I have recently watched with more than casual interest the public relations controversies swirling around News Corporation and, most recently, the Susan G. Komen Foundation. I have former colleagues, now friends, in the top communications jobs at both organizations and have been astonished to hear how similarly the situations evolved. Both scenarios were not dissimilar [...]

We’re excited to have opened an Environics Communications office in San Francisco this week, fulfilling a long-term goal to be in the California market. We now operate four ECI offices (with Toronto, Washington and Montreal) and share space in Ottawa with sister company Environics Research. Our office expansion over the years has been largely successful [...]

It took decades of scientific study for a consensus that climate change caused by humans is threatening life as we know it. Now, climate change skeptics are effectively questioning the credibility of this consensus by finding fault with a report by the U.N.-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC must respond more proactively [...]

We announced today that the four-year-old social media analysis firm, Exvisu, is joining the Environics family to become Nexalogy Environics Inc. The partners, Claude, Michael and Eric, will all be staying and we welcome them as our new colleagues.
Nexalogy Environics offers a diverse range of intelligence services based on data taken from various social media [...]

There was some hubbub recently over breakfast cereal-makers’ claims that products for kids can boost health. Kellogg decided to discontinue its on-the-box statement that Rice Krispies “Now Helps Support Your Child’s Immunity,” after it added “antioxidants” to the iconic product, which, incidentally, my daughter continues to enjoy many mornings.
Lately I read that Froot Loops is [...]

We conducted a survey of Ontario residents over this past weekend regarding the potential of another National Hockey League team for the region. It showed very strong support from 69 per cent of respondents for adding a new NHL franchise (males were higher at 77 per cent).
We also found that 67 per cent want the [...]

I have been watching the Democratic National Convention – the coronation of Barack Obama. Much has been written over the last decade or two about the irrelevance of the major parties’ conventions, how they don’t really mean anything since nominees are almost always decided through the primaries system.
But ever since I campaigned for George McGovern [...]