HearSay

The Price of Life: Shifting Perceptions of Pharmaceuticals

April 18, 2024 16:00 - 29 minutes - 41.2 MB

In this episode, CEO Michael Maslansky, and Partners Lee Carter and Katie Cronen delve into the pharmaceutical industry's enduring reputation struggles, tracing their origins back to pre-pandemic times and exploring the transformative impact of COVID-19. Through insightful discussions and case studies, they’ll propose strategies for reshaping the industry's narrative, emphasizing the importance of recasting pharma as more than profit-driven entities and fostering consumer trust.

The Language of the Candidates

March 28, 2024 15:18 - 37 minutes - 50.9 MB

In this new episode of HearSay, Lee Carter and Ben Feller look at what the two presidential candidates are saying, what’s important about it – and what people should be listening for in the political months ahead. Now that President Biden and Former President Trump are officially set for a rematch, Lee and Ben will analyze their contrasting approaches to how they frame issues like the economy, threats to our democracy, and the issue looming above both of theme room—their age. Lee and Ben...

The Real Cost of Corporate Speak

March 14, 2024 15:00 - 32 minutes - 44.8 MB

Corporations think they know what they need to say but they can never say it when it comes to responsiveness, and empathy, but what is happening behind the scenes causing these crisis situations and what could they have said differently? In this episode of Hearsay, Michael Maslansky, Lee Carter, and Ben Feller explore different moments of crisis and share their insights on what the challenges of corporate speak are, what it cost corporations that do nothing, and the different solutions to ma...

The LVIII Superbowl Ads

February 14, 2024 17:00 - 25 minutes - 35.7 MB

Join Lee Carter, Keith Yazmir, and Will Howard in this special episode of HearSay as they delve into the world of Super Bowl ads. They'll debate which ads truly stood out, not just in terms of popularity but in their messaging impact. From breaking down language to assessing brand impact, this episode explores the ads that left a lasting impression on viewers during the biggest advertising night of the year.

What Would You Have Said?: Boeing

February 06, 2024 17:00 - 34 minutes - 48 MB

Once something goes wrong, it’s easy to criticize the message a company uses to respond. But it's much harder to figure out what they should have said instead. In this episode of Hearsay, Michael Maslansky, Lee Carter, and Will Howard dive into the wrongs, the rights, and how Boeing’s language will matter in the weeks and months ahead.

Framing an Organization’s Mission with Theirworld

January 11, 2024 16:43 - 42 minutes - 38.4 MB

What’s so hard about doing the right thing? In today’s environment, it’s often met with skepticism. So how do you take an organization with a noble cause: like educating the world’s youth and ending the global education crisis and get people to both care and act about it? In today’s show, we’ll talk through the process we go through in framing an organization’s mission and impact in a way that ensures you’re heard the right way.

Language Moments of 2023

December 14, 2023 17:00 - 40 minutes - 31.6 MB

What were those top Language Moments of 2023? As language experts, we’re always listening for those moments that change the way we view companies, politics, business… and each other. From Bidenomics to MAGAnomics, from rainbow capitalism to Barbenheimer, this year had more than its share of new language moments, and in this new episode of Hearsay, Michael Maslansky, Lee Carter, and guest Ben Feller talk through those big moments of the year that changed our view of the world around us.

Walking the Walk on Responsible Business with Daggerwing

November 30, 2023 17:00 - 38 minutes - 52.8 MB

Congratulations, you’ve set your sustainability goals! Now you actually have to achieve them. How do you make environmental sustainability work for your business? It all comes back to people. Selling in, rolling out, and scaling up real, functional sustainability programs requires understanding your employees. It requires a thoughtful business case, careful change management, and, of course, the right message. In this episode of HearSay, we'll discuss how to implement environmental sust...

HearSay Presents: Pile of Scrap with John Sacco and Michael Maslansky

September 07, 2023 16:00 - 33 minutes - 45.6 MB

How can a simple shift in language revolutionize perceptions? In this special episode of HearSay, join Pile of Scrap host John Sacco as he engages with communication expert Michael Maslansky where they explore the rebranding of the recycled materials industry. From redefining raw materials to spotlighting its vital role in iconic products, Michael's insights guide listeners on embracing recycled materials' value, changing the narrative, and encouraging responsible disposal.

Fear, Trust, and AI

August 17, 2023 17:24 - 35 minutes - 26.7 MB

How can companies use language to overcome fear and build trust in AI? In this episode, Michael Maslansky, Keith Yazmir, and Robert Ledniczky dive into the rapidly changing world of AI and explore how companies should be talking about it. They discuss widespread concerns and excitement surrounding AI to set the stage for recommendations on how to generate trust. By narrating the AI story with a focus on benefits, responsibility, and familiarity, they shed light on how companies can successfu...

