 I enjoy passing along comms content I find valuable, such as this IABC Catalyst article, “All the Things I Wish I’d Known: A Love Letter to Young Professionals” by Alyssa Long. Long, an organizational storyteller and empathy advocate, shares advice for those in the early stages of their career. This includes emphasizing work-life balance, how best to manage stress, and traits to borrow from senior leaders. The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is a global network of communication professionals, and I serve on the IABC DC Metro board. All the Things I Wish I’d Known: A Love Letter to Young Professionals
By Alyssa Long Congratulations, you’re embarking on a career in communications! As a young professional, you will occupy a specific niche as both a storyteller and ethical barometer. In the coming years, you will engage in both strategic planning and execution, seeing your projects and initiatives come to life. It’s an exciting time, and I hope you’ve found an organization that will empower you to grow, contribute and thrive. When I think about my earliest years in the workforce, there were times I was overworked, overwhelmed and downright scared. A decade later, I can’t help but think, “If only I’d known…” I want to share some of the essential skills that can help you navigate your career, improve your quality of life and set you apart in the workplace. This is my love letter to young professionals, wherever and whenever you are.
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 Election Day is November 5, and I enjoyed this IABC Catalyst podcast, “Communicating in a Year of Elections: A Conversation With David Imber.”
Imber, a political communications expert, discusses how communicators can navigate our polarized landscape, decide when to address sensitive topics, and apply strategies from the political sphere. "Communications and politics comes together because politicians and politics is so ever-present," he said during the podcast. "It’s very difficult to think of a part of our industry where there isn’t some intersection with politics because in democracies we all have the right to vote, so there is a real opportunity for impact." I’m on the board of IABC DC Metro, and I enjoy sharing comms content.  Note: I’m on the board of IABC DC Metro, and I often share comms content on my blog.
In this PodCatalyst episode, Fred Cook, director of the USC Center for Public Relations at USC Annenberg, discusses findings from “Communicating Culture During a Hybrid Revolution.” The report was a joint effort between IABC and USC. “We were trying to find out whether having a remote workforce, or partially remote workforce, impacts your corporate culture,” said Cook. “The people we surveyed listed that as the number one challenge: How do you maintain corporate culture?” More insights, click the button below.  Note: I’m on the board of IABC DC Metro, and I often share comms content on my blog. This piece was recently published in Catalyst, the official publication of IABC. #MoreFromMedia — A Call to Return to the Sacred Art of Storytelling
By Charlene SanJenko Since the beginning of time, stories have shaped our culture. They’ve helped us understand the world in which we live, how we relate to ourselves and each other, and how to thrive on this planet. As marketers, communicators, brand strategists and agency professionals, we’re being called to elevate our best practices to a higher level with a new approach. Our industry is ripe for change. Now is the time. A powerful story ignites imagination, fuels possibility and invites perspective shifts when its impact is clarified and articulated at the beginning of the creative process. Whether it’s an engagement campaign, commercial or in-person experience, a story can incubate, develop and expand throughout the production and its potential for impact is more fully realized. Consumerism and profit at all costs is outdated and irresponsible. Our audiences deserve more from media. It’s time to engage with them differently for improved decisions and a brighter future. Increasingly, funders, investors, broadcasters, collaborative partners and consumers are looking to connect with a clearer sense of purpose beyond features-focused marketing, direct sales pitches and over-the-top advertising.  Note: I’m on the board of IABC DC Metro, and I often post comms content to my blog. I’m pleased to share “16 Things We Learned at IABC World Conference 2024.” The article appeared recently in Catalyst, the official publication of IABC.
Insights include: ☑️ The act of communicating is not a rote process — it’s something that must be cared for. ☑️ Failure needs to be reframed as success in disguise. ☑️ Experiential content should push human emotions. Please click the button below for more takeaways.  Note: I’m on the board of IABC DC Metro, and I often share comms content on my blog.
Catalyst is the official publication of IABC, and in this Catalyst podcast, Emily Caister, an award-winning communications leader, discusses Taylor Swift’s marketing mastery. We, as comms pros, can learn much from the superstar, Emily explained. "Being authentic is one of the things we can take away from Taylor Swift," she said, noting the personal touch the pop performer brings to her songs and stories. "More than ever, people want to have connections with brands and that's hard when we're not being authentic. We need to make sure our actions resonate with our values."  Note: I’m on the board of IABC DC Metro, and I often share comms content on my blog. I found this story particularly helpful. Catalyst is the official publication of IABC. By Ekin Yasin, Ph.D.
