Power Shifts

You may not have noticed it, but when Spotify reclassified its Premium subscriptions as bundles in March 2024, the impact to songwriters is estimated to be $150 million in the first year alone. And that's a political problem.

It takes a special kind of person to dive into the political or regulatory process.

It takes a citizen.

Lufthansa has become the first airline to pass the cost of Europe’s new emissions rules on to passengers.

Consumers can now expect a surcharge ranging anywhere from €1 to €72 per ticket, starting next year on departures from European countries.

The rationale? To cover the “steadily rising additional costs” of new environmental fuel requirements.

It's a heck of a gamble.

Here's a big mistake we often make: we lead with the facts. Here's the problem: people aren’t persuaded by facts. They use facts to support their emotions and values.

Effective campaigns require empathy, not just advocacy. Here's what it takes to connect with your audience on their terms, not yours.

I share insights from my upcoming conference talk on thriving in a polarized public opinion environment.

Key Points:

US vs. Canada Polarization: In the US, affective polarization makes people despise opposing views. In Canada, while people are ideologically consistent, they don’t hate others with different opinions. Instead, they respond to clear, sharp policy positions, which is actually good for democracy.

Perception vs. Reality: There’s a perception of increased polarization, but it’s often exaggerated. The more ideologically consistent we are, the more distorted our views of other groups become.

Clarity of Communication: In today’s fragmented media landscape, clarity from the start is key to engaging and mobilizing people.

Research: https://bit.ly/3zm0efq

Every business leader knows that having a great product or service is not enough. You need social proof to demonstrate demand for your offering. This is especially true when it comes to lobbying political decision-makers. If you’re in business, you’re in the business of demonstrating voter demand.

Here’s the problem: 80% of the world’s gum arabic comes from Sudan.

And Sudan is in the middle of a gruesome civil war that erupted last year. That war has created the largest humanitarian crisis on the planet. Things are going to get worse a whole lot of industries.

Hey everybody, Joseph Lavoie here and here’s something I’m watching: fast fashion giant Shein’s (shee-in) ongoing effort to go public. Why? Because it’s proof positive that business is politics. Especially if your business has ties to China. Or rather, if it wants to gently sever those ties.

Every business is operating in a polarized environment. That means CEOs are prime targets.

I'm jumping into the video and podcast game, sharing what I've learned in my 20 years of advising G7 leaders and corporate leaders on how to reshape regulatory conditions.

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