Sometimes you have to get meta. Undertaking research on thought leadership, with thought leaders, to have an end product which is in and of itself thought leadership is pretty fun conceptual gymnastics. That’s what we did at H+K in partnership with the Economist Group. I have two favourite findings – one around the intent of … Read more
Originally published in Policy Options on May 5, 2016 Over the last few months, our national media have been keeping score as the Liberal government unwinds former prime minister Stephen Harper’s policies. The list is long – the return of the long-form census, the expedited settlement of tens of thousands of Syrian refugees, the commitment to … Read more
Hill+Knowlton hosted stakeholders with interest in discussing the politics of marijuana legalization. Our panel of experts included: Ivan Ross Vrana, Senior Associate and long-time medical marijuana consultant; Sarah Bain, Vice-President and political pundit; and, Elliott Gauthier, Vice-President and National Director of Research and Analytics. The event was an opportunity for stakeholders who are actively engaged … Read more
Is the art of communication dead? As communication professionals, we sure hope not; but to make sure, we turned to our H+K Perspectives panel—a diverse 20,000-strong Canadian research community—to explore how texting and messaging are changing the communication landscape and how we connect with one another. As it turns out, communication is alive and well. … Read more
I’m having one of those moments of reflection—the kind where you marvel at the fact that you’ve finally arrived at the end of an almost impossibly long journey. Election Day is right around the corner! So, how are Canadians feeling about the current state of play? About 10 years ago, American psychologist Drew Westen declared … Read more
I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about this election. The sustained three-way race is fascinating and begs the obvious question: Will our political landscape remain frozen, or will it begin to thaw as we move closer to Election Day? I think once the cadence of campaign ads increases and Election Day comes into … Read more
It’ll be interesting to watch the impact of third-party groups seeking to influence voters and party platforms over the course of this election. As decision-makers in government and business are called upon to demonstrate genuine public support for policies and projects, third-party public engagement efforts provide us with insights into the changing world of public … Read more
In April, the Ontario government announced two major changes to the electricity sector. The first is the amalgamation of four large local distribution companies (LDCs) in the region surrounding Toronto, including the provincially owned LDC, Hydro One Brampton. The second, higher-profile transaction is the sale of up to 60 per cent of Hydro One, the … Read more
Contrary to popular belief, voters have historically been pretty good at getting the government they want. Despite being involved in dozens of different elections across large geographies, we are, collectively, exceptional strategic voters. Want a new government? Easy. Want to return the government with a reduced majority? We can probably do that. A minority government? … Read more
NEW YORK – In the digital age, corporate communications can no longer occur in silos. A company’s marketing messages must match up with its reputational goals, and the behaviour of the company is scrutinized through the lens of what it promises versus how it performs. At Hill+Knowlton Strategies, we call this alignment of promise and performance … Read more
