Insights for Leaders Navigating
Visibility, Credibility, and Growth.
From media strategy to reputation management, we explore the trends shaping public perception and share the approaches that drive measurable results for growing brands.
A recent Axios article highlighted the role of Gen Z in the push to promote mental health support and communications in the workplace. Amid the rise of stress, anxiety, and depression in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health has become an increasingly important issue.
Mental health has become a crucial part of a healthy and productive work environment. According to a recent Deloitte survey, younger generations, particularly Gen Z, consider mental health support and policies very important when choosing an employer. In fact, 80% of millennial and Gen Z applicants heavily weigh an organization’s mental health support and policies.
So why does Gen Z advocate for open and supportive conversations about mental health in the workplace? Below are a few reasons why mental health is so important to the younger workforce and can be a boon to an organization as a whole.
- Increased Productivity – When employees feel safe discussing their mental health concerns, they are more likely to seek help. This, in turn, helps them stay focused and engaged in their work, ultimately improving their performance.
- Reduced Stigma – Encouraging open conversations about mental health can help reduce its stigma. Employees may be less hesitant to seek assistance or share their experiences when they know their colleagues and superiors are supportive and non-judgmental. Reducing stigma can create a more inclusive and understanding work environment.
- Enhanced Employee Retention – Companies prioritizing mental health communication tend to have higher employee retention rates. When employees feel that an organization values their well-being, they are more likely to remain loyal. Retaining talent can save companies significant recruitment and training costs.
- Legal and Ethical Responsibility – Many countries have implemented laws and regulations to protect employees’ mental health rights. Employers have a legal and ethical responsibility to provide a safe and supportive work environment. Promoting mental health communication helps organizations fulfill these obligations.
What can organizations do to support mental health in the workplace? A 2019 nationwide employee survey in Mind Share Partners found that employees want trainings and more easily accessible information about how to access mental health support. Kantola Training Solutions, an eLearning company focused on diversity, equity, & inclusion and harassment prevention, develops immersive learning experiences that support a company’s DEI goals.
Fostering open and supportive communication about mental health is more critical than ever. Gen Z’s support for this cause is a testament to the changing workplace landscape. Their commitment to mental health in the workplace highlights the need for a collective effort to create a more inclusive, understanding, and healthier work environment for all generations.
Learn more about DEI in the workplace from Kantola:
- Risk Management, How to Create Greater DEI Accountability, 4/3/2023
- EIN News, New Training Aims at Helping Organizations Make Meaningful DEI Change, 4/19/2023
- HR Daily Advisor, The DEI Journey—5 Stages of Progress, 6/6/2023
- Chief Learning Officer, Practical, powerful employee education: How interactivity supports greater learning online, 7/31/2023
Check out our other blog on Gen Z communications:
In today’s marketplace, rolling out a successful initial public offering (IPO) or becoming an attractive acquisition target requires meticulous planning, preparation, and strategic communication. Strategic public relations can be crucial to successfully positioning your company for these milestones, but that journey begins years in advance.
In our current economy, there is a tendency to focus more on the present than the future. Investing in public relations during depressed valuations is a calculated move that can yield substantial benefits once markets recover. However, with the ongoing economic climate and pressure to cut costs, some organizations are pulling back on public relations and marketing activities.
This could be a fundamental mistake.
According to a study by Cision, “in times of uncertainty, companies that continue to clearly communicate their strategic priorities, and progress against them, will have stronger brand reputations than those that do not.” Cision’s analysis showed that manufacturers that “consistently communicated progress against its strategic objectives (e.g., product launches, cost restructuring) exited the recession with a much stronger corporate brand image than when entering the recession.”
Maintaining consistent and transparent communication during tough times is vital. It instills confidence and trust in leadership, which may prove invaluable when seeking capital or considering an acquisition or IPO in more favorable market conditions. In essence, investing in PR when valuations are down is an investment in the future, ensuring that the company is well-prepared and perceived positively when the opportunity for a liquidity event arises in more favorable market conditions.
Set the Stage for Success
Before embarking on the path to IPO or acquisition, it’s essential to understand your company’s long-term goals. What do you want to achieve? Do you aim to grow your business, increase market share, or diversify your offerings? Once you have a clear vision, it’s crucial to craft a compelling narrative that resonates with stakeholders and potential investors. Identify your target audiences and build key messaging that reenforces your company’s mission and values.
Establish Thought Leadership
Establishing thought leadership in your industry can help position your company as a successful, trustworthy business, one that hold potential as an IPO or acquisition candidate. Valuable content showcases your expertise and provides insights into industry trends. You can leverage your industry expertise by speaking at conferences, participating in webinars, and publishing articles in reputable publications. Building strong relationships with key industry players can boost your credibility and reputation.
