M13’s Post

My friend and soul sister W. Christine Choi is one of the most brilliant, most accomplished, wisest women I know. If you are building a brand or working with one, make sure you read this article on tips for Crisis Comms, Storytelling, and True Authenticity. GO CHRISTINE GO!

Ready to skyrocket your brand's visibility? Here's the secret sauce! 👇🏾 Imagine this: Thought leaders have an ability to offer a fresh perspective. The best part? The more you share your unique views, the closer you get to your people. So, don't hold back! Embrace your knowledge and beliefs, and let's share them with the world. 🚀 The world needs more leaders who have some unique to say. #communicationstrategy #branding #visibilityispower

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐑 𝐢𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝. 𝐆𝐨 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭 🎙️ If you've been following me or Chief Brand Advisory (𝗖𝗕𝗔), you know I champion a strong 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 | 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱. I believe in the symbiotic relationship between 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 | 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 and corporate brands as a driver for growth and shareholder value. This manifesto by Lulu Cheng Meservey, the former head of Corporate Affairs and Communications for Activision Blizzard and Substack, echoes these principles with its sharp critique of traditional PR and call for founder-led brand storytelling. 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆'𝘀 manifesto is a clarion call to founders to reclaim their narratives in an era where traditional PR feels increasingly obsolete. She challenges the outdated reliance on media middlemen and advocates for direct, founder-led storytelling. Key excerpts that resonated with me include the declaration that: "𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝘅𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗲. 𝗜𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝘇𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲…𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗺." She astutely observes that "𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗮𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲." This manifesto aligns closely with what we've been advocating for years: that the fusion of founder/executive and corporate branding is non-negotiable in today’s market landscape. Good luck on your new endeavor, Lulu. https://lnkd.in/e_sWrXJz  #FounderBrand #ExecutiveBrand #personalbrand #ceo #narratives #storytelling #BrandCommunication #Leadership #vc

Who was your favourite Harry Potter character?? Mine was undoubtedly Ms Hermione Granger eka Emma Watson. Remember the concluding lines of her UN speech for #HeForShe campaign?? 💡 "If Not Me, Who? If Not Now, When?" In the fast-paced world of Marketing and Public Relations, this question is not just a call to action—it's a mindset. 🚀 In our industry, seizing the moment is crucial. Every campaign, pitch, or strategy presents a unique opportunity to progress and lead. Waiting for the perfect time or the right person can mean missing out on oppertunities. 🌟 Take Initiative: Whether it's launching a new campaign or exploring creative strategies, if you have a vision, it’s your responsibility to champion it. Don’t wait for someone else to step up—be the one who takes action and drives progress. 🌐 Lead by Example: In a landscape that shifts rapidly, your proactive approach can set new standards and inspire others. By embracing challenges and acting decisively, you contribute to the evolution of the industry. In Marketing and PR, the best results come from those who aren't afraid to make the first move. 🤝 Are you ready to make your mark? Share your thoughts or reach out—let’s connect and explore new opportunities together! #Marketing #PublicRelations #Leadership #Innovation #CareerGrowth #BeTheChange

The founding members for the Strategic Communicators Collective are IN!🙌🏽 I am so humbled that these 10 amazing professionals have chosen to grow, connect and learn with me. 👏🏽They’re an international group representing five countries. 👏🏽They work both in-house and externally as consultants. 👏🏽 They work with or for corporates and nonprofits. 👏🏽They all have at least a decade of experience in public relations and/or marketing. 👏🏽They joined for various reasons but all expressed support for my vision of building a space for bold, strategists who want to change the world with their work. Fun fact: I tried to start this group right before Thanksgiving last year and realized pretty quickly that my battery was dead. What was I thinking?! I know I go all in on everything I do and it could have been totally perfect timing. Except that it wasn’t. Not at that time. So I owned up to it and told them I was just…tired. I didn’t feel like doing it then but would let them know when I was ready to go in the new year. And here we are.🙌🏽 Stay tuned in the fall when I open the Strategic Communicators Collective up to a larger (but still small☺️) group. I’m so incredibly honored to have them on this journey and I can’t wait to witness the magic we’ll make. This is ❤️ work. #StrategicCommunications #PR #PublicRelations #Strategy #Leadership #ProfessionalDevelopment #PRBrainTrust

It's so refreshing when executives reveal the human side of leadership. Today’s most influential voices aren’t just sharing press releases on LinkedIn—they’re sharing their authentic selves, offering real opinions on important issues. It’s more than just good PR; it’s about making genuine connections with employees, customers, their industries, and the public. This shift isn’t just a trend—it’s a necessity in today’s noisy, oversaturated landscape. Standing out means having a clear voice that feels human. And that’s where a thoughtful approach to communication can make all the difference. https://lnkd.in/gHbSkY6a #Communications #CorporateCommunications #PR #Leadership #Brand #LinkedIn #SocialMedia #Marketing

Company comms team: ”We need to highlight this big project that’s been in the works for years to our target audiences because it’s really important to our leadership. I need help figuring out how to do this in a very tight schedule.” Me: ”Don’t do it now.” Company comms team: ”… What?” Me: ”You can’t showcase this project at its best right now. Hold onto this story until spring because then, due to seasonality, it will be a lot more relevant and the results will be better. It won’t resonate and inspire action right now.” Company comms team: ”… Okay, that does make sense. Thank you for being direct.” Sometimes, the best advice you can give is hold your horses. 🐎

Things happen. They just do. Sometimes they're orchestrated; oftentimes they're happenstance; but most times you can't stop them, and you're forced to go along for the ride. A few weeks ago, my role as UM's Chief Diversity Officer was eliminated. As you might imagine, I asked all of the questions including "why is this happening to me?". Then suddenly, affirmations of my work began to surface- a Palm Sunday lesson on growth from my Pastor; a myriad of "thank you" notes from employees from all over the country (more to come on that); a phone call from a friend revealing our last somewhat prophetic text exchange; a beautiful send off from employees across our entire network; etc. That's when I was forced to check myself for questioning my own faith. That's when I realized that what appeared to have happened TO me was actually happening FOR me. So, I don't know what's next, but what I do know is we're on to bigger and better things starting today! So, if you're looking for a Hall of Fame-level, transformative Executive with a talent for designing, driving and executing strategies with practical solutions- you know where to find me! #diversityequitybelonging #diversityintheworkplace #diversityinmarketing #diversityequityinclusion #diversityequityinclusionbelonging #cruciblemoments #mamaimadeit

If your brand isn’t growing, there’s a good chance you’re the one standing in the way. The biggest roadblocks to your brand’s growth are coming from inside your organization. Here are 7 Things Sabotaging Your Brand’s Growth (And How to Fix It) 1. You focus solely on short-term wins. ❌ 2. You don’t leverage data for decision-making. ❌ 3. You rarely invest in your team’s development. ❌ 4. You overlook the importance of brand storytelling. ❌ 5. You neglect customer feedback. ❌ 6. You underestimate the power of social proof. ❌ 7. You don’t prioritize a positive team culture. ❌ Growth is more than just hitting numbers—it's about building a brand that thrives long-term and creating an environment where both the brand and team can excel. Follow Richard Fordham for More Marketing and Leadership Content.

Culture is the Foundation of Success. Our new brand and website reflect our belief that strong culture drives everything—growth, strategy, and impact. Visit our site to read our official press release and see how we're redefining what it means to lead with culture. https://lnkd.in/g-zW7wWq #CultureMatters #LeadershipDevelopment #EXTENDYourImpact #ElevateWithEXTEND #LeadWithPurpose