Authenticity is in the Eye of the Beholder

July 31, 2023 15:00 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MB

Not all actions that companies take in the name of ESG are controversial. How do some companies manage to seamlessly integrate ESG initiatives into their brand messaging while others get accused of superficial "greenwashing" or "rainbow-washing"? In this episode of Hearsay, Michael Maslansky, Will Howard, and Keith Yazmir discuss the delicate balance of serving stakeholders while remaining authentic and credible.

The S in the ESG

July 13, 2023 16:00 - 31 minutes - 43.9 MB

What’s the future for ESG now that it has become politicized? Can companies speak out on ESG without risk of being criticized as Woke Capitalists or should they really just focus on products and profits? What if the most controversial aspect of ESG is the language used to talk about? In this episode of HearSay, Michael Maslansky, Lee Carter, and guest Will Howard cover new research on the language of ESG and how companies can find a path forward that serves stakeholders and customers on both...

An Intellectually Honest Approach to Insights with Ori Ben Yishai

May 25, 2023 16:00 - 36 minutes - 51.1 MB

We all know it’s critical to understand your audience before creating any marketing, but how do you do it in an intellectually honest way? How do you make sure you are truly focused on your audience as they are, not as you want them to be? In this episode of HearSay, guest Ori Ben Yishai, a partner at Viewpoint Ventures, talks about the intellectually honest approach to insights and how to use what you learn to build language strategy that drives results.

Lazy, Legal, and the Default Language: Flipping the Mindset on Customer Communications

May 15, 2023 16:00 - 40 minutes - 55.3 MB

Every customer communication, no matter how small, is a moment of trust. Transactional communications—like order confirmations, account updates, or payment notices—can have an outsized effect on your brand and reputation. After all, the brand customers know is the one they experience every day. What makes good customer communications? And how can the language you choose help you make the most of every touchpoint? In this episode of HearSay, Senior Vice President Maria Boos shares her insight...

Crisis Fatigue and Climate Change: Is it time to change the language?

April 20, 2023 20:09 - 44 minutes - 103 MB

Scientists and climate activists have been warning people that the world is ending since the 80s. The U.N. recently upped the stakes in the climate report. How do you make people care when they’ve been hearing the house is on fire for 40 years? Is this the issue that cried wolf? In this latest episode of HearSay, Will Howard and Director of Ad Net Zero John Osborn share their insights on the message fatigue surrounding climate change, creating credibility, and choosing the right words to dri...

Communicating Through Common Ground with Bob Rowe, CEO of Northwestern Energy

April 13, 2023 16:00 - 50 minutes - 117 MB

Connecting with customers is a challenge. It has to start with finding shared goals and a shared language. In this episode, guest Bob Rowe from Northwestern Energy shares his approach to creating common ground with your audience—so you can build trust, improve relationships, and reinforce reputation.

The Language of Social Good

April 06, 2023 16:00 - 41 minutes - 94.1 MB

It’s not enough to do good nowadays. In a competitive environment, you need to find the right language to distinguish your organization from the rest. In this episode, guest Brian Crimmins, CEO of Changing Our World, Global Partner of ONE HUNDRED, and co-author of The Generosity Crisis: The Case for Radical Connection to Solve Humanity's Greatest Challenges shares his expertise on how nonprofits can reframe their language to cut through the noise.

Trust, Transparency, and Turmoil

March 23, 2023 17:00 - 50 minutes - 115 MB

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank kicked off a heated debate: are we headed toward a financial crisis? One thing’s for sure: we're already in a financial COMMUNICATIONS crisis. We've been watching how companies are talking—or not talking—about the state of the US financial system. And we have a few thoughts on what they're getting right and wrong. Join Lee Carter, Katie Cronen, Will Howard, and Rob Ledniczky for a fresh perspective on how the industry should be using language to their adva...

The Smartest, Stupidest, + Savviest Messages of 2022

December 20, 2022 19:44 - 35 minutes - 80.4 MB

HearSay for 2022 ends with a bang, as we look at the smartest, savviest, + stupidest messages of 2022. Michael Maslansky and Lee Carter are joined by HearSay veterans Keith Yazmir and Ben Feller, sharing their takes on the top pop culture language moments of the year: from Tom Brady and Will Smith’s outbursts to Serena Williams’ retirement to Jennifer Aniston’s conversation around her IVF journey. It’s a fun conversation about language and some of the moments we all remember from 2022, for ...