Cultivate Positive Media Relationships
Positive media coverage can significantly influence public perception. Develop strong relationships with journalists and media outlets. Be proactive in sharing company news and achievements. In times of crisis, handle media communications effectively to maintain a positive image. Building these relationships years in advance will ensure you have a platform to communicate your success when your company is ready for an IPO or acquisition move.
Leverage Social Media and Digital Presence
An online presence is critical for brand building. Social media platforms are important ways to engage your audience, share achievements, and tell your brand’s story. Effective online reputation management is key. Craft compelling narratives and use digital channels to create a consistent and positive image of your company that position it favorably for an acquisition or IPO.
Build Trust and Credibility
Trust is the cornerstone of successful IPOs and acquisitions. Encourage authenticity in your communications. Regularly update your shareholders and stakeholders about your company’s progress. Share success stories and milestones to demonstrate your commitment to success. Effectively managing investor relations builds trust and confidence in your business.
Conclusion
The journey to an IPO or acquisition can be long and challenging, but you can pave the way for success with strategic communication. Start early and stay committed to excellence in PR. Building a positive image, showcasing successful execution, and earning trust from your target audiences are crucial elements in positioning your company for a prosperous future. Embrace the power of strategic PR, and your company could be on the path to remarkable growth and success.
In early October, our client Acumatica released its latest product update, 2023 R2. These updates occur twice a year and deliver hundreds of improvements and feature-rich functionality to users.
Acumatica is designed explicitly to enable small and mid-market companies to thrive in today’s digital economy. But Acumatica is more than just a product—it’s a thriving community of partners, customers and creators redefining business software and building the future of business together.
This means Acumatica prioritizes customer feedback to inform its product roadmap. Acumatica is keenly focused on evolving its product with the latest innovations and technologies while addressing the specific, real-world needs of its customers. Product updates are based on real input from its customer base.
Ali Jani, chief product offer of Acumatica, said, “With customer feedback, we can ensure our solution provides organizations with the intelligence and agility to meet their unique challenges. Our diverse community of partners, customers and creators is driven to discover better ways to work. … This collaborative effort enables us to continue delivering cutting-edge solutions that address current needs and anticipate and adapt to the ever-changing business landscape.”
What’s unique about 2023 R2?
- Acumatica Payments, an integrated payment processing solution. The new capability helps businesses enhance cash flow and streamline payment processes by providing credit card and ACH processing with improved reconciliation, mobile portal payments, click-to-pay, and gift cards.
- Access to the world’s largest sales channel by connecting Acumatica to Amazon’s Seller Central marketplace, supporting FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) and MFN (Merchant Fulfilled Network) delivery models.
- Shopify’s new B2B eCommerce functionalities, with support for key features such as customer hierarchies and customer price tiers to seamlessly integrate online sales with Acumatica’s back-end fulfillment processes.
- New web endpoints for Acumatica’s Product Configurator, enabling manufacturers to leverage best-in-class, built-to-order, third-party solutions.
- A highly requested consolidated account reconciliation retainage invoicing feature, which improves project visibility for construction companies.
- A new Manage Sales Allocations screen, which streamlines mass stock allocation and deallocation for distributors, retailers, and commerce merchants.
Acumatica also added several vertical-specific features. Taken from Acumatica’s website, features include:
Distributors, Retailers and Commerce Merchants:
- Capabilities that enable reviewing estimated margin percent and amount calculations during order creation for an entire order and individual line items.
- Features that optionally exclude automatic line discounts, such as volume discounts from order lines for a particular price.
Manufacturers:
- A new user role and the option to lock production order status, which will improve manufacturing cost control and streamline implementation and setup for cost accountants.
- The Acumatica DeviceHub service, which includes automation schedules and predefined printer settings to simplify product order ticket printing.
Contractors and Service Organizations:
- Side panel access for multiple business document maintenance screens that improves end-user navigation.
- Capabilities that enable deactivating cost codes that are no longer used in projects. Once deactivated, the cost codes become unavailable but remain specified in documents so users can continue working.
- Capabilities that support reviewing outstanding AR aging documents and their unreleased retainage for a particular date.
See the full announcement here: Acumatica Upgrades Business Functionality Across Industries with Launch of Latest Product Update.
Part of our communications strategy for 2023 R2 included inviting media and analysts to participate in a roundtable discussion with Acumatica executives. The roundtable took place the week before the product launch and gave attendees the opportunity to ask questions about the details of the release and its impact on users and the broader industry. These efforts continued our focus on building relationships with analysts and media on Acumatica’s behalf.
