Category: Launchpad

We’re just a couple of weeks from the end of the term. My grading pile is thicc… or is it thick? Bottom line, it’s a lot. My calendar is full… My mom is calling to figure out when we’re coming down for Thanksgiving… I’ve got an out-of-town meeting looming… whew.

So is winter break that light at the end of the tunnel? I guess we’ll see. In the meantime, lucky for us, there’s great stuff to inspire us to talk, think and blog this week.

The value of getting personalization right–or wrong–is multiplying | McKinsey — We talked about personalization related to email strategy a couple of weeks ago. This article from McKinsey confirms that people expect personalization in their communication from brands. You’ll find some interesting data you can draw new insights from here.

5 Tough Job Interview Questions Answered | Korn Ferry — Some of these won’t feel like they’re relevant to entry-level jobs, but they are! How can you answer these based on your experience?

Other People Don’t Think You’re a Mess – Scientific American — Are you a beautiful mess? I love this article about vulnerability, self-compassion (hint: people are not viewing you as negatively as you view yourself).

Meghan’s Image, Battered in Britain’s Tabloids, Thrives in U.S. | The New York Times — US vs. British media is a fascinating topic and the specific treatment of Meghan Markle really highlights the differences.

Twitter Blue Is for People Who Love Reading the News | WIRED — New subscription model for Twitter is coming. I love the idea of less noise and an edit option! What do you think?

How to Read Like a Writer. | by Diane Callahan | Creators Hub — I’ve had to reengage with my “deep reading” skills recently. On one hand, I have a client that focuses on story sharing and we have a team short story discussion every week and on the other hand, I have a sophomore who is learning to think critically and annotate stories for his English classes. I loved this article for both purposes. Whether you’re reading fiction or non-fiction, being able to learn from what you read will make you a better writer.

Why more people are staying single—and how workplaces can adjust | Quartz at Work — Changing demographics are not just important for workplace policies but also for internal communication and employee engagement. How does data that say more people are staying single change the way you might communication with employees?

Taylor Swift Knows the Internet All Too Well | ICYMI Podcast — It’s Taylor Swift’s world and we’re just living in it. Love her music or not, Ms. Swift is one of the best promoters and marketers in the biz and understands how to bring her audience along.

How Americans feel about ‘cancel culture,’ offensive speech | Pew Research Center — Really interesting data from Pew Research. I think we’ve all used this phrase a lot and are familiar, but don’t assume everyone is. I liked this point/definition — Around half [of respondents] (49%) said it describes actions people take to hold others accountable.

A Year-Long Plan for Senior PR Undergrads – PRos in Training — I wrote this post a few years ago and periodically update it. You may find this helpful for mapping out your senior year.

The “honeymoon” period may be over and the midterm “holy crap, we’re only halfway through the term” period is in full force. We’re doing some great work, don’t get me wrong! But we’re also all out of practice with this going-to-school-in-person thing and it is exhausting.

This week’s inspo launchpad has a handful of links to articles that will give you some fodder for your own blog (if you’re in my class) or just give you something good to read (if you’re not). Buckle up!

Inside Facebook’s struggle to keep young people | The Verge. Teens aren’t using Facebook and it’s a problem for the company. Why do you think the company isn’t working harder to curb issues that affect teen mental health? I’m always the cynic, but in this case (as with most…) you just need to follow the money.

The Science You Need To Make Your COVID-19 Decisions | FiveThirtyEight. Science and public health communication has… not been great over the last 18 months. Part of the problem, IMO, is a lack of science literacy (how does science get “done”?). FiveThirtyEight is a fascinating site that slices and dices data on all kinds of topics. How effective is a tool like this to help people make smart decisions for themselves and their families?

Atlanta Braves Will Chop And Chant Themselves Into Embarrassment During World Series | Forbes. This is a fascinating look at the risks that the Braves’ ownership is taking on a bunch of fronts to alienate their audience. I’m still mad at the Astros for cheating… and I love that the Braves beat the Brewers (I’m a Cubs fan). What’s a baseball fan to do? What do you think?

The Netflix Effect is Bigger in Texas | The Qualifier. If you’re watching Formula One racing, you can probably thank Netflix (and this isn’t the first time the “Neflix Effect” has been a factor. Can you think of other examples?

Mars Wrigley’s Allyson Park shares top skills for rising comms pros | PR Daily. Excellent advice from a veteran communications pro! My top skill is always “flexibility” and Allyson agrees. Is there anything on here that surprises you?

A guide to integrating Disability Inclusion in marketing campaigns | Twitter. This is a guide from Twitter about how to be inclusive of people with disabilities in your campaigns with some great examples of creators and brands.

TikTok is causing problems for teachers, and it’s bigger than just a classroom distraction | The Hustle. Every time I see things about stupid TikTok challenges, I sigh and shake my head and wonder who is actually doing this stuff. But it’s bad enough that the largest teacher’s union made a plea to the social media platforms to help protect their members. Like teachers don’t have it hard enough. What do you think?