Michelle McGlocklin

It takes #morethan basketball, barbershops, and barbecues to connect with our community authentically. Reach diverse markets and grow your business. Here are three inclusive communications tips to help you challenge implicit bias and move from monolithic approaches to “more than” solutions, capturing the rich complexities of communities: 💡Host an inclusive content workshop. Bring diverse voices into the room to ensure the campaign resonates on a broader scale. 💡Leverage counterexamples. Challenge assumptions by thinking in opposites. Open up new perspectives. 💡 Apply the "Yes, And" Technique. Push beyond preconceived notions of a community and build on more inclusive ideas. #InclusiveCommunications #DiverseMarkets #InclusiveLeadership #HealthEquity Photo ID: Selected images represent the monolithic portrayal of the Black community and the need for market research for more effective campaigns. The images urge readers to "Go Beyond the Bias" in an attempt to caricature the limiting stereotypical symbolism, including scattered pennies (lower economic status), a traditional swirling barbershop pole with red, white, and blue colors, a basketball, and a barbecue grill. Lucy is in the lower right-hand corner of the image. Her facial expression portrays the bossy stereotype. She is a Black and Puerto Rican leader with brown hair extending slightly past her shoulders. She has a purple sleeveless blouse and heart-shaped earrings. The text reads, "Let's Connect. LinkedIn. Lucy Abreu. Inclusive Communications." (upper right-hand corner). About 1/3 down, the text reads, "Move from monolithic to more than. Reach Diverse Markets. Grow Your Business. Go Beyond The Bias. Lucy Abreu."

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Here's added support for the claim that comms pros are taking their rightful seat at the "strategy" table. Why? Because brand building and reputation management are strategic pillars for businesses. Memo's new "Evolving Role of Comms" report shows: 💡 A 34% increase in comms teams reporting directly to CEOs. 💡 A 26% decrease in reporting to marketing since 2023. 💡 An expanding role for comms, beyond earned media. 50% say they now own executive comms, internal comms, and marketing campaigns. CEOs experienced the value of comms during the pandemic and other challenging events of the early 2020s. These data suggest the C-suite is taking a serious look at a range of reputational risks, including: 🚨 Misinformation and disinformation due to AI. 🚨 Cybercrime, cybersecurity, and customer privacy. 🚨 Activist investors, including those pushing back against ESG policies. 🚨 Macroeconomic uncertainty, geopolitical, and climate events. The report also underscores the power that comes from: ⚡ Sharing executive perspectives to promote understanding of corporate values and ethics. ⚡ Having an aligned workforce. Empowered employees are your best advocates. The most interesting tension in this report is the question of priorities. Gaining competitive share-of-voice (SOV), raising awareness, and amplifying key messages top the to-do list more frequently than, say, managing disinformation or changing perceptions. It's a tightly-knit group of priorities, however. And that speaks to the complexities of modern communications. Comms folks drive clarity about purpose and values. They also understand the importance of closing the gaps between corporate stories and actions. Shout out to the comms folks out there who are claiming more space. Check out the full report in the link below. #Comms #PR #StrategicCommunications

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Us Comms folks are wired to navigate tricky situations. MacGyver was my favorite show growing up. ‘Mac’ had a knack for solving problems and extensive scientific knowledge.  → He could unlock a vault with a paperclip and some bubble gum. Comms doesn’t always have all the resources, either. But we know how to play the hand we're dealt. - Assess the situation  - Explore options  - Make it work Being great at Comms requires us all to be MacGyvers. → A mix of expertise, experience and resourcefulness. We're strategic. We're scrappy. We're problem solvers.

