Perceptual Advisors

HAPPENING TOMORROW! Exclusive AI Forum: Lead the AI Transformation  How can senior leadership and strong communication strategies drive successful AI adoption? Join us at LEADING THE CHANGE: AI & SENIOR EXPERIENCE IN ACTION tomorrow, Thursday 9.19.24 at 📍Mana Common, Miami, and hear from experts who have led iconic brands through transformative periods. ▶︎ Networking with senior executives ▶︎ Insightful talks from AI leaders ▶︎ Practical examples of AI success stories Secure your spot now 👉 https://lnkd.in/dgV7ribT #AILeadership #GenerativeAI #CLevel #BusinessTransformation #MiamiEvent Perceptual Advisors | Promtior

AI Isn't Just About Technology—It's About Leadership. AI is transforming industries, but without strong leadership and communication, even the best tech falls flat. This Thursday 9.19.24, we’ll explore how the C-suite must lead AI adoption to succeed. Real-world case studies, insights from senior leaders, and a roadmap for navigating AI’s future. 📍 Mana Common, Miami If you think AI is just for the tech team, think again. Register now and see why the future of AI depends on YOU: 👉https://lnkd.in/dgV7ribT #LeadershipInAction #AIAdoption #BusinessTransformation #MiamiForum Perceptual Advisors | Promtior

What’s the Hidden Factor for AI Success? Senior Leadership. Generative AI is revolutionizing industries, but why do some businesses succeed while others fall short? The answer lies at the top. Discover why senior leadership is the secret weapon in AI adoption at our exclusive forum this Thursday 9.19.24. 📍 Location: Mana Common, Miami Learn from the minds behind iconic brands like Burger King, IBM, and Applebee’s. What can you do to make AI work for you? Find out here 👉https://lnkd.in/dgV7ribT #AIinBusiness #LeadershipStrategy #GenerativeAI #MiamiEvent Perceptual Advisors | Promtior

Navigating proactive communications in highly regulated and high-stakes industries can be a delicate dance. This morning, I was listening to the latest episode on the Stories & Strategies for Marketing and Public Relations podcast and was reminded of the unique challenges and opportunities that come with this territory. I have lots of experience in this area from my time in telecom. Each day brought a new issue to tackle. 😉 One key takeaway in the podcast was the importance of having a "receipt" to back up your claims—whether it's through surveys, third-party credible data sources, or other evidence. This isn’t about ticking a box; it’s about building credibility and trust. In these industries, where every statement is scrutinized, having solid proof or examples to support your messaging is crucial. These "receipts" not only help in maintaining transparency and compliance but also in demonstrating the real impact (and benefit) of your product or service. They can be the difference between a message that resonates and one that gets lost in the noise. As communications professionals, our role is to build trust, both with the public and within our organizations, by crafting narratives that align with the industry’s strict guidelines while still resonating with our audience. Strategic foresight, plus close collaboration and alignment with the C-suite and legal teams are critical. Here's the podcast if interested:  https://lnkd.in/g4s4CKNv I’d love to hear how others approach this challenge of navigating proactive comms in high-stakes industries, especially my colleagues at Perceptual Advisors. 💡 If you know of other great podcasts, please share in the comments. 👇 #PR #Communications #RegulatedIndustries #HighStakes #ProactivePR

This week's #ForTheWin from Perceptual Advisors goes to sweetgreen! What's The Deal: Earlier this month, the salad chain Sweetgreen (NYSE: SG), announced the addition of steak to its menu. Shortly after, its stock soared. However, many consumers raised climate concerns and questioned how this decision would impact the company’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2027; beef production is the largest agricultural source of greenhouse gasses globally, emitting massive amounts of methane into the atmosphere. What They Got Right: Sweetgreen’s position is that the beef they sell is grass-fed and pasture-raised, sustainable, and rooted in regenerative agriculture—all better for the environment. The company’s announcement intentionally focused on sourcing, bringing attention to the broader benefits of regenerative farming practices and highlighting how this move aligns with the brand’s ethos. Sweetgreen is also transparent about relying on carbon offsets to help meet its climate pledge. Offsets are an effort to cancel out one’s own carbon dioxide [CO2] pollution by investing in other activities that lower the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. There were no boycotts and little negative press. Most news reports covered these aspects in a balanced and overall positive light. What's The Watch Out: To stay true to environmental sustainability as a core principle, Sweetgreen will need to ensure that its supply chain can meet its standards, volume, and distribution needs as sales increase. While regenerative agriculture practices and carbon offsets can help lower overall emissions, they do not replace the need to abate emissions at the source of operations to mitigate climate change. From a business standpoint, it's a sound move as it will likely drive unit sales, revenue, potentially new users, and traffic. But time will tell if it will negatively impact Sweetgreen’s positioning as a “plant-forward, Earth-friendly” brand and whether it will be able to meet its 2027 pledge. For these reasons, we recognize the Sweetgreen communications team #ForTheWin. -Liz Bazini, Managing Director / Technology and Sustainability Practices (Disclaimer: Sweetgreen is not a Perceptual Advisors LLC client.)

