Tag: Stay Ahead

As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close and as companies wind down their celebration efforts, it’s an opportune time to revisit how Hispanics continue to shape the United States, as well as the challenges they face year-round. As consumers of data, companies should care about where their data comes from and how it was collected, especially when that data is being used to inform corporate strategy...

In a world that increasingly looks at solutions to limit the environmental footprint of human activities, transport and infrastructure are in the spotlight as one of the most environmentally impactful yet essential sectors...

As independent, objective reviews of how corporate policies and practices affect underrepresented groups, racial equity audits are vital to ensuring that companies become fairer and more welcoming places to work...

A global, efficient, competitive, profitable and resilient semiconductor industry can usher continual technological innovations benefitting people, businesses and nations...

As part of their diversity, equity and inclusion commitments, companies and organizations should look for ways to constantly empower Hispanic women to pave their way toward leadership positions...

Data is playing an increasingly important role in driving and guiding all areas of business, including corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts...

COVID-19 drove unprecedented sudden and dramatic shifts in both demand and supply. Supply chain managers have always had to be nimble to respond to challenges in increasingly complex chains. But past disruptions tended to be local or regional, typically caused by environmental disasters or other emergencies. The pandemic, however, hit countries globally and nearly simultaneously...

As we head into 2022, it’s worth reflecting on the economy we want to build, while being clear-eyed in examining the negative social risks of emergent crypto technologies and Web3 visions. That is a conversation worth having and it’s important for industry and policy leaders to listen to new voices, understand new communities and engage generations of consumers that are growing up in this more decentralized layer of our economies and societies...

As a result of increased levels of stress, isolation and burnout, it’s perhaps no surprise that more companies are prioritizing employee wellbeing as part of their overall ESG strategies...

As companies develop new and revolutionary technologies and our society irrevocably shift towards greater online interaction and presence, so do the dangers of technological shortcomings. ..

Following the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, global progress on addressing climate change appeared to slow for a number of years. In the absence of strong and coordinated political action, companies came to realize that they could take climate action substantially faster than political systems...

The world is at a tipping point. ESG risks and opportunities are making their way into substantive conversations in the C-Suite and Boardroom about business as a platform for change. Every journey needs a roadmap. Communicators can help their organizations redefine market leadership and chart their path on their journey of stakeholder capitalism, ESG and decarbonization...

If COVID-19 has a lesson for us with regards to health, it is this: our social environments matter just as much as our DNAs and lifestyle choices. Experts are cognisant of the fact that joblessness, lack of education and racial inequities are part and parcel of the problems that need to be fixed...

Company leaders need to reimagine the business case for diversity, dig deeper and focus on the systems and power structures within their organizations that elevate one group of people and diminishes another. This is hard work. It requires self-examination to understand our own biases and how we contribute to the systemic issues that exist...

As the economics of business changes, corporations need to reelevate their talent strategy to compete globally. Diversity is a business imperative and not just "the right thing to do." Building a more inclusive workforce offers different perspectives and provides the innovation, creativity, and acceleration of positive change that companies need to ensure long-term success...

The traditional philanthropy sector is having its own reckoning with race—confronting its roots in wealth disparities and paternalistic, colonial approaches, and moving towards justice-centered giving, redistributing power and investing in community-led solutions...

With great knowledge and insights come with great responsibility and as business and organizations select how to use data towards their business activities, none can claim data neutrality. There are clear business and cost-effective strategies to mitigating racial and prejudice bias, but above all, these offensive applications affect people’s lives and should be open to scrutiny and accountability...

While the Biden administration can be expected to have a robust healthcare agenda beyond the first 100 days, the president understands that getting the pandemic under better control is critical to making progress on other issues. As a result, his first 100 days will be all about the pandemic...

As 2021 kicks off, let’s think about the kind of society we want, because we have an opportunity to rebuild society better, healthier and more supportive. While change won’t happen overnight, we can make the choice to do better not just for ourselves and our businesses, but also for the people who lost their lives, livelihoods and loved ones over the past year...

As the Biden administration prepares to take the reins in Washington, one of the sharpest policy pivots is expected to be in environmental and climate policy. Water crises, including droughts and floods intensified by climate change, are among the greatest tangible risks to business and geopolitical stability...

It’s going to be a packed first 100 days for the Biden administration, setting the tone for an eventful four years. There’s much for business leaders to be optimistic about—a return to rules-based trade; more predictability; and more balanced and less mercantilist policymaking. And while some new geo-commercial risks will undoubtedly arise, there should be tremendous opportunities for savvy cross-border trade and investment...

