#10YearChallenge: Have you been duped?
Was the social media meme calling on people to share a picture of themselves from 10 years ago alongside a current photo of themselves a scheme to help train Facebook’s facial recognition algorithms? Millions of photos were made easily minable through a single unique hashtag that conveniently juxtaposed two images of the same person looking […]
The cruel consequences of a container casualty
In my article a year ago, I discussed the case of the bulk carrier, Tolunay and its collision with TCSG-25 (August 2016), resulting in the death of four Turkish coastguard personnel and the incarceration of the Master, Chief Officer and Bosun (the latter two released later in 2017). The judge, flying in the face of […]
Strait through sailing
Once a vessel is southbound in the Malacca Strait (past Port Klang) and through the Singapore Strait until entering the South China Sea, either Malaysia, Singapore or Indonesia will claim territorial waters. It has perhaps been (mis)understood in the past that there are places along the way not claimed by any of the three countries. […]
Newsletter March 2019
Understand the dilemma for watch-keepers and the ominous consequences in an unavoidable collision, or navigate the Malacca Strait without it going to penalties. Get insight on the macro post-crisis analysis, the economic and political factors and not least in Venezuela. Hong Kong shipping – demise or no demise? Facebook’s 10-year Challenge – was it bound […]
Communicating in a crisis when the problem is in China
We’ve all seen the ‘Great Fire Wall of China’ joke and it’s one that is likely to be cracked for quite a while. China is a country with a very different set of rules and norms to the rest of the world when it comes to social media and the internet. But for shipowners in […]
5 pop psychology myths that lead to crisis communications mistakes
Crisis communications strategies aim to influence how people respond, think and feel about a situation – crisis communication is psychology. The trouble is, there are many psychology myths and these myths often lead people to choose exactly the wrong strategy. The five myths that lead to the worst communications mistakes: 1. Scary words scare people. […]
Rule of Law: Don’t take it for granted
Every now and again I sit across a table from a potential witness whose story inspires, up-lifts or reminds me of how much we take for granted. Two past examples jump to mind. The first, a Croatian captain captured by pirates off Somalia who told me how he refused an order at gunpoint to get […]
Is stakeholder analysis part of your company’s year-end review?
As the year draws to a close, organisations are reflecting on their hits and misses in 2018; their key achievements, what they could have done better, and their goals and plans for the year ahead. Many choose to focus on tangible financial outcomes for their year-end review, and justifiably so. Organisations, especially publicly listed ones, […]
Spokespeople – do you have what it takes?
Job descriptions can boast bottomless competencies listed for any role – desired or essential. In the City of London, I presume a construction worker lists herculean courage and all-round circus performer, as I witness him abseil from a window still missing on the Scalpel’s 30th floor (the city’s newest skyscraper). Whilst a postman doubles as […]
The Brazilian elections: The campaign’s lessons for the public relations world
As the dust settles on Brazil’s presidential elections (October 2018), Brazilians are already measuring the impact of Jair Messias Bolsonaro’s election as the 38th President of the Republic. Regardless of political orientation, Bolsonaro’s campaign cannot be ignored. It was a political campaign that brought important reflections for strategic communication across the country and around the […]