Public Relations Lessons From 2017

Two thousand and seventeen is drawing to a close.  What a year it has been.  It has been a year that has seen some major stories with serious public relations lessons that will be applied going into 2018 and far beyond. What were the major stories and the public relations lessons that can be learned ..

Why Staying True To Your Brand Story Is Critical During A Crisis

The other day, I wrote a crisis communications strategy for the Trump White House.  It was the conventional crisis communications strategy that would normally apply for any Administration facing the issues that President Trump confronts.  Yet in another sense, he doesn’t need a conventional crisis communications strategy and if he followed one it would actually ..

#WhiteHouse…In Search of a Strategic Crisis Communications Plan

Every presidential administration just like every business needs crisis communications at some point.  For the Trump Administration, the need is coming earlier than most (not even a month into the Administration).   The Administration has been beset by numerous mistakes (Michael Flynn, alternative facts, the CIA visit, the Australia phone call) that have overshadowed its successes.  ..

Communications Lessons From President Trump

A little over a week into his presidency and Donald Trump is making a mark that has both critics and supporters going wild.  His presidency is in many ways unprecedented.  Yet in terms of communications strategy, he is pursuing tried and tested ways to reach his audience that were pursued by other politicians, and businesses ..

Regardless of Size, All Companies Need A Crisis Communications Strategy

Small and medium sized businesses while knowing they need a public relations strategy often do not include a crisis communications plan in that strategy.  Many of these businesses believe crisis communications plans are only for major corporations and they will never face a crisis that needs a detailed response.  In this highly polarized political climate ..

Five Communications Lessons From Trump’s Win

Americans elected Donald Trump as President on Tuesday.  It was the political upset heard around the world as every poll and pundit had predicted a Hillary Clinton victory.  Without a doubt it was our version of the famous Harry Truman upset over Thomas Dewey in 1948.  Even more so for business communicators Trump’s strategy provides ..

Hillary’s Communication Strategy for the ‘October Surprise’

Every election cycle October is known as the month of ‘the October Surprise’ designed to upend the polls and change the election dynamics.  This year, ‘the October Surprise’ came on October 28th for the Hillary Clinton campaign when FBI Director James Comey informed Congressional leaders that the FBI was reopening the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s ..

#MelaniaTrump Speech – A Crisis Communications Lesson

The first night at the Republican Presidential Convention was supposed to highlight Melania Trump, Donald Trump’s wife and introduce the next potential First Lady to millions of Americans. Also it was hoped that Melania’s speech would start to soften the image of Donald Trump and allow voters a glimpse of the private man. With polls ..