Globally, antitrust scrutiny and enforcement remained robust with the focus on big tech continuing to grow. There now appears to be competition amongst regulators themselves as a wave of investigations are launched and new tools proposed to regulate digital markets...

Best practices in philanthropy are indeed shifting as we approach 2021. While there is no one organization doing it all perfectly, foundations looked to as leaders are in front of the trends and are working with urgency to address the broader range of historic criticisms of being “top-down, closed-door and expert-driven.”..

2020 has delivered certainty to us all about health. We now know that it is an existential asset not only for individuals but for business and society as a whole. Now, as vaccination makes working, playing and loving without wearing a mask a realistic prediction for 2021, leaders of all ilk need to make operating as the one humanity we are a new status quo...

Smart businesses will spend next year embedding fully new structural changes, being more inclusive, and adapting to a new work mindset. While COVID-19 left an indelible mark on us all this year, 2021 will bring different, possibly greater, but certainly connected challenges...

If COVID-19 ushered in new issues for your company in 2020, just wait until 2021. Bridging the period between the pandemic and widespread COVID-19 immunity will require thoughtful policies that further define your corporate legacy and how you live your values...

Global tech and the intersection of policy, issues and reputation management have never been more intense. The opportunities for defining and owning a relevant narrative for all brands are massive...

In 2021, it is time for water advocates to turn their Achilles’ Heel into their secret weapon, reaching outside their comfort zones to engage, enlist and activate new allies. It’s time to assert water’s connective place among the pressing issues—climate, food, energy, health—facing our blue planet, which is becoming more and more thirsty by the moment...

As 2020 comes to a close, APCO’s experts in Asia reveal their regional business predictions for 2021. From China and India to Southeast Asia, the forecasts point to a dynamic new year with global dialogue and market opportunities...

2021 is a time for long, overdue change. This is the year when everyone needs to take a hard look at what commitment they will make to promote gender equality and how they will action it. Because without action on these commitments, women will slip further into economic and societal inequality...

The retail sector is going through a disruption accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. There are several important cornerstones of the transformation that successful retail companies need to have in order to survive and grow through 2021 and beyond...

The core digital principles of knowing your audience, listening, having a clear message, building trust with your audiences in credible ways, and being authentic and transparent still matter...

The media landscape has been changing and contracting for years, and will continue to do so in 2021. Content is still the key to successful media coverage and here are a few ways to prepare your media programs for the year ahead...

With coming to an imminent resolution, and the first vaccinations already starting to roll out, what will the next 12 months hold for UK businesses and government?..

COVID-19 has moved faster than any country or company could have imagined or prepared for. Focusing on your organization’s purpose can help employees feel a sense of normalcy and ensure that they are thinking about the future...

While stressing the importance of celebrating our past, The Next 100 focused on creating a better future for the next generation of young female leaders. I hope that crafting a new narrative through actionable steps will inspire our employees, current and future, to build this new reality...

If there’s one silver lining to the dark pandemic cloud hanging over all of us, everywhere, it’s that we can apply the rude awakening to our shared vulnerabilities to accelerate a more proactive, preventative and protective approach to health...

To accelerate diversity and inclusion in the financial services industry, CEOs need to set the tone at the top, organizations need to embrace system thinking and data around talent management and brand-builders need to instill empathy to create more inclusive growth..

As companies face unprecedented challenges due to the global pandemic, it is more important than ever before to have diverse representation in management decision-making...

Workplace culture reflects the company’s overall personality but essentially, it is the environment that surrounds us all the time. A positive culture drives productivity, efficiency, increases retention, promotes teamwork and reinforces an environment that encourages growth...

Today, enhancing the engagement of employees is critical to a company’s near and long-term successes and helps to retain the best talent. Based on our experience in Japan, here are three key elements that global companies should consider...

For any business, building a culture does not happen overnight. It is a process that needs to evolve over time and allow for wider interpretation to include a wider set of stakeholders, as the business grows. But for now, the question is: where to does it start?..

Over the last five years, the idea of “purpose” and the role it can play in creating alignment and driving value for an organization and its employees has gained a lot of traction...

In recent years, ESG, sustainability, inclusion and diversity have become common buzz words in business, particularly in financial services. Executives understand that they need to promote these issues to attract top talent and improve their bottom line, and top companies are now racing to do this better than their competitors...

