Emily K. Graham

The @PageSociety just released its newest report Beyond Communication: CCO Leadership in Navigating New Complexity. The findings underscore the CCO as an ever-more-essential partner with the CEO in defining and activating corporate character. Read more here: https://hubs.la/Q02x4nPQ0

14

"But NPR’s troubles extend far beyond concerns about its journalism. Internal documents reviewed by The Times and interviews with more than two dozen current and former public radio executives show how profoundly the nonprofit is struggling to succeed in the fast-changing media industry. It is grappling with a declining audience and falling revenue — and internal conflict about how to fix it." This article sheds good light on the disruption facing the media industry. #Media #Communications #PR

4

Anyone who has founded and run a company knows the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. It was so fun to talk to Nate and Eric about their journey and also provide some insight on what PR is (and isn't). Thanks for having me! #thoughtleadership #entrepreurship

1

Quick story from 20 years in comms: Minutes before a big keynote presentation, an executive asks a room full of folks if they should change their outfit (*holds up said replacement outfit*). Room says "nooo you look great!" I, on the other hand, told them to change. I knew their goals, their insecurities and what message they wanted to send about themself and about our brand. They changed and they rocked it--and I'm sure they would have either way...but sometimes being a trusted counsel in comms means saying things no one else will say and what your client may not want to hear. But that's how you nail the relationship and build trust. #pr #executivecomms Check out the rest of the 5 things I wish I knew over at The PR Girl Manifesto https://lnkd.in/dcsfUN6G

90

3 Comments

📣 Navigating Public Statements with Diverse Member Opinions 📣 In this week's Association Insights, I tackle a complex challenge: making public statements when not all members agree. Here’s how to approach this delicate task effectively: 👉 Establish a Clear Decision-Making Framework: Set transparent rules about the levels of consensus needed for different types of public statements. 👉 Align with Predominant Member Interests: Understand and represent the majority while maintaining open dialogue to manage expectations and relationships. 👉 Find Common Ground: Emphasize shared values and goals to craft a balanced statement that respects diverse viewpoints but upholds industry priorities. 👉 Communicate Transparently: Always explain the decision-making process and reasoning behind public statements to all members to foster trust and understanding. Handling disagreement requires a strategic and inclusive approach to effectively represent your association's interests and maintain unity. 💬 How do you manage differing opinions in your organization? Share your strategies below! #PublicRelations #AssociationManagement #Leadership #CommunicationStrategy #AssociationInsights #OnWrdUpWrd

11

The essence of genuine engagement in today's public sphere is not merely about being heard, but about remaining authentic amidst a sea of loud and conflicting voices. At Moxie Strategies, we uphold a quant-first approach because we believe that authenticity isn't just about the message, but how you substantiate it. Check out my ROI-NJ piece where I delve into how quantitative analysis empowers organizations to stay true to their core values while effectively engaging with their audiences. This method helps us navigate through the noise and focus on what really matters—authentic connections and tangible outcomes. Read on to see how a data-driven strategy can make a real difference.

17

The New York Times' Adrienne Raphel: How Gen Z Made the Crossword Their Own. (Adrienne Raphel interviewed and solved puzzles by dozens of cruciverbalists under 30 for this article.) April 13, 2024 30-Across: “___ and dry food (categories I will now be using to describe human food. Oh, so suddenly it’s weird?)” 31-Across: “TikTok videos of ‘Family Guy’ clips accompanied by Subway Surfers gameplay, e.g.” 26-Down: “Lili ___, one of the first trans women to receive gender-affirming surgery” Who’s this “I” cracking jokes about WET food in the middle of a crossword clue? What is SLUDGE CONTENT doing inside a puzzle? How did we get to learn about Lili Elbe when the answer ELBE almost always refers to the German river? Welcome to the crossword in the age of Gen Z. Clues require internet meme literacy. Solutions may reflect the identity of the person behind the puzzle. And the way they’re constructed can involve vibrant online forums in addition to scraps of paper. Grids these days are often “diaristic,” said Paolo Pasco, 23, the winner of this year’s American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, the Super Bowl of crosswords. They can reveal clusters of personal obsessions or glimpses of an idiosyncratic sense of humor. “That’s a big part of what got me into puzzles,” Mr. Pasco said. “This is an insight into the person’s brain who thought of that joke.” It’s a noticeable shift from decades past, when crosswords were usually faceless, less a site for auteurism than a form of anonymous entertainment. But thanks to a variety of factors — rapidly improving technology to create puzzles, a much wider array of outlets eager to publish them and a push to celebrate new voices — constructors today are more inclined to express themselves in their work.

