Context Collapse = Futureproofing PR, marketing & advertising
A reboot and 2023's plan: Context Collapse #181
Hey there friends.
If you work in marketing, public relations or advertising, you know the industry is weird right now1. There’s a lot of chaos and a lot of uncertainty on the horizon.
I know this stuff is messy and I want to help you and/or your organization with it. That’s why Context Collapse in 2023 will focus on futureproofing for public relations, marketing and advertising professionals.
I’m glad you’re aboard.
Context Collapse’s 2023 mission statements:
Help your comms business navigate the economic downturn: As of press time in January 2023, we’re in the middle of an economic downturn2. These economic downturns have advantages and disadvantages for communications businesses. I want to make sure you find out about the advantages, steer around the disadvantages and ESPECIALLY to make sure you know every damned day that the sky is not falling.
Show you how AI and new tech tools can help you (or not): Speaking of the sky falling, there sure has been a lot of conversation around artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and Midsummer. No, AI won’t make creative jobs obsolete. No, AI isn’t a magic bullet for cash-strapped businesses. Yes, AI unlocks a lot of very interesting doors. Yes, AI isn’t what you think it is. I solemnly swear I will help you cut through both the marketing bullshittery and the Twitter doommongering3 to help you make new tech work for you.
Help your comms business figure out the post-pandemic landscape: There’s a new normal these days, but noone can tell you exactly how the new normal works. What is client etiquette when you’re used to in-person networking and everything is online? What happens when your company backchannel moves to Discord but you’ve never used Discord before? How do you get colleagues in a hybrid office to IRL meetings, and how can you steer non-mission critical meetings online? We’re here to help.
Which leads us into something else…
Context Collapse’s expertise:
Hi. Neal Ungerleider here. I run Ungerleider Works, a strategic communications consulting firm that helps clients with things like white papers, email newsletters, podcasts and videos (PS - contact us if you need help with those!).
I’ve spent the past five years freelancing with clients like SAP, GroupM and BCG. Before freelancing, I was a senior copywriter for R/GA. Before that, I was a longtime reporter for Fast Company magazine focusing on emerging technology. In other words: I know my stuff.
Also, to be blunt, I’m able to speak more freely about the industry than most of my peers and have a vested interest in giving good advice. I run a boutique shop where I’m in charge and can pick and choose clients. I don’t have to worry about internal politics to get raises or get promoted in my agency, which means freedom to talk about certain topics. As a small shop, the expertise and insights I give my clients is paramount—and that’s something that helps you, the reader.
And, finally…
Something for you:
How can I help? What is on your mind about futureproofing comms these days? Leave a comment and happy to give my advice within reason.
There we go. Looking forward to having you aboard this year.
Neal
Advertising, public relations and marketing have all become the same thing in our current era. Figuring out where one ends and the other begins in our current era of influencer social, user generated content and ad retargeting is just silly.
I’m in my early forties. I’m a veteran of the 2008 economic crash and remember the 2001 dot com crash as a little nerdy New Yorker who knew all about Kozmo deliveries and Plastic.com advertisements in subway stations. This too shall pass.
Twitter = great for reach, terrible for nuance or ideas that are more complicated than a slogan or tagline.