Right now, the value of a smart, experienced financial communications professional has simply never been higher. So, what should public companies do during this time of unprecedented turmoil? Say nothing and wait for things to get better? Just the opposite needs to happen and with lightning speed. At a time when all companies are being painted with the same brush, at a time when the market cares little for a company, balance sheet and product differential, companies need to communicate more openly than ever before. Whether the news is good or bad, companies need to communicate to their key stakeholders to differentiate their strategy, to give faith in management and to clearly articulate their corporate assets. This is not a time for arrogance or to pretend you have all the answers. Clearly, this is a time for the expertise of senior level communications professionals to have a key seat at the table.

When each piece of news reaches different stakeholders – shareholders, employees, customers, competitors, communities – they respond with questions of their own. Are my assets safe? Do I have a job? Why did this happen? Is this crisis over, or continuing? Will the company survive? Communications executives are charged with delivering answers, in real time, to these questions … and they’re also responsible for looking ahead to see what issues and questions will be asked but haven’t.

And, the critical value of internal communications has also risen in turn. The way that important information is shared with employees can have a longer term impact than a short term liquidity issue. It can be tricky to determine when to disclose critical information and in what form. Do you jump-start a crisis by disclosing it with employees in full, the moment you understand its parameters? Do you wait until all potential remedies have been tried? It’s a delicate process that requires experience and punishes those without it.

Lack of experience tends to result in delays. Delays can be disastrous, as PR Week has noted. Your response needs to travel as quickly and as widely as the bad news that called for it. Shaping that response requires the input of experienced financial communications pros who understand the impact of different words on different audiences. The same is true for all communications emanating from Wall Street, as Ad Age notes. This difficult stretch isn’t over – more bad news is coming, which means the expertise of such thoughtful professionals will definitely be on display…communications with key stakeholders must be a top priority. Those who don’t treat it that way put their shareholders, employees and consumers in serious peril.

It is easy to see these seismic events as part of the natural order of things, as a sort of corrective action that will stabilize our economy. And, while there may be merit to that argument, witness the victims of this corrective action: the secretaries, office workers and small investors who woke up today jobless, penniless or both. It takes a series of stupid decisions to destroy institutions that have weathered a century or more. Illiquid investments, market to market manipulation, inept or complicit rating agencies, massive leverage and grossly excessive executive pay are both symptoms and results of our current regulatory environment. Personally, I don’t have any sympathy for the people who made those decisions – they’ve certainly stockpiled the personal financial resources to help them muddle through (it was with no small amount of surprise and relief that I read that regulators plan to deny Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac executives the golden parachutes that tend to accompany failures such as theirs).

The economy spurs innovation and creativity in abundance, but without oversight, that energy can manifest itself as creative destruction. To be clear, I don’t believe regulation and over regulation is the answer to all of these problems…in fact, I fear that government will do what they always do…instead of reacting in a sensible and proactive manner, they will now overreact and potentially make the long term solutions worse. But, reasonable and common sense regulation is a must…the past two weeks have seen financial earthquakes that have rattled Wall Street, sent the Dow tumbling, smashed the nest eggs of thousands of bystanders…and put our economy in peril.

We have persistent issues to face here and abroad; wars, health crises, heightened competition, the list goes on. Without a robust economy, we’re hamstrung in our ability to manage these issues. And as long as a level of appropriate regulation continues to be seen as a bottleneck, our economy will continue to be held hostage to cycles of excessive greed and dislocation.

The news wires had, to that point, been the only game in town. The wires represented a traditional, old school method of dissemination that, while in accordance with governing rules, didn’t truly meet the current needs of players in the financial market.

While, I still believe there is an important and complementary role for newswires, the tools of social media – blogs, RSS feeds and the like – represent a modern mechanism for the distribution of financial data in a fair and equitable manner, particularly when you consider the speed with which such information is received and acted upon. Schwartz declared Sun’s method of disclosure to be "a small, but exceptionally symbolic change."

