There's a lot of corporate rubbish spoken in and around the PR industry. From over-elaborate brand statements and communications jargon to pseudo-propitious CSR initiatives. Companies and brands hide behind walls of carefully constructed marketing initiatives that present a polished veneer instead of what really goes on inside those organisations. But what if we remove that veneer?

In this episode of the Digital Download podcast I talk to John Brown, founder of Don't Cry Wolf, about honesty. We talk about how transparency and authenticity are fast becoming something that clients and customers not only want but demand, and about the difficulty many brands have when faced with this change. Vulnerability is not a weakness unless you treat it as one.

Here's what we discussed in this episode:

Why being honest and true to yourself feels good
Why the perfect brand veneer is inauthentic
Why brands need to stop putting pressure on people to be their 'perfect selves'
Why vulnerability is a model for future success
Why being committed generates greater ratings
Why being accountable is important and how it manifests itself
Why being vulnerable is not a weakness
How you can transform a guarded organisation into an honest and transparent one
Why organisations will be judged on their approach to honesty in just a few years time
Why people want to see raw, human emotion from brands
Why upsetting people sometimes isn't necessarily a bad thing
Why healthy conflict can be beneficial

 
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