As we approach the mid-way point of 2024, Perceptual Advisors LLC continues growing our world-class team of professionals, with a number of new additions to our team. Dawn Benton has joined as a Senior Advisor, based in Atlanta. Dawn spent more than 20 years at AT&T, most recently as Head of Consumer PR for AT&T’s wireless phone and internet business, as well as corporate-wide Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). Previously she also led communications strategy for AT&T’s emerging innovation business, Global Internet of Things (IoT) B2B division, and retail sales divisions. Dawn brings a unique blend of Fortune 15 and startup experience and holds expertise in strategic communications, media relations, and executive and employee communications. Timothy Carey has joined as Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Managing Director of Capital Markets Advisory, based in Miami. Timothy's extensive background encompasses capital raising, go-to-market strategies, operations, finance, business development, and digital marketing. During his career, he has also enabled companies to leverage offshore outsourcing and software development capabilities to innovate and develop cutting-edge technology solutions, including web and mobile AI development, UI/UX design and development, and cybersecurity. Henry Gonzalez has joined as Managing Director/CPG (Food & Beverage), based in Miami. He has decades of experience as a senior marketer and served as CMO of BurgerFi, Head of International Marketing for Dine Brands Global, and CMO at Costa Farms. Henry also spent eight years in senior account management roles at Crispin Porter. He brings a deep knowledge of the dynamic F&B space from his leadership positions with global brands, agencies, and vendor partners.  Idan Nimtsovich Nimstovich has joined as Managing Director/Head of Israel, based in Tel Aviv. Idan is a veteran of the IDF’s Cyberintelligence Unit 8200, with deep expertise in cybersecurity. More recently he has become a well-known content creator who has produced multimedia pieces that have generated millions of views on social media. Idan is deeply connected with the Israeli technology community and has a broad network as a result of his military service.  Idan will be the firm’s leader in Israel, focusing on helping Israeli companies build their brands and scale their businesses into global markets by leveraging the reach of the firm’s global team. Peter Shafer has joined as Managing Director/Research & Insights, based in Washington, D.C. Peter has two decades of experience in cutting-edge perceptual research, including the use of AI as part of new research methodologies. Previously, Peter was a partner at Brunswick Group and CEO of KRC Research, and he served in senior roles at Harris Interactive and The Gallup Organization. He is also a game clock operator for the NFL. See https://lnkd.in/gFvJurNY for complete bios and to learn more about our 50+ professionals.

This week's #ForTheWin from Perceptual Advisors LLC goes to Melinda French Gates and Mark Suzman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation What's The Deal?: This week, Melinda French Gates announced she is resigning as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which she has helped lead since 2000. The announcement was made by the Foundation's CEO, Mark Suzman, who said Melinda made this decision "after considerable reflection, based on how she wants to spend the next chapter of her philanthropy." Melinda has been open about her "painful" divorce from Bill in 2021, and both said they would allow themselves a kind of trial period through 2023 to determine if they could continue working together. Based on our analysis, it's clear the communications strategy was thought out well before Suzman's announcement, which is consistent with the way Bill and Melinda have handled communications about the Foundation and their personal lives. What They Got Right: Transparency: Messaging effectively about organizational change requires dedication to transparency and clear communication, both of which Suzman got right in his tone and content. Empathy: The announcement showcased Suzman's empathy and care for the impact the resignation would have on his staff. He recognized that this was sad news and that he, in fact, also was having a difficult time with it, "Like you, I truly admire Melinda, and I will deeply miss working with her and learning from her." Commitment to values and impact: Suzman's announcement was positive. He reiterated the Foundation's bigger mission and the difference the employees will continue to make. He also reinforced the brand's origin story and said that despite the change, their focus will be on carrying out the Foundation's work. Clarity on future plans: There was a strong focus on the future, namely, Melinda's commitment to direct her philanthropy toward women and families. She stated a need to alter the gender equity trajectory due to recent rollbacks to women's rights in the U.S. and worldwide. What's The Watch Out? While the announcement was commendable in many aspects, there are still some potential areas they'll want to watch out for: Continued transparency: Moving forward, the Foundation must maintain transparency regarding any further developments or changes resulting from Melinda's departure. Open communication with stakeholders will help mitigate any concerns or uncertainties about the Foundation's direction. Differentiation: Melinda will need to carve out a voice that is uniquely her own.   Impact: One of the hallmarks of the Foundation was the astounding impact it had on health and education. Both philanthropies will need to demonstrate that they can individually thrive and make a significant impact. For these reasons, we recognize Melinda French Gates, Mark Suzman, and their comms teams #ForTheWin. Disclaimer: Neither Melinda French Gates nor the Gates Foundation are Perceptual Advisors LLC clients.

