You may not be interested in globalization, but globalization is interested in you.

The sober reality for global business and international commerce, western governments in unprecedented fashion have drafted you into new hybrid warfare with speed and no clear offramp.

If Russia were to declare an end to the war having taken control of a large chunk of Ukraine, western governments would face difficult decisions about which sanctions to maintain and for how long. And then, how does business as well as cultural and sporting organizations take their cues from the signals sent by western governments or move independently?

And then, how do you communicate your decision to keep sanctions or drop sanctions to your stakeholders as well as other governments, NGOs, and diplomatic corps?

I am hard-pressed to believe that just two weeks ago executives at CCM Hockey had a strategic communications plan in place on how to deal with Alex Ovechkin should Putin invade Ukraine.

Same with IKEA.

Sure you can close your stores in Russia - a decision, by the way, made days into the invasion suggesting social pressure and not a standard operating procedure - but what environment will be necessary to reopen?

It is the early days of this crisis.

Day ten of what business should expect to be a ten-month struggle, if not a ten-year struggle.

Business has already displayed unprecedented action and embraced being a force for good with their words and actions.

But what are your next steps?

What is your STOCK?

Strategy?

Tactics?

Organization?

Consistency?

Know-how?

Realtime communications lesson:

You may not be interested in globalization, but globalization is interested in you.

-- Marc

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Need help with your comms?

Working at the intersection of globalization, disruption, and politics, Caracal is available for solo executive advisory sessions, leading a team workshop, conducting a communications strategy audit, or speaking on executing high-low communications (HLC).

Let's get to work.

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The PR Week Podcast: Ukraine + SOTU

On this podcast, PRWeek executive editor Frank Washkuch and associate editor Diana Bradley are joined by Marc Ross, founder and chief communications strategist for Caracal.

Podcast topics:

- Ross discusses his work at Caracal, which is a communications advisory firm specializing in global business issues at the intersection of globalization, disruption and politics. He also talks about Brigadoon, a global affairs news and information platform for leaders, of which he is founder and chief curator;

- The latest developments regarding the war in Ukraine, specifically the use of social media by both Ukrainian officials and Russia’s online propaganda machine;

- Takeaways from President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address: what Biden chose to highlight and how;

- Discussing the findings from the 2022 PRWeek/PR Talent Salary Survey, from the COVID-19 pandemic’s ongoing impact to how agencies and employees are starting to get their confidence back;

- Profiling Glassdoor's head of communications, Scott Dobroski, and how Glassdoor is positioning itself during the “Great Resignation”;

- This week’s notable people moves, from a new COO at Trailrunner International to a new global head of creative at Golin.

Here are the show notes and support materials for this podcast:

Caracal

Brigadoon

US-China Business Council

Five books about Putin, Russia, and Ukraine: Take a closer and in-depth look at the larger issues behind the invasion of Ukraine with these selected titles. FT

Grain markets set for supply shock of a lifetime, economist says: Bloomberg reports Russia’s invasion of Ukraine puts tens of millions of grain acres at stake, according to a University of Illinois economist.

War in Ukraine: when political risks upturn commodity markets: The Russian invasion has pushed up prices and highlighted the threat of raw materials becoming a foreign policy weapon. FT

The new energy shock: Putin, Ukraine, and the global economy: The Russian invasion has led to sharp rises in worldwide energy prices, increasing the risk of higher inflation and reduced growth. FT

China asked Russia to delay Ukraine war until after Olympics, US officials say: NYT reports a Western intelligence report indicates that Chinese officials had some level of direct knowledge about President Vladimir V. Putin’s war plans or intentions.

Improved Russia-China ties have ominous implications for the US: Beijing and Moscow get closer because they need each other more than ever. Bloomberg

Analysis: Ukraine crisis throws China's top 7 leaders into disarray: Aligning with Russia comes at a huge cost. Nikkei

As tanks rolled into Ukraine, so did malware. Then Microsoft entered the war. After years of talks about the need for public-private partnerships to combat cyberattacks, the war in Ukraine is stress-testing the system. NYT

Get ready for the Beijing Splinter Olympics Marc A. Ross - Colorado Springs Gazette

Red Wings: Russian Five became the driving force behind multiple titles Michael Scott

Russia was the hottest place in sports. Now it’s frozen out. After inviting its influence and accepting its cash for decades, it took a war for the sports world to push back on Russia. WSJ

Roman Abramovich is seeking at least $4 billion for Chelsea FC and has set a deadline of Friday for interested parties to submit their bids for the Premier League club.

Jerad Minnick | @JeradRMinnick

Sharing top-secret intelligence with the public is unprecedented. Here’s why the US decided to do it for Ukraine. NiemanLab

Welcome to WarTok Matteo Mobilio

Joe Biden’s state-of-the-union address fails to impress: Economist reports, Ukraine aside, a gaffe-laden speech does nothing to turn Democrats’ problems around.

Bloomberg: Biden’s State of the Union address draws 32 million viewers

Joe Biden forced on to the defensive ahead of tough midterms challenge: FT reports Biden promises to make curbing inflation a priority as approval ratings plummet.

Biden threatens Big Tech over its “national experiment” on children: Recode in his State of the Union speech, the president vowed to hold social media platforms accountable for their harms.

Biden delivers State of the Union amid war in Ukraine: WSJ reports Biden highlights coordinated response to Russia and pitches plan to drive down inflation.

WP: Biden pledges ‘unity agenda’ for nation

NYT: Biden condemns Russia and promotes domestic agenda

Bloomberg: Biden assails Putin, pledges inflation fight in State of the Union

Biden declares Putin ‘isolated from the world’ in first State of Union: FT reports President hints at further sanctions and warns Russian counterpart ‘he has no idea what’s coming.’

Biden pledges to confront and control crises surrounding his presidency: Politico reports the president delivered his first State of the Union amid escalating chaos in Ukraine and declining approval ratings.

The Times: State of the Union speech: Biden pitches to America as poll ratings plummet

The fashionable dogs of Instagram.

According to market research provider Euromonitor International, the global market for pet products other than food, including clothing, is estimated to grow from $28bn this year to $32bn by 2023.

"Pet influencers give really enjoyable content, and that's one of the things people come to social media for, but especially in this last year," says Hester Bates, brand and communications director at Influencer, a London-based influencer marketing platform. "People are looking for light relief, and pet influencers really provide it."

Look for pet influencers to fuel the growth of pet apparel.

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