Category Archives: b2b

Houston, We Have a Problem: A Female First Campaign Lost in Space

Posted on by
Reply

Pop star Katy Perry, news anchor Gayle King and four other high-profile women launched into space this week with high hopes of inspiring a swell of female empowerment. But, the Blue Origin 11-minute flight—carrying six glamorous women in full make up, donning matching blue, fitted spacesuits —did not resonate with the public as intended. Instead, it launched a chorus of criticism by celebrities and others who bashed the event as tone deaf and an empty show of feminism.

So, what went wrong? How did this “one giant stunt for womankind,” as a critic from The New York Times called it, go wrong and how might a different comms approach have produced a more positive outcome?

Exploring the Issue

The flight was part of the New Shepard program at Blue Origin, founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos. In announcing the flight, the women described the trip as an endeavor to encourage STEM careers and female empowerment, according to interviews with Elle.

The rocket, which pilots itself, carried Perry and King, as well as aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sanchez, a journalist and Bezos’s fiancée. Even though the women were not space professionals, the Blue Origin team labeled the group as the rocket’s “astronaut crew.”  Blue Origin described them as storytellers who inspire others —as advocates for students in STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), civil rights, philanthropy, overcoming adversity and more.

While the trip may have been designed to encourage girls to consider STEM careers, the women aboard were seen as space tourists. They were not operating the rocket or fulfilling any astronaut responsibilities and left audiences reaching to connect them with STEM.

Upping Their Game

Could the right communications approach have changed the outcome here? Maybe. However, we do see a few areas where Blue Origin could have better executed this mission.

  • Authenticity in messaging: Blue Origin thought they were planning a mission to inspire young girls and women to explore new careers, but the wealthy, well-connected women selected to participate did not relate well to audiences. Brands need to ensure their messaging is authentic, compelling and connects to their audiences. The public watching and reading about the launch are not millionaires or billionaires who can afford the undisclosed ticket price. Audiences might have better received a passenger manifesto made up of successful women in STEM, rather than celebrities and journalists.
  • The brand’s reputation: Amazon, also founded by Bezos, has a reputation for disregarding the environment with its packaging and fleet of delivery vehicles in constant motion across the globe. While Blue Origin claims to be sustainably minded using reusable rockets and researching ways to encourage sustainability through space exploration, many viewed the rocket launch as damaging to the environment, as well as a waste of resources when many are experiencing financial hardship. Blue Origin may have been better served by hosting more female scientists like Bowe on the mission, conducting research to further sustainability, and creating messaging to show how those initiatives might connect to the brand.
  • Optics: Full-makeup, perfect blow-outs and designer matching spacesuits set a new tone for space exploration. Blue Origin’s comms team should have considered the optics of the women posing in slinky suits with professional makeup and hair. The comms team should have considered suggesting attire that looked less Hollywood and more professional rather than monied glamour.
  • Leveraging post-event energy: After the women returned to Earth and interviews were conducted, audiences were left feeling flat. Perhaps a post-event press conference with the women talking about the next steps for advancements in STEM for females, for which this mission has opened doors, would have conveyed a real commitment, garnered more attention and furthered a goal of female empowerment.

While the launch gained plenty of media attention, the resulting backlash has not benefited Blue Origin or the six women who chose to board the rocket. When considering a media stunt or event, be sure to think strategically. Not doing so could leave your brand identity lost in space.

April Fools: Messaging Blunders That Should Be a Joke But Aren’t

Posted on by
Reply

I wish I was joking. What follows really ought to be an exercise in April Fool’s frivolity and humor. Unfortunately, the only thing foolish about what follows is these brand communications efforts were undertaken with some level of intent or ineptitude that resulted in public embarrassment for some or all involved.