Understandably, the wires reacted poorly to such symbolism; this poses a clear threat to their business model. At that time, many cautioned them to embrace this change, rather than fight it as it was clear that such changes were coming, with or without them.

And, on July 30, the SEC declared that companies can now leverage their Web site and blogs to meet public disclosure requirements under Regulation FD, which mandates the “full and fair disclosure of information by issuers.” Sun’s “symbolic change” has spurred a sea change. My hope is that our friends at wire services will embrace and help shape the future rather than trying to stave it off. The future isn’t en route – it has arrived.

As a result, I have decided to fully and actively support Barack Obama for President. As a result of my decision, I have also joined Barak Obama’s National Finance Committee and have committed to playing a significant fundraising role for his campaign both here in New Jersey and across the country.

After meeting on several occasions with Hillary and Senator Obama over the past several weeks, I have come to the conclusion that we must elect Senator Obama as our next President. Even though I remain somewhat concerned about Senator Obama’s lack of experience, he is a true leader and is our best hope to restore America’s prestige around the world and address our problems at home. The task is huge, potentially bigger than any one person. But, as Senator Obama continues to inspire me, Senator McCain comes across as angry and frankly, incoherent. In Barack Obama I have found a person who is extraordinarily comfortable with who he is, someone genuinely warm and welcoming and most importantly, someone with an impressive inner strength. While I may not agree with him (or Hillary Clinton) on every issue, he has the intelligence and conviction to work for positive change…and has the potential to be a transformative figure in American politics. And recently, with the addition of many Clinton advisers onto his staff and inner circle, I have seen a softening of rhetoric and the adoption of policies that are more in line with my views and that of many of my friends. Additionally, I have known many of the senior Obama staff people for many years, they are a terrific and motivated group and I look forward to working with them.

While my support for Senator Obama is strong and enthusiastic, I would be remiss and dishonest if I didn’t also state some of my thoughts concerning the critical need to respect and energize the Hillary Clinton base. Senator Clinton won more votes than anyone in history of the nominating process. She is a great leader and has been extraordinarily gracious in defeat. Now, it is up to the Obama campaign to be as gracious in victory. In order to energize the Clinton base, Senator Obama and his supporters must double up on their effort to help Hillary pay off her debt. Their effort so far has been feeble. And, Hillary Clinton must be allowed to place her name in nomination at the Convention in Denver. It would be unprecedented for this not to happen and would energize Hillary and her supporters more than any other action the Obama campaign can put forward. She has earned it, deserves it and I feel strongly it is in the best interest of the Democratic Party and Senator Obama’s election.

Working with Hillary Clinton over the last 18 months has been one of highlights of my life. I have deep and personal affection for her. It has been an incredible experience. But now it’s time to turn our attention to making sure that we elect a Democrat as President in 2008. The choice between John McCain and Barak Obama is clear. I’m on the Obama team and I hope you will join me.

The irony is that the drumbeat for Clinton's withdrawal -- coming on the heels of her recent wins and right before what may be her biggest in Pennsylvania -- is rooted in the collapse of the effort to redo Michigan and Florida. The theory is that she should quit because there is no way she can win, and that there is no way she can win because two states she could win, at least one of which she actually did win, will not be counted until she gets out. Barack Obama would thus become the nominee -- not because of an honestly earned if precariously narrow lead in the final national vote, but because of two elections he would not let happen.

If that sounds like a curious way to end a nominating contest that 30 million to 33 million voters will participate in before it's done, even stranger is that the DNC is following only some of its rules -- and that the real culprits who caused this debacle are Republicans, who are now relishing the catfight they provoked.

Read the whole thing for more on why Dean needs to seat these delegates now and sign the petition urging him to do just that.

So, while I get much of the credit, my real job is to hire great people and then give them the opportunity to be great. That is why I am so proud of the tenure and growth of our people…after 21 years, with a little luck and a lot of hard work, we have been able to create an outstanding agency with extraordinary people…and the best is yet to come.

