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In today’s fast-paced digital world, the way we connect with audiences online is constantly evolving. As we move further into 2025, short-form videos remain popular and essential to incorporate into your content strategy; however, this is only one piece of the puzzle. Here are four tactics currently making waves and driving real connections with

Show. Don’t tell.   Those were the 3 simple words I chose when a savvy entrepreneur and civic leader asked me over lunch about how we’re advising our clients in this volatile political and cultural environment.  He wondered if we were suggesting companies double down on promoting their DEI initiatives, for example, or do they pull

“Don’t let a good crisis go to waste.”  Churchill supposedly said it first, and then the phrase was contemporized by Congressman-turned Chief of Staff-turned-Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.  Earlier this week, the concept came into full frame with the onset and then the sudden reversal of the Trump “federal freeze.”   Nonprofits, healthcare providers, universities, media outlets all

I’m not a lawyer, but I could probably play one on TV.  After years working as a hashtag#strategist for the Attorney General and now advising executives in crisis management, I’ve spent enough time partnering with lawyers to maybe pass as an extra on Law & Order.  This week, I had the privilege of meeting some soon-to-be

University presidents. Trade association CEOs. Energy entrepreneurs. Labor leaders. Social service providers. Media executives.   These are just a few of my clients I’ve spoken with since the Nov. 5 election to talk through the implications for the new administration and the GOP takeover.   In my line of work, the mantra is “expect the unexpected.”  I

An exciting aspect of working a summer internship is being a sponge: soaking in every opportunity to learn from your surroundings, particularly by having conversations with your mentors. During my internship at CBL, I took time to formally interview members of the team to gauge their knowledge and experience in the world of crisis

When I first entered the Culloton + Bauer Luce office, I was not an expert at reading the news. To be honest, I was not very good at reading the news. As a business student, I knew that keeping up with current affairs was important, but I was never quite sure where to start.

I’ve been thinking a lot about fairy tales. My son is learning about different kinds of books and narratives in his preschool class. He’s become a fan of fairy tales. Fantastical stories. Enchanting and mythical characters. Improbable events that lead to happy endings. Makes sense for a 4-year-old. But guess who else likes a good

“This is off the record.” The 5 scariest words that will send me sprinting to hang up a client’s phone or shoot over the most aggressive “Mom’s MAD” look possible. (Hey, if it can stop a 4-year-old in his tracks, it certainly can give a CEO some cause for pause.) This rundown in Ragan

I throw like a girl. And damn proud of it. Almost anything I learned about being successful in business came from what I learned about being an athlete. A girl athlete. Soccer, fast-pitch, cross country. You name it. I did it. Today, I got to reflect on my own learnings playing sports as a

1. Take matters into your own hands. ... And ... 2. Show. Don’t tell. Increasingly, these points are among the most common pieces of advice we give our clients. Here’s why: *Viewers are cutting the cord. *Canceling their newspaper subscription to shift online (if they subscribe at all — shame on you!). *Turning to

This year, we had ChatGPT, UAW, the meltdown of crypto and conviction of Sam Bankman-Fried, plus epic hijinks in the U.S. House of Representatives, not to mention all those legal headaches for a former POTUS.   As 2023 rounds out and we gear up for another 365 days around the sun, we’re bracing for more

The Illinois General Assembly is scheduled to return for veto session Oct 24-26 and Nov 7-9.  With a new Chicago mayor, here’s our take on some hot button issues to keep an eye on:   Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued an amendatory veto on a bill that would have allowed utility companies, mainly the electric utility

What do Sam Bankman-Fried and Rod Blagojevich have in common?  They never met a reporter or an open-ended question they didn’t love to use to defend their innocence against far-reaching charges (and in Blago’s case, convictions) of fraud.    Both men deployed unusual strategies to defend their cases in the court of public opinion before their

In the high-stakes world of professional sports, success isn't solely measured by on-field wins and championship titles. The reputation and public perception of a sports franchise can significantly impact its long-term popularity and profitability.   While more high-profile and consumer facing than our clients, say, in manufacturing or energy or tech, sports teams’ problems and challenges

It’s like the proverbial tree in the forest: Is it news if no one is there to cover it?  This fascinating — and frankly, depressing — report from PBS’ Judy Woodruff explores the dangers of the decline in local news. My alma mater the Medill School of Journalism put some numbers to the challenge: Since

First, there was Facebook.   In 2008, the Obama campaign was widely credited for harnessing the power of social media to fuel its unlikely path to the White House.  Today, political campaigns continue to experiment with new digital and social media tools that push the envelope on reaching audiences and creating new means for authentic

“It’s the economy, Stupid.”   I was 15 (ah-hem) when that phrase became the soundbite of the Clinton-Gore ‘96 presidential campaign.   Today, the line still resonates.  Simplicity rules. Aka the “KISS” Rule.  In our post-Clinton, post-MTV, post-long-form world, we now daily battle the ongoing onslaught of information offered up by a 24/7 news media and a

Practice makes perfect. Yes, we all know that’s the rule, but when you’re the CEO or C-suite executive dealing with so many competing interests, how do you justify the time required to go into preparing for media interviews?   From my experience advising senior leaders in the private sector and the political arena, you can learn

It’s the quiet times that worry me the most — when things are humming along, operations are working fine, teams are collaborating as they should. Just business as normal.   To me, this is the time to think ahead: What happens when the unthinkable happens? Are you ready for that moment?  If your organization is ready

The terms “issues management” and “crisis management” may seem like they’re interchangeable, but nothing could be further from the truth. They’re actually quite different and require different approaches depending on a client’s circumstances.   My business partner Dennis Culloton likes to explain that a crisis is an issue that wasn’t managed. A metaphor I’ve heard compares

Celebrities. Mega-consumer brands. Fortune 500 companies. And of course, former presidents.  No one is immune from a crisis, even your average Joes can fall victim to a crisis by going viral for the wrong reason.   As we like to say, it’s not a matter of it but when a crisis will strike.  When in crisis,

You would have to be living under a rock to have missed the cryptocurrency scandal surrounding FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. As his world began to crumble, we watched him turn to all public avenues from media interviews to social media channels to clear his name. This surely made all crisis communications experts like myself

By Eleni Demertzis “The best competition I have is against myself, to become better.” That’s a quote by the legendary basketball coach John Wooden that my dad instilled in me at a young age. It’s a mantra that has followed me through my career (and life) that motivates me to always be better, learn

In 2021, Courtney joined CBL as a Senior Consultant, focusing on her specialty, healthcare issues advocacy and crisis management. She works with our range of healthcare industry clients, from hospital systems to long-term care organizations, advising them on how to navigate the regulatory arenas in Springfield and Chicago. To celebrate her 1-year anniversary with