With that, I offer the top five most April Fool’s-worthy communications that really should have been overseen by a competent public relations professional:

  1. Mixed Signals: On March 24, some of the Trump Administration’s most senior leadership commiserated over an imminent, and then later completed, attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen who are accused of carrying out missile and drone attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea. They did so via an app called Signal, a free open-source and encrypted messaging app, the use of which by government employees has, to date, been discouraged by the federal government. That group chat included a well-known U.S. journalist, leading to an embarrassment of sometimes competing explanations, excuses and denials that anything sensitive was shared. They tried to chalk it up to something like a fat-thumbs-texting-moment where you didn’t mean to text your ex, but you did and now you very deeply regret it.
  2. Oh Boya, a Press Release from Goya: In a what-medication-was-he-on-moment, Goya Foods CEO Bob Unanue issued an ill-considered, rambling and seemingly pointless self-published press release in February announcing his new, but extremely unclear chapter after the Goya board allegedly voted him out. The release included a stream-of-consciousness quote from Unanue about child trafficking. File this one under friends don’t let CEOs self-publish press releases.
  3. Dude, Where’s My Car?: Jaguar went full SNL/Calvin Klein commercial crazy late last year when it rolled out its new branding in a techno-beat, multiracial, gender-bending, psychedelic-color driven ad campaign that seemed to offer a little bit of everything … except its iconic automobiles. While trying to defend the company’s rebrand as “bold” and “imaginative,” the public seemed to respond with a collective eye-roll and complete dismissal of one of the most confusing rebrands/commercials of the modern era.
  4. Finger-licking Eh: In 2024, McDonald’s—the bastion of Big Macs and Dollar Menus—took a bold step in introducing its first beauty product line. In partnership with beauty brand Nails.INC, Mickey D’s created a line of nail products that mirrored its brand colors in polishes, along with stickers and a French-fry-inspired French manicure. Ironically, the fast-food giant has a standing policy that does not allow employees to wear nail polish. The campaign ended almost as quickly as it was announced as the public did not seem to be lovin’ it.
  5. Ain’t Mis-Bee-haven: Spring was in the air, but a 2024 campaign proved to be a buzzkill for dating app Bumble after it introduced a series of advertisements advocating against celibacy. It was an ill-considered attempt to humorously address dating frustrations related to dating apps. Backlash was swift, with women’s organizations and others noting women choose celibacy for a range of reasons, including safety, reproductive rights and more. With its wings clipped, Bumble quickly reversed course and ended the campaign with a commitment to help support domestic violence organizations.

If there is a takeaway or lesson across all these situations it is this: Avoid becoming a fool, in April or any other month, by ensuring your internal or external comms teams have a say in all brand communications. Public relations pros know how to manage the message as well as alert senior leaders of potential, unforced errors that can place a dunce cap high-atop the brand’s reputation.

Play Ball! Grand Opening Tips Inspired by Major League Baseball’s Opening Day

Posted on by
Reply

Coined by many as the “official start of spring,” millions of people around the U.S. look forward to Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Opening Day every year. Whether fans are attending games in person, watching live on television or from their mobile devices, the start of MLB continues to draw national attention year after year.

While local businesses do not have the MLB’s platform or budget, business owners can draw inspiration from Opening Day to maximize their grand opening events. When done correctly, a grand opening can serve as a homerun for your business growth strategy. When approached as just another to-do among many, owners can miss a key opportunity to introduce their businesses to the community and generate excitement among potential customers. Just like the MLB’s Opening Day, a new business needs to give the public something to root for.

Hitting it out of the park

MLB’s Opening Day stirs up excitement among fans and provides an opportunity to showcase new rosters and skills. Grand openings can give new businesses a chance to call on future fans to consider their goods or services while shining stadium-style bright lights on the business itself. To make the most of a grand opening, business leaders should plan effectively, tap into the local community and engage the media with a meaningful story.

  • Have an impactful plan: To draw in the community, business owners need to host an attention-worthy event. While they could simply open the doors and hope for the masses to come walking in, the results would likely be disappointing. When planning an event, business owners should consider their clientele, what might motivate them to visit and how they can engage them once they have arrived. Food and refreshments, partnering with local vendors, coordinating donations to local charities, selling raffles or providing activities for children are great places to start. Details should be highlighted in all marketing efforts. 
  • Tap into the community: Community involvement is a crucial asset in the process of opening a business. From collecting insights from fellow business owners, to building a repeat customer base, community support is irreplaceable. Business owners should consider inviting local dignitaries, business connections and key community members in the area to the grand opening. It is important to have enough lead time to send out invitations, secure a spot on community calendars and promote the event. Social media groups and community bulletins can also be effective tools in getting the word out.
  • Engage the media: When trying to promote a grand opening, there is no substitute for media coverage. Print and broadcast exposure can reach a much broader audience than a business owner might on their own. While advertising with local media is an option, earned media provides valuable visibility without added costs. The key, however, is to identify what makes a particular grand opening, or business in the area special or newsworthy. The opening alone may not rise to the level of newsworthiness in some communities.