1

Thought leadership is a high #ROI communications tool, but too many executives sit on the sideline or make the wrong moves. I recently penned a piece for Agility PR Solutions / Bulldog reporter sharing insights on three common traps to avoid and maximize your content marketing efforts. https://lnkd.in/eQdJuCRp #thoughtleadership #marketing #leadershipinsights #contentstrategy #executivecommunications

11

4 Comments

What's possible when a strong purpose intersects with a powerful story? In my recent Presidio Graduate School talk, I spoke about how storytelling can turn missions into movements. Which begs another question: why are you still investing in brand comms and content with no shelf life? Contact me to find out how our LOUPE impact storytelling process can engage audiences and drive growth for your impact-driven brands, products, or programs: richardy@curtisbirch.com #sustainability #storytelling #sdgs #esg #brandstorytelling #upcycled #purposedriven #changemakers #documentary #filmmaking #storytelling #sustainablepackaging #climatesolutions #sustinablebusiness #sustainablebrands #businessforgood #triplebottomline #purpose

14

6 Comments

Today marks two years since the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, rolling back 50 years of progress and removing women's control over their bodies, selves, and life choices. As a result, even searching online for birth control or other reproductive healthcare services may lead to criminal liability. That's why we at Weber Shandwick, with our #client MSI Reproductive Choices, are raising awareness of the importance of secure online searching by launching the Vagina Privacy Network. It's a new kind of "VPN" with a step-by-step guide for those who want to stay anonymous online — so your private parts, stay private. I'm so proud to support a campaign and client focused on improving women's fundamental human rights and health. Download the Vagina Privacy Network toolkit at VaginaPrivacyNetwork.org, learn how to protect yourself when searching for abortion information online, and share widely! #VaginaPrivacyNetwork #ReproductiveRights

80

8 Comments

Pivot Point: NPR and the Changing Dynamics of Communications and Media Content. It's not just about viewpoint diversity, but the overall changing demographics of consumption and satisfaction. The question is: What is the value proposition for the future of media and public broadcasting?

2

PRWeek's great 2024 Business Report highlights the key challenge facing our industry. Communications is more important than ever. Comms and policy leaders are being asked to play far larger roles as business partners supporting ever more stakeholders. So why did the industry suffer so much in 2023 after many years of growth? As an sector, we are not adapting fast enough to the needs. Organizations are desperate for help but also under tremendous financial strain. They now need both senior level counsel and advisory support as well as deep domain expertise to actually produce. By and large, our industry is still split by this chasm - between strategic and tactical. Clients cannot afford to separate these, either in time or money. At Bully Pulpit International our goal is to bridge this divide, building a team that can both 'think and do' at the highest levels. It's not always easy. Last year was a challenge. But if you share this vision for the future, please check out some of our open roles: https://lnkd.in/dGQwJUSG

42

As a communications consultant who mentors others getting into consulting, my biggest piece of advice is: don’t overthink yourself out of acting. PR people have the tendency to be perfectionists (it’s me, hi).  ✏ Iteration is your friend. Your business will need to (and is allowed to!) constantly shift and change as you gain experience in the market. It’s not going to be a perfect flip-a-switch and go! ☠ Perfectionism = death when it comes to getting started. Whether it’s a website, social page, services/offerings, or researching tech tools, I see so many people miss out on great opportunities (or fail to launch altogether) because of the hesitation that perfectionism creates. #communications #PR #consulting #publicrelations

