Joseph Jaffe is a thought-leader, speaker, author and ‘Admiral’ (= founder) of the “HMS Beagle” a consultancy that helps large corporations fight inertia and decay. Joseph argues in “Built To Suck” that the Big Corp Era is rapidly coming to an end driven by Size and Scale no longer being growth enablers but rather inhibitors.

Which social media tools do the country's largest companies use? According to new research from M&C Center Senior Fellow Nora Ganim Barnes, the Fortune 500 are focused on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, but use of YouTube and Instagram is growing quickly. It's now clear that successful companies must have a social media presence.

Join best-selling author and ad contrarian, Bob Hoffman, as he sits down with The Conference Board Marketing Institute Leader, JP Kuehlwein, to discuss his latest book, a collection of Bob’s most irresponsible and inappropriate blog posts, essays, and cave drawings. Hear his outspoken critique of what’s wrong in the advertising world and what he has to say about privacy, ageism, and social media.

Is your brand ready to manage and survive an organizational crisis? Chances are your company will face a crisis soon, so be ready with some simple ABCs: Define your tipping point; Have a crisis plan; Monitor everything; Don't be dumb.

Join Patrick Hanlon, senior advertising executive and founder of Thinktopia, as he sits down with The Conference Board Marketing Institute Leader, JP Kuehlwein, to discuss his latest book which reveals seven definable assets that together construct the belief system that lies behind and differentiates every successful brand from those that are less effective – whether it's a product, service, city, personality, social cause, or movement.

What are the hallmarks of leading online customer communities? Typically, it's a combination of ease of access, SEO prominence, purpose, and UX, style and technology. According to an analysis of these communities by Leader Networks, technology companies embrace them more than their peers, while the largest companies of the Fortune 500 were more likely to have active online communities. To make your online community more successful, activity and engagement are crucial.

It is no longer enough to be an expert in communications to succeed as a communications professional. A recent research brief titled The Case for Business Acumen published by IC Kollectif spotlights key findings from primary and secondary research on the importance of business acumen for internal and external communications professionals.

Developing compelling strategic communications is essential to successfully creating and implementing strategy across the enterprise—but it also touches the preparation of annual leadership team and shareholder meetings, large M&A deals, investor roadshows, divestitures, reorganizations, and a host of other high value, high stakes strategic events. It is present at every moment when you need to move an organization forward.

Are ad agencies being fooled by online media and wasting big clients’ money? Bob Hoffman, Chief Aggravation Officer of Type A Group and a well-known industry disrupter, thinks so. He cites numerous scandals and revelations about corruption, fraud, and lies in the online advertising ecosystem as evidence. Join us for our October Marketing & Communications Center Chat webcast.