When we look to the MLB, we see they are selling more than the story of baseball on Opening Day; they are tapping into the emotional side of their fan bases. For example, after a disappointing 2022 season, the Texas Rangers made a triumphant return in 2023, winning their Opening Day series and later securing a World Series championship. Similarly, business owners should offer a story to the media about their business that connects with the community beyond simply telling the public there is a grand opening event happening.  

A successful grand opening can position a new business for consistent growth, whereas a disappointing one can leave owners struggling to build momentum. A public relations agency or local freelance PR specialist could be a great resource to help effectively promote a grand opening, conduct media and community outreach and brainstorm ideas that might resonate with the public.

Just as baseball fans look forward to MLB’s Opening Day each year, a business’s grand opening should be an event that speaks to the business’ potential fan base. MLB’s Opening Day is something that is carefully planned and considered by all involved. A business’ grand opening deserves no less attention.

Brand Authenticity Requires Communicators to Play Lead Roles

Posted on by
Reply

While brands have a voice in shaping their narratives, it is their publics who play an outsized role in holding organizations to their brand promise and reputation.

One of the best time-tested methods of ensuring adherence to brand authenticity is having a public relations or communications professional at the decision-making table from the start. Failing to do so runs the risk of self-inflicted reputational harm that is extremely difficult, and often expensive to dial back later.

In brands we trust

B2C as well as B2B consumers have vast resources to evaluate brands and a wealth of options from which to choose. Brands that consistently speak to the values and priorities of their consumers engender trust and an emotional connection. According to April 2024 data released from Shopify, 86% of American consumers say authenticity is a key reason they buy or engage with a brand.

Whether it is Red Bull, GE or Salesforce, these companies and others are great examples of organizations that use engaging storytelling, emotionally targeted messaging and brand authenticity to reach and connect with their audiences. We know Red Bull gives you wings. We know GE is focused on imagination at work, and that Salesforce positions you to manage success, not software. Their messaging goes beyond taglines, and their stories resonate with their publics because they meet a need.

What Ben Franklin said

Ben Franklin famously quipped, “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.” There are countless brands that illustrate Franklin’s point.

The example set by Target regarding its shifting DEI policies has put … well, a target on the Target brand with calls for boycotts and declining sales. Such inconsistent messaging causes brand audiences to reconsider the authenticity and trustworthiness of the organizations at issue. Consumers aren’t sure what, if anything, the brand stands for and repairing that damage will be a long and expensive undertaking.

On the B2B side, there is no more powerful example of reputational damage due to a lack of authenticity—as well as transparency—as WeWork. The company promoted a utopia-style revolution in how workspaces would evolve while leveling the playing field for entrepreneurs to work collaboratively. In reality, the company infamously misled everyone regarding its spending, profitability and stability, leading to a loss of trust among investors and business clients that ultimately led to the founder being ousted and a Chapter 11 filing in 2023.

The power of communications strategy

A chief communications officer with a seat at the leadership table can help organizations adhere to brand authenticity. These professionals are trained to assess the communications risks of any given action by an organization that plays out in front of its publics—internal or external. They help brands avoid unforced errors and plan for a range of responses from their target audiences.

Having that comms professional in the room from the start of major brand decisions can lead to important conversations and questions filtered through a public perception lens, such as:

  • How does this align with the public’s understanding of who we are and what we do?
  • What risks are we taking with this change, and what can we do to mitigate them?
  • Does this change align with our core values?
  • How should we communicate this change clearly to our audiences, and what are the best channels to do so?
  • What is the plan to measure the impact of this change on our brand reputation and perception?
  • What is the backup plan if this change is not well received, and what is the trigger to institute that plan?

