December 14, 2023
Insights
2023 Fearless Forecast in Review
Here are the results for our 2023 predictions.
FEATURED ARTICLE
December 14, 2023
Insights
I’m happy to say, our team is back at it with our Fearless Forecast for 2024. Take a look at what we see unfolding in the year ahead.
Werth Knowing
Each month, Werth provides a fresh take on news events or trends of interest to organizational leaders.
November 3, 2023
Insights
Reflections on Leadership: What Would Sandy Do?
For more than a decade, our Chairman Sandy Werth Harbrecht Ratchford shared her thoughts in a monthly email on an array of important and topical issues.
May 8, 2023
Insights
What is the Key to Business Longevity? Ask an Old Company.
If you took a poll of CEOs, our guess is that all of them would say resilience is key to business longevity. So, knowing this, why do so many companies close before reaching their full potential?
March 30, 2023
Insights
A Salute to Tournament Surprises … And What They Have Shown Us
Every team involved in an upset win this year believed it had the talent to win. They refused to listen to experts who told them the favorites would cut down the nets.
February 28, 2023
Insights
The Problem with AI
The emergence of artificial intelligence programs for use in everyday life has received a lot of attention recently. Not surprisingly, this has brought about a mix of excitement and fear over AI’s ability to act as if it were human.
December 20, 2022
Insights
A Fearless Forecast for 2023
Things seem to get more unpredictable every year. Luckily for you, our crackerjack team of prognosticators has your back with our Fearless Forecast for 2023.
December 20, 2022
Insights
2022 Fearless Forecast in Review
Last December we gazed into our crystal ball, muttered a few unintelligible words, and conjured up a number of predictions for 2022. Here’s how we did (hint: we crushed it).
November 22, 2022
Insights
Why We Are Thankful for Thanksgiving
This week we are counting our blessings: those who pick us up when we fall, those who believe in us when we don’t, and a country where anything is still possible.
November 4, 2022
Insights
Time to Test Your Intuition?
Sometimes, it’s the counterintuitive facts that make a difference.
September 15, 2022
Insights
Truth and Consequences
Is a growing tolerance for false narratives creeping into all parts of society. If that’s the case, we as business leaders must figure out how it may be affecting our organizations.
August 5, 2022
Insights
Little Ideas Can Add Up to Big Wins
Many organizations focus only on big ideas and immediate wins. Such a narrow focus, however, can stifle the creativity that exists within every part of the workforce and the potential of small ideas to grow into game-changers over time.
June 29, 2022
Insights
Not Everything is Polarized at the Ohio Statehouse
We’ve seen glimpses of common ground at the Statehouse. Most encouraging were answers to a question asked in 2021: whether lawmakers have made a friend in the opposing party. One hundred percent of respondents of both parties said they had.
May 31, 2022
Insights
Celebrating Pulitzer-Winning Journalists
This year’s Pulitzers illustrate again how both local and national journalism are so vital to our understanding of what is often hidden away, either deliberately or because no one else has thought to ask.
April 29, 2022
Insights
An Open Letter to Future Intel-Ohio Employees
Intel is poised to set up shop just a stone’s throw away from here. Along with its $20 billion semiconductor project will come at least 3,000 new Intel employees, some from here, but many from elsewhere.
March 18, 2022
Insights
Our Surprising Common Ground
Despite extreme voices on the left and right, we may be closer together than we think.
February 9, 2022
Insights
In Praise of the Underdog
The underdog story is as American as apple pie — and football. A team like the Bengals stirs in ourselves the notion that we can overcome our most challenging obstacles, despite the odds.
December 21, 2021
Insights
A Fearless Forecast for 2022
2022 figures to be a long year. So rather than making you wait the entire 12 months, we’ll tell you what’s going to happen now — in our Fearless Forecast for 2022. To learn how smart we were one year ago in predicting 2021, click here.
December 20, 2021
Insights
2021 Fearless Forecast in Review
Last December, we made some bold predictions for 2021. Here’s how we did. To see our predictions for 2022, click here.
December 1, 2021
Insights
Do You Believe in Science?
Science has transformed our world. It has led to better nutrition, made our water safer, improved sanitation and boosted the world’s food supply. But it’s critical that scientific leaders articulate clearly and honestly about what is known, what isn’t known, and how our actions can make our homes, communities and our world a safer place.
November 5, 2021
Insights
There is No Such Thing as “Low-Stakes Communication”
We almost never hear leaders concerned with what we might call routine or low-stakes communication, at least not until it’s too late.
