As a former English major, professional writer, and fan of books, I was happy to read in The New York Times that "small booksellers not only survived the pandemic, but many are thriving." More than 300 new independent bookstores have sprouted across the United States in the past couple of years. Given how bookstore sales fell nearly 30 percent in 2020, things could have turned out differently. “It’s kind of …
“Owning A Large Portion of the Best Talent” Is Pre-COVID Thinking
Like so many businesses, the agency business is a talent business from top to bottom. Nothing good happens without extraordinary efforts made by dedicated, gifted people working as one. Agency heads used to say the agency's "best assets," a.k.a. the talent, walk out the door and go down the elevator each evening. Of course, these commuters almost always returned in the morning. Today, with our newfound and …
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War in Ukraine Leads Western Firms to Close the Door on Russia
Horrible news and painful images are pouring out of Ukraine every day now, as the European country of more than 40M people struggles to survive and repel Russia's lethal invasion. The images and news from inside Russia are also disturbing as the Kremlin is viciously attacking anti-war protestors, closing media outlets, and tightening its grip before it loses its grip completely. Everyone loses in war. Here's …
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Lose Trust and Relationships Rust
Edelman PR has studied trust for more than 20 years and believes that it is the ultimate currency in the relationship that all institutions—companies and brands, governments, NGOs, and media—build with their stakeholders. The firm speaks highly of trust and places its importance at the center of everything. Trust defines an organization’s license to operate, lead and succeed. Trust is the foundation that allows an …
Stanley Black & Decker To Help Train 3M Skilled Workers
Building healthy brands and companies that last requires long-term vision from the leadership team. As brand managers look to the future, some of the problems that will be waiting for them begin to reveal themselves. For instance, today there are 10 million manufacturing jobs around the world that remain unfulfilled due to a lack of skilled trade workers. The same is true for the construction industry where there …
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The Machines Have Moved In. The Machines Have No Feelings.
I am a writer. I write ad copy, journalism, poetry, fiction, and essays—not necessarily in that order. Because I am a writer, I want to laugh at the idea that a machine can do what I, or what any writer does for a living. Sure, a machine can spit out words, I get that part. But is that good enough today? Can machine-generated words move customer automatons to respond favorably? Can an AI copywriting platform (that …
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From Cannes to Austin, The Festival Season Clicks Into an Unknown Future
Live events like concerts and trade shows do not translate well to online formats, a factor that has devastated many businesses in the sector since COVID-19 began to ravage and kill people last March. Cannes Is Not Exactly Roaring Like A Lion Cannes Lions' London-based parent company Ascential issued its full-year 2020 financials this week, noting that the Festival will likely be a hybrid digital-live format, with …
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The Soul of New Orleans Is At Risk, Along with Its Blues, Jazz, and Funk
When the COVID-19 pandemic rolled across the globe, it silenced live music everywhere. Perhaps nowhere was that silence more deafening than New Orleans. This unprecedented crisis has led to the indefinite cancellation of gigs, event postponements, and venue closures around the world. It has left many Louisiana musicians and others who work in the music industry facing a total or near-total loss of income for the …
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