Reality television is a hotbed for public scandal, but there’s one recent case of reality TV betrayal that seemed to shake this world to its core. Seemingly overnight, the Bravo universe of pop culture fanatics exploded, and news of the betrayal quickly infiltrated mainstream media. In real time, we watched how critical a strong communications…  Read more

In February of 2022 Danette Leighton was appointed CEO of the Women’s Sports Foundation  — an organization founded in 1974 by Billie Jean King to strengthen and expand participation and leadership opportunities for women in sports. Leighton has a 30-year career in the sports industry, including serving as the chief marketing officer for the Pac-12…  Read more

The higher education environment is facing turbulence not seen since the social and political unrest on campuses across the country in the 1970s. From the student loan debt crisis and the exorbitant cost for a four-year degree, to DEI initiatives and tenure coming under fire, potential students are left wondering, is higher education worth it?  …  Read more

In 2022, The Martin Group launched DIMO (pronounced DEEMO), an internal initiative that empowers our associates to embrace the meaning of the acronym “The Difference is Making One.” We believe small changes can make big differences. While this has always been part of The Martin Group’s culture, our executive staff and integrated teams worked to create…  Read more

This past winter, one of the most popular artificial intelligence (AI) tools, ChatGPT, made headlines for its ability to compose blogs, releases, social posts, and lengthy stories.  Has this and other AI tools rendered in-depth journalism and expert storytelling moot? Of course not, but it’s certainly big news for media professionals and consumers alike, which…  Read more

Content marketing can be a shape-shifting business, with new elements of the industry emphasized and relegated, depending on the needs of the brand.   But in recent years, few things in this realm have risen in both discussion and effective implementation more than thought leadership content.   Once a casual complement to a company’s overall communication plan,…  Read more

A mentor once told me to pay attention to the times when I’m feeling uneasy — anxious about the unknown, unsure if I’m up for the hard work ahead.   “It means you’re growing. Embrace it.”  He’s been proven right several times over. And you know what? The concept doesn’t just apply to professionals in the…  Read more

Strategic communications are an essential offering from integrated agencies, encompassing such elements as comprehensive stakeholder outreach, editorial direction, and analytics measurement that can point the way forward.   But over the past three years, how this offering is understood and accessed has changed significantly. Communications services are finally being accessed for the whole of their capabilities,…  Read more

Consumer sentiment is low when it comes to faith in the current state of the economy, but the Food & Beverage industry isn’t panicking.  At a high level, labor issues continue, supply chain delays have diminished (but not disappeared), and food costs are leveling off (but still about 10% higher than two years ago).   Clearly,…  Read more