September 29, 2021
Insights
ESG Initiatives Becoming Part of the Brand Story
Businesses are being rewarded for sustainability efforts, as are investors. Portfolios that include ESG investments seem to have greater long-term success than those that don’t.
July 31, 2021
Insights
Now What?
As America reopens, several questions loom: How has COVID-19 changed us? Has it changed our culture and our companies? Will these changes be permanent? Are those changes for the better?
May 27, 2021
Insights
Whatever You Call Them, Op-Eds Are an Opportunity to Lead
Thought leadership, of course, can take many forms, from e-blasts, to speaking engagements to social media posts. An op-ed, however, is an opportunity to add credibility by communicating through a respected third party.
May 14, 2021
Insights
When Subtraction is a Plus
A bias for addition and against subtraction can get in the way of success.
March 29, 2021
Insights
Lessons from Third Graders
My third graders taught me something that has never left me: There is no one way to reach an audience.
January 25, 2021
Insights
Turning the Page
All signs point to change in 2021, from new COVID-19 vaccines to a new presidential administration to an evolving workplace. While it's helpful to reflect on these external things and what they may mean for us, there's not a lot we can do individually to change them. However, there is much we can do to change ourselves.
December 21, 2020
Insights
A Fearless Forecast for 2021
Could 2021 be more unpredictable than 2020 was? We’ll certainly find out – about this time next year. In the meantime, we are not daunted. For your consideration: our Fearless Forecast for 2021.
December 17, 2020
Insights
2020 Fearless Forecast in Review
Last December, we made some bold predictions for 2020. Here’s how we did. To see our predictions for 2021, click here.
November 24, 2020
Insights
Giving Thanks for the Global Village
It’s often said that it takes a village to raise a child. It’s also said that transformational change seldom happens without a burning platform. In this case, a world village, prompted by a burning virus, came together to achieve the nearly impossible.
November 6, 2020
Insights
What Makes Generation Z Tick?
Taking a closer look at our new workforce. Just when we think we have Millennials figured out, along comes Generation Z.
October 9, 2020
Insights
The Kardashian Effect
As "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" ends, we look at the role of the influencer.
September 1, 2020
Insights
Let’s Get Real
Professional athletics have returned to provide an occasional escape from the real world. But, kind of like the return of restaurants and school during the pandemic, sports aren’t quite like we remember them.
July 28, 2020
Insights
The Problem with Masks
Is there a problem with masks in this country? It sometimes seems so.
June 3, 2020
Insights
A Message to My Friends and Colleagues
What can be said when it’s all been said before? But remaining silent also sends a message. And so, I’m going to tell you how I’m feeling right now.
May 31, 2020
Insights
In Praise of Small Businesses
Among the many lessons of our time is the role small businesses are playing in finding creative solutions to one of the most challenging economies in decades.
April 27, 2020
Insights
Zooming Through the Pandemic
There are some things we have gained during this pandemic. But we also have been devastated by the loss of things we always took for granted.
March 31, 2020
Insights
The Courage to Lead: Our Moment is Now
While our country has faced tough times before, we have never been confronted with a health crisis that all at once put us in fear for our families, crippled our economy and forced us to live in a whole new way.
February 25, 2020
Insights
Can Stories Make Us Smarter?
In 1992, James Carville coined the phrase – [it’s] the economy, stupid. Today economists are sharing a surprising message of their own: Economics needs storytelling. The point of both statements is essentially the same: We need memorable ways to convey complex ideas.
January 31, 2020
Insights
Without Credibility and Ethics, PR Is Just Spin
Is our society becoming less ethical? It’s a good question to ask as we guide our companies and our employees into a new year.
December 17, 2019
Insights
A Fearless Forecast for 2020
It's that time of year again when we dust off our crystal ball, peer into it deeply, and choose our best and boldest predictions for the coming year.
December 17, 2019
Insights
2019 Fearless Forecast in Review
Last December, we made some bold predictions for 2019 from LeBron James' Twitter to the flip phone making a comeback. Here’s how we did.
December 2, 2019
Insights
Praise the Persevering Press and Pass the Gravy
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we’re grateful for one of our most important American traditions: a free press. Most of all, we’re grateful for those who refuse to give up on that ideal in the face of all odds.
November 1, 2019
Insights
Boards Can’t Afford to Overlook Reputational Risk
Board members have a fiduciary obligation to protect shareholder value and can be held liable for not doing so. That responsibility includes asking the hard questions and holding management accountable for protecting a company’s most important asset: its reputation.
