I, sadly, cannot predict the future. But looking back on 2010 – the stories, the trends and the products that made the news – I think there are a few communications trends we Canadians should anticipate in 2011. 2011 Trend List 1. Natural Disaster and Community Response: The weather always makes the news in Canada and in the…
Communications Trends for 2011
By Jessica Delaney | Published December 29th, 2010Marketing Green
By Jessica Delaney | Published December 21st, 2010This holiday season many of us might be looking for last minute, environmentally friendly stocking stuffers; maybe a fun lipstick or handcream. A great website to check out is www.cosmeticsdatabase.com. It confirms just how green your cosmetic or skin products might be. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start and provides information on all those fun ingredients like…
Furry Christmas
By Jessica Delaney | Published December 20th, 2010The Trudeau’s Christmas card has a quaint picture of the family wearing fur. The Canada Goose jackets caused quite an uproar with anti-fur activists who suggest that wearing the coats is inappropriate and insensitive. In response to the story Justin Trudeau Tweeted and released a statment saying: “I’m glad to support both Canadian products and sustainable…
Internal Communications Resolutions
By Jessica Delaney | Published December 17th, 2010The Christmas party has likely come and gone. The toasts have been made and any bonuses paid. The office starts to quiet down with only the year-end accountants around. Here’s to New Year’s Resolutions that involve internal communications. 1. Recognize staff more than once a year. Build an internal communications plan with teeth. Identify opportunities…
We’re In the Zone
By Jessica Delaney | Published December 16th, 2010We’re now in the holiday zone where any critical communications will be missed. If you have major news to roll out to staff – unless it’s that they’re all getting bonuses – skip it until the new year. If you have news for stakeholders or partners, skip it until the new year. Increasingly, people are…
This Doesn’t Look Like Fall
By Jessica Delaney | Published December 15th, 2010The snow stormed that gripped much of southern Ontario and parts of Michigan is starting to pass. Hundreds of people were stranded overnight in their vehicles. It’s a scary thing being in car, not being able to see much, but suspecting there could be loads of other stranded people around you. When the storm hit,…
Stormy Seas
By Jessica Delaney | Published December 14th, 2010Lately, it would seem that the cruise line industry is just about the worst one to be in. Crazy weather, heroine tales from passengers, spam on deluxe cruise lines – it’s not just the seas that are stormy, but likely the entire cruise line industry. Let’s consider the following as some communications basics following storms severe enough to…
Three Communications Tip for the Small Business
By Jessica Delaney | Published December 13th, 20101. Online You are an Any Size Business: There’s no business, no service and no consultant that doesn’t need an online presence. Invest wisely in your online brand, develop a professional website, and update it regularly 2. Think and Communicate Like a Client: Clients want to quickly understand what’s in it for them. Don’t be too smart,…
Share Your Images
By Jessica Delaney | Published December 10th, 2010A picture is worth 1,000 words. Recently, I was working to compile a report. I was deserpate for images. A few different organizations were being represented in the report. Only one could provide me with free, high-resolution photography. The others told me to contact either private photographers who had shot images for them or big…
Content Rules
By Jessica Delaney | Published December 9th, 2010There are so many different ways to communicate your message – paid advertizing, earned editorial, social media, guerilla marketing to name just a few. Too often people get caught up in the communications vehicle. They start thinking about ad buys, press releases, Facebook pages and crazy events. Those are great, but first focus on the message….