Your Most Important Audience Isn't Always Who You Think It Is

December 06, 2022 13:32 - 30 minutes - 70.4 MB

Internal company communications often is just about sharing information. Employees are busy and can skip over communications, because they feel less important. Getting internal communications right -- communications that breaks through -- especially in a virtual or hybrid workplace is particularly important. It has to be relatable, urgent, and clear. Because it helps how we work together, how we think, and how we win with our outside audiences. Lee Carter and Michael Maslansky are joined by ...

How to Sell a Value-Backed Mission

November 22, 2022 14:00 - 29 minutes - 67.9 MB

Whether it's public or private, kindergarten or college, schools and school systems today have objectives, just like any business might. They need to recruit faculty, attract students, raise funding, fight for policies, appeal to parents, win the big game, and achieve any of a dozen other essential objectives. They need to express the value of the service they provide. A service that's abstract, emotional, and, often, expensive. The institutions that do it best are often the ones that most e...

The 3 Themes of the Midterm Elections

November 08, 2022 05:30 - 32 minutes - 73.9 MB

At its core, good language strategy finds language that motivates people to take action. It’s how business is done and how elections are won. But voters find themselves increasingly focused on more and more issues, and what we like to call “wedge” issues aren’t wedges anymore — they’re make or break issues. In the 2018 election cycle, political messages hinged on the single issue of healthcare. Lee and Michael are joined by Partner Ben Feller to uncover the three main themes that are definin...

You Need a Personal Messaging Strategy

November 02, 2022 13:29 - 34 minutes - 79.2 MB

We’re all creatures of habit, and we default to certain forms of communication without even realizing it. But what if those defaults are actually hurting your daily potential? Whether it’s in a meeting, in a customer service interaction, or even in a negotiation, the way you set yourself up and communicate in interactions changes the outcome. Lee Carter is joined by Keith Yazmir and Ben Feller for an engaging, practical conversation on how to use language strategy in your everyday life -- fr...

The Secret to Improving Your Brand's Reputation

October 18, 2022 15:01 - 27 minutes - 61.9 MB

When you are trying to build (or re-build) reputation, your job is to disrupt the way people think. And to disrupt, you can’t just speak louder, you need to speak smarter. Instincts tell us to correct misperceptions. And our instincts are often wrong. Leaning in to facts and data often backfires. Change the narrative and you can change minds. Lee Carter and Michael Maslansky are joined by Senior Vice President Katie Cronen to discuss one of the often overlooked elements of reputation manage...

You Win the Debate by Framing the Debate

October 11, 2022 04:05 - 28 minutes - 64.8 MB

Language shapes how we view the world around us. The news is no exception. A border crisis. An immigration crisis. A humanitarian crisis. All language used to describe the same story but changes how we view it. Michael and Lee are joined by m+p Partner Ben Feller to talk about the value of personalization, why keeping it simple in your messaging gets you further, and what the idea of credibility and plausibility mean in a post-truth era.

How to Change Someone's Mind

October 04, 2022 04:05 - 24 minutes - 55.9 MB

You might think that empathy is as simple as putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. But it’s much more complicated. While most of us have empathy for people who we care about and love, we don’t have a natural ability to have empathy for people who aren’t like us. This distinction is easy to ignore until we realize that the audiences we’re focused on reaching with messages that resonate aren’t just like us. President Lee Carter, CEO Michael Maslansky, and Partner Keith Yazmir highlight wha...

Differentiation: How You Stand Out From Competition

September 27, 2022 12:55 - 30 minutes - 70.3 MB

You know your company or product is different. But does it sound different? Sometimes all that differentiates you from the competition is your story. The right language can change behavior, perception, and drive sales. How that story is framed matters more than you think. Using examples like “zero proof” non-alcoholic beverages, a “no hoops” rewards credit card, and an insurance company that “looks for ways to say yes,” President Lee Carter, CEO Michael Maslansky, and Vice President Will Ho...

Your Audience Is Always Right

September 20, 2022 04:30 - 38 minutes - 87.5 MB

Language changes the way we view the world, politics, business, and products. Sometimes, it's totally intentional. Sometimes, it's not. But there is no doubt that the effective use of language can drive behavior. And that's what language strategy is all about. Finding the language that changes the game. President Lee Carter and CEO Michael Maslansky are joined by Partner Keith Yazmir to talk about how maslansky + partners invented language strategy, they discuss why certain messages resonate...

The Smartest, Stupidest, + Savviest Messages of 2021 (So Far)

June 01, 2021 04:00 - 41 minutes - 47.6 MB

Season One of HearSay ends with a bang: the smartest, savviest, + stupidest messages of 2021 so far. Michael and Lee are joined by HearSay veterans Keith and Katie to give their takes on the messages that have stood out: from Voltswagen, to Harry and Megan’s Oprah interview (and the royal response), to President Biden’s infrastructure plan, and the true pronunciation of “cheugy.” They focus in not just on some of the biggest language moments of the year so far — but what we can all learn...

