by Steve Adubato, PhD

I was recently on the TODAY Show to answer the following question; “How can Casey Anthony make money as an entrepreneur after the much-publicized not guilty verdict in the murder case of her 2-year-old child?” You may ask what this question has to do with communication and succeeding in the marketplace. Consider the following.

For many Americans, Casey Anthony’s verbal and non-verbal communication as well as our perception of her overall actions after her child died has created a very negative impression of her. For the purpose of this column, her guilt or innocence is not the issue (I wasn’t on that jury and neither were you.), but rather, the question of what exactly makes up your public “brand”.

by Steve Adubato, PhD

Sometimes, when you negotiate in public, no one wins. Consider the case involving the New York Yankees and their iconic shortstop Derek Jeter, and the awkward and uncomfortable public communication surrounding his contract talks.

This column is not about baseball, but rather about what can happen to the respective brands of two quality brands when things are said in public in an effort to “win” in a negotiation that can’t be taken back after the fact. In the end, actually no one wins.

In writing the book, “You Are the Brand”, I focused on how the Yankees had built their reputation around superstar folk heroes like Derek Jeter, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio. My point was that very often, when it comes to an organization, the public faces of that organization often communicate the most powerful and persuasive messages about the its brand.

by Steve Adubato, PhD

At first glance, the Lindsay Lohan saga is a trivial celebrity-related story that has little relevance for professionals in the world of business. However, upon closer examination, like in any difficult and challenging public controversy, there are some underlying communication lessons the rest of us can take away.

Simply put, Lindsay Lohan’s “performance” in court this past week in which she was ultimately hit with a 90-day jail sentence for failure to adhere to a court-mandated drug and alcohol counseling program, graphically demonstrates why excuse making, blame shifting and not taking responsibility for your actions rarely if ever works as a communication strategy. Forget about her histrionics, the sobbing and the overly animated facial gestures when hearing the judge’s verdict. What was really pathetic was listening to 24-year-old Lohan explain why she ignored countless direct and clear messages and edicts delivered from the court.

E*TRADE

by Steve Adubato, PhD

How important is a baby to your brand? What exactly can a baby—who can’t talk—communicate in a highly digitized TV commercial? Just ask the folks at E*TRADE, the online trading company that created the YouTube (as well as “water cooler” conversation) sensation when it kicked off a series of entertaining commercials featuring babies, with one in particular “talking” about the importance of investing in your future. E*TRADE’s brand was embedded into many people’s minds in early 2008 during Super Bowl XLII when the first of its spots hit with this really cute and intriguing toddler “talking” (with the help of special effects) in an adult voice.

by Steve Adubato, PhD

Tiger Woods gets points for his “apology” this week, but he doesn’t get many. After nearly three months of no communication, the world’s greatest golfer and America’s most visible brand held a much anticipated “press conference” on Friday.

Woods communicated a lot of the right things. He said his behavior was “irresponsible and selfish”. He said “I know I have bitterly disappointed all of you…What I did is not acceptable. And, I am the only person to blame”.

When it comes to crisis communication, WHAT you say matters a lot. But, WHEN you say it often matters a lot more. Tiger Woods waited nearly three months to utter a single word. That was a dumb communication move.

by Steve Adubato, PhD

In golf, a lot of hackers, like myself, give ourselves and those we play with a “mulligan.” Simply put, this is a chance to hit again off the first tee if your shot has gone astray. But when communicating under pressure, you rarely, if ever, get a mulligan. You have to get it right the first time.

Recently, the worlds of golf and communication crashed into each other in connection with one of the most outrageous and embarrassing public scandals to hit in a long time. That’s right; I’m talking about Tiger woods, the greatest golfer of all time, but, as we’ve seen, one of the weakest communicators when trapped.

by Steve Adubato, PhD

Don Hewitt, former executive producer and the main architect of "60 Minutes," passed away recently. Hewitt was a hard-driving, in-your-face leader who communicated in a direct and confrontational fashion.

He was also a genius when it came to connecting with his audience. What Hewitt understood better than most is that beyond issues, debates and statistics, what people respond to most are stories, particularly stories about people.
Of course health care matters, and the economy is a pressing concern, but ultimately Don Hewitt believed that what really matters is the impact health care and the economy have on individuals.