Conversation Agent - Valeria Maltoni

The Importance of the Invisible

By Becky Carroll One may wonder how the invisible can be important. However, when this invisible is missing, it is painfully obvious. This invisible can make or break a company. This invisible will help organizations get through an economic downturn. This invisible is good customer service. I am not talking about great, WOW-the-customer-service. Five Star Customer Service stands out in a crowd and is usually applauded. Good customer service is expected. In fact, if customer-company interactions are good, they are usually forgotten. “Did everything go according to plan? Did I get my product or service when and how I wanted... Read more →

Showing Customer Reviews on Your Site

By Gianluca Diegoli I consider the behavior of certain companies (like Dell, that shows opinions on every PC listed in his site) that have the courage and transparency to show ratings and reviews of their products on their own site – hey, I mean *their* products literally, non those they sell online but that are produced by others, which they can always cancel from the catalogue, in the event they become embarrassing. This is a defining step (in the sense that once you go there, you cannot go back, unless you want to lose face) and a decisive one at... Read more →

Are You Conversationally Tone-Deaf?

By Connie Reece At church recently my friend's two-year-old joined in the congregational singing with gusto. The toddler mangled the words, of course, and could not carry a tune in the proverbial bucket; but she clapped her chubby little hands in delight while "making a joyful noise to the Lord." And noisy, she was. The child sang loudly enough that those around her got tickled, and her father tried to shush her. Though she warbled off-key, I have a feeling heaven enjoyed her musical tribute, even while it made some parishioners a bit nervous. As a musician with almost-perfect pitch,... Read more →

Is Your Brand The Life Of The Party?

By Dion Hughes I’m done with Venn diagrams and concentric circles. The brand model of tomorrow is un-sketchable. It’s more dynamic and beautiful than that. Current brand communications models, such as 360, are perfectly shaped, “point in time” approaches. They exist because they’re easier for marketers and agencies to manage. The ‘script’ is sold through at the annual sales meeting, and any deviation from it over the next year will be punished. But as we all know, the world is now infinitely messier for marketers. The social media revolution hasn’t just changed what’s possible, but also what’s necessary. The elements... Read more →

Journalism of the Future: Ashoka and Social Impact

I met Keith Hammonds at Fast Company Real Time Philadelphia in 2001. At the time he was Executive Editor for the magazine. Like many of the journalists and editors involved with the magazine, Keith struck me as very inquisitive. Someone interested in the social aspects of business - those intended (and unintended) consequences of commerce that could and at time do change lives. Recently, Keith joined Ashoka's new Social Entrepreneurs in Journalism program as team leader. He graduated at Dartmouth College and Harvard Business School. Keith worked in London and Johannesburg as a freelance journalist, and consulted with New Nation,... Read more →

Story, Social Media, and the Intersection between Experience and Meaning

By Kat French I’ve often thought it was a bit cumbersome to begin introductions with the question “What do you do?” If you give an answer that is accurate, it’s almost certainly going to be complex (and lengthy!) If you give a predictable, company-and-job-title answer, you’ll probably be giving them a not terribly accurate (and not terribly interesting) answer to the question. That is a shame. When someone is trying to get to know who you are, deflecting him or her with the corporate equivalent of “name, rank and serial number” seems a bit callous and insensitive. A third alternative... Read more →

Putting Your Passion to Work

By Adele McAlear Marie* leaned in close and whispered, “I have a secret. I’m leading a double life.” I was on the train, on my way to PodCamp Toronto and early into the trip, the young woman in the seat next to me struck up a conversation. We were total strangers and yet, she held my complete attention. She was a business student at a university in Montreal and was two short months away from graduating. An only child, her parents had been calling her several times a day from Turkey, for over three years, since she’d come to Canada... Read more →

Brand Stories Define Us

By Karen Hegmann Just as a good Hollywood movie can draw us in as willing participants into the depths of its plot, so too can a good brand make us feel as if we’re part of something much larger than ourselves. The best movies are often defined by great characters – characters who spend their time facing challenges and overcoming obstacles in an effort to find that special someone or something that will bring meaning to their lives. Memorable movie characters are often ruled by emotion and are driven by an underlying need to make a difference in the world.... Read more →

Will Your Corporate Video Fail? 5 Simple Steps for Success with Stories

By Tom Clifford Everyone loves a great story. A corporate video can have a great story, too. But let’s face it. Many corporate videos fail at telling an engaging story. Why is that? Usually, it’s because the interviews fail to deliver an interesting story. An interesting story not only shares passion and dreams but conflicts and challenges. Life is not perfect and neither is a company. A corporate video story should reflect some of the realities we all face in life. That means leaving behind the “perfect world” and entering the “real world.” Think about it: isn’t a story interesting... Read more →

“You Know I Just Work for the Agency…” And Other Forms of PR Self-Doubt

By Christine Needles Jumping into social media is easier for some than for others. As a tech PR pro – someone who studied PR in college and then spent 8 years in the agency business before taking the leap to the client side this summer – social media represents a bit of a scary new world. Valeria asked me to share my thoughts on the state of PR, so I thought I’d begin with a personal story. I recall clearly the first and only time it happened to me. I had established a great rapport with a newspaper reporter in... Read more →