51

4 Comments

Internal comms teams have been grappling with this for a while. For a while it seemed easy to take political stands that were popular, but an organization needs to align the needs of ALL stakeholder, not just its employees. And that is even based on the (usually faulty) assumption that ALL its employees think alike on an issue. Maybe its time to bring back the apolitical "apathetic" workplace. Let work be work and in doing so, it might even remain one of the increasingly rare places, where people with divergent ideologies have to learn to get along. In a hyper polarized world, where we increasingly live and socialize in self imposed silos, work and school should provide a break. https://lnkd.in/gDmUKhzB

9

2 Comments

So many of my former peers and colleagues are heading to Cannes this week, and I hope that they will take the time to read this, and discuss it. As a former agency leader, this is an issue that has increasingly unnerved me for years. I avoided speaking up about it because, frankly, I was afraid of how much connective tissue (and revenue) my agencies had with social media platforms. I know I'm not alone in this. But as a parent, I can't keep how I feel about this to myself anymore. It is massively, massively important that we hold social media platforms accountable for the unparalleled influence they have over the fabric of our society and our mental health. The degree to which they operate unchecked in the face of all the things we know to be true is just completely irresponsible. The data is overwhelming- and overwhelmingly clear. For all the good these platforms make possible, there is a very unhealthy and corrosive underbelly that needs to be addressed and reined in. This is an issue where marketers, advertisers and media professionals should use their influence, experience and insight to help neutralize a very serious and tangible problem that is directly tied into what we do. Even requiring every platform to publicly publish their behavioral science data and insights would go an enormous way, as the Surgeon General suggests. People deserve the transparency of understanding the degree to which this tech is engineered to affect their behavior, and to play to and capitalize on their emotions. #socialmedia #cannes #creativity #tech #mentalhealth #advertising #marketing

78

11 Comments

This is a great article that takes the conversation way past the rainbow and focuses on the core issues of rights and freedom!

2

Why should you say "yes" when a trusted colleague asks you to be interviewed for their blog? Here are my reflections: 👉Self-discovery: it created an opportunity for purposeful 💡 reflection 👉Give back: I was able to offer advice 📢 that I may not otherwise be asked about and further my mission of helping to build the next generation communications professionals 👉Accountability: now y'all know I walk the dog 🐕 and practice Yoga (or aspire to) and need music 🎶 or great literature 📖 to spark my creativity, so I feel more committed to making that happen So, if you get the opportunity, just do it. Say "yes". Grow. Stretch. Give back. Create #possibilities. And if you'd like to read it, you'll find it here, thanks to ReSuit, Nada Shepherd, MBA, BSc and the talented writer Valiski Bernard: https://lnkd.in/gUxYvjxc #WhatInspiresMe #Grow

7

"Can we chat about internal communications?" When Shareen Pathak asked me if I could chat with her about internal comms, I jumped at the opportunity. Internal communications—or, employee communications, as I prefer to call it— is the underappreciated backbone of the comms and marketing team. I'm so glad to see more attention paid to this topic and this vital role. Employee communications can't be an afterthought. It's not a "nice to have" (though it's almost always treated as such, especially in smaller organizations), and it's incredibly strategic. Shout out to my internal communicators! I see you, I know your importance, and I will keep singing your praises as long as I have breath in my lungs. Check out this Toolkits.com article for more.👇 ## Does your company have a dedicated employee comms team, or is it part of another role (aka an afterthought)?

26

1 Comment

SPOILER ALERT 🚨🚨🚨 I don't think TikTok is going anywhere. But, the debate happening among policymakers makes for pretty good conversation. In my latest thought piece for H/Advisors Abernathy, I examined the newscycle to see how a potential #TikToK ban could play a big role in the 2024 election cycle, rankle #BigTech data collection and lay the groundwork for more #dataprivacy advocacy. https://bit.ly/T1kT0kban

32

3 Comments