We all want our communications to generate impact among our audiences. But how does one do that when your key audience is Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and other prominent policy makers? Tom Carver contemplates this question as the head of global communications at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing cooperation between …
Experiential learning in the form of journalist / communicator conferences
Pick up a book on media relations or take a PR class and you will read lots of best practice. The course / book will cover topics such as press release writing, media pitching, the responsibilities of a journalist and the value of positive vs. negative press. There will probably very little mention about the value of attending journalist conferences in the industry. Representing Duke University's …