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The October monthly episode of our For Immediate Release podcast explores critical communication trends. Shel Holtz, SCMP, and I discuss six compelling topics, including Reddit's potential for crisis comms, the state of blogging in 2024, ethical concerns in celebrity news coverage, workplace connection challenges, and AI's impact across industries. In a blog post, I've set out some key takeaways that present opportunities for communicators, including leveraging Reddit for stakeholder engagement and preparing to guide organisations through AI adoption. Read more and listen now for valuable perspectives and insights on navigating today's complex communication landscape. https://lnkd.in/e5_CcMR2

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Asia Pacific is often seen as a single entity, yet it’s incredibly diverse—especially in terms of communication measurement maturity. While Indonesia and Australia may have different levels of adoption in measuring communication outcome and impact, we face common challenges in scaling up and advancing our measurement to the next level, both internally within organizations and externally with our stakeholders. I am delighted to share our experiences and insights from Maverick Indonesia on building best practices over the years with the Medianet team in Sydney last week. AMEC Measurement and Evaluation #measurementbestpractice #communicationimpact #PRmeasurement #communicationmeasurement #knowledgeshare

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Join our experts as they dive into PR Newswire's groundbreaking AI innovations. We'll explore: ✨ How AI is revolutionizing #PR & comms ✨ Our unique solution that leverages historical data to offer press release insights ✨ Findings from our State of the Press Release Report on how PR pros are embracing #AI Save your spot now and join us as we drive the AI conversation forward!

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What is one skill that differentiates Chief Comms Officers from their C-suite peers? We are dot connectors. 🔗 We can connect the dots between seemingly disparate initiatives and messages. ↔️ We tend to have a wide-ranging remit that enables us to see across the organization. 🧩 Because storytelling is core to what we do, we can fit all the pieces of the puzzle together to tell one larger story. 💡We love digging into audience insights, which means we can tailor that story to different audiences. That’s true even with employee communications. 🎯We can channel what employees want to speak to their direct needs. We can also help build bridges to connect internal efforts while breaking down silos. ⁉️What do you think? Does this ring true for those of you who are communications professionals?

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I’ve been invited once again to serve on the jury for the Media Savvy by Hong Bao Media. With AI being the buzzword everywhere, it’s not surprising that I was asked to address why business leaders need to proactively engage with the media in today's rapidly evolving landscape of disinformation and AI. While you can watch the video for the detailed answer, heres the cliffsnotes version: 🌟 Transparency and Credibility: Build trust through open communication. 🚀Proactive Engagement: Influence the conversation and stay ahead. 📜Influencing Policy: Shape and guide regulatory discussions. Watch the video here: https://lnkd.in/g9_Cdt5F #ai #misinformation #mediasavvy

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Since our last State of the Press Release Report, we've seen a shift in how pros are leveraging tech like AI. 🤖  Curious to see how your peers are using AI in press release creation? Our new report dives into the latest press release trends across the industry: https://lnkd.in/eUPwYG2V 💬 Let's chat: What are some of the biggest changes you've seen in PR in recent years? #PR #comms #pressrelease #AI #contentmarketing

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My early takeaway from PRSA Oregon #CommCon2024 is that the public is facing a real trust issue when it comes to innovations like AI and other emerging tech (and in general). Which raises the question: how do we address the trust crisis in a way that is both authentic and effective? #communications #publicrelations

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Preparing for the election battleground of 2024: where AI, deepfakes, and disinformation collide. An eye-opening read 👀🔍 #Election2024 #AI #Deepfakes https://lnkd.in/gk82cm9T

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Want to learn more about how to approach enterprise AI? Check out this piece from Patrick Stokes

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𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 📅 But it’s often invisible to those who are using it. A stale batch of “what we do, why it matters, and how you benefit” statements isn’t going to kill you, but it could seriously cramp your communications effectiveness. It’s always worth reassessing your messaging in these situations: 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲—your business has grown substantially, shifted its market strategy or undergone other substantive changes. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁—that usually means speaking to different interests and experiences. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽—you used to be alone on your sector’s frontier; suddenly it’s getting crowded. See more on how to tell when it’s time for a messaging refresh: https://lnkd.in/g-7maKwx #messaging #brandstory #PR #publicrelations

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Check out the latest news on #AI in the Channel. AI in Actions Newsroom featuring AI News & Insights!