So, to my team, this award is really for you….and to my peers who voted for me and bestowed this extraordinary award on me, thank you.

"Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is one of the few who fully understood the stakes in that battle. Time and again, she reached out to my wife -- outed CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson -- and me to remind us that as painful as the attacks were, we simply could not allow ourselves to be driven from the public square by bullying. To do so would validate the radical right's thesis that the way to win debates is to demonize opponents, taking full advantage of the natural desire to avoid confrontation, even if it means yielding on substantive issues. Hillary knew this from experience, having spent the better part of the past 20 years fighting the Republican attack machine. She is a fighter.

What gives us confidence Mr. Obama will be stronger the next time he faces Mr. McCain, a seasoned political fighter with extensive national security credentials? Even more important, what special disadvantages does Mr. Obama carry into this contest on questions of national security?"

You can read the rest of the article at Huffington Post, here.

Her opponent, Barack Obama, would like you to think that we have to make a choice between experience and change…but, that is a false choice. It’s nice to talk in campaign slogans and platitudes, but real change can only come with real experience. Hillary is a great agent for change, and with her experience, will know how to make that change happen from day one.

Get past the rhetoric and take a real look at the issues…from healthcare to taxes, from Iraq to global warming, from the security of Israel to the national security of the United States, who do you really trust to protect us, build the economy and move us forward after the nightmare of the last 8 years. And who do you think is really best to beat the Republicans and their horrific political machine…some young, untested and un-vetted rookie, or a strong candidate who has been through the fire before…the Republicans are ruthless, they will eat up Obama and spit him out…and even his friends in the media won’t be able to help him.

Tomorrow is critical, I hope you will vote….and vote for Hillary. Tell your friends and relatives. This one really matters.

Best,

Michael

P.S. I’m running as a Hillary Delegate in the New Jersey’s 20th District. So if you live in Allendale, Alpine, Cedar Grove, Closter, Cresskill, Demarest, Dumont, Emerson, Franklin Lakes, Harrington Park, Haworth, Hillsdale, HoHoKus, Little Falls, Mahwah, Midland Park, Montvale, New Milford, Northvale, Norwood, Oakland, Old Tappan, Oradell, Park Ridge, Ramsey, Ridgewood, Ringwood, River Edge, River Vale, Rockleigh, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River, Verona, Waldwick, Wanaque, Washington Township, Wayne, Westwood, Woodcliff Lake, Wyckoff; please come out and vote for me…and push your friends to vote too…I really appreciate your support.

Obama is an Irrational but Compelling Movement

Seeing Obama make a speech up close at the New Hampshire Democratic Club, it’s clear watching him is liking watching a mega-church preacher...even his cadence is similar to a that of a well rehearsed preacher. There is no doubt that he is a great speaker, maybe one of the best, but it is also clear that there is no substance...it’s as if the word hope is all he has to say...smile nice, say hope a dozen or more times and look charming...like in religion, it is a question of faith...you are asked to believe, not to question. To really listen closely to Obama is to hear nothing...but he says nothing really well. And as for the press reporting that the crowd was in a frenzy over him...I was there and that’s a total fabrication...he bused in scores of college students, who he paid to attend...right before his speech and on cue...the 100 kids in attendance, rushed the stage and put on a mock demonstration...the “frenzy” was manufactured and the press knew it.

Hillary Needs to Change Her Message... And Turn Up the Heat

Obama has been given a free ride by the media, but Hillary has not helped herself. The strategy to run her as a virtual incumbent was too arrogant, too entrenched, not nimble and way too cautious. I was incredibly disappointed to see her give her same tired stump speech on Friday night at the New Hampshire Democratic dinner. After Iowa, it was clear that she needed to fine tune her message, but for some inexplicable reason, there she was with the same speech I have heard over and over again. But on Saturday morning, in front of 1000 people at a local high school the change began...she made no speech and took two hours worth of questions from regular New Hampshire citizens...she was great, it’s in these forums that she shines...it’s hard to understand why she hasn’t done more forums like this one. And then in the debate she finally took him on...and yesterday in New Hampshire she finally began to draw sharp contrast between her and Obama. Obama says he is against the war, but he voted for its funding. Obama says he is against lobbyists, but many of his campaign staff are lobbyists including the head of his New Hampshire campaign. Obama says he is against the drug and insurance companies, but he voted against the patient’s bill of rights...and the list goes on and on.

