How do you build a strong brand? And what role can communicators — from the PR function to internal communications — play a pivotal role? On November 15, four IABC Fellows will discuss how positioning varies, why strong brands are necessary today, and new trends in branding, including how to make employees a part of your brand… Continue Reading →

Chip Griffin and Gini Dietrich have teamed up to co-host the Agency Leadership Podcast. Each week, the duo will discuss the business side of PR and marketing agencies. The show will feature practical advice and useful insights for agency owners and executives to help them manage and expand their firms. Chip and Gini will draw on their own successes (and failures) to share important lessons.
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How do you know if you’re using the best structural model for communication? Can hybrid models co-exist successfully? On October 18 at noon ET, four IABC Fellows will explore the latest thinking on department structures, including how to work with agencies and freelancers (on goal-setting, budgeting, etc.). The panel will also look at whether departments should be consolidated or employ an agency model (with staff embedded in parts of the organization), as well as whether all communications departments should be grouped together, and where they should report. The panel, moderated by IABC Fellow Brad Whitworth, will include Mary Ann McCauley, George McGrath, Barbara Puffer, and Jennifer Wah
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Disciplines and functions are converging within organizations—and that can lead to more efficient, successful companies. But to blend functions easily, communication professionals will need to collaborate with other disciplines and departments, including through cross-functional training. It is equally important that communication leaders cast a more disciplined eye on the competencies of their staffs while exploring… Continue Reading →

The challenges and complexities of communicating increase with the size and scope of the employee population. It’s one thing to communicate when all your employees are in one city or state. When employees span the country, it gets harder, with the expectations and perceptions of employees in Ohio (for example) not necessarily aligning with those… Continue Reading →

The Customer Experience (CX) is defined loosely as the cumulative impact of every interaction a customer has with a company, from first becoming aware of the organization or its product/service through post-purchase touch-points (including using the product and getting support). CX usually is housed in the Marketing Department with ample opportunities for communication input. Other… Continue Reading →

Does advancing to the ranks of senior management really require you to win the battle for a coveted “seat at the table?” To make the transition to a top leadership position requires a change in behavior to advance your career and the role of communication. The June installment of “Circle of Fellows” will examine the communicator as facilitator in the boardroom, as a leader of innovation, and a unifier and ground-breaker in transformative collaboration. At noon EDT on Thursday, June 21, four IABC Fellows will participate in a live online conversation about leadership skill-building for communicators. The panel includes James Lukaszewski, Mary Ann McCauley, Barbara Puffer, and Angela Sinickas. FIR podcast host Shel Holtz (also a Fellow) will moderate.
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According to a recent New York Times article, “Chief executives across the business world are increasingly wading into political issues that were once considered off limits — like gun control and climate change — but they might not be moving fast enough.” The Edelman Trust Barometer (cited in the article) backs up that assertion. Sixty-four… Continue Reading →

For some time, Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz have been using a YouTube Hangout on Air to record their monthly podcast, “The Hobson & Holtz Report.” It has always been a restricted Hangout that only Shel and Neville could see. While recording the April installment, they wondered, “Why not make it public?” And so the… Continue Reading →

Are you positioned to succeed in the next five years? The next 10? The competencies and skills required for communicating on behalf of employers or clients are not static. Not that long ago, communicators traded in press releases, media pitches, and printed employee newsletters. While these tactics have not vanished, the technologies that serve as… Continue Reading →