Brand leaders are best served when their PR teams challenge group think and work to consider the reaction to organizational change among various audiences. This approach can strengthen and even improve the proposed changes, better aligning them with the brand’s reputation and perception and lead to a smoother introduction to its publics. However, making change better and more sustainable only happens if the communicators are in the room where decisions are made from the beginning. That is how you maintain brand authenticity, and it matters.

Get to Know PR Manager Alex Bacon

Posted on by
Reply

Public relations is all about relationships—the people behind the stories. That’s why we’re offering this blog series all about our team members. This isn’t about our professional accomplishments but who we are as people. We hope you have as much fun reading along as we do interviewing each other.

What got you interested in public relations?

I have always had a strong interest in writing and storytelling. I remember taking paper from my parents’ printer so I could write my own books. But it wasn’t until college when someone told me I should try pursuing a career in communications. I did, and didn’t look back. The idea of helping people and businesses tell their stories or showcase their expertise to the right audiences is one that appealed to me immediately. This career choice was the right one.

Tell us about your favorite movie and what appeals most to you about it?

I’m a big fan of space and sci-fi movies, and there are a lot of good ones, but Interstellar stands out as my favorite. It’s a masterpiece – from the stunning visuals to the narrative and storytelling about family and sacrifice. I also appreciate how the movie is grounded in scientific reality, exploring things like time dilation (i.e. Miller’s Planet) and black holes in a way that few movies do.

It’s rare to watch a movie that captures the vast emptiness of space and the emotional weight of the choices we make, and Interstellar does it well.

What was the last, best book you read and what about it spoke to you?

The Girl Dad Code by William Harding. Being a first-time parent is tough, being a parent to a daughter is nerve-wracking – especially in today’s world. Harding’s book really stuck with me because it offers practical and heartfelt advice on raising a strong, confident daughter. He also focuses on leading by example – being present, building trust and showing up every day.

I find myself referring back to it every now and again as my daughter grows up, gathering new insights along the way. It’s becoming a great reminder that I don’t need all the answers; I just need to be there, listen and support her as she becomes the person she wants to be.

Tell us about a meaningful hobby or “outside of work” commitment that is important to you?

Weightlifting and fitness have been a huge part of my life. Both have taught me about resilience and discipline. The process of setting goals and staying consistent to meet them has had a meaningful impact on how I approach my professional work and everyday problem-solving. My commitment to my physical health gives me more energy and mental clarity, which helps me stay focused and think more creatively.

5. Share a fun fact about you.

I love to cook. I taught myself after I finished undergraduate school as a way to stay healthy and save a bit of money while looking for full-time work. To this day, I cook almost every meal – breakfast, lunch and dinner – and I have no intention of stopping anytime soon.

An Outie’s Perspective: If I worked in Comms at Severance’s Lumon Industries

Posted on by
Reply

Photo by AppleTV

The wildly popular Apple TV+ series Severance has many of us considering ourselves in the shoes of a so-called “severed” employee. For example, I wonder – what would my “innie” do during her workday at the fictional Lumon Industries?

Spoiler alert – if you have not yet seen the show, the premise centers on an elective surgical procedure to the employee’s brain that separates work and personal life. The severed main characters’ “innies,” or in-office versions of themselves, spend their days behind desks in the Macro Data Refinement Department of a bio-tech company called Lumon Industries.

For me, a public relations professional for Kimball Hughes PR in real life, I would think my “innie” might have some communications expertise to share with Lumon leadership, particularly on the so-called Severed Floor, designed exclusively for innies.

Communication Breakdown

At Lumon, when innies ask why they do the work they do, they are told, “The work is very important and mysterious.” The lack of transparency provided by leadership fuels the innies’ curiosity to learn more about what is really going on and results in a growing distrust of management.

As professional communicators, we always advise our clients to be transparent in both internal and external communications. In internal communications, conveniently leaving out key details or worse, lying about events or covering up incidents, can build distrust, chip away at employee morale and lead to quiet or actual quitting. Communication from the top can be a critical aspect of strengthening the company’s reputation and the trust of employees as well. At Lumon, the board communicates mysteriously through a retro public announcement-like system in a way that no one but the board’s translator can hear or understand.