Experience is a good thing. And she has to finally stop apologizing for it. Hillary has a real record of change. Obama has no record at all...words are nice, but actions are better. And what does it mean that he is going to open up and get people more involved in government...don’t get me wrong, it sounds great, but what does it mean? Whether he likes it or not, working in Washington is hard...only real experience is going to get things done, not nice smiles and platitudes.

All that said, it’s remarkable how badly the Clinton campaign has misread the mood of the electorate and what it would take to win the nomination. They were so focused on the general election; they didn’t see the tidal wave of change crashing all around them.

The Republicans are Licking Their Chops...And Praying it’s Obama

I spoke to many Republicans in New Hampshire and around the country and they are praying that Obama is the nominee. He is untested and unvetted. He has no record or accomplishments to speak of... and he has absolutely no foreign policy experience. In the Republican Debate, we got a preview of their campaign against him...no experience, way too liberal for the nation and he has absolutely no foreign policy experience...when push comes to shove, Americans are not going to put someone in the White House that doesn’t have a clue how to be Commander in Chief.

The Democratic Debate was the first time that Obama really got attacked...and frankly, he mumbled and fumbled...if his protector, John Edwards, hadn’t come to his defense Obama would have been in real trouble. Much like the movement that swept George McGovern to the nomination during the Vietnam War, Democrats face a similar crushing defeat once the Republicans get a hold of Obama. The Republicans won’t treat him with kid gloves like the Democrats...the campaign against him is easy...and eventually the press will turn on him...and truly examine his policies and meager record. When that happens, it’s over. The only question is does that happen before February 5th or after?

The Press is in Love with Obama...Really

Hanging out at the Merrimack Restaurant on Elm Street in Manchester; you see candidates, reporters, campaign staffers and regular people all together...it’s the place to be and the place to be seen. And you get to have real, off the record conversations with all sorts of people including the media. In one incredible admission after another I learned that I wasn’t just paranoid, but that the press actually does love Obama. Many reporters, producers and writers admitted that were supporting Obama...and not just a little, but passionately...they didn’t even try and pretend to be neutral. So as not to embarrass them, I am not going to use their name or their media outlet, but they were from major television networks and major newspapers...it was just incredible.

So, when they don’t report that Hillary had 3,000 screaming supporters at a High School in Nashua, or that when Obama is up by 1 point in a poll he has a lead, but when she is up by 5 points, it’s tied...you can now understand why. When Edwards beats her by 1/3 of a percent and she actually beats him in Iowa Delegates, but it’s not reported, you can understand why...the press is mostly young and Obama has done a great job of working them....but, their bias is overwhelming.

In some ways it was refreshing for them to actually tell the truth and not pretend. But, no matter how much they love him, at some point they will turn on him...they always do...they need a race. You can be assured they will go after him if he becomes the presumed nominee.

If Hillary Loses New Hampshire, She Can Still Win on February 5th

As fast as Obama has risen, he can fall. The only thing for certain in politics is that nothing is for certain. If Hillary loses New Hampshire, the pundits will say she is dead...and the Republicans will hardly be able to contain their joy. And, with the polls so strongly against her, much like Bill Clinton, if she finishes a strong second, it will be seen as a victory. But, if Obama wins decisively, he will now be under an intense microscope...and he may have difficulty handling the scrutiny. With Clintons’ new, more aggressive strategy, the press will be forced to more intensely examine Obama. They love him, but they also love a race. There are more than 20 primaries on February 5th and she is very strong in many of the large states. All she has to do is win her fair share and the race is on again. This one has the potential to go all the way to the convention.

