It’s the day after the State of the Union, and the airways are crammed with political prognostications as well as the usual Monday morning quarterbacking. To offer a fresh alternative, we thought we’d stay focused on the present and ask leading communication experts to reflect on the basic communications challenge President Obama faced in giving…

It’s an auspicious time to be taking over as Chair of the Council. After a difficult economic period, client uncertainty, and shrinking budgets in 2009, our industry is in high gear. Wherever I look, I see real optimism and excitement (see results of the Council’s 3rd quarter survey), and 2011 looks to be even better….

Most companies are eager to harness the power of social media in communicating with their key stakeholders, but within highly regulated industries, particularly financial services and healthcare, companies must be careful not to run afoul of sometimes murky regulatory guidelines. What are the new guidelines from regulatory authorities on social media usage for companies?  Where…

If you’re Vikram Pandit, the CEO of Citibank, the answer is yes. Last year, Pandit vowed he’d take no salary until the bank became profitable. So he didn’t. But Citibank is now back in the black, which is why this past week, Citibank’s board announced that they’d reinstate a salary for Pandit. Of course, Pandit…

In recent weeks, the FTC has demonstrated that it is not fooling around when it comes to blogging ethics. We strongly encourage public relations agencies to consult with legal counsel and to adopt strong and clear policies regarding blogs and other forms of consumer-generated media.

Today, as recent news coverage has confirmed, we communications professionals find ourselves not merely in the trenches, but in the boardroom acting as valuable strategic counsel to corporate leadership. While our industry will continue to provide clients with the tactical help they need to execute communications programs, a real opportunity exists to add value by…

It’s been a tough couple of weeks for HP’s board of directors. I’m certain thousands of other corporate leaders have also faced struggles of their own in the hiring and firing of executives, albeit without the same public scrutiny. Every day people in power must make significant, challenging decisions.  How do these kinds of decisions…

Would you sic your legal department on an avid fan who in a burst of enthusiasm sent your company a new product suggestion? What if that fan was a third grader who wrote the letter not to lay claim to your intellectual property, but to practice writing letters? In 2006, Apple CEO Steve Jobs received…

The question of who owns intellectual property (IP) created during a new business pitch is becoming an increasingly hot button issue in today’s marketplace. As Ad Age reported, the 4A’s recently sent an official letter to consultants urging them to use contract language “that reflects advertising agencies’ right to retain creative ideas presented during new-business…