Leadership should set the bar in a corporate structure and they should lead by their own actions to inspire others. Management should make it a priority to be present, relatable and accessible. For example, if a company is encouraging teams to volunteer and engage in charitable giving, leadership should step up to the plate to motivate others. If leadership is implementing a return-to-office mandate, leadership should be onsite as well and ensure they are relaying clear reasons for how the mandate will benefit the company, as well as its employees – beyond perks, like new coffee flavors or the occasional Music Dance Experience (IYKYK).

A Lesson in Crisis Management

While every Severance episode seems to present a slew of crises, the Lumon Industries PR team (assuming the fictitious company has one) was likely engaged for crisis communications services when (another spoiler alert) the innies escaped to see how their outies live at the end of Season 1.

When the main character Mark S. returns to the Severed Floor at the start of Season 2, his manager, Mr. Milchick parrots a company narrative about the innies’ escape. He explained the incident led the innies to be named heroes, inspired a review of the treatment of severed employees and resulted in a series of reforms – complete with a newspaper article and an animated internal comms video.

The Lumon PR team may deserve credit for seemingly responding to the situation proactively by engaging the media and creating messaging, but, from a professional communications perspective, it was certainly lacking. The Lumon team manufactured untruthful messaging in an elaborate effort to spin their way out of the predicament. Likely, they did not have a comprehensive crisis communications plan in place – a best practice for any business owner.

Instead, the Lumon team should have followed crisis communications best practices that center on collecting facts related to the situation and following a pre-designed plan for leadership that can help deter people from acting rashly on emotion in a crisis. Lumon leadership should not have created messaging and collateral around a lie, but instead around fact-based messaging.

Anyone who has seen the show, sees countless parallels between the fictional Lumon world and the traditional corporate workplace. Aside from the more obvious light the show shines on work-life-balance and corporate culture, it also presents a case study on corporate communications, mostly on what to avoid.

Get to Know PR Assistant Bianca Pell

Posted on by
Reply

Public relations is all about relationships—the people behind the stories. That’s why we’re offering this blog series all about our team members. This isn’t about our professional accomplishments but who we are as people. We hope you have as much fun reading along as we do interviewing each other.

What got you interested in public relations?

My first exposure to the power of PR is connected to my family’s restaurant. After a local reporter reached out for a series he was doing on restaurants in the area, we filmed a segment showcasing menu items, upcoming holiday specials and, most importantly, our family’s story. The reruns of the segment as well as its popularity online produced incredible results. I saw the impact of a well-timed media placement firsthand while I worked the holiday weekend after it aired, with customers directly attributing their visit to seeing the segment. As a PR professional, I’m constantly seeking to replicate that excitement I felt that day. I learned that PR is where I could use my love for storytelling to amplify a client’s message and connect to their audience.

Tell us about your favorite movie and what appeals most to you about it?

The movie “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is one of my all-time favorites. I come from a big family myself, so I always enjoy stories that dive into complicated familial relationships. Like any good sci-fi story, this film is vibrant and unafraid to be weird. It strikes this great balance tonally, with the humorous moments only heightening the moments that made me cry.

What was the last, best book you read and what about it spoke to you?

The last book I read was “James” by Percival Everett, a reimagining of “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” from the point of view of Jim, an escaped slave. I read Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in school growing up, so I loved getting to read Everett’s portrayal of the character. He reexamines and deepens the original themes through James’ expanded characterization.

Tell us about a meaningful hobby or “outside of work” commitment that is important to you?

Outside of work, knitting and crocheting are the hobbies I have recently come to love. Knitting and crocheting force me to slow down and focus on the moment. Both activities allow me to keep my hands busy and stave off the urge to reach for my phone while watching TV. As an avid reader, I often listen to audiobooks while I work on a project, bringing two of my favorite pastimes together. I also love that I’m making something tangible. Whether it’s a blanket or sweater, it is a physical piece I can be proud of.

Share a fun fact about you.

I grew up in the restaurant industry. My Grandpa opened a seafood restaurant in Virginia that is still owned and operated by my family to this day.

Keys to Boosting Brand Awareness in 2025: Embrace New Media

Posted on by
Reply

While you contemplate adding extra protein and strength training to your weight loss plans for 2025, why not consider adding new media and video to your company’s communications strategies?