The announcement has resulted in the below coverage. We anticipate more coverage in the future.
Editorial Coverage
- CPA Practice Advisor – Acumatica Upgrades Business Functionality with Launch of Latest Product Update – 10/5/2023
- ERP Global Insights – ACUMATICA RELEASES PAYMENTS – 10/5/2023
- Solutions Review – Top WorkTech News From the Week of October 6th: Updates from Acumatica, QAD, Infor, and More – 10/6/2023
- Accounting Today – Tech News: FreshBooks rolls out “Collaborative Accounting” – 10/6/2023
- Enterprise Times – ERP news from the week beginning 2nd October 2023 – 10/9/2023
- The 2023 R2 announcement was selected as Steve Books’ “Pick of the week.”
Congrats to the Acumatica team for another successful product launch!
When we think of the NFL, we envision the electric atmosphere of game day, the roar of the crowd, and the thrill of watching your favorite team. Beyond the games, though, the NFL is a sports and social media powerhouse, setting a high bar for audience engagement.
In this post, we’ll explore what public relations professionals can learn from the NFL’s unparalleled expertise in engaging audiences.
Lesson One: Know Your Audience
Understanding the diversity of the NFL fan base is essential.
With millions of fans spanning various demographics and psychographics, the NFL prioritizes creating tailored marketing content and experiences for specific audience segments, varying from location to age and gender. For instance, the NFL Women’s Summit is geared toward women, while the recent Toy Story dress-up campaign appealed to Gen Z and Gen Alpha fans. This personalization fosters a deeper fan connection, as it recognizes their specific preferences and interests.
Public relations professionals should take a page from the NFL’s playbook. A multi-faceted approach to analyzing target audiences can help them understand which messages and content resonate with each sector. They can use this understanding to craft tailored PR strategies to entice target readers.
Lesson Two: Leverage Social Media
The NFL shines in engaging fans through social media platforms. They effectively use X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to leverage cultural trends and current events to capture fans’ attention.
From player updates to memes to nods to pop culture, the NFL’s social media strategies provide a blueprint for PR professionals looking to build brand loyalty and expand their reach.
Lesson Three: Master the Art of Storytelling
The NFL is known for creating emotional connections with fans. For instance, the “Football is Family” campaign used storytelling to emphasize bonds formed through football. By highlighting the personal stories of players and fans, the league demonstrates how football brings people together, becomes an integral part of their lives, and fosters emotional connections.
PR pros can use this storytelling strategy to pull on the heartstrings of target audiences. For example, they can develop testimonials highlighting how clients have impacted their customers beyond dollars and cents.
Lesson Four: Utilize Analytics and Data for Continuous Improvement
Data and analytics are at the heart of the NFL’s success. Teams use data analysis not only to understand fan preferences and behaviors but also to inform business operations.
PR professionals should identify key performance metrics to track their performance. By measuring quantifiable results such as share of voice and audience reach, they can demonstrate the tangible impact of their efforts, driving continuous improvement in PR strategies.
The NFL’s success with audience engagement offers insights for PR professionals seeking to connect with their own audiences in meaningful ways. By understanding their audience, effectively leveraging social media, understanding storytelling, and employing data-driven strategies, businesses can take their PR game to the next level.
As the NFL continues to set the standard for audience engagement, PR pros who embrace these lessons will be better equipped to drive results for clients. The impact of the NFL’s audience engagement strategies will continue to serve as an example of effective strategies that ensure that fans remain at the heart of the game, from tailgates to touchdowns.
Chief marketing officers (CMOs) have, on average, the shortest tenure in the c-suite. In 2022, the average CMO at a top 100 U.S. advertiser had been in that role for just over three years. This creates high-pressure, stressful environments.
Marketing and communication teams often face changing business landscapes, the pressure to hit difficult metrics, and resource constraints. To ease pressure, it can be helpful to lower the perceived stakes of decisions and actions. The idea is to make situations more manageable, to encourage experimentation, and to promote learning.
So, how can marketing and PR professionals lower the stakes, while staying focused on making progress towards important goals? Below I’ll explore three easy, but often overlooked, ways to do this.
Set Incremental and Measurable Goals
Marketing and communications don’t always have clear and measurable performance metrics. This can make effectiveness difficult to evaluate. Large, ambiguous tasks can be daunting and create unnecessary pressure. Fortunately, setting incremental and measurable goals can help lower the stakes. By breaking tasks into smaller, more manageable steps, the overall objective becomes more achievable. And clearly defined steps and accomplishments create more opportunities to celebrate small wins, a great way to increase productivity.
