Too many times I’ve been handed an existing piece of reputation or brand research from a company and been asked to formulate recommendations to help them build the company’s reputation and brand. Unfortunately too often that research turns out to be a wasted investment because it asked the wrong questions and the wrong people. A…

Consumers today expect a lot from a brand. They pay close attention, not just to what brands say, but what they do. They want to buy from companies whose image and communications match their corporate reputation. That match is what we call authenticity. It's a vital factor in a company’s success, and as you might…

Authentic Engagement raises three immediate questions for companies to ask themselves: Do we really know what our stakeholders think about us and how that compares to how we think about ourselves? What impact might the nature of their views have on their level of engagement with our company? And finally, which stakeholders are most critical…

When I was a kid I was constantly being told to “behave.” Being “on your best behaviour” was constantly expected and was a standard of which I regularly fell short (still do). As the eyes of a world increasingly concerned with transparency focus on the corporate world, much the same is expected. Social media has…

Al Iannuzzi, Ph.D., is the Senior Director, Product Stewardship & Green Marketing at Johnson & Johnson. He has been with the company for 28 years, after spending time as a consultant and with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. I sat down with him recently to talk about green marketing and his book, Greener…

Annual benefits enrollment is typically the one time each year when employees can make changes to their benefits elections (barring any qualified life events allowing them to make changes mid-year). Companies use this time to encourage employees to actively enroll and make elections that best fit their individual needs. Yet studies show that getting just…

Are workplace wellness programs worth the work? A piece in the Harvard Business Review says yes. At Johnson & Johnson, for example, the organization saw an estimated $250 million knocked off their health care costs over a six-year period thanks to formal wellness initiatives. Because of numbers like these, more and more companies see value…

Last week saw the gathering of Muslims in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca for the annual Hajj. The Hajj, which in Arabic means pilgrimage, is a religious duty on all Muslim adults who are able to make the once in their lifetime journey. It is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, coming together…

“It changed my life.” Some phrases take on a momentum all their own. Such was the case at the recent 20th Annual NAEM Management Forum, Driving Sustainable Business Performance through EHS. Author and eco-visionary, Paul Hawken, was about to deliver the opening keynote address to 500 sustainability, CSR and EHS professionals. In introducing him, NAEM…

The evolving framework for voluntary sustainability reporting will have an impact on the way companies build and communicate their sustainability strategies and commitments. This is the second in a series of posts focusing on the Global Reporting Initiative's proposed G4 Guidelines. In a twist on a time-tested adage, sometimes it's important not to miss the…

The evolving framework for voluntary sustainability reporting will have an impact on the way companies build and communicate their sustainability strategies and commitments. This is the first in a series of posts exploring the Global Reporting Initiative's proposed G4 Guidelines. “You don't know what you've got till it's gone.” That sums up how I feel…

Attending the 3rd Muslim World Business & Investment Conference in Jakarta, Indonesia last week, I was reminded that the introduction of Islam to Indonesia, now home to more Muslims than any other country in the world, started with Arab and Indian travellers as early as the 8th century. Trade and commerce was the reason for…

Reputation Management for the Next Billion KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, July 19, 2012 – Fleishman-Hillard International Communications today launched a specialist offering dedicated to engagement with the vast and globally dispersed Muslim consumer market. Called Majlis – an Arabic term referring to an assembly for dialogue – the firm's new communications initiative has released a white…

Do you continue practicing best-in-class communications when your employees choose to leave their working days behind? If not, you're likely missing a prime opportunity to maintain strong ties with important brand advocates. A common misconception is that when it comes to communications, retirees are only interested in one topic – their benefits. Many companies accept…

What does a company sound like? (And I don't mean the clicking of keyboards or the “ping” of incoming emails.) We spoke recently about the trend of adopting social intranets and the value companies are placing on this and other social business practices. While these tools provide new platforms for collaboration and innovation, they also…

Sustainability is all the buzz in the corporate world right now as everyone turns the spotlight onto social, environmental and economic responsibility. For organizations just getting started, reducing paper consumption is considered low-hanging fruit. Some may enthusiastically embrace the idea of a zero-paper policy (Digital Post-It® Notes, anyone?). Others tackle this task in sections –…

I am writing from sunny and welcoming Johannesburg, where I have spent the past week talking to many people – FH staff, business leaders and many others – about the opportunities and challenges they see in creating a sustainable future in South Africa. The South African business community – and it would seem also the…

Panama is a country with a vibrant business community and international sustainability business in its DNA. The key role played by the Panama canal and the prospects for increased international trade with its expansion --currently underway-- are a magnet for multinational companies interested in growing their businesses in the Americas and beyond. Thanks to the…

The regional World Economic Forum meeting for Latin America, taking place this week in Cartagena, Colombia, elevates the importance of exchanging ideas and opinions aiming at building consensus on the key priorities for the region, and the appropriate strategies to respond to such challenges.  Throughout history, communities have used dialog as a basic means of…

That was then: You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. – Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird”, by Harper Lee This is now: Trying to have a conversation with you would be…

It's a common maxim among sustainability thinkers that one size doesn't fit all: countries, regions and communities need to think realistically about their environmental and social challenges, and develop solutions that respond to their specific circumstances. We have seen this principle applied across the world in one way or another, but nowhere does the phrase…

Our friends at Fleishman-Hillard Innovation examine the topic of high-speed rail in the U.S. An excerpt: In 1992, Spain opened its first Alta Velocidad Española (AVE) high-speed train route between Madrid and Seville. According to NYTimes.com, “the AVE has begun to transform the country, binding remote and sometimes restive regions to Madrid and leading traditionally…

Eco-watchers around the world know that the prioritization of environmental issues can lead to tough choices. It can impact the way companies do business, and, in some cases, change the face of entire industries. This past week here in China provides a case in point. In this instance, the industry under fire is that venerable…

For your weekend pleasure... Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard offers a simple, intelligent perspective about businesses and the environment. Happy Father's Day.

I love basketball, but I was never good at it. That's not Coach Dyer's fault; he offered encouragement to me back in the seventh grade. I simply didn't practice enough -- didn't repeat the muscle movements over and over again so that the proper form and motion happened automatically. Muscle memory, they call it.  Now,…