A turn of the calendar to a new year presents an ideal opportunity to not only consider weight loss and exercise, but to evaluate business strategies as well – both successful and failed strategies. In public relations, as with many other industries, this new year refresh or reinvention beckons us to consider the latest trends and undertake new initiatives to continually boost brand awareness in the year ahead.

This time of year is replete with industry experts offering outlooks on what we can expect in the year ahead. And while traditional PR tactics, like contributed articles to well-respected outlets continue to carry weight, we are increasingly seeing good PR pros encouraging industry pundits to take on new platforms or new features of existing platforms to share their views, including – LinkedIn Live, LinkedIn Newsletters, TikTok, and new X competitor Blue Sky, among others.

Depending on the audience targeted, each platform can yield considerable results for company leaders who offer original, valuable and educational content. Leaders who want to boost their brand’s visibility in 2025 should consider the following new media:

  • LinkedIn Lives – In 2025, we will continue to see savvy thought leaders connect with their audiences through LinkedIn’s event-hosting platform LinkedIn Live. LinkedIn Lives are becoming increasingly popular for the platform’s ability to host live events with a casual feel – with one or multiple speakers, while engaging and interacting with the audience through a live chat function.

The tool markets itself in many ways as the event can easily be promoted among LinkedIn followers of the company page or the individual hosting the event. Followers will receive notifications about the event, as well as when it goes live. Moreover, any form of video in social media tends to generate higher levels of engagement than written content alone.

In the insurance space, digital marketing and transformation guru Ema Roloff has seen tremendous success with this resource, gathering roughly 1,600 registrations for an insurance predictions and trends event in late 2024. She hopes to do the same and more this year ahead of her Insurance Trends to Watch for 2025 event Dec. 17.

  • LinkedIn Newsletters – As LinkedIn continues to flex its authority as the social platform for business professionals, its newsletter function has also become increasingly popular for sharing thought leadership and other educational, nonpromotional content. LinkedIn claims it has seen a 59% increase in people publishing newsletter articles and a 47% rate increase in engagement. The platform claims more than 184,000 newsletters published. Once published, these newsletters invite your connections and followers automatically to subscribe so they are notified each time you publish with an in-app and email notification. Another perk – the success of your content is easily measurable through LinkedIn analytics.
  • Tik Tok – While Tik Tok has primarily been a successful B2C tool, we are now seeing the platform used more frequently for B2B engagement. In fact, Roloff has told us, her B2B Tik Tok videos on digital marketing in insurance have attracted more than one million views. We’ve been hearing for years that video content is essential for business communications, and Tik Tok proves the point and should not be overlooked in 2025.
  • BlueSky – As some look to move away from X, the app Bluesky, which bills itself as “an open foundation for the social internet” has been gaining popularity. In fact, BlueSky just reported crossing the 15 million user mark. As audiences flock to newer platforms like Bluesky and Meta’s Threads, business leaders will want to take note to ensure they are meeting their customers where they are.

To understand new media available to your business and what might be right for you, work with a communications specialist or agency that understands your business objectives, your audiences and the new media that can deliver on those objectives and audiences. Technology and AI are quickly changing how we do business, as well as how we communicate and interact with each other and prospects. Don’t get left behind.

Communicating with Sensitivity in the Holiday Season: A guide for home and office

Posted on by
Reply

We’re all worried about it. At this time of year everyone gathers. Linda brings up the election. Todd starts mansplaining. Rarely is there a workplace holiday gathering or end-of-year meeting where sensitive issues don’t come up. Oh, wait. You thought I was talking about holidays with the family?

Whether it’s bringing together far-flung (and far right and far left) relatives or just the company holiday party, some basic rules of the road apply to help you navigate both with grace, wit and diplomacy.

Know Your Audience

Spend enough time with anyone and you know what buttons to push and what reactions to expect. Keeping these in mind can avoid disaster.

