Welcome to our blog, Connotations.

But, wait, is this a blog? Ehh. I don’t love that framing for what I hope this will become. 

Legendary music producer Rick Rubin writes in The Creative Act: “As soon as you use a label to describe what you’re working on, there's a temptation to conform to its rules. The templates of the past can be an inspiration in the beginning phases, but it’s helpful to think beyond what’s been done before. The world isn’t waiting for more of the same.”

We’re in an era of rapid transformation. What we did five years ago – or even five months ago – won’t work the same today. I did the blogging thing. For years, I wrote a popular PR-focused blog and co-led the leading digital PR Twitter chat (remember when those were a thing?!). Perhaps as we’re working on finding our exact footing here, some pieces of this may feel akin to blogging, but we are definitely not trying to harken back to the early days of content creation. 

Instead, CONNOTATIONS will delve into the subtle yet powerful meanings behind the trends and innovations shaping communication. Whether you're looking to enhance your strategy, stay ahead of the curve, or simply gain a deeper understanding of the interplay between traditional and digital communication, this space is built with you in mind.

Here’s what you can expect (though, I reserve the right to change this – after all, we’re testing and iterating!):

  • Connotation Curation: We’ll pick a theme or topic that’s having a “moment” and pull together the articles, podcasts, memes and other resources to not only help you get the concept, but to extrapolate the connotations for communicators.

  • Copy/Paste: Periodically, we’ll share resources, AI prompts, processes, any other tools we’ve developed that you can easily incorporate into your workflow. At Geben, we embrace a “Give More. Grow More.” philosophy – which means we’re happy to share what we learn! It helps us all learn and grow. Plus, karma.

  • Actionable insights and inspirational prompts: Ready to move from decision-making based on instincts to decisions based on insights? Stuck on a campaign or looking for brainstorming inspiration? We’ve got you covered. We’ll ask probing questions and offer resources that will elevate your recommendations, outputs and outcomes.

I hope you’ll join us as we explore the intersections of technology, strategy, and creativity. Let’s experiment together. 

After all, Rubin says, “the most innovative ideas come from those who master the rules to such a degree that they can see past them or from those who never learned them at all.”

Here’s to rewriting the rules, together.

(Phew! The first post is out of the way! Thanks for being on this journey with us!)