When your own colleagues don’t understand the communications department’s role and what your teammates do all day, you’re in trouble. So what’s a communications director to do? What we do best. A branding campaign. Except this time, it’s internal, and your colleagues are your target audience.
Read MoreOur old ways of brute force and hustle culture never served us. Why bring those attitudes into the new year? Here, we’re sharing three ways to ensure your communications goals for 2023 are smart and focused on your team — and set you up for success, too.
To us, consent means ensuring that every person we interview feels comfortable, confident and even empowered about sharing throughout the interview process. In other words, consent is so much more than asking for permission to share a story. Gathering consent during interviews is just one of many critical parts of ethical storytelling. We're sharing how we approach the process in this blog.
Read MoreAs a parent who is aware of the schooling options available – one who *wants* to send her kids to public schools – I’m sharing a few steps I wish my local school district had taken over the past few months.
Read MoreMillions across the US choose to swipe right on, or decidedly say no thank you to, potential partners on dating apps every month. And much like hopeful (or jaded) singles swiping through profiles, your potential supporters, partners and stakeholders often make the decision to learn more about you – or write you off – in mere seconds. I bring this up because thinking about your organization’s brand personality as a dating profile…can actually be a great exercise! We’re including an example here.
Read MoreI was driving across North Carolina, headed for a quick weekend getaway in Belhaven, along the Pungo River. It was my favorite kind of drive, through all that my amazing state has to offer – beautiful water views, farm fields and cypress swamps.
But along with the landscape, there were billboards. So many of them.
And I got to thinking about what a great opportunity billboards can be for school district communicators – but only when done purposefully and with best practices in mind. (There are, I have to tell you, some pretty confusing and visually crowded billboards out there…)
Here are a few tips for creating an effective billboard ad for your district.
Read MoreAs I think about tomorrow’s election, I’m listening to The Final Countdown on repeat. Our campaigns are on their final stretches – and our country’s future is in our voters’ hands now.
No matter what the results are, I know many of us will be making the tough decision of whether to issue statements or responses about the election results. Or not.
Read MoreAs experts who focus on messaging, we’re always advising our clients to make strategic choices about the information they share, the comparisons they make, and the words they use. Knowing more about framing can help you win campaigns, change hearts and minds, and move your work forward.
There are typically three framing scenarios that communicators face when leading a campaign. Let’s dive into them.
Read MoreThrough her work with school districts and nonprofits, Forthright senior advisor Lauren knows how to reach a variety of audiences. Today, Lauren is sharing how organizations and districts like yours can better include grandparent caregivers in your tactics and build more inclusive communications.
Read MoreThe lawn signs are out, the commercials are on, and the handshakes are happening. You know what that means: it’s election season! And for many of our partners, that means securing funding for your school district is on the ballot.
We recently reviewed successful and failed bond campaigns across the US, and here are some key takeaways!
Read MoreThere’s a buzz in the air, tempting you with ideas like: “Can we stand up a whole campaign next week? Can we land that shiny New York Times piece? Can we push out all of our fresh data to everyone across digital?”
And maybe, “You know what… we’re gonna need some help with this.”
Ultimately, knowing if and when you're ready to engage a communications firm helps make sure that you’re making a sound investment and sets you up for a solid, successful partnership!
Read MoreSo you just landed a job as a communications director. Welcome to the big leagues, my friend! Whether you earned an internal promotion or you’re new to the organization, as someone who has stood in your shoes multiple times over the years, I’ve got a few tips to help you make the most out of your new role.
Read MoreI’ve had clients tell me that they’re nervous to do live television appearances or even speak with a reporter. “What if they ask me something I don’t know the answer to?” they ask us, dread in their voices. “What if they ask me about something I don’t want to talk about?”
Well, friends, you don’t need to be nervous, you just need to pivot.
Read MoreAs a PR firm founder, it’s my job to watch for macro-trends and patterns across our work. I’m keeping an eye on the big picture and constantly taking a pulse on the audiences (parents, school district administrators, child care providers, etc.) we frequently target through our work.
And honestly? I’m concerned.
Read MoreEvery couple of months, our all-remote team joins together for virtual happy hours. Or, as my colleague Ashley calls them, snacky hours, since Forthright founder Katie sends us delightful snack boxes to enjoy during these get-togethers.
During our last snacky hour, Katie asked us to come prepared with our favorite ice breaker. Hilarity – and learning about each other – ensued.
Today, I’m sharing more about why community activities benefit your organization – and some of our winning ice breakers, too.
Read MoreHonest question: How full is your inbox right now? Has it reached hundreds of unread emails yet? In the days leading up to the first day of school, it is totally normal to have an overwhelming amount of information thrown at you.
Buried in many inboxes are great story “nuggets” that deserve to be told. Maybe it is the student who learned to love science during the fun summer camp she took. Maybe it is a teacher who is bursting with fun, new blended learning ideas to engage his social studies class after the professional development session he attended in July.
Read MoreI was in DC this spring, and I spotted someone wearing a tee shirt reading “words mean things”.
My husband, a software engineer, didn't understand why I instantly fangirled over this shirt.
But as leaders and communicators, you get it — words DO mean things. We have a responsibility to choose them wisely and understand how they land and how different people interpret them.
Read MoreI grew up the middle child – not the first born, not the baby of the family. Yet I can confidently say that (as a future communicator) I was still the best at convincing our parents to do what I wanted.
My secret? Thinking about what was personally important to them…and then matching what I wanted with what they valued.
And that secret, my friend, is the entire secret to good communications.
Read MoreIt’s overwhelming out there, these days, eh? A flood of news. Constant notifications. According to recent health data from OnePoll, we’re all feeling overworked and exhausted.
So as changemakers, how do we break through the tired and overwhelmed in order to move our work forward?
The answer is simple:
One.
Read MoreEarlier this year, we asked you to share the skills you're most focused on building in 2022.
Many of you said that you'd like to do more around audience analysis for communications planning. You want to gain a better understanding of your audiences' values, motivations and their pain points – ultimately setting the stage for an effective campaign.
So, we put together an easy three question checklist to get you started on smart audience analysis.
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