  • Holiday Meals: Aunt Linda’s wine-soaked stories can venture into uncomfortable territory, while Cousin Todd is ready to challenge you on everything. Don’t engage. Instead, start light. “Please pass the rolls” is a safe opening that builds rapport and may only offend the gluten-free wing of the family.
  • Work Communications: When your boss is a bottom-line kind of executive or you have colleagues who need a little extra communication fluff to avoid shattered nerves, tailor your tone and content accordingly. When in doubt, lead with data and empathy. “Here’s the situation and my suggestions for how we can handle it.”

Address Conflict Strategically

Conflict is part of the human experience, but it doesn’t have to become a distraction from the mission of your gathering.

  • Holiday Meals: Avoid inflammatory topics like politics, religion, and Tofurkey. Instead, take the middle ground by spreading good cheer. Compliment the chef, celebrate Grandma’s bedazzled holiday sweater and admire your nephew’s alpaca-like hair style.
  • Work Communications: Take a beat before responding to a tense email or comment. Employ diplomacy by acknowledging a colleague’s concern, but stay solutions focused. “I understand your concerns. Let me clarify what I meant so we can find a solution together.”

Manage Expectations

Clarifying both your expectations and what you can offer helps to avoid misinterpretation. Clarifying your position without offending others can be achieved.

  • Holiday Meals: Stating you are stepping outside to “get some air” can be loosely interpreted to mean you’re taking a moment to avoid listening to Uncle Ernie (who no one invited) go on about how things were so much better in his day and how the world is going to hell in a handbasket now.
  • Work Communications: Be explicit about deadlines, deliverables and resources, especially during the holiday season. Doing so early helps avoid miscommunication. And push back when necessary, stating something along the lines of “I’d love to prioritize this, but I need more clarity/resources/time to do so.” Remember, no one appreciates it when someone over promises and under delivers.

Exit Gracefully

When things become untenable or you feel there is little benefit in continuing to be part of the situation, know how to leave without burning bridges.

  • Holiday Meals: Deploy a helpful excuse like promising to help in the kitchen or needing to get home to check on your pet that you’ve never mentioned and may not, in fact, actually have.
  • Work Communications: Politely steer the meeting toward a conclusion with positive words to the effect of “It seems we’ve aligned on the main points. We can regroup on the details in our next update.”

The secret to any family or work gathering at the end of the year is the same: navigate the situation with empathy, a little humor and as much tact as you can muster. To do so:

  • Listen more than you speak
  • Breath before you respond
  • Find humor where you can, but not at someone else’s expense

Applied successfully, you will navigate this season of full-contact family dynamics and stress-inducing end-of-year business, leaving everyone convinced of your manifest diplomatic skills while creating or contributing to as few moments of holiday drama as possible.

Kimball Hughes Public Relation’s Fall Favorites

Posted on by
Reply

The autumn season is in full swing and people are pulling out their favorite cozy sweaters, watching the leaves change colors and sipping on spiced, warm beverages. The team over at Kimball Hughes Public Relations is enjoying the season change and getting outside as much as possible before the winter cold rolls in. Here’s a little insight into a few of our favorite things about fall:

Rod: Playtime in the yard with Theodore Rex (Teddy). He loves to search for his ball in the leaves, and I think he likes to blend in with the scenery trying to hide from the humans.

Eileen: Pumpkin-flavored coffee. I’m not hooked on the fancy pumpkin-spiced lattes, but a little pumpkin flavor is nice, particularly with a view of the changing leaves.

James: Hoodie season. There is nothing better than going outside, feeling the cool air, and watching my dog Zeus run through the leaves.

Cassidy: The foliage. New England, where I am based, is one of the most beautiful places to be in the fall. The vibrant reds, oranges and yellows make for the perfect backdrop for apple picking, football games and hiking. 

Hari: Taking long walks. I love walking around seeing how beautiful Philadelphia looks in the fall while it’s still warm enough outside to walk comfortably.

Kate: Halloween decorations. My neighborhood goes all out for Halloween. My partner and I like to walk around to see everything lit up and check out the spooky displays. Most of them have themes they switch up each year, and taking the time to appreciate those setups has become an annual tradition that we look forward to.

Liz: The cooler weather and enjoying the outdoors! All the beautiful colors of the leaves changing on the trees and the mums that are everywhere.

What’s your favorite part of this time of year?