Five Essential COVID-19 Adaptive Marcom Tips, Week of 20 April

I learned a lot in the course of writing my new book, which teaches others the essentials of communications consulting. One key lesson was driven home by OpenText, a company that defines a business of the future as one dedicated to the Continuous Connected Customer Journey. Salesforce.com is equally adamant about us all needing to prioritize happy customers (see http://sforce.co/2fHn7x7). Bear these successful ventures’ well advised handling notes in mind as you review the following.

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Five Essential COVID-19 Adaptive MarCom Tips, Week of 13 April

I’ve written a book over the past few years, aiming to teach others to be highly skilled communications consultants, capable of making invaluable contributions to those they serve, with the ability to live, work and thrive almost anywhere. Thankfully, that research and writing has fortified my job qualifications; suddenly, being successful is infinitely more challenging. Regardless of our experience and skill levels, right now, we all need leaders we can trust to help ground our thoughts and guide our actions.

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Five Essential COVID-19 Adaptive MarCom Tips, Week of 6 April

During my weekend reading, I had an opportunity to consider what happened during The Great Depression – and its permanent effects on those who endured it – alongside the current pandemic.

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Five Essential COVID-19 Adaptive MarCom Tips, Week of 30 March

A month ago, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Deputy News Media Branch Chief Benjamin Haynes issued his COVID-19 briefing update, reporting on the “very few cases” of Corona Virus in the U.S., and “no community spread.” Mr. Haynes also seized the moment to inform us of impending disruptions to our lives. Today, with most of us ordered to #StayAtHome, the number of domestic reported cases will soon exceed 123,000.

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Best-Case Scenario: 2014 Blossom Launch, Powered by ENVOY

This case study appears in Roger Darnell’s book, The Communications Consultant’s Foundation.

Based in Irvine, California, the principals of the hybrid creative agency ENVOY have built their company very thoughtfully, aiming to partner with bold leaders to make experiences and products that define the future. By focusing on the convergence of design and technology, and even being willing to invest capital, expertise and services, the agency has chosen to engage with a growing list of innovative startups, in addition to its roster of well established companies.

When we think about startups, we might imagine one or two impassioned individuals burning the midnight oil together in a garage or an attic, dreaming about taking their side gig full-time. This is a story about the other kind – where very savvy professionals who have achieved major success in the past join forces on a relatively sure thing. Meet Blossom, a company that set out to create a smart water controller that would cut utility bills and save water.

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Sales expertise for creative entrepreneurs…


universal positive readers already know that I’m a big fan of author, speaker, and advisor David C. Baker. By visiting David’s website, you can find information on his books, upcoming events, and much more.

If you haven’t already read it, I also encourage you to review this candid interview with my dear friend Lisa Cleff Kurtz, who is a philanthropist, education and arts activist, and a bona fide rainmaker.

Many other noteworthy experts also offer sage business development advice that you can easily find online… often for free. Here are five more that are definitely worth subscribing to right away.

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Great to know: Lisa Cleff Kurtz, Philanthropist, Education and Arts Activist, and Rainmaker

Editor’s note: Nearly two decades ago, my fate was forever altered due to a chance encounter with the then-San Francisco based creative industry rainmaker, Lisa Cleff. After several months of her mentoring me in the field of sales, I was hired by high-tech PR firm The Terpin Group, thanks almost entirely to her recommendation. When The Darnell Works Agency launched in 2000, not only was she a main client and collaborator, her referrals have resulted in more than a dozen vital DWA client relationships… including those at ATTIK, CBX, PLUS, PostWorks and Sid Lee, to name but a few. Naturally, shining a light on this phenomenal luminary is a great honor for me, especially since the interview itself was conducted by her daughter, Zoe Lindgren, a rising NYC creative in her own right. For your further enjoyment, I also highly recommend this great interview by Timothy Huang, who spoke with Lisa in 2016 about her career – and her role as a star board member of A.R.T. / New York.

How did you get your start in your career?

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Marketing Imperatives: Center Everything Around Your PR Strategy

I have a longstanding working relationship with a CEO who recently changed jobs. Coming into his new company, he told me that his mantra was this: He intended to center every marketing initiative around PR strategy. In virtually every industry, I’m seeing many wise marketing industry leaders endorsing this idea. Another prominent example from the past several years comes from Jason Harris of San Francisco- and NYC-based Mekanism, where in an interview with HubSpot.com, he described his agency’s framework for creating shareable content.

“Our approach is to always think about the PR headline. Why will the idea, content, innovation, etc., travel? Why will people care, and why will they want to talk about it and share it? If there is no PR headline, the idea won’t be shareable. That is our goal on every project.”

The video I’m embedding with this article perfectly demonstrates the increasing focus on PR, presenting the 47-minute “Content & Storytelling: Is the PR Landscape Shifting?” session from the 2014 CDO Summit in NYC.

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Media Spotlight: Creators

Creators was VICE’s arts and culture platform, covering every aspect of the creative process. Its mission was to make art more accessible to a wider audience with diverse voices reporting on emergent arts and artists.

From sculpture and light projections to street art and dance, the platform’s curators and contributors immersed themselves in cultural hotbeds and travel to the far corners of the globe to explore the spectacle and color of making art today.

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Sharing Secrets: Public Relations Expertise

The publishers of Campaign, a leading business media brand serving the marketing, advertising and media communities, offer an editorial on their website entitled “What’s the secret of a long ‘marriage’?” In that, former Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO chief executive and current CEO of Girl Effect Farah Ramzan Golant offers these wise words: “The key to long-term client relationships is constant reinvigoration…. You should constantly be looking at how you can do things differently, keep freshening the account teams and stay ahead of the game.” As a communications consultant providing ongoing, dedicated counsel to a small roster of clients, I firmly believe in these vows. Among many activities aimed at ongoing education and innovation, I regularly participate in webinars being presented by industry thoughtleaders, adopting the best ideas and lessons into my arsenal. One in particular, presented by five-time published author and entrepreneur Deirdre Breakenridge entitled “Eight Techniques of the New PR Champion,” began paying dividends immediately.

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