With four generations working together, today’s workplace offers a wide range and dynamic combination of experience, expectations and priorities. We asked three APCO Worldwide colleagues to share their views on the workplace, how it has changed and what they see as the most important future considerations for companies as they look to create a culture that is inclusive for a multi-generational workforce...

Employees are seeking more than just a paycheck and benefits in the jobs they hold. Crucial are top executives’ integrity and candor, along with the organization’s mission and values...

The last decade has shown us that our world is getting more complicated, and as we begin 2020—and the 50th anniversary of the founding of the World Economic Forum (WEF)—it is an opportune time to reflect on the changing nature of corporate leadership...

In today’s era of polarizing politics and gridlocked policy, companies’ ability to take a stand is becoming more important than ever before. While selecting an appropriate cause can be challenging, it can also be extremely rewarding, both financially and reputationally...

Given the disruptive changes that we are witnessing in many parts of the world, the notion of leadership takes on a different meaning. Communication, emotional intelligence and soft skills are more important than ever before...

Major global events provide excellent platforms for companies to demonstrate and strengthen their thought leadership in tackling global issues, and some of the major international events that will take place in 2020 will help to develop tangible and intangible legacies for future generation...

As we look ahead to 2020, at least in an ideal world, every designer should be aware of the implications and effects of the tools we use, and the products, services, campaigns and brands we research, plan and enable across societies...

In the United States, the issue of how to address prescription drug pricing will certainly be a hot button topic ahead of the 2020 election. The time is now for pharma companies to act and offer real and impactful solutions that help patients, while calling out elements of the healthcare system that create barriers to access in exchange for profit...

Key trends, such as millennials beginning to turn 40, the need for technology to help people and ESG's new status as a must-have, not a nice-to-have, all present market obstructions for the financial sector. Companies need to rewire their strategic thinking, offerings and communications to connect with today’s customers, borrowers, investors and workforce...

Technology is a ubiquitous constant in our everyday lives—essential in all sectors ranging from energy and financial services, to retail and healthcare. With so much potential for economic and geopolitical influence for those that lead and control technological advancements, nations and businesses alike have deep vested interests in relevant policies and trends...

While the U.S. presidential election is set to dominate geopolitical discussion, there are four other votes, also scheduled for next year, for business leaders to keep an eye on around the world...

I foresee 2020 being a year which crystallises change. Organisations that are slow to adapt to the increased focus on the value of business in society may find it hard to recover their position in the eyes of consumers and even their own workforce...

With five generations now working side-by-side in many organizations, we expect to see an even greater focus on internal communications in 2020 as companies understand the importance of keeping their generationally-diverse workforce informed and engaged...

In the coming year, we will see brands investing more in analytics and finding new ways to leverage data sets to create customized, transparent and credible experiences that continue to inform and achieve quality (over quantity) results...

When looking to influence European financial policy, determining who matters, means organizations should focus on three interesting and important participants...

With many B2B and B2C audiences now getting their financial insights through social media, financial companies must consider incorporating digital influencers as part of a well-designed communications strategy. ..

A recent APCO Insight survey measured the U.S. public’s perception of influencers, their motivations and what characteristics matter when evaluating their advice. APCO President Evan Kraus shares what it means for brands...

As the proliferation of social content from corporations and brands continues, the future of effective and authentic stakeholder engagement and influence lies in employee advocates...

Influencing activists to effectively engage the target audience is difficult. Focusing on targeted and trusted outreach and highlighting the urgency of their own action can set an advocacy campaign apart...

Patient consumers are increasingly influencing the future of healthcare. In this competitive and democratized environment, health providers and companies need to become more agile in the way they communicate...

While it is often difficult to balance the competing demands of different stakeholders, business is under increasing pressure to meet growing expectations around the world...

When developing advocacy campaigns, organizations will do well to consider the impact of integrating digital communications intended for policy elites into their grassroots efforts and direct lobbying activities. Doing so will deepen their impact and put organizations in a better place to succeed...

For people working in public relations and political communications, the notion of alternative facts presents many challenges. As an industry, we need to become more discerning about fact-checking to recognise exploitation for what it is, and more importantly to have an unambiguous relationship with the truth, whatever the channel or form of communication...

In China, significant opportunities exist for foreign enterprises to align with the government’s ambitious healthcare reform goals and influence the future of the country's health sector...

APCO CEO Brad Staples joined Bloomberg Markets to share insights on the challenges that business leaders face today and discuss the need to engage on social issues in an informed and cautious way...