You have to get to your district caucus no earlier than 6:30 and at 7:00 they close the doors. And you don’t even have to be from Iowa to caucus…Obama is counting on tens of thousands of students who live in Illinois to come over the border and caucus for him (can you imagine the uproar if Hillary Clinton was doing this). It’s a total farce. Who has decided that these 100,000 Iowa caucus participants should decide who is the nominee…who decides who actually won and who lost…no matter who actually wins and no matter how close the vote…the media. It’s the media who has made Iowa…and then the equally small and irrelevant New Hampshire…the center of the universe. And by doing so, they become the news…they make the news…instead of reporting it.

So, no matter what happens tonight…even if Hillary Clinton wins by a landslide…I hope that this is the last time that Iowa is allowed this position and this type of power…millions of dollars and thousands of candidate hours for 150,000 people to meet on a January night…is no way to pick a president.

[Image courtesy of IowaPolitics.com]

On September 27, I found myself surrounded by two tall men and a self-described “short guy.”

The setting was the Clinton Global Initiative in Manhattan, where President Bill Clinton helped inaugurate the “STOP NTDs” campaign, which aims to mobilize $25 million to combat neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Calling the campaign “a huge commitment,” the President honored the Sabin Vaccine Institute and MWW Group—Sabin’s pro bono agency of record—for creating and leading this first-ever initiative to control and potentially eliminate these horrific diseases that kill or destroy the lives of the world’s poorest people. Impacting more than 500 million people (mostly children), NTD’s impact more people than HIV/AIDS and malaria combined…yet get a fraction of the attention and funding.

That day, representing both Sabin as Chairman, and MWW Group, as President and CEO, I was deeply honored to share the stage with President Clinton—who stands at 6’2”-plus—NBA star Dikembe Mutombo, who’s at least a foot taller—and Dr. Peter Hotez, who, let’s say, is a bit shorter than Mutombo.

You know the great work of President Clinton. His ability to forge creative partnerships to solve the world’s most pressing problems continues in his post-Presidency.

You may not know Dikembe Mutombo beyond his long and distinguished NBA career. But, outside the court, he’s making major inroads in improving the health, education and quality of life for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the land of his birth.

You probably don’t know Dr. Peter Hotez. He’s one of the world’s leading experts on “diseases of poverty,” including NTDs—diseases that plague the most destitute people in the developing world—the voiceless, powerless, hopeless and neglected. But he’s not just an “expert”, he’s a “man of action” who, as President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, is leading the global fight against diseases of poverty. In fact, hearing Peter’s “call to action” at the 2006 Clinton Global Initiative is what inspired me to commit MWW Group to $1 million in public relations, advocacy, development and capacity building counsel and services to Sabin...and eventually led to me joining the board and becoming its Chairman.

In Peter, 2.7 billion people “living” on less than U.S.$2.00 a day have finally found their voice and their champion. With colleagues like Kari Stoever and others at Sabin and the Global Network on NTDs, which Sabin also leads, he’s placed neglected tropical diseases on the global health radar. And he’s fostering use of a “rapid impact package,” comprised of four drugs, to control and potentially eliminate the seven most common NTDs—at a cost of only fifty cents per person. That’s the goal of the STOP NTDs Campaign—to raise $25 million to treat 50 million people.

You can learn more about Peter and his important work this Sunday, October 14, on CBS Sunday Morning, sometime between 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. EST, and on October 29 at 11:00 p.m. on the Charlie Rose Show on PBS.

Reflecting on Peter’s achievements in fighting NTDs, a friend recently told him, “Pretty good for a short guy.” Spot on. Sometimes big men come in small packages.

