Marketing Briefs

How would you react if CNN ran a sensational, one-sided story about your organization? When this happened to the Mayo Clinic in 2018, their response was swift and multi-pronged. Amy Davis, head of communications at Mayo, tells the story and offers crisis management advice, starting with this: First, focus on your employees to make sure they feel supported.

In the face of data privacy compliance, do you take the easy route and do the bare minimum, or do you innovate? New research from The Conference Board Marketing and Communications Center has found that while 58 percent of the US marketing, tech, and compliance executives we surveyed agreed that regulatory compliance offers an opportunity for innovation, most haven’t yet taken the next step to actually turning customer privacy concerns into a competitive advantage.

If an industry reported in 2017 that it was 81 percent Caucasian, would you say there’s a problem? The public relations and corporate communications industry says yes and it's fighting to improve those numbers. This interview with Joe Cohen, Chief Communications Officer, Axis Capital and President, PRSA Foundation, and Judith Harrison, SVP of Diversity and Inclusion at Weber Shandwick, dives into a new book, Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadership.

New privacy regulations are dramatically changing the atmosphere around business data and communications. What was once a mad rush to leverage consumer data is becoming a panicked effort to ensure security and maintain consumer trust.

Organizations are at a critical juncture as they try to balance long-term vision with short-term performance. The key to making this balance work is delivering thoughtful, consistent, and clear communications to employees, customers, and partners.

internal communication professionals need to do a better job of demonstrating their value to senior leadership. To be considered trusted advisers and counselors by executives and senior leaders, internal communication professionals should, among other things, assess and measure their value, bring unique insights, and better understand the financial metrics used by business leaders.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is seen by some as a magic solution to every business problem, by others as ineffective. IBM’s computer Watson may have won “Jeopardy!” (magic!) but Watson made some ridiculous errors (ineffective!). The IBM computer didn’t understand puns or irony. Humans do. AI is neither magic nor ineffective; it’s a technology that can augment human judgment not replace it. Understanding the strengths and limits of AI helps companies to implement it wisely.

Collaboration between humans and machines can make our online communities much more vibrant and relevant. Companies looking to understand and engage with customers through online communities need to consider how artificial intelligence and human collaboration can be used together to augment understanding of data and advance know-how.

Artificial intelligence (AI) could help to address significant societal challenges, including those identified in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For organizations that seek to use such technology for social good, an understanding of the existing use cases and potential for social impact should be considered within the context of a heightened regulatory framework that might stifle successes.

As strategic consultants to senior leaders, communicators play a critical role in driving outcomes, which makes it important for communications teams to develop robust employee development plans that suit the needs of the organization. Mayo Clinic begins with identifying accountabilities, establishes required competencies at each level, and tracks career progression tailored to individual employees’ own goals.