Developing a PR Strategy: Key Tips for Clear Goals, Strong Messaging and Real Results
Whether you’re typing away on a keyboard or brainstorming with pen and paper, creating a PR strategy can feel overwhelming. While it’s tempting to jump straight into sending out news releases or scheduling social media posts, doing so without a well-thought-out plan is like casting a line into a dark pond – you’re unlikely to […]
Maximizing Your End-of-Year Budget for Strategic Growth
As the year is coming to a close, many businesses are reviewing their budgets and preparing for the year ahead. It’s a crucial time to assess how resources were used and strategically allocate any remaining funds for long-term success in 2025. In this post, we’ll share insights on conducting an effective year-end budget review and […]
Effective Crisis Communication – Prepare Your Organization for the Unexpected
Crisis Communication: 7 Essential Steps to Prepare Your Organization for the Unexpected In public relations, crisis communication is a critical skill that can determine the success or failure of an organization’s reputation. Whether you operate in the public or private sector, having a well-thought-out crisis communication plan is essential for managing scrutiny, minimizing damage, and […]
Don’t Just Fly, Soar: How FAA-Certified Drone Pilots Can Elevate Your PR and Marketing Strategy
In today’s competitive market, businesses are seeking unique ways to stand out — and nothing captures attention like breathtaking aerial imagery. Drones have revolutionized promotional content, providing a new dimension of visual storytelling. But before launching your own drone for commercial purposes, it’s essential to understand the legalities and benefits of working with FAA-certified drone […]
Maximize Your PR Impact: Why Media Relations Builds Brand Strength and Reputation
In the competitive world of public relations, media relations is pivotal to maximizing your PR impact. Effective media strategies are crucial for building a robust brand and managing your reputation. Leveraging media relations enhances credibility, amplifies your brand’s visibility, and helps navigate reputational challenges. Here’s why media relations is a cornerstone of successful PR and […]
What Should We Say? Brands and the LGBTQ+ Community
Holidays and special events often present opportunities for corporate communications, with Thanksgiving, election day, and the Super Bowl leading to a flood of social media posts, ad campaigns, and news stories. Brands use these occasions to connect with audiences, aiming to associate themselves with a sense of community. However, these efforts can backfire if your […]
How PR Professionals Can Elevate Your CEO’s Public Image and Influence
Even in the high-flying corner offices with sweeping views and sophisticated décor, CEOs are just like everyone else—having strengths and weaknesses. To effectively shape their public image, influence stakeholders, and build their company’s reputation, CEOs need honest and strategic counsel from public relations professionals. Key Strategies for PR Success with CEOs 1. Craft a Compelling […]
Connecting with Lawmakers – Strategies for Telling Your Story Persuasively
For most people, interacting with any government official — from a local council member to U.S. Senator and County Executive — can be extremely intimidating. How do you approach them? What do we talk about? Or, even worse, what if you don’t see eye-to-eye on a particular issue, much less anything? First and foremost, remember […]
Public Engagement: 5 Key Benefits of Involving Everyone
Public relations, at its core, thrives on building relationships and fostering connections with various stakeholders. Securing active public engagement can make or break a project and set the positive tone for future public opinion. While stakeholder outreach and public engagement might sound straightforward in theory, reaching your target audience can present a wide range of […]
Media Relations for Non-Profits: How to Effectively Share Your Story
The landscape of non-profit organizations is filled with worthy causes – everything from feeding the hungry, behavioral health services, providing compassionate support for children in need and more. The incredible work these organizations do in service to our communities are stories that need to be shared far and wide. Enter: the media relations campaign. A […]
Breaking Barriers and Nurturing Resilience – Mental Health in Communication
In the fast-paced world of communication, professionals face high-pressure situations, tight deadlines, and constant connectivity. While these realities are part of the job, they can also impact mental health if not managed properly. At C2 Strategic Communications, prioritizing mental health is a core part of our company culture. Creative Industries and Burnout The creative nature […]
Harnessing the Power of Earned Media: Boost Your PR and Marketing Success
Unlock the potential of earned media to transform your PR and marketing strategy. In the dynamic field of public relations, earned media stands out as a powerful tool for enhancing your organization’s reputation and visibility. Paid vs. Earned MediaPaid advertising provides broad control over content and message distribution, but earned media offers unique advantages. Earned […]
Why Your Civil Engineering Project Needs a Brand: Boosting Visibility and Impact
In the world of civil engineering, where function and practicality take precedence, it is easy for artistry and marketing to take a back seat. So, why should it matter? Isn’t branding for commerce? Why does an engineering project need a brand identity? 1. Credibility and trust: Civil engineering projects, such as road improvement, involve significant […]
Preventive maintenance: Make it a habit
Fellow allergy sufferers, I hear your sniffles. I see the pollen and mold counts and I grieve along with you. Louisville is a tough place to be if you’re sensitive to, well, anything that floats in the air. I’ve finally gotten my annual allergy suffering under control, thanks to a good doctor who told me […]
Three questions to focus your communications on the bottom line
Too often – in both our personal and work lives – we get wrapped up in the details of what we doing and miss the meaning of what we are doing. We’ve all seen examples of well-intentioned professionals losing sight of their mission and falling into a routine that strays from their desired course. Communications […]
Yes You, Enough with the Jargon
I don’t really like to begin a post with a definition, but I think it’s important that everyone understand what jargon is: A form of ineffective communication. Jargon seldom helps make a point well. At best, jargon is an imprecise way to communicate messages quickly. At worst, it leaves others completely oblivious to your meaning. […]
Email: Does the E stand for Easy? Or Evil?
Email is the most overused and abused form of communications today. (Texting is next, but that’s another discussion.) Because email is familiar, easy-to-use, and very often effective, we use it as a universal form of communications – the verbal equivalent of a survival tool that supposedly does everything from cutting tree branches to opening beer […]
Marketing vs. Communications: What’s the Difference and Why Should I Care?
Seldom a week goes by that someone doesn’t ask me to explain the difference between marketing, communications, and public relations. Plenty of business people confuse and intermingle these terms. This confusion can lead to problems moving your products and/or promoting your business or organization. It’s important to know: Marketing is not communications and communications is […]
5 tips for adding healthy habits into your workday
Whether logging in from home or an office with limited capacity, the way in which we work has changed. More people are indoors, sitting and staring at a screen for a majority of the day making it hard to prioritize their own well-being.
Being thankful in 2020: C2 Strategic founder talks Kentucky’s greatest gifts
Most people will not celebrate Thanksgiving and other seasonal holidays this year because of COVID-19, but there are still plenty of reasons to be thankful. C2 Strategic founder Chad Carlton encourages optimism for Kentuckians and anyone struggling through a tough year. He talked about his favorite things about the Bluegrass State and what he’s learned […]
Ready for 2021? C2 founder gives tips on looking ahead, learning from the past
2020 is undoubtedly a year of tremendous change for the entire world. So should we rip the last couple of months off the calendar to get closer to ‘normal’? C2 Strategic founder Chad Carlton recently wrote for Building Kentucky about this difficult year.
