Public Engagement Isn’t About Getting People to Agree In my years of experience working with organizations on complex projects – regulatory approvals, rezonings, and economic-development incentives – one truth has become clear: public engagement isn’t about getting people to agree with you. It’s about making them feel heard. That distinction matters. Fundamentally, public engagement…
Earlier this year, CNBC once again named North Carolina the No. 1 state for business. As a lifelong North Carolinian, I can tell you there’s more to that ranking than tax incentives and talent pipelines. We are blessed with genuine people, world-class education institutions, innovative businesses, affordable energy, abundant natural resources, and first-class infrastructure, from…
Trust is at a tipping point – and for businesses looking to grow, it’s the ultimate competitive advantage. Here’s what we know: according to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, business is now the most trusted institution globally, surpassing government, media, and nongovernmental organizations. At the same time, traditional news sources are losing credibility, creating a…
It’s 2 p.m. on a Tuesday. An employee posts allegations about discriminatory treatment at your company on social media. Within the first few minutes, the post has 100 likes and 10 shares. By 2:30 p.m., the post has 450 likes and 30 shares, and a local reporter is calling for comment. By 3 p.m., the…
In the Green Industry, growth shouldn’t only be about units sold. It should be about how companies evolve—how they innovate, communicate, and lead. Throughout the past 25 years, this sector has grown (forgive the pun) beyond the basics of maintaining lawns and landscapes. It’s become more sophisticated, more valuable to the economy and intertwined in…
The Bottom Line: AI is rewriting the rules of online visibility. Google is being replaced by ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google Gemini as the first stop for research, and to make decisions about products and services. These tools don’t just show results, they deliver direct answers from sources they view as credible – news outlets, trade…
North Carolina was recently named the #1 state in the country for manufacturing by Site Selection Group, a comprehensive location advisory firm. Their 2024 rankings, released just before Thanksgiving, highlight North Carolina as the ideal location for manufacturers to set up shop. This is big news for the Tar Heel state. The recognition reflects North…
Those who know me well know I am not typically one for resolutions or predictions. Yet, as we turn the calendar to 2025, there are a few things that feel certain. Our state will continue to grow. Rapidly. Infrastructure improvements will be proposed. Enthusiastically. Major projects will progress… slowly (if at all). Don’t get me…
At E&V, we’ve been looking a lot at trust — how it shapes and is shaped by strategic communications. Across industry audiences, we’re seeing a crisis of trust, especially at the macro level. Large-scale institutions and major projects in areas like infrastructure, healthcare, energy, or manufacturing often feel distant and abstract—disconnected from everyday life. This…
As we dive into 2025, we’re talking a lot about public engagement and crisis management at E&V. (Hard to believe we’re already full speed ahead helping clients navigate a new year of opportunities and challenges!) But we can’t discuss effective public engagement or crisis response without focusing on one crucial element: trust. You’ve heard the…
On April 28, a social media post from the Raleigh Police Teamsters ignited a firestorm. The claim: Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q employees in Garner, North Carolina, had sung N.W.A.’s “F*** tha Police” while officers dined, forcing them to leave hungry. Within hours, the story exploded across FOX News, the Drudge Report, and the Associated Press, thrusting a beloved local restaurant into the center of America’s heated debate on race and policing.
Trust lies at the heart of risk mitigation. When trust is lost, so is your ability to function at your best. When it’s secure, you’re set up to thrive.
