Communicating Strategically, with Jai

My favorite thing I would tell clients back when I worked in brand strategy and marketing was, "Audiences buy into the story before they buy the brand." Anyone can sell an item, but it takes real work to sell an idea. We are constantly being bombarded with a seemingly never-ending flood of services and products. Every day, people are popping up with businesses and wanting you to buy their t-shirt, lip gloss, or let them provide a service for you. But what makes them different? How can they stand out?  One thing that can absolutely set businesses apart from the rest is storytelling. Storytelling has been an art form weaved in the fabric of culture since the beginning of time. But what does telling a story have to do with branding? Competition is everywhere, and people's attention span has grown very short. That's why creating a narrative for brands, i.e., storytelling, is a necessary tool in order to not only acquire an audience's attention but also retain it. It i

The late and great Tupac Shakur proposed the question, "Is [Are] you a friend or foe?" in his song 1996 song 'Can't C Me.' In a cyber-driven world marked by information overload and digital interconnectivity, the trust that Americans have in mainstream media has become quite an issue. Mainstream media was once a go-to authority that shaped public opinion. Now, the confidence that we once had in those outlets has reached a historic low. In a study conducted by Gallup, nearly 70 percent of American adults say they either do not have very much confidence or none at all in TV, newspaper or radio. This begs the question of what factors have contributed to this drastic change over the years. Is the media for us if it's not by us? Are they a friend or foe? The complexity of the relationship between the media and the public has evolved over time, being molded by differing political views, technological advancements, juicy scandals, fake news and more. These factors ha

Social media has become a significant part of our lives. It has changed how we communicate with one another, stay connected and disseminate information. The evolution of socials has come a long way in only a short amount of time, starting from simple systems of information-sharing to now more complex structures that are flawlessly intertwined in our everyday routines.  Innovation, adaption and transformation are some of the constant themes that have been seen in the evolution of social media. What started as basic chatrooms, email and bulletin board messaging is now evolving into its own immersive universe... or metaverse as it's been called. Chatrooms and bulletin board systems made their first appearance in the late 70's. These systems were text-based platforms that people would use to converse with one another in real time. These could be seen in early internet services like AOL Instant Messenger and Yahoo Messenger. Users would interact on these databases to share informati

When I leave the house, my checklist always goes, "Car keys? Check. Phone? Check. Wallet? Check. Phone... Double check." Mobile devices are so essential to our daily lives that it is nearly impossible to function without them effectively. The innovation of cell phones has ultimately shaped our lives and routines around the function of using them. The devices we carry are so powerful that trends from one part of the globe can influence the other.  On May 10, 2023, in Stockholm, Beyonce's Renaissance World Tour began, and the mobile app TikTok went crazy, showcasing the different parts of her performance. The most popular part of her show was her performing the sound "Energy," where she uses the lyrics, "Look around, everybody on mute..." and pauses the song for a moment, then continues singing. When the tour began, no one participated in the moment of silence due to not knowing. As the tour continued, by August 14, on her third night in Atlanta, Georgia

The Internet. Decades ago, we could not imagine having the capability to have everything you need to know at the press of a button or stroke of a key. But now, we are here. Information, advertisements, social media and much more surround us on a moment-by-moment basis. For online contributors, it can get hard to remain relevant and seen without simply showing up online with nothing valuable to add to the online space. Since there is so much information being pushed out to the people, organizations have to work harder and take more strategic steps to slice through the nonsensical clutter to reach their audience.  Why is this even important? Does it really matter about the content businesses and brands put online as long as they are being seen? For those organizations, yes. It matters. By providing value and merely not showing up helps establish the entity as a trustworthy and credible authority in all matters that pertain to its niche. Companies offering insightful and meaningful inform

Hey communicators and welcome back to my professional blog! The last time we all were here, we shared this space to exchange our thoughts about Leadership and Media Strategies. Now, we are back and the course has switched just a little. Every week, I will now exchange my thoughts, still being a strategic communications professional, but under the guise of emerging media. For the returning readers, thank you so much for coming back, and, for the new readers, thank you as well and I look forward to your continued return. Before we get started on the new entry, all me to reintroduce myself... My name is Jatavia, sometimes I prefer Jai (pronounced like the tenth letter of the alphabet), but either is fine. I am a Master's Degree candidate at Troy University, pursuing my degree in Strategic Communication and graduating in the next few months. How exciting! As of now, I work for a leading news station as a Digital Content Producer in Georgia. I've been in this career for a year and a