With the season now over, I was thinking about my earlier post about Under Armour’s advertising on the walls of Wrigley Field…I asked the question then as to whether or not this was this going to be great marketing idea or a public relations fumble…I even lost my mind a little and compared it to defacing the Mona Lisa…well, after going to Wrigley several times this year and seeing the success of the team the Cubs put on the field, I have to tip my hat (or in the case of Wrigley Field, a polish sausage) to the Cubs and Under Armour. Sports are an expensive business and talent is what wins divisions (and hopefully someday a Championship). Acquiring Alfonso Soriano, keeping Carlos Zambrano and hiring Lou Piniella didn’t come cheap. And, advertising and sponsorship is what pays for it all…so, to answer my own question, Under Armour created a brilliant, effective and tasteful campaign, …and as a bonus, helped the Cubs win a division.

Now if Under Armour can just help us get a little more offense and a pitcher or two, I promise to paint their logo on my forehead…

Sun's CEO Jonathan Schwartz announced his intention to distribute the news in this manner via a blog entry the week before - "a small, but exceptionally symbolic change" was how he labeled it. An opportunity for every constituent to receive the news at once and for free. In my view, a prelude to the direction of things to come.

Not surprisingly, executives at the paid wire services are coming unglued by this development. One executive even went as far as to call Sun's move a return to the 'dark ages of disclosure." Sounds to me a bit like the dinosaurs bellowing at a coming ice age. If there's one thing we've seen in this business it's that the Internet breeds innovation and demands evolution. Sun's decision to distribute it's news via its website should serve more as a wake-up call for the paid wires rather than a battle cry.

RegFD calls for the simultaneous disclosure of material information to all investors. A pretty simple concept to grasp, no? In my professional opinion, Sun's recent distribution conformed with both the letter and the spirit of the law. None of the pundits have said otherwise, I might add.

Not only was the information available to all via a free and open Web-based resource...and the location and release time for that information pre-announced...the procedures were backed up with a simultaneous filing of a Form-8K with the SEC. For those of you watching the clock as the news rolled out, you may have noticed that by 4:01 pm (ET), the same time Sun posted the results on their site, the company's 8K posted on Yahoo! Finance via Edgar.

While this may have only been an "exceptionally symbolic change," I am confident that it's just a preview of the innovations in communications to come, both from Sun and other companies for which transparency and one-to-one connections with constituents is critical. Perhaps rather than fight evolution our friends at the news wires should start thinking about how they can help shape the future direction of financial disclosure. It's coming...with or without them.

Disclosure Note: Sun Microsystems is a client of MWW Group.

Over the past 6 months I have had the privilege of spending considerable personal time with all of the Democratic presidential candidates. Private lunches, dinners and visits to their homes. All in all, I found them to have skill sets that would make each of them a good president. This year the Democratic Party is blessed with a very strong field and any of the contenders have the potential to be a strong leader. This is in stark contrast to the Republicans, who are still without a candidate that can win...or make a great president.

So, after months of meetings and discussions with the entire field, I have decided to become one of the co-chairs of Hillary Clinton’s campaign in New Jersey. The irony is that I had started out thinking that I would work for anyone but Hillary. But after meeting extensively with each of the candidates there is really no choice. Hillary is smart, warm and has a deep grasp of the issues facing us domestically and internationally. She can hit the ground running unlike any other potential president. Plus, she has already stated the she will use Bill Clinton as a special ambassador to work with countries around the world to reestablish our critical relationships. While others like Obama, Richardson and Biden would all make good Presidents, none have the depth of experience, the grasp of the issues and the relationships around the world that must be immediately dealt with by our next chief executive.

The times are tough and demanding...our future, in many ways is at stake...and in my mind, Hillary is the only one ready to take on the challenge and lead us out of this mess created by George Bush. No president in modern times has inherited two wars, plus the all of the other major issues that will need to be dealt with on day one...we can’t afford to lose a year of leadership while someone learns how to be president.

This election is the most critical in modern history. That is why I am working hard to make sure that Hillary Clinton is our next president.