Mark McClennan is the principal of EV Strategic Communications, and for more than 20 years, he has led PR campaigns for companies of all sizes - and in a wide variety of markets. His passion for ethics and insistence that the industry maintains impeccable professional standards led him to create Ethical Voices Blog and Podcast in 2018. Each week, he features a PR professional discussing a tough ethical challenge they faced at some point in their career.
Mark is a frequent writer on public relations, ethics, measurement and social media - and he often speaks at industry conferences and universities on these same subjects. Throughout his career, Mark has been an active member of the Public Relations Society of America, serving as the organization’s National Chair in 2016.
On this episode of the Look Left @ Marketing Podcast, he joins Bryan Scanlon to discuss a wide range of ethical topics facing companies, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.
- 1:55 -- The Ethical Voices blog and podcast was created to raise awareness of ethical challenges facing the PR industry.
- 3:12 -- On some of the more unusual -- and serious -- ethical challenges Mark’s podcast guests have faced.
- 4:51 -- The coronavirus pandemic has created unusual ethical circumstances for communication professionals.
- 7:26 -- How working from home has led to unusual and unexpected quandaries related to security and privacy.
- 10:10 -- How brands are addressing the growing consumer demand to be politically vocal.
- 12:44 -- How social media has forced companies to address ethical challenges more quickly.
- 16:05 -- Preparing for difficult situations before they happen is the key to successfully navigating them.
- 19:05 -- The balance between sharing good news, while not whitewashing serious situations.
- 22:39 -- How actively listening helps make you more ethical.
