This Sunday, Hollywood stars filled the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles to celebrate the 85th annual Academy Awards. The glamour, fashion and makeup sparkled across the city. But looking beyond the sparkle, you have to ask yourself, what lessons can we take from the Oscars? Know your story Knowing your story is important whether you are a business professional or an Oscar award winner. In order to represent your organization’s brand, you...

By now, we’ve all read the story. We’ve seen the interviews and heard the voicemails. Some believe Manti Te’o is the naïve victim of an incredibly elaborate hoax. Others firmly hold he helped to create the scheme to quell questions about his personal life or to gain Heisman votes. Regardless of Te’o’s level of involvement, a closer examination of the situation outlines the failings of Notre Dame and the national media –...

This week’s presidential inauguration is a reminder of the power of symbols. Not only was the inauguration (albeit the second) of the nation’s first black president held on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol was itself largely symbolic; the President and Vice President officially took their oaths the day before, on the date specified in the Constitution. The public spectacle was only that. And...

On a typical day, we use our cell phones to read and respond to email, check social media profiles and access bank accounts, but what have become routine tasks only scratch the surface of what these small but powerful tools provide. Our reliance on technology has grown to the point that personal communication devices are not luxuries, but necessities and the difficulties one encounters when a device isn’t working can be an inconvenience...

What’s the most effective strategy you can devise to achieve your goals – whether they are sales, votes or changes in behavior? And how do you translate that strategy into words that resonate with your audience? At the outset of a political or business campaign you ask: Where are we now? Where do we want to be? What are the steps to get there? Earlier this year, my colleague Matt Cochran discussed the public relations principles that...