86% of Americans believe transparency from businesses is more important than ever before. With an ongoing need for companies to cultivate trust with customers, building an executive’s social media presence is a critical way to communicate company values in a humanized and authentic way. Social media is a great tool for executives to advocate for…
An Interview with Susan Stern, Founder of Stern Strategy Group Susan Stern shares how she made her dream of an honest, respectful and responsive client services agency a reality. Starting a business is a great endeavor but leading a successful business for nearly 40 years is even better. When Susan founded Stern Strategy Group in…
The business community generally, and auditing and corporate governance functions especially, are in the grip of a worldwide trust crisis. That’s a particularly perverse position to be in, given audit’s central role in fostering trust in markets, says Karthik Ramanna, an Oxford professor, author and authority on rebuilding stakeholder and shareholder trust in organizations. But he…
In 2021, marketers in the U.S. are expected to spend more than $20 billion on social media advertising. But social media success can’t hinge on sponsored posts and paid ads alone. Four secrets to ensure our clients’ social media strategies work smarter—not harder—than their competitors’ Create content with a purpose. Content may be king, but…
Writing (and writing well) is everyone’s job. Some of us must do more of it than others, but no one – especially in the fields of PR and marketing – is exempt. How many emails do you draft and send every day? How about social posts? Web copy? Blogs, articles or presentations? Regardless of the…
An ineffective communications strategy is what nightmares are made of. A smart, strategic communications plan is critical for every B2B business. But not all plans work; they add little value to the organization, lack clear focus and direction, and simply miss the mark when it comes to ROI. Make sure your 2022 communications planning hits…
In her new book, New America CEO Anne-Marie Slaughter draws on her own leadership journey to show how individual experiences can lead to collective renewal
Accountants and financial professionals know the danger of competing on price. The “race to the bottom” is a perilous road. Lower profit means less cash on hand, so your business is more vulnerable to any externality. Having been through just about the most disruptive externality in recent memory – a global pandemic – accounting firms…
This is a catalytic moment in the evolution of health care. Driven by necessity during the pandemic, the industry has changed more in the past year than at any other time in modern history. COVID-19 hastened the arrival of the future of medicine, creating a powerful opportunity to rethink and redefine how health care works….
If you have been in marketing or communications for almost any amount of time, you have undoubtedly been asked, “How can we generate more awareness?” To answer that question, one could rattle off any number of traditional PR tactics. That is enough for some companies, but it shouldn’t be. After all, more awareness for awareness’ sake will…
By Stern Strategy Group August 19, 2021 While we grow eager for a “return to normal” – which for some may include going back to a shared office space – the collective trauma we’ve experienced this past year demands a fresh approach. How should a pandemic era workplace be designed? Will that model set a precedent…
When it comes to corporate reputation, your executive visibility strategy can make or break your brand. Jeff Bezos, Meg Whitman, Rupert Murdoch, Elon Musk. When you hear the names of these top leaders, the corporate brands they’ve helmed quickly come to mind. Their reputations and those of their businesses are intricately intertwined. Who is the face…
It’s the paradox of success. Your latest product launch was a hit. Your company is growing. Soon, imitators come calling from all sides. And eventually, due to low barriers to entry, your entire market becomes commoditized, forcing all competitors to compete largely on price as the differences between their various features and benefits become very fuzzy….
Companies spend inordinate amounts of time and resources to understand what their customers and prospects want and how they will act (and buy). You invest heavily in market research, online surveys, customer interviews, focus groups and more to inform your marketing and PR strategy. And you do gain some measure of how to better position…
Kevin Werbach helps leaders understand emerging technologies so they can identify opportunities, avoid dangers and ensure smooth operations.
Awareness is dead. Kaput. Extinct. No longer relevant. Toast. Finished. Let’s not shed a single tear for its passing. For far too long, communicators have touted “raising awareness” as the basic measure of success. The great justifier of our very existence. The holy grail of results. No longer. As your communications strategy evolves, make sure…
Thought leadership starts with a big idea, but it centers on action – yours and that of your key audiences. It requires you to solve problems, embody your message in everything you say and do, and communicate your value through multiple channels with clarity, conviction and consistency. Only then can the power and value of thought leadership…
Any press is good press, right? NO! This old fallacy isn’t just wrong, it’s downright dangerous, especially in today’s online world where the lines of opinion and fact are blurred and everyone has a voice that can spread like wildfire. Make no mistake: your thought leadership brand and reputation are deeply linked. And if you treat…