September 30, 2019
Insights
Things to Know Before You Take on a Hot-Button Topic
Taking a stand on a controversial issue poses risks, and sometimes the risks are not worth taking. However, there also is something to be said for standing on principle. When that time comes, how a leader makes the argument is just as important as his or her position on the issue.
August 29, 2019
Insights
When the Trial Court and the Court of Public Opinion Converge
Crises present companies with a tangle of challenges, from who to notify, to what to say, to how to resolve the issues that led to the crisis. However, when push comes to shove, all those challenges boil down to two – the threat of legal exposure and the threat of reputational damage.
July 31, 2019
Insights
Stop Obsessing Over the “Future of Work”
If the soothsayers were completely honest, they’d say we can’t accurately predict how technology – or anything else – will change the way we work in the next 30 years. So, let’s stop obsessing so much over the future of work and think about what we should be telling young people that we already know to be true.
June 30, 2019
Insights
In a World Filled With Lies … Telling the Truth Is More Important Than Ever
The truth still matters to our brands. It means we must be increasingly vigilant about how we portray ourselves and our companies.
June 6, 2019
Insights
Forget Candidate Town Halls – Now’s the Time to Consider Their Logos
At this point in the campaign, almost a year before the first primaries, it can be just as fun – though completely subjective – to ruminate on the candidates’ logos.
April 30, 2019
Insights
In a Crisis, Actions Sometimes Speak Louder than Facts
In a crisis, actions always speak louder than words. In some cases, actions even speak louder than facts.
March 28, 2019
Insights
Good Writing is Not a “Soft Skill”
I recently came across an interview with Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, who was asked what crucial workplace skill is becoming harder to find.
March 1, 2019
Insights
When What You Measure Doesn’t Really Matter…
By objective marketing analytics, Amazon’s H2Q competition was a smashing success. But somewhere along the line, conversation shifted from the benefits of opening an Amazon headquarters to the costs.
January 30, 2019
Insights
Is Teamwork the Most Important Soft Skill?
We recently facilitated a workshop with industry recruiters and college program directors to learn from each other how to more successfully place graduates into in-demand jobs.
December 27, 2018
Insights
A Fearless Forecast for 2019
It’s that time of year again when we dust off our crystal ball, peer into it deeply, and choose our best and boldest predictions for the coming year. So let’s get to it: Werth's fearless forecast for 2019!
December 27, 2018
Insights
A Fearless Forecast for 2018
When it comes to making predictions, we choose to be bold. With that in mind, the Werth team offers you another year’s worth of fearless forecasts. Bring on 2018!
November 30, 2018
Insights
Is Human Interaction Becoming Irrelevant?
Today there are more ways than ever to ask questions, get answers and place orders without ever interacting with a human. Is that what people really want?
November 1, 2018
Insights
In Praise of Role Models
How have role models guided your personal and professional growth? Our CEO, Sandy Harbrecht, shares her perspective in our newest blog post. Give it a read!
September 19, 2018
Insights
Should Nike Have Done It?
Taking a corporate position on a controversial subject is a tricky affair. Our new blog examines the outcomes of Nike's ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick.
August 29, 2018
Insights
A Crisis Waiting to Happen
Not that long ago, CMO's were most concerned with building awareness and driving conversions. Today, leadership's biggest concern is the data breach.
July 26, 2018
Insights
The Death of Business Reporting? Not So Fast.
Does a new dynamic between corporate communicators and the media spell the “death of business reporting”? Our newest blog explores further.
June 28, 2018
Insights
Fake News and Your Brand
What can we do to ensure that our brands don’t fall victim to fake news? We can’t control what others say about us. But we can lessen the impact.
May 31, 2018
Insights
Reflections on My Father’s Legacy as We Celebrate 55 Years
1963 was a year that changed many lives. That year Mr. Paul Werth hung a shingle outside a former candy shop reading “Paul Werth Associates.”
April 27, 2018
Insights
Who Will Save Local News?
We can. By subscribing, advertising, tuning in and staying informed. As citizens, it may be one of the most important things we can do. More on our blog.
March 26, 2018
Insights
Lessons in Persuasion from an Unlikely Source
Who are the great persuaders of our day? Are they the top advertising execs who make their brands stand out from the competition? Are they the great attorneys who combine their knowledge of the law with their command of the English language to sway juries in their favor?
February 28, 2018
Insights
The Microphones Are Always On
Today, there are plenty of “hot mic” moments for those whose lapses in judgment come back to haunt them. Our newest blog examines the microphone always in the room.