A L T E R E D

What brands can learn from observing everyday human behavior

Post-cookies, serviceable content is more critical than paid advertising

Employees can be your greatest champions, but engaging them requires investment and a nuanced approach

Employees are a crucial element in building brand trust; but employers must go beyond generational assumptions and engage employees based on motivations—not age.

“Getting it right” is the work of a lifetime—and also a worthwhile investment.

Atlantic 57 relaunches as Long Dash, a creative consultancy that uses a journalistic mindset to deliver brand loyalty and longevity

Atlantic 57 rebrands as Long Dash, and the punctuation mark could not be more fitting

Why micro-disruptions need to be a part of your business strategy

A conversation about the Southern Poverty Law Center’s decision to rename Teaching Tolerance, a flagship initiative, and what brands can learn from this process.

A discussion with Susan Johnson, Director of Operations and Grants Administration at Lumina Foundation, on what it means to be a Black woman leading equity work, how an organization can get started, and what other nonprofits should consider during their organizational DEI journey.

Livestreaming can help your brand be more authentic—and more accessible.

A diversity of perspectives is critical. Here’s why.

A discussion with Tracy Chen, Director of Media Strategy at Lumina Foundation, on their process for creating a powerful equity narrative video series.

As storytellers, we have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to change the narrative for the better. It’s a process that requires attention and intention, but like a muscle, it gets stronger the more you work at it.

In moments of national significance, brand managers can take lessons from a journalist’s checklist.

Inclusivity can’t only be a side project—it has to be built into your brand’s core.

Accessibility is a common brand value, but few organizations truly understand the reasons why it matters and take the steps to actually pursue it.

Today, Long Dash launches Brand Prism, a new body of research and step-by-step approach to benchmarking and improving how brands articulate, apply, and deliver on their values.

It’s no longer enough to just define your “why”. Brands must now deeply understand and demonstrate “why they matter”.

The pandemic has created an opportunity for organizations to institutionalize the benefits of remote work. When offices reopen, brands must remember to bring their still-remote employees along.

A complete understanding of audience needs—especially in moments of great uncertainty—is your brand’s most valuable tool.

Brands must tackle social issues—but they don’t have to do it alone.

Brand initiatives have the power to help shape the next generation.

Acknowledging systemic challenges is the first step—but to create a more equitable world, brands must also take action.

A conversation with president and CEO Margaret Huang on what brands can learn from the Southern Poverty Law Center’s ‘lifetime of work'

Your relationship with your audience is only as good as how effectively you communicate with them.

A conversation with Insipher CEO David Cunningham on how organizations can take a smarter approach to using data to solve business challenges.

The work of building an enduring brand requires a keen understanding of what brand is, what it is not, and why it matters.

An interview with career revolutionary Minda Harts on what it will take for women of color to overcome the workplace odds.

Issuing a statement is the first step of the response, says Zekeera Belton, senior director of client services at Collage Group. Consumers expect brands to be educational and actively anti-racist.

Brands can no longer afford to think of transformation as a singular or isolated event. Instead, they must commit to ongoing change in order to endure and thrive.

Economic inclusion is key to lasting change, says Mike Green, co-founder of ScaleUp Partners. And corporations can play a role by investing in the most vulnerable populations in their own backyards.

Brands can have a bigger impact on the social justice issues they care about by embracing a simple idea: Lasting change starts from within and ripples outward. 

Companies that are going to win post-pandemic will focus on what they can control, and they will favor action over paralysis.

Brands have the opportunity to cultivate stability from the inside, out by taking proactive measures to safeguard their workforce.

In a moment of heightened uncertainty and increased reliance on technology, COVID-19 threatens to negatively impact consumers’ relationship to technology and technology brands for years to come.

Many have been quick to compare today's economic crisis to the Great Recession of 2008, generally focusing on the similarities between how brands responded then and what they learned, and how they should respond today. But when viewed through the lens of the financial services industry, the comparison doesn't quite add up.

National security analyst Micah Zenko explains why companies were unprepared for the pandemic and offers a vision for how leaders can get better at planning for risk.

People’s needs are changing, and there is no better or more important time for healthcare brands to identify those needs and fulfill them as Jobs-To-Be-Done.

Arthur Brooks, author of the new Atlantic column, “How to Build a Life,” talks about how companies and individuals can react constructively to the pandemic to build a healthier society.

If brands are to communicate with their audiences during a global crisis, they must understand today's unique marketing ecosystem and how to succeed within it. This requires them to recognize that this moment will put additional pressure on brands to act in accordance with consumer values, now and in the future.

COVID-19 has forced an important reminder that “trust” isn’t a monolithic concept – it’s a progressive hierarchy with complex component parts. To sustain it through a crisis – and meaningfully grow it in the years to come – brands need to understand and adopt this hierarchy.

There is no playbook for this moment. Brands will need to adapt and shift their business approach if they are to transition successfully to whatever new reality the future holds. Those that invest in strengthening their employee experience will be the ones to emerge as the most resilient from the pandemic.

COVID-19 is on the verge of destroying the arts and culture sector in the U.S. Brands can learn from how a growing number of arts and culture organizations are adapting and forging the crucial community connections that will sustain them.

The media industry is used to being on the frontlines of rapid change. It has had to be nimble to survive, quickly adjusting to volatile changes in the ways its audiences consume information. As the industry puts these learnings into practice during the COVID-19 crisis, its response will bring with it learnings for all brands.