We’re operating in a divisive digital environment where people are actively advocating for issues, only engaging with brands that align with their values and being openly vocal about brands they think are doing it wrong. The pressure is on for companies to continually push towards and build authentic connections with their key audiences...

Fundamental trends are shaping the future of the travel and hospitality industry. It will be those destinations that can adapt and cater to these evolving expectations that will succeed as travelers seek new and dynamic experiences around the world...

Flying under the radar has been a common strategy for many companies that did not want to be involved in sensitive issues. However, there is no space left under the radar today. The expectation is that companies act, and those actions must connect to their values and culture. ..

To be prepared for tomorrow, companies need to build their reputation equity with the consumers of the future and the only way to do this is by being authentic. Companies need to act now by paying attention and showcasing their support for social causes...

Today, advertisers have more mediums than ever before to deliver their messages. Whatever creative messaging or clever medium is used in the future, one old-fashioned principle will continue to be critical to winning and retaining consumers—trustworthiness...

Even with a shrinking number of print outlets, there are plentiful opportunities today to get our stories and messages in front of and shared among our target audiences. The way people consume media is going to continue to evolve, but the role of media relations in the communications mix remains complex and relevant...

For a long time, communicators have said that we need to reach, target and engage our consumers with great creative. Instead, we need to be expanding how we talk about creative to reach the consumers of the future...

The investors of today understand that successful companies need to be able to drive innovation and deliver transformative solutions that benefit customers and society...

In today’s world, where some multinationals are larger than national economies, and where a 16-year-old activist can mobilize more people than politicians, there is clearly a role for institutional leaders to lead the charge and serve as beacons of hope for solving the world’s most pressing problems...

China’s participation in the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit, held at the UN Headquarters in New York on September 23, marks another major milestone in the development of China’s environmental protection policies...

With the global health community closely watching the UN's milestone High-Level Meeting on universal health coverage, Andrei Goldis takes a closer look at the World Health Organization's role in the evolving global healthcare landscape...

Addressing the climate emergency is on the top of the agenda for this year’s 74th meeting of the UNGA. While there will be a ton of popular activism and eye-catching business commitments, meaningful government collaboration may be lacking...

AI has a huge potential to revolutionize healthcare, but over-hyping AI can undermine the credibility of the promise...

Organizations that follow best-in-class AI ethical principles will be the leaders in their unique competitive sets, and their collective intelligence increases the odds of AI becoming a better and more human partner in our lives...

Artificial intelligence has unleashed a new wave of digital disruption, and we are already seeing its application and benefits across the communications industry spectrum...

With the rise of AI, we have the best tools in history at our disposal to solve complex problems. Companies need to stay ahead of the curve and embrace the change, or risk playing catch up...

Companies have an unprecedented chance to use their vision and values to influence the social landscape, take a stand and make a meaningful difference. It is what society wants to see, and employees are demanding...

As executives grapple with growing consumer expectations and new regulatory regimes, standout companies will embrace these changing dynamics instead of hiding from them. But truly adopting values of protecting consumer privacy and baking in security measures by design requires the C-suite reaching outside of the standard chorus of voices, gaining insight from diverse perspectives...

In today’s competitive business environment, a clear, well-thought-out set of vision and values, backed by action, can help organizations reach key business objectives, attract the best talent and protect their reputation...

In a world where companies are desperately trying to attract talent, the bottom line is simple: when employees feel better, they perform better...

While it’s less common to see someone getting praised in the press for their adherence to strict values, every health company we admire has a strong hand at the helm, guiding the company towards more ethical positions and setting an example for employees to make ethical decisions every day...

Vision and values are a covenant with external stakeholders. They are the promise made, and C-suite leaders need to ensure that the company’s vision and values are a corporate hallmark not an Achille’s heel during a crisis...

A corporation’s conscience is the road map guiding company culture and foresight. A C-suite that clearly exemplifies and communicates how company philosophy will live and breathe is a crucial factor for whether corporate consciousness will remain trapped on paper or permeate the culture and drive a company to unity and success...

When it comes to effective values initiatives, it’s often less about the words that are used, and more about the actions that a company is willing to take to bring their values to life. Values need to be reflected in people’s day-to-day experience to truly resonate...

If you are truly committed to maximizing business performance, attracting and retaining the best talent, and contributing to a broader societal mission, then you also must do the work to define (or more ideally, co-create) your company’s core values, to establish internal programs and processes that reinforce them, and to integrate them into every aspect of the business, every expression of the brand. ..