Tell A Different Story: Words To Use And Lose For Sustainability Comms

May 25, 2021 04:00 - 36 minutes - 41.7 MB

With everyone telling their sustainability story, are you cutting through the crowd? Have you found one bold idea to center your communications around? It used to be that sustainability experts evaluated how companies were performing in this area. But now, customers and employees alike are paying attention. The old language of sustainability doesn't work now. This week on HearSay, Michael and Lee welcome back podcast alumni Will Howard and Sachi Pettit to talk about all thin...

The Language of a Leader in Employee Communications

May 18, 2021 04:00 - 31 minutes - 35.9 MB

Which audience is most important for your business? Many say it's clients or customers. But often the most overlooked and valuable audience is your employees. Whether it's communicating about the post-COVID return, your mission and values, or your new offerings, how you engage your employees is critical to your business success. This week on HearSay, Michael and Lee welcome Larry Moscow and Katie Cronen to talk about all of that and more, including why some words like “agile,” e...

The Scalable Fact: Defining Corporate Purpose

May 11, 2021 04:00 - 35 minutes - 80.8 MB

So much is written about how important purpose is to a business especially now. But what is purpose? How do you become a purpose driven organization rather than just a company with a purpose statement? Podcast alumni Katie Cronen and Sachi Pettit join Michael and Lee to talk about identifying scalable stories, getting your purpose in front of the right people, and the value of a master narrative. They use poignant examples from companies like Toyota, Airbnb, Google, and Hershey to help...

The One Tool We Use For Every Language Strategy Project

May 04, 2021 04:01 - 35 minutes - 41.3 MB

What's the difference between a glass half full and a glass half empty? A school with the most graduates and a school with the largest alumni network? Plant-based protein and synthetic meat? In this week's edition of HearSay, Michael and Lee are joined by colleagues Will Howard and Katie Cronen to talk about framing -- the heart and soul of m+p's language expertise. Join us for some of our favorite framing examples and why it's an important exercise for companies.

The One Question Every Customer Experience Should Answer

April 27, 2021 04:00 - 33 minutes - 79 MB

maslansky + partners' Senior Vice Presidents Maria Boos and Katie Cronen join Michael and Lee to talk about the language of customer experience and why it's so important to get the language right. Especially now, what makes it harder? How can we do it right? We share what we have learned from companies in the marketplace today and work that we've done in the past. They cover the one question all communicators should be able to answer, how to define success, and the importance of intuition a...

Leading In Times of Crisis: Learning When + How to Communicate Corporate Beliefs

April 20, 2021 04:00 - 31 minutes - 74.1 MB

Michael and Lee are joined by colleague Sachi Pettit in a conversation about when companies should speak out and what it takes to be a leader, especially on difficult issues. They talk about confronting racism, equality, and how to find common ground even when it seems impossible. They talk about specific case studies from Proctor & Gamble and a project where they found a way to engage even the most skeptical audiences in the climate movement.

Words with New Meaning in a Post-Pandemic World

April 13, 2021 04:00 - 39 minutes - 90.7 MB

What do the phrases white glove, high-touch, and clean have in common? They've changed meaning and use for safety precautions and standards in a global pandemic. But the language shifts we've seen go beyond safety: birthday parties, happy hour, weekend getaways, middle seats on airplanes, virtual banking. This week, Michael and Lee welcome colleagues Catherine Farr and Will Howard to talk about words that changed meaning over the past year. And the lifecycle of the pandemic lexicon.

Communicating the COVID-19 Vaccine: Common Ground + Cognitive Biases

April 06, 2021 05:00 - 29 minutes - 68.8 MB

Is it possible to persuade folks to take the COVID-19 vaccine? In this week's edition of HearSay, Michael and Lee talk to colleague and pharma expert Sarah Hendry about the unique challenges in getting people vaccinated. They touch on cognitive biases at play, past healthcare experience that may impact today’s hesitancy, missed opportunities at some key moments, and whether its even possible to find common ground with anti-vaxxers.

Words Have Never Mattered More

March 16, 2021 23:40 - 31 minutes - 74.5 MB

The language experts from maslansky + partners take on the smartest, savviest, and sometimes stupidest messages in the market today. CEO Michael Maslansky and President Lee Carter bring their experience with words, communication, and behavioral science to the table — along with a colleague or two — and offer up a "lay of the language." Their insight helps make sense of business, life, and culture, and proves over and over again that It's Not What You Say, It's What They Hear.

Episodes