Focus on Growth to Take Setbacks in Stride
Redefining failure encourages a growth mindset, where challenges and setbacks are opportunities for improvement rather than indicators of incompetence. This mindset empowers individuals to view obstacles as steppingstones to success, fostering a more optimistic and motivated environment.
When failure is redefined, there is less fear of mistakes. Team members are more likely to think outside the box, take calculated risks, and experiment with novel approaches. This can lead to increased creativity and the discovery of unique solutions.
Foster Team Collaboration
Collaboration is crucial in fostering a positive and productive work environment. Turning to team members for support creates a sense of camaraderie that can alleviate stress.
A team with a range of skillsets and perspectives can more easily produce innovative solutions and foster collaboration. Just like any sports team, a group with a wide range of skills is better positioned for success. When one person is tired or overwhelmed, others can step in to support and continue making progress to the goal.
In the world of marketing and PR, where stakes can often feel sky-high, finding ways to lower the pressure and stay energized is crucial.
Boosting morale can profoundly impact an organization’s success. Setting measurable goals, embracing a growth mindset, and fostering teamwork pave the way for more effective and enjoyable work. As the marketing and PR landscape evolves, these strategies will serve as valuable tools to stay successful while ensuring the journey is just as rewarding as the destination.
Trust is fundamental. It shapes decisions we make throughout our lives, and healthcare is no exception. Patients entrust their well-being to healthcare institutions and providers. However, the healthcare industry can be daunting and confusing for patients. That makes trust an invaluable currency to foster peace of mind and patient loyalty.
A healthcare institution’s reputation reflects its values, ethics, and commitment to patient care. A strong reputation can enhance the institution’s credibility, attracting patients, top-tier medical professionals, and strategic partnerships. Conversely, a tarnished reputation can damage trust and cause declines in both revenue and talent acquisition.
Effective PR initiatives help institutions convey their mission, values, and dedication to patient care. Here are six ways PR shapes trust in healthcare institutions:
Transparency and Communication: Clear, honest, and transparent communication is key to building trust. PR professionals work to ensure that institutions communicate openly about their mission, services, treatments, success stories, and even challenges.
Improving transparency and communication begins by investing in a strategic internal communication plan. Employees are your most valuable audience as they act as an extension of your brand. Clear and transparent internal communication helps foster a positive working environment and encourages internal stakeholders to amplify your messaging.
Crisis Management: No institution is immune to crisis. A well-prepared PR team can mitigate damage by handling crises transparently, efficiently, and empathetically. A carefully crafted crisis-management approach preserves trust during these difficult times.
Healthcare institutions understand the importance of emergency preparedness. This is why hospitals and other organizations practice emergency drills by opening their command centers and role-playing disaster situations. In these drills, the Public Information Officer is likely being played by a PR professional, ensuring accurate and timely information is disseminated to various audiences, including the general public.
Storytelling: Every patient has a unique story. PR experts use these stories to showcase the institution’s commitment to patient-centric care. Sharing real-life experiences helps potential patients connect to the institution on a personal level, making its mission and services more relatable.
Real people telling their stories of success evokes institutional trust in a direct and personal way. A general audience sees these testimonials as more authentic since former patients don’t necessarily have a vested interest in promoting the institution.
Thought Leadership: Positioning healthcare professionals as thought leaders not only elevates their status but demonstrates the institution’s expertise, which can increase referrals and appointments. Thoughtful commentary on industry trends, breakthroughs, and challenges can position providers as reliable and knowledgeable sources.
Health is our most valuable asset. Trusting caregivers with our well-being is difficult. By establishing your institution and specialists as thought leaders, you enhance your credibility, differentiate yourself from competitors, and increase the likelihood that you’re chosen over others.
Community Engagement: Healthcare institutions don’t exist in isolation. Each is part of a larger community. Active engagement highlights an institution’s dedication to the well-being of its community.
Active community engagement helps institutions gain a better understanding of the unique challenges and needs of the population they serve. This insight allows them to tailor services and preventive efforts to address these specific concerns, leading to improved health outcomes for the community.
Digital Presence: Today, an online presence is essential. PR specialists know how to skillfully manage healthcare institutions’ digital platforms to disseminate accurate information, share patient success stories, and promptly address concerns.
Amid information overload and skepticism, healthcare institutions must foster trust by prioritizing their reputations. Effective PR strategies play a pivotal role in shaping the public perception of these institutions, influencing patient decisions, and attracting top talent. By communicating transparently, engaging with the community, showcasing expertise, and managing crises adeptly, PR professionals can bolster the trustworthiness of healthcare institutions and ensure their sustained success in a competitive landscape.