THE PROBLEM Amy Gallo, a leading expert on calm, confident conflict resolution, healthy communication and workplace dynamics, was approached by the Human Resources leader of a US-based biotechnology firm. Their leadership had recently read her indispensable, actionable guide to navigating tough relationships at work, “Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People)” (HBR…
Our client is an independent corporate governance and executive compensation consultancy that advises businesses on the design of compensation programs for leaders. Ever since it became a requirement in the U.S. to disclose executive compensation, executive pay has become a hot-button topic for corporate boards as they face investor scrutiny. Our client saw an opportunity…
THE PROBLEM A major pharmaceutical firm came to Stern with a distinct set of challenges: Four department leaders were tasked with merging their teams into one group and they were looking for an outside advisor to facilitate what they saw as a multi-stage transition. Their primary goal was to create a culture of innovation. But…
THE PROBLEM Our customer, a leading food manufacturer, was trying to anticipate future trends in their industry, primarily around consumer tastes, buying behavior, new technologies and changes in the competitive landscape. They conducted extensive research on their own but still struggled to find any actionable insights. They also concluded they were not skilled at studying…
Stern Strategy Group (Stern) was selected by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA®) to create its 2015 Annual Report. For nearly 10 years, Stern has supported IMA’s key business goals through strategic counsel, media relations, thought leadership, digital engagement and more. The report provided an opportunity to showcase IMA’s commitment to its 80,000 members and highlight its…
Organizational success isn’t achieved by one person. It requires the strengths and skills of many, and an equally powerful vision to ground them and guide them forward. As he planned for retirement, the CEO of Moretrench needed to ensure the company – and its people – were best positioned for continued success moving into the…
Climate change, resource depletion, globalization, technological innovation. These are among the global forces that are changing how we protect and restore our planet; they’re also reshaping how corporations think and operate when it comes to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. But while companies are starting to respond to stakeholders’ cries for more transparency and…
Each year, preventable medical errors kill a population roughly the size of Miami. This straightforward fact puts into perspective an enormous public health crisis: hospital errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States. Why have safety improvements been so slow-moving at many hospitals, and why do fatal mistakes continue to occur?…
Winning the confidence of your target audience in a way that enhances your organization’s reputation and results in partnerships depends on how well you differentiate your expertise and articulate your value. At its heart, thought leadership is about ideas: about uncovering a solid message that sets the foundation for everything that follows. In the wake…
A top-ranking female executive who heads the second largest division of a major technology company is an outspoken advocate for women in STEM and defense, and diversity and inclusion (D&I). When we launched our partnership, she had an established reputation in workplace culture and D&I. And her social channels reflected that. Her network – primarily…
Over the last three years, Affinity Federal Credit Union (Affinity) and Stern Strategy Group (Stern) have worked in partnership to execute external communications strategies designed to reach and positively impact members and prospects, as well as directly support various lines of business. On social media, Stern supports these organizational goals in the awareness and consideration…
Technology giant Cisco and premiere global business school IMD are each notable names in their own right, but their joint research-driven thought leadership venture, the Global Center for Digital Business Transformation (DBT Center), was ready to expand outward and have its expertise broadcast to the world stage. OBJECTIVES Employ an effective media relations program targeting…
The world of health care is abuzz about precision medicine. The approach, built on advances in gene research and data analytics, tailors treatment of disease to a person’s unique biochemical makeup. But there is a problem: its focus is on treating disease rather than preventing it. And according to Kevin Hrusovsky, there’s a better way forward – with precision…
IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants), a worldwide association of accountants and financial professionals, is a longtime partner of Stern Strategy Group. Together, we work to strengthen IMA’s reputation as a strategic finance leader in the age of automation. Recently, Stern identified an opportunity to grow IMA’s social media platforms into a community of members supporting…
When The Demand Institute – a non-profit think tank jointly supported by The Conference Board and Nielsen dedicated to examining large, high stakes consumer markets where demand is starting to shift in fundamental ways – approached us, it was relatively unknown and had limited resources. Its first research report presented a prime opportunity to put…
It’s the paradox of success. Your latest product launch was a hit. Your company is growing. Soon, imitators come calling from all sides. And eventually, due to low barriers to entry, your entire market becomes commoditized, forcing all competitors to compete largely on price as the differences between their various features and benefits become very…
Accountants and financial professionals know the danger of competing on price. The “race to the bottom” is a perilous road. Lower profit means less cash on hand, so your business is more vulnerable to any externality. Having been through just about the most disruptive externality in recent memory – a global pandemic – accounting firms…
If you have been in marketing or communications for almost any amount of time, you have undoubtedly been asked, “How can we generate more awareness?” To answer that question, one could rattle off any number of traditional PR tactics. That is enough for some companies, but it shouldn’t be. After all, more awareness for awareness’…
