It was beneath a blistering sun – and later a cold moon – noisy with cicadas (when even the snakes were hunting shade beneath the thorn trees) that I learned the value of relying on community. I was 21 years old and a grunt in the army undergoing basic training (boot camp). One of the […]
From army platoons to brands, tribes work best Read More »
It’s not Adwords, or social media or radio that make your marketing communications campaign successful – it’s what you say. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a few well-chosen words will paint a picture. Your message is what gets the cut through. Take, for example, these words that changed the world (many
Words that changed the world: What they mean for you Read More »
I am a writer. A journalist. A wordsmith. A public relations and communications practitioner for more than 30 years. I build personal and brand reputations—I’ve been described as a master storyteller (I’ve written novels too)—but a small LinkedIn feature called a ‘non-instructional nudge’ or, as I call it, a ‘hollow prompt,’ has left me lost
Us Kiwis, we need to talk… Read More »
Jared Fogle—once the face of fast-food chain Subway because he lost weight by only eating Subway sandwiches—was ultimately sentenced to 15 years in prison for child exploitation and possession of child pornography. Like most brands and marketers, Subway was seduced by what the man did—eat sandwiches—rather than his character and his reputation because behind the
How many times do brands make this Subway mistake? Read More »
Thoughts on how to achieve personal change in 2025 I was in my mid-20s when my dad became very ill with tuberculosis and emphysema. He would be sick for some years, but at almost every level (obliviously), I never accepted it—even though at one time my girlfriend had to talk my brother through CPR over
Lessons from loss: Overcoming avoidance in business Read More »
Lessons in communication and narrative persuasion When I was a child, I got into a fight with my nephew over some imaginary bus keys (I regard my nephew Gaz – there are only six months between us – and his sister Mel as my brother and sister). One sunny day, we were playing a game
The bus, the broomstick and the keys Read More »
Are you looking to elevate your marketing with a professional, engaging newsletter but don’t have the time or resources to manage it? For just $750 per newsletter per month, excluding GST, I offer a comprehensive newsletter service that handles everything from start to finish. As a special offer for my subscribers, I am offering a
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It was energetic, rebellious, catchy; a raw punk rock anthem and I couldn’t get enough of it. I was in my early teens in 1981, and Joan Jett’s ‘Bad Reputation’ was climbing the charts. Rolling Stone wrote: “Jett’s first solo album is a determined retelling of what sometimes seems like the truest rock story there
Reputation Roulette:When Bad is Good for Business Read More »
When I was young, I desperately wanted a horse. But to own a horse, in my mind, I needed to live on a farm. Otherwise, where would you keep it? I would ask my dad for a horse and he would laughingly reply, “Sure, bring me a pen and paper and I’ll draw you one.”
How to recession-proof your business Read More »
If business is slow—or you are worried that a slow-down is coming—make yourself more visible because the more visible you are, the more business you will do. Science calls it the Familiarity Principle. “In studies of interpersonal attraction, the more often people see a person, the more pleasing and likeable they find that person (even
If you’re stressed about the slow-down, here’s how to turn things around Read More »