It’s Almost Halloween, But Don’t Be Afraid
A high school intern at a small newspaper, I was once assigned the task of asking “people on the street” about New Coke. (We all have to start somewhere in journalism. That’s where I started.) One guy said he preferred Pepsi. Grading on a low curve, this counted as our most interesting answer. But then […]
No, ma’am! I’m not your baby
I’m old now. The folks at AARP thoughtfully reminded me with a personalized membership card as a 50th birthday present. So as old people sometimes do, I want to dispense a little free advice – communications advice, in this case – to all the young folks out there. Add two important words to your daily […]
Quirky, kicky and sticky: Building a business in the cyber century
This weekend, we helped birth a business right in our very own living room. A good friend of ours, Zac Caldwell, wants to share his quirky and amazing jams and jellies with all of you. So he’s launching a Louisville-based food products business, Caldwell’s Quirky Cookery, and using the power of the Internet to raise […]
Driving toward the future
As I drove away from the Kentucky Automotive Industry Association’s inaugural AutoVision conference earlier this week, I considered that the car I was driving will be a relic compared what my young daughter will drive one day. She may even ask me to tell her about the days when cars had steering wheels, or even […]
Writing a speech? Don’t Listen to “The SpeechWriter”
GQ calls The Speechwriter, “the best political book ever” – high praise for a memoir that revolves around a sex scandal, but leaves out the sex. Barton Swaim was a speechwriter for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford during the “hiking the Appalachian Trail” fiasco. But Swaim’s ire isn’t about the governor’s Argentine mistress or his […]
Frame your messages like a photographer
I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a professional photographer, or some would argue even a good photographer. But I love great photos. Having worked for two decades in journalism, I’ve been around some great shutterbugs. As a result, I’ve learned a few things about taking pictures. The process starts much the same way […]
You’ve got (too much) mail
Sometimes being kept in the loop can feel more like a noose around your neck. Take e-mail, for example. The constant alerts and the “reply all” frenzy can really choke your thought process and work flow. Recently, we at C2 Strategic Communications have been working on a large project involving team members at multiple entities […]
Vacation time: Use it, don’t lose it
Kids are back in school and we’re getting dangerously close to flipping the calendar to September – there’s no denying summer is coming to a close. As we get ready to say goodbye to sunshine and longer days, here’s hoping your summer is wrapping up with enough warm memories to get you through the winter […]
Do you have a thinking problem?
Most mornings, I start my day with a tall cold one – a 44-ounce Coke Zero, that is. Recently, I pulled into my neighborhood Speedway to find this beer truck unloading a fresh supply of the other kind of tall cold ones. The truck was a mobile billboard for Fat Tire, a popular and tasty […]
Who should go “out front”?
Whether you’re experiencing a crisis, launching a new product, or trying to get people to attend your annual fundraising event, a key first decision is selecting the person who will be the “voice” of your messaging. Most people are inclined to go “straight to the top.” That’s why you expect to see the mayor at the […]
Five ways to make your presentation presentable
I like to joke that I have a master’s degree in PowerPoint, because in two years of graduate school, I prepared more presentations than I wrote papers. Like it or not, today’s fast-paced world is about visuals and bite-size information. During my two years at Spalding University and over the course of my 26-year career, […]
Building bridges: enjoy the show
Two years ago this week, Gov. Steve Beshear and leaders broke ground on the Downtown Crossing portion of the Ohio River Bridges Project. Decades of talking about building the new bridge ended and the real work got underway. If you haven’t been in downtown Louisville or Jeffersonville lately, you’re missing quite a show. The landscape […]
More talent for C2: Beverly Bartlett
We’re excited to add another talented communicator to the C2 team, Beverly Bartlett. As speech writer for Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer for the past four years, she was the voice behind the voice of Louisville. She also served as the social media maven for his office, helping build the mayor’s 35,000 social media followers by […]
21st Century storytelling takes more than words
Nothing in the last decade has illustrated the importance of visual presentations and interesting imagery than the meteoric rise of YouTube. The company, which celebrated 10 years in business last week, has transformed the way we use the internet while also changing our expectations about how we consume news and information. YouTube (now part of […]
Social media: Where personal and professional can collide
In today’s world, social media increasingly blurs the line between our professional and personal lives. Fuzzy boundaries can create some sticky situations for employers and employees alike. All it takes is one ill-conceived post or tweet – or even just something taken out of context – to tarnish an employee or a company’s reputation. Just […]
Finding the Right Tools to Tell the Story
It’s an office with a view and no windows are needed. The men and women who are building the new Downtown bridge that is part of the Louisville – Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project are reaching new heights with their work. The first tower for the bridge is complete, stretching 230 feet above the […]
Responding to sangria in the sippy cup
Too many companies faced with major communications crises respond like an armadillo under attack by a predator. They curl up in a ball and hope the danger will pass. Not Texas Roadhouse, the Louisville-based restaurant chain whose friendly mascot is Andy Armadillo. A media barrage hit the company like a pack of coyotes this week […]
Knowledge is power: Coverage helps commuters
When two states tackle one of the largest transportation construction projects in the country, keeping drivers and residents informed is a critical part of the process. The extensive work on the Downtown Crossing portion of Ohio River Bridges Project affects hundreds of thousands of people in Kentucky and Indiana – as well as motorists simply […]
C2 on P3: Understanding public-private partnerships
I recently returned from a conference in Dallas where hundreds of us spent three days learning about a letter and a number – P3. In states and communities across America, leaders are talking about P3, which is short hand for public-private partnerships. It’s a financing solution that, in some cases, can help governments build needed […]
