Sonya Bessalel

I hate to add to the “what impact comms can learn from Bad Bunny” discourse but… here’s some things impact comms can learn from Bad Bunny. I won’t talk about the urgent, vital effect of the entire performance being in Spanish and what that meant, because the Latino/Latinx community can talk about that far better than me. But that leads me to one key point: people telling their stories, in their own way. That 14 minutes was packed full of Easter eggs that a white or non-Latino audience might not have immediately seen the significance of, and they weren’t explained for people who didn’t know. That’s fine - they didn’t need to be. Not everything has to package culture for the western gaze or over-explain things. Who’s the priority audience/community, and what is it they need? The show was political, without explicitly pointing it out. It had decolonial, climate-related and anti-racist themes without using specialist language. Sure, an entertainment slot was never going to be subtitled with academic references but the point is people got them anyway. Too often, impact comms leans on sector-specific language that alienates the communities it wants to reach, and can be afraid to experiment or lean into fast trends or zeitgeist themes (and of course, done badly, trend-led comms is equally as ineffective as comms dictated by outdated guidelines and bureaucracy). It was daring, irreverent and bold. It was timely. It got the world talking.

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👵👴 Reimagining what “mid-career” looks like Age 50+ is not the end of ambition it’s a moment for reinvention. That’s why I’m proud to shine a light on AARP Foundation’s BACK TO WORK 50+ program, a free, high-impact initiative equipping older adults with the training, coaching, and confidence to reenter today’s job market. Through in-person and virtual sessions, participants get: • Targeted career coaching (interviewing, resumes, digital skills) tailored to the 50+ experience • Real strategies to amplify their value and stand out to hiring teams • Support in navigating new tools, platforms, networking, and employer expectations Since launch, BACK TO WORK 50+ has helped 100,000+ individuals across fields from IT to healthcare to HR get back to work. It’s more than upskilling, it’s restoring confidence, connection, and purpose. 👉 If you or someone you know is navigating job search later in life, this is a resource worth exploring. 🔗 Learn more / find a workshop in your area: https://lnkd.in/dggSUw2f #BackToWork50plus #CareerReinvention #LifelongGrowth #Inclusion #WorkforceEquity

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For years, the internal communications team at Sprout Social was doing *everything* internal communicators are good at — crafting meaningful updates, rallying teams, + trying to keep everyone aligned. But like all too many comms teams, they were doing it with tools designed for marketers, not employees. Open rates were the only signal, and employees marked emails as spam. Lists were manually maintained (woof) as employees joined and left the company. Comms had to be copy-and-pasted by hand to other channels. They needed something different — not MORE emails, but more strategic comms. So, here’s the pivot that changed everything: • they replaced a marketer-centric email tool with a platform built for internal communications. • they integrated with Workday so people data stayed fresh without admin overhead. • they shifted from biweekly to weekly newsletters because the cadence finally felt strategic — not exhausting. • they consolidated fragmented team newsletters into one tailored experience using segmentation + customization. • they started sending all internal emails — including leadership messages — from a central place with better analytics. The impact was real: ✔️ readership on key leadership messages increased ✔️ engagement rose across internal emails ✔️ manual list management disappeared ✔️ global audiences saw messages at the right local times ✔️ the comms team finally had data that helped them refine content and steer strategy with confidence. As Stephanie puts it (and I paraphrase because it’s worth quoting): “Communication is about relevance, not noise. Workshop gave us the tools to be relevant — and the data to prove it.” If you’ve ever felt like your internal comms efforts are working hard but not working smart, this is the kind of transformation that proves otherwise. And if you’re ready to move from things that feel like blasts and busywork into to more strategic comms? Look into Workshop + let's talk. ✨

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I walked away from Eleanor Hawkins’ Axios Communicators Live with Hope King energized by how quickly the communications landscape is evolving and how strategic communicators must evolve with it. A few themes stood out: Meet consumers where they already are Today’s consumer is everywhere. They’re on Amazon, TikTok, in department stores, and beyond. Brands can’t afford to be channel-exclusive. Presence must follow behavior. Corporate story = credibility. Brand story = connection. A strong comms strategy blends both. Corporate narratives build trust; brand activations (like store openings or cultural moments) make the business strategy tangible and human. Consumers want to belong to brands that stand for something Meaningful brands (not just functional ones) win. Emotional connection isn’t a “nice to have”; it’s a business driver we must learn to measure. The CEO message must be crisp, tight, and relentless In a noisy landscape, clarity wins. Executive comms matters, but we can’t confuse it with the entire comms function. CCOs must be business partners first The strongest communications leaders understand the full business strategy and operate as strategic advisors, not just message crafters. If comms doesn’t have a seat at the table, the business feels it. The media mix is more complex than ever Earned media still matters but it can’t come at the expense of newer platforms. The job now is to decide which messages get dialed up or down across channels, not to treat any one channel as the hero. The throughline? Modern communicators must be multi-channel strategists, emotionally intelligent storytellers, and deeply embedded business partners. And so great seeing so many familiar faces! Abenaa (Abby) Hayes (she/her/hers) Amanda Coffee Daniel Méndez Aróstica, MBA Gab Ferree Jaclyn Weisberg Katy Kelley Kerry Flynn Leah Katz Maggie Shapiro Meredith Klein (she/her) Pranita Sookai (sorry if I missed anyone—I haven’t had coffee yet!)

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Remember when CEOs stayed behind the scenes? Not anymore. More than 80% of ASX 100 CEOs are now on LinkedIn, using the platform to lead conversations and connect directly with their audiences. For comms professionals, this shift highlights a growing expectation for transparency, authenticity and real-time engagement from the top. When CEOs speak directly to their audiences, it builds trust, adds context and humanises the brand. In the past two years, CEO posts on LinkedIn have increased by 52%. On average, they receive eight times more impressions and four times more engagement than a typical post. Thanks to Danielle Long for exploring this trend and sharing insights from Matt Tindale on how thought leadership is playing a more critical role in building brand than ever before. Full story here: https://lnkd.in/gHXCD-fA

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