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Authenticity is key for senior executives to be influential on LinkedIn, but not every leader finds it easy to engage genuinely. 🔸In episode 342 of our For Immediate Release podcast, Shel Holtz, SCMP, and I explore how communicators can help executives craft authentic online personas and build influence and trust, focused on LinkedIn, with practical examples. I also dive into this topic in a new blog post published today, arguing that authenticity opens the door to success. Communicators must guide leaders who struggle with authenticity, identifying formats or mediums that play to their strengths. Take a read and listen to our discussion ⬇️ #Authenticity #Communication #LinkedIn #FIRPodcast https://lnkd.in/eMu9D48j

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Introducing “The Multichannel Communications Playbook,” a step-by-step guide to using an integrated, multichannel approach to achieve greater ROI and maximum visibility for your content. Download now and unleash the full potential of your campaign!

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Start-up and scale-up founders, CEOs and CMOs can save themselves a lot of heartache if they assess their company's readiness for corporate communications before they bring on an expensive corp comm leader. By identifying where the requisite building blocks for success already exist, executives can develop the function in a way that impacts business results by making better hiring decisions, understanding where to expect results near and long term, and strategically planning their investments in the function. Looking for a guide to help you do this? Drop me a line. As a 25-year veteran leader who has helped a number of start-ups and scale-ups build their corporate communications departments, I can help you figure out if you are ready to add this strategic function. #CorporateCommunications #ScaleUp #StartUp #PublicRelations

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Can AI Prove the Impact of Comms? At the recent Page Society Page Up Annual Conference, the topic of AI came up in each of the sessions. There's a strong sense among communicators that the comms field/profession is positioned to be at the forefront of leading and shaping the future of AI in organizations. Many comms leaders are also looking for ways to move beyond using AI as a 'productivity tool' 🔧 and to find ways to demonstrate the strategic value of the function. There are a lot of bold claims out there that AI can finally "solve the PR measurement challenge", "demonstrate reputational impact", and "prove the value of comms". While it's true that this field continues to advance rapidly and that there is a lot of promise, AI is not a magic wand 🪄. There are still some real limitations and measuring/proving impact are not easy problems to solve. Dashboards and tools with shiny new AI features are great. But all AI models and automated tools are still limited by the quality and accuracy of the data that feeds and trains them. Garbage in, garbage out 🗑️ remains a challenge. Everything I'm seeing tells me that AI's maximal value is most likely to be found in the intentional combination of AI + smart, trained humans guiding the technology. When AI's ability to ingest large datasets is paired with human expertise, oversight, and interpretation 🧠, communicators can deliver reliable, strategic information that boosts confidence across the organization. My prediction: Those who can merge both artificial and human intelligence are most likely to lead the function into areas of greater influence. "Peek around the corner" 👀 On a related note, one of the areas where we are seeing a lot of progress with AI is in tracking and surfacing emerging 'narratives'. We've been working on a new product to help communicators identify what's coming and which voices are driving the conversation, so they can get ahead of and react to what's important. Drop me a note if you'd like to learn more. #AI #Communications #PR #PageUpAnnual

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Is your communication measurement future-ready? In today's technology-driven, multi-channel communication landscape, are we still measuring success the same way we did decades ago? As communication professionals, we've adapted our efforts to suit diverse channels and new generations of audiences. But a critical question remains: Are we also updating our measurement approaches to keep pace with these changes, or are we still relying on outdated metrics that don't fully capture the impact of our work? 💡I explore this topic in my latest article https://lnkd.in/gEkvCczB 📆 Join us for a line up of webinars during AMEC Measurement and Evaluation Global Measurement Month to learn from global leaders on the latest trend and best practices in measurement for communication https://lnkd.in/g8YzfqHk #amecmm #measurement #prmeasurement #data #datastrategy #communication #communicationmeaurement #amec

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