This week's #ForTheWin from Perceptual Advisors LLC goes to Alfa Romeo and Stellantis Alfa Romeo names a car twice What’s The Deal: Alfa Romeo, one of the 14 automotive brands of the Stellantis Group, recently launched a new model called ‘Milano’. In an unprecedented move, the company changed the name of the car following criticism from a Minister in the Italian government who said the name violated an Italian law that restricts ‘Italian sounding’ products that falsely claim to be Italian. The car is to be built in Poland and will now be called the ‘Alfa Romeo Junior.’ What They Got Right: Naming cars is a complex and lengthy process with numerous checks made for existing trademarks through obscenities in different languages. To have any brand name challenged and changed within a week of an announcement is highly unusual and a potential PR nightmare. For a large company like Stellantis, making such a quick pivot to a new name is impressive alone, but what stood out was how they confronted and owned the issue. On April 15th, just five days after the original announcement, Alfa Romeo issued one of the most memorably titled press releases: Milano Name is not OK? “Alfa Romeo Junior” then! While arguably an awkward climbdown, the Alfa Romeo team recognized the controversy, took quick and decisive action, and got the awareness benefit for the new name. What’s The Watch Out? This incident will join the naming Hall of Fame alongside New Coke and is a reminder that just when you think you have checked all the angles, something unexpected can always trip you. As with any adverse situation for a brand or individual, it is often not what happens but how you respond that will be remembered. For these reasons, we recognize Stellantis CCO, Bertrand Blaise and the team at Alfa Romeo #ForTheWin Disclaimer: Stellantis is not a Perceptual Advisors LLC client.

Perceptual Advisors LLC Advisors’ global team continues to expand with the addition of two exceptional leaders. Nikki Karani has joined as Managing Director, Head of Brand and Communications for EMEA, based in Zurich. Nikki is a senior communications, marketing and branding executive with experience in a range of B2C and B2B industries. Nikki’s two-decade agency career at Young & Rubicam in New York, Barcelona and Paris culminated in managing the Danone Dairy business in over 50 countries as Global Account Managing Director. In-house positions in Switzerland then followed, including heading global marketing at flavors and fragrance leader Givaudan, content management at ROLEX and marketing communications at a start-up. A citizen of the world, Nikki is multilingual and has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in International Management and a Master of Arts (MA) in International Relations, both from Yale University. Derek Flanzraich has joined as Senior Advisor. Based in Austin, TX, Derek is a mission-driven business leader who is passionate about making health affordable and accessible for everyone. He built Greatist into the largest health & wellness media site on the Internet for millennials (acquired by Healthline/Red Ventures) and most recently launched health-first credit cards at the intersection of healthcare and fintech with Ness. Derek is originally from Miami and earned his AB from Harvard University. We are honored to include professionals of this caliber to the growing Perceptual Advisors organization. More exciting news coming soon on additional talent…

Perceptual Advisors LLC Advisors is delighted to welcome aboard Will McGuinness as Managing Director, Communications/ Head of our new Education & Non-Profit practice. Based in Miami, Will is set to lead efforts with clients in the education and non-profit sectors, working closely with our team across geographies and other industry sectors. Will was the director of digital and social media strategy at 2U, Inc., the parent company of edX. Previously he spent five years leading digital strategy at Columbia University before becoming its director of marketing, communications and digital initiatives. In that role, he created engagement strategies that led to record-breaking donations to the university’s annual giving day and supported its five-year, $5B fundraising campaign. Will also served in media and communications leadership positions at CBS, HuffPost, and Latham & Watkins L.L.P., among others. As a journalist, Will led HuffPost’s education and higher education verticals, including work on the 2012 presidential campaign, the Penn State child sex abuse scandal, the Boston Marathon bombing and the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting. His reporting has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal, CBS News, The Boston Globe, The Advocate magazine and many other regional publications. Will was also a Socrates Scholar at The Aspen Institute. Additionally, Will is an associate professor in social media marketing at New York University and serves as an associate faculty member at Columbia University, where he teaches courses on collaboration and information strategy. He earned his B.A. in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and his M.S. in Information & Knowledge Strategy from Columbia University. Welcome to PA Will! https://lnkd.in/gBY5-N3G