In the Media
Victoria’s Secret CMO Departs Amid Controversy—Here’s What Went Wrong
Aug 06, 2019 // “They really could have started reading the tea leaves in terms of women’s role in society around the time of the Dove Real Beauty campaign in 2004,” says Paul Argenti in a story about Victoria’s Secret’s former CMO Ed Razek.
View at Forbes
Life after Obama: Jay Carney Is a Top Advisor to Jeff Bezos and Architect of Amazon’s HQ2
Jun 28, 2019 // Quotes Paul Argenti in an article about Jay Carney, press secretary under President Obama and Amazon’s public policy and communications chief. Argenti says Carney exhibited weakness during the HQ2 process, which generated more negative publicity than goodwill.
View at CNBC
Was Jack Welch Really That Good?
Jun 12, 2019 // “He was great at defining and executing a strategy. And changing it when it needed to change. He was the consummate leader of his time,” Paul Argenti says of former GE CEO Jack Welch.
View at Bloomberg
Corporations Want to Stay out of the Abortion Debate. But That May No Longer Be an Option
Jun 04, 2019 // Continued coverage of insights by Paul Argenti about when and how companies should take stands. “It’s risky to speak out on anything—you have to have a policy in place to help guide you,” he says.
View at The Lily
Corporations Are Getting Dragged into a Debate They’ve Long Sought to Avoid: Abortion
May 31, 2019 // “It’s risky to speak out on anything—you have to have a policy in place to help guide you,” says Paul Argenti. “You can’t just bury your head in the sand. You’ve got to be willing to stick your neck out to explain what your thinking is.”
View at The Washington Post
Boeing Takes Hit to Its Reputation After 2 Plane Crashes
Mar 14, 2019 // “The bigger and more reputational issue for them is, how do you sell more of those planes in the future?” asks Paul Argenti, professor of corporate communication, in an article about the Boeing 737 Max 8, which has crashed twice in the last six months.
View at Associated Press
Boeing Takes Hit to Its Reputation After 2 Plane Crashes
Mar 14, 2019 // Continued coverage of comments by Paul Argenti regarding Boeing’s handling of the 737 Max 8 crisis. “The Lion Air crash puts in motion that something's wrong, what are we going to do about it, and by the time the Ethiopian plane goes down, it should have been resolved.”
View at The New York Times
Amazon’s Year-Long Publicity Blitz for HQ2 Has Backfired
Mar 02, 2019 // “To go out and create a ‘beauty contest,’ and turn it into a media circus—it was a dumb idea,” says Paul Argenti in an article about Amazon’s bidding process for a second headquarters. Argenti is among numerous experts who say that HQ2 is turning into a publicity nightmare for the company.
View at CNBC
CEOs Urge Congress to Expand Gun Background Checks
Feb 26, 2019 // Continued coverage of comments by Paul Argenti about a group of CEOs that sent a letter urging Congress to pass a proposal on background checks for gun sales. Argenti says that CEOs should practice caution when deciding to speak out.
View at WBFO
CEOs Urge Congress to Expand Gun Background Checks
Feb 25, 2019 // Quotes Paul Argenti in an article about a group of four CEOs that sent a letter urging Congress to pass a proposal on background checks for gun sales. Argenti says that, when deciding to speak out, CEOs should act cautiously. “It's really not worth taking a risk unless it's absolutely important to you,” he says.
View at NPR
How the Digital Age Is Changing Information Flow
Feb 20, 2019 // Quotes Paul Argenti in an article about how the digital age is impacting organizational information flows. Argenti says one major impact has been the reduction of secrecy. “You have to assume everybody knows everything about everything.” he says, “There’s no such thing as privacy and control of information.”
View at The Holmes Report
Amazon Leaves New York but Not the Spotlight
Feb 17, 2019 // Features Paul Argenti in an article about Amazon’s decision to forgo building a headquarters in New York City. “I don’t think this will have a long-term effect on the reputation of Amazon,” Argenti says. “In fact, it might more likely have a long-term effect on the reputation of New York.”
View at The Wall Street Journal
Amazon’s Stormy Week Will Blow Over, but the Debris May Stay
Feb 15, 2019 // Quotes Paul Argenti in an article about recent controversies surrounding Amazon. Argenti says that while the company isn’t immune to backlash, recent headlines are unlikely to quell its popularity with customers. others.
View at Associated Press
Starbucks Wants to Avoid National Political Campaigns. Can It?
Jan 29, 2019 // Features Paul Argenti in a piece about former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz’s potential run for president. Argenti says a Schultz campaign could reinforce a public perception that Starbucks customers tend to be younger, urban, and liberal.
View at Marketplace
If Howard Schultz Runs for President, Starbucks Will Be on the Ballot, Too
Jan 28, 2019 // Quotes Paul Argenti, professor of corporate communication, in an article about former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz mulling a run for president in 2020. Argenti says the impact of a foray into politics by Schultz is unlikely to harm the Starbucks brand: “People don’t go to Starbucks because of Howard Schultz.”
View at The Washington Post
Howard Schultz's Progressive Policies at Starbucks a Mixed Bag for Democrats
Jan 28, 2019 // An article about the political leanings of former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz quotes Paul Argenti, professor of corporate communication. Argenti says Schultz’s career at Starbucks showed a range of progressive policies that worked well in business environments, but also ideas that were viewed as too extreme by many.
View at Fox Business
If, When, and How to Engage on Social Issues
Dec 29, 2018 // Paul Argenti talks to chief communications officers at the Arthur W. Page Society Annual Conference about if, when, and how their brands engage on social issues. “Your values are really critical in determining how you will operate, what you believe in, and how you will behave,” says Argenti.
View at The New CCO Podcast
A Playbook for CEOs Attacked by Trump: Thrust, Parry, Ignore
Dec 02, 2018 // Features Paul Argenti in an article about what CEOs should do if they are confronted by President Trump, on Twitter or elsewhere. Argenti notes that there are several strategies CEOs can take, but that an aggressive response should only be employed when the position is well-aligned with a company’s values.
View at Bloomberg
Pressure grows on CEOs to take a stand
Nov 16, 2018 // Quotes Paul Argenti in an article about increasing pressure on CEOs to take stands on controversial issues.
View at PR Week
Jamal Khashoggi Killing: Is Saudi Arabia Too Toxic for Investors?
Oct 22, 2018 // Quotes Paul Argenti in an article about the business impact on Saudi Arabia following the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Many companies pulled out of an investment conference in Riyadh this week, a move Argenti says is not surprising given the importance young workers place on company values.
View at Al Jazeera