The role of communication professionals is crucial in conveying messages and information to diverse internal and external audiences. In today’s rapidly evolving landscape, communication has significantly accelerated. This acceleration has been propelled by new media technologies, generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools, the need for social media responses and the challenges posed by global events like the pandemic. This heightened pace demands that communication professionals worldwide navigate a complex environment with speed. Yet it also raises concerns about the sustainability of such practice, particularly considering the growing rates of burnout. Should speed be the sole focus in organizational communication? Is there room for a more deliberate, slower approach?  Note: I’m on the board of IABC DC Metro, and I often share content related to communications to my blog. I found this article on crisis communications insightful. Catalyst is the official publication of IABC. By: David Whitely
It’s been long-held in crisis communications that the actions taken in the first 60 minutes are crucial for managing how an incident will be perceived, reported and managed. And despite this, it’s incredible how many organizations seemingly fall at this first hurdle. Those first decisions made as an incident unfolds — what has become known as the “golden hour” — can often determine whether one maintains some control over the reporting of an incident or finds oneself constantly chasing a narrative dictated by others. During my career with roles in government, regulation and aviation, I have dealt with many challenging incidents as part of a communications team. There have been times when one may feel like they’re not in control of the story and, gradually, the control of the narrative slips away. With the advent of the 24-hour news cycle, digital communications and social media, coupled with the demand for instant reporting, the golden hour is fast becoming a thing of the past.  Photo: Silvan Arnet at Unsplash Note: My fellow IABC DC Metro board member, Sue O’Hora, wrote the following article for her LinkedIn newsletter, “Video for Communicators.” I found the piece extremely valuable, and I wanted to share. Sue is a writer, producer and director at Rising Night Productions, a video production company in Washington, DC. By Sue O'Hora
A few months ago, I stumbled upon an article about “niching down.” There are lots of articles out there on the topic (I’ve linked a couple at the bottom of this post), but the basic gist is that a service provider simply can’t serve everyone. You need to be able to narrow down your target market to the people who are a perfect fit for what you offer. This clarity helps you become more efficient, more effective in your messaging, and ultimately more profitable in your business. Video production skills are incredibly flexible and can be applied to an enormous number of creative challenges, but I’m starting to become a true believer in the idea of “niching down.” The Value of Knowing Your Audience At the beginning of every video project, I ask the client to describe their audience. Whenever someone answers “everyone,” I know that we have work to do before we’ll be able to start production. Even if you were making a video about ice cream sundaes, you would need to think about whether your audience is made up of foodies who want information about the lovingly-crafted ingredients that make the very best sundaes or shoppers who might be looking for ways to step up their family’s home sundae game. Just as it’s extremely difficult if not impossible to make a video for “everyone,” it’s very difficult to market your business to everyone.  Note: I’m on the board of IABC DC Metro, and I often share content related to communications to my blog. I found this article on generative artificial intelligence (AI) interesting. Catalyst is the official publication of IABC. By: Matt Russell
The landscape of our profession is being transformed by generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT, redefining what’s possible in communications. While some organizations have embraced these tools and are positioning themselves for the future, others have been slower to do so and risk falling behind. Over the past year, the Mayo Clinic communications department has formally adopted generative AI and taken the first steps toward building a future with possibilities we’re just starting to imagine. We’ve implemented dozens of use cases that save time and energy, generate insights, optimize content and elevate our work. Our media relations team developed a prompting guide to integrate generative AI into its workflows, and a growing team of super users is driving a culture of continuous learning. Generative AI is not a passing fad. Effectively using it is becoming an essential part of the modern skill set for communicators, and taking the first steps in using these tools is imperative. Here are key lessons learned in taking those critical first steps to generative AI adoption, based on our work at the Mayo Clinic communications department. |
AuthorI'm Eli Natinsky and I'm a communication specialist. This blog explores my work and professional interests. I also delve into other topics, including media, marketing, pop culture, and technology. Archives
November 2024
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