Categories Alfie Fernie Insights Post author By Alfie Fernie Post date 9 August 2023 Butler to the World: how Britain became a ‘servant of the rich’ – Eterna’s Book Club Consider this question: What clothing best fits modern Britain’s character? Take a moment to ponder the technological advancements and historical shifts that have influenced its post-war identity, like the World Wide Web, commercial air travel, or even that cultural phenomenon of glam rock! One could imagine Britain embracing a variety of outfits: the clinical white […] Tags featured, strategic communications
Categories Ben Cope Insights Uncategorised Post author By Ben Cope Post date 10 July 2023 ‘The Age of AI’ and slouching towards superintelligence – Eterna’s Book Club Not for the first time, Kissinger fails the Turing Test. Fire, the wheel, the compass, the printing press, the steam engine, electricity and the internet. Some inventions alter the course of human history. Could artificial intelligence (AI) be next? Since the launch of ChatGPT in November, the buzz has gone mainstream, exciting and terrifying in […] Tags business, comms, featured
Categories Insights Uncategorised Post author By Millie Talbot Post date 31 May 2023 The Culture Map: Breaking Through The Invisible Boundaries Of Global Business – Eterna’s Book Club In 1994, a Vietnamese Coca Cola billboard advertisement read ‘It’s so nice to see you again’, addressing the political moment upon its return after the Vietnamese War. Using distinct adverts and campaigns to cater to different cultural audiences, Coca Cola has long adapted its branding to its cultural surroundings. Whether the soda drinkers are health-conscious […] Tags business, comms, featured
Categories Insights Nigel Fairbrass Post author By Nigel Fairbrass Post date 7 May 2023 Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century – Eterna’s Book Club “The point of modern propaganda isn’t only to misinform or push an agenda. It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth.” – Garry Kasparov The recent leak of US intelligence papers, and the revelation that a million or more US citizens are employed by the country’s intelligence “industry,” has been a reminder of […] Tags featured, strategic communications
Categories Alfie Fernie Insights Post author By Alfie Fernie Post date 23 April 2023 Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World – Eterna’s Book Club A critique of the pursuit of economic growth as central to political decision making Picture a garden. All its flora, fauna, and funga. It is an ecosystem that requires a healthy balance between those different components. The goal of a gardener is not to maximise crop growth – however tempting that might be during tomato […] Tags business, Degrowth, featured
Categories Insights Serra Balls Post author By Serra Balls Post date 27 January 2023 Thomas Piketty’s A Brief History of Equality – Eterna’s Book Club At Eterna Partners, we’re all avid readers. In many ways, it’s an essential part of what we do. Having the intellectual curiosity to reach beyond what’s making the headlines right now is critical in developing and implementing strategic communications plans fit for the future. That’s why we’ve created the Eterna Book Club. It’s a way […] Tags featured, marketing
Categories Alfie Fernie Insights Post author By Alfie Fernie Post date 4 December 2022 Sticks and Stones in the Information Age Since November 2017, Molly Russell’s death has pressured social media companies to think of the children. As the inquest into her death concluded this September, depressive content viewed by 14-year-old Molly contributed to suicidal thoughts. Her experience resonates with many. A national survey conducted by The Cybersmile Foundation indicates that 89% of 16-24-year-olds feel social […] Tags comms, featured, regulation
Categories Ben Cope Insights Post author By Ben Cope Post date 21 November 2022 Climate adaptation: the COP27 takeaway for strategic communications Communicators have a responsibility to emphasise the importance of climate adaptation – both as an operational necessity and as a new reputational bar by which businesses will be judged In the critically acclaimed episode ‘Free Churro’ in the Netflix black-comedy animation, Bojack Horseman, Bojack, a washed-up actor, delivers this line about the long-since discontinued sitcom […]
Categories Insights Post author By Layla Angell Post date 5 October 2022 Blackout Britain While planning for blackouts is usually a fringe hobby, major UK banks – some of our most serious institutions – are dusting off their lockdown contingency plans in preparation for power cuts this winter. This begs the question: what preparations should corporate affairs directors be making? Considerations seem to fall into four clear areas: employee […] Tags comms, strategic communications
Categories Alfie Fernie Insights Post author By Alfie Fernie Post date 20 September 2022 Good Mourning Britain It has been a challenging week for corporate communications. As Britain mourned her Queen, corporations were faced with a difficult balancing act. How best to contribute towards a nation’s collective memory, whilst minimising business disruption and costs to individuals? The balance had to be struck twice, in communications tone and operational response. Of those corporations that […] Tags comms