Worlds away, back in March, “it’s on all of us” is how the then-rookie chancellor, Rishi Sunak, set out the challenges ahead. “We want to look back on this time and remember how, in the face of a generation-defining moment, we undertook a collective national effort – and we stood together. It’s on all of us”.
Continue reading ““It’s on all of us.” Three things responsible firms do”
Survival has been the name of the game, but it is not an end game.
For many firms, the main focus so far has been to batten down the hatches in the face of rising uncertainty.
It is time to start rebuilding. Gradually, the economy will start to splutter back into life. We will be at the foot of a tall mountain.
How should businesses and brands start to rebuild? What should they do differently? Where is the solid ground to build on? Will they regret cutting marketing spend? Continue reading “Six steps to prepare for the recovery”
Too much has been written about what Brexit might or might not mean.
What it does mean is that business, ordinary people and politicians will all soon have a much bigger role in the decisions that shape our everyday lives. Continue reading “A new type of corporate citizenship?”
This first appeared in The Article on 7 November 2019
Is it possible that Dany Cotton, the head of the London Fire Brigade, is so conceited and heartless that she really would do nothing differently if Grenfell played out again?
I don’t know, but I doubt it. It’s hard to believe that anyone could willingly be so crass. Continue reading “The Grenfell inquiry illustrates the need for an Apology Act”
This blog first appeared over at Prolific London.
Just when you think there isn’t room in the world for another business index, the very smart people at communications agency Portland have created the Total Value Index. Continue reading “Purpose? How should business value be measured?”
This blog is based on a short quote which the Financial Times was kind enough to include in “Boeing criticised for not acting faster“.
Boeing appeared to be trying to win the wrong argument. Continue reading “Boeing tried to win the wrong argument”
This article first appeared in the August 2018 edition of CorpComms Magazine
The Apology Clause campaign (www.apologyclause.com) aims to make it easier for businesses to behave with compassion when things go wrong, and so to help victims have better recoveries.
Here we look at what is behind the campaign, and why it is important for professional communicators charged with protecting corporate reputation. Continue reading “Meaningful apologies matter”
The researchers at professional services firm EY reveal four fifths (82%) of us believe a brand’s values must include a clear purpose. This purpose is critical in deciding whether or not we will buy from them.
The difficulty with this conclusion, and many like it, is that what people mean by purpose can be misunderstood, and such analysis can be overly simplistic and too easily miss a point. Continue reading “Do brands really need a “social purpose” to do good?”
This article first appeared in The Brief, the specialist law pages of The Times.
It argues that while it is often easy to see why lawyers’ first instinct is to be cautious, there are times when embracing the apology clause would serve their clients better. Continue reading “Saying sorry can be a good business decision”
This blog first appeared on PRMoment, outlining the need for the campaign, to make it easier for people to recover after traumatic or damaging incidents, and so that businesses can do the right thing when things have gone wrong.
The fear that businesses have that there may be legal ramifications to doing the right thing is often an issue for the communications advisers whose role is to try and protect their clients’ reputation when a crisis strikes. Continue reading “Please support the Apology Clause campaign”
The Apology Clause campaign has launched this week. It aims to make it easier for businesses to behave with compassion, instead of fearing the law, and for victims to get apologies they deserve, so helping their recovery. Continue reading “Apology Clause campaign launched so business can be compassionate”
Businesses are operating in a more hostile public environment than at any time in the last 40 years.
The collapse of trust in formal institutions. The re-birth of socialism. Popular support to nationalise many industries. These are all taking their toll, often making business appear at odds with society. Continue reading “New agency: making the case for business”
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