The role of the CEO as a business or corporate diplomat for their company reflects a reset in politics, business and society...

In the wake of Europe’s seismic political shifts, it is more important than ever to understand Brussels...

The transatlantic partnership between the United States and European allies has been the foundation of American foreign policy and economic priorities, but the unpredictable nature of recent developments has affected perceptions of United States-Europe relations: Americans aren’t quite sure what to think...

Europe is a very different place since the previous Japanese acquisition waves, and Japanese business leaders need to adapt their approach and be aware of the changes Europe is undergoing...

In the midst of fierce competition and seemingly occupied business space, there still are geopolitical, strategic and economic opportunities for European businesses...

The future of the European markets will likely see new shifts of power and a highly-fragmented political and social landscapes that companies need to be ready to navigate...

As the dust settles from Europe’s continent-wide exercise of democracy, with politicians patting themselves on the back for the welcomed increase in voter turnout, what will the next five years bring for business?..

India's significant employability gap is a real concern for global organizations operating in India, but it presents an opportunity for companies to partner with the government to ensure that there are an adequate number of bridge programs for the millions of fresh college graduates that pass through the portals of the education system year on year...

During a time when half of leaders and mid-level managers anticipate challenges with hiring and retaining qualified workers, a strong Enterprising Culture can be a differentiating factor in future-proofing an organization...

In this highly competitive world where much is at stake, companies need to create as advantageous a work environment as possible for their employees...

Today’s workforce is the most educated, globally-mobile, gender-balanced and ethnically diverse ever. To convert all of that potential energy into a world-changing force, organizations of all types, sizes and geographies must acknowledge the structural changes that have and are reshaping the employer-employee relationship...

"The war for talent" is not a new phrase, but even today, and perhaps even more so in the future, the war continues. To win, employers must continually keep abreast of what current and future employees are looking for...

The way companies can stay ahead and meet the challenges of the future is by enacting key practices that contribute to a learning culture. Companies of any size can begin implementing these practices tomorrow to build a learning culture...

The audiences of today and tomorrow can no longer be reached through mainstream, traditional methods. To reach them with positions, concepts, ideas or products, business leaders and marketers must use the language of the new age of information...

Today’s polarized political climate has created a difficult advocacy environment for companies and associations to accomplish nearly anything. Ganging up on a problem together, while often difficult to corral, significantly increases the odds of success...

The convergence of rising expectations of corporations, live to work culture and commitment to our company’s mission has given rise to this new phenomenon of employee activism. Business decisions need to take this into account...

To better understand the expectations placed on businesses by society and leaders today, we surveyed a select group of 16 members of APCO’s International Advisory Council (IAC), and asked them to share their perspective on social risk...

High expectations and the eroded control of the corporate narrative have joined forces to create a new category of enterprise risk: Social Risk. Companies who integrate social risk into their strategic planning will earn the license to sustainably operate in this new landscape...

When I was a child, I knew when I grew up, I wanted to be a horse. Yes. A horse...

This year’s annual meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women is rumored to be an even bigger gathering than the General Assembly with more than 9,000 representatives...

Closing the gender gap and achieving balance around the world requires different solutions for each market and industry. However, each of those solutions will require that we hold each other accountable...

Although regarded as an innovative country in many ways, Japan still has a lot to learn when it comes to gender equality...

To better understand the future of health care, members of APCO’s global team took a closer look at the industry and shared analysis on the issues that will define the sector moving forward...

The reality is that companies in the business of health have their purpose built-in: they exist to generate health. The question their leaders need to ask themselves is not how do we define our purpose but rather, how do we deliver on it? ..

To better understand the future of health care, and the challenges the industry faces, we surveyed a select group of 18 members of APCO’s International Advisory Council (IAC) and Health Advisory Board (HAB)...

Health is always undergoing change – what is new today, will certainly be old by tomorrow. Actors in the industry need to understand how patient preferences are evolving and driving innovation...

The World Economic Forum continually demonstrates that we don’t wait for progress—we create it. The world will look to the outcomes of the World Economic Forum as a milestone in global progress. Let’s set the stage of a new agile world...

Given that active leadership is such a key component to organizational agility, members of APCO’s global team took a closer look at which leaders are best positioned to succeed in a range of sectors and industries...

Agility is key for businesses, organizations and governments to be successful in today’s complex and interconnected global environment. To better understand leadership in 2019, we surveyed a select group of 23 members of APCO’s International Advisory Council (IAC), and asked them to share their perspective on the current state of global leadership...