Experience Meets Innovation

With a rich history as a senior marketing communications practitioner, Graham MacEwen has almost 4 decades of knowledge and experience, particularly in the oil and gas industry. His journey, includes senior positions with a National Oil Company and two supermajors. Beyond the oil and gas sector, Graham has lent his expertise as a consultant across a variety of industries including food, tourism, financial services, and technology, adapting his approach to diverse and dynamic market environments.

As the principal consultant of The Crawford MacEwen Consultancy, Graham MacEwen has worked at a senior level in some of the world’s biggest brands including Shell, BP and ADNOC. During his career he has developed many innovative strategies and methodologies tailored to help businesses and organizations of all scales understand and leverage the critical aspects of reputation, brand, and culture. Graham believes passionately in the ability of communications systems to drive business performance, employee engagement and brand value.

So why “The Giraffe’s View” blog?

You would be surprised at how Giraffes are the perfect metaphor for corporate communications.

Elevated Perspective: Giraffes, being the tallest land animals, have a unique vantage point. This can symbolize the importance of gaining a broad perspective in corporate communications, seeing the bigger picture, anticipating issues from afar, and understanding the landscapes of both internal and external environments.

Strong Heart: A giraffe’s heart, which is two feet long and weighs up to 12 kg (25 lbs), pumps blood efficiently against gravity to reach its brain. This underscores the essence of passion, commitment, and the driving force behind effective communication. Just as the giraffe’s heart sustains its towering height, the heart of communication is authenticity and genuine connection.

Spots for Distinction: Each giraffe’s spot pattern is unique, much like human fingerprints. This is similar to the distinctive brand voice and identity that each company must develop and maintain. Just as no two giraffes have the same pattern, no two companies have exactly the same communication style or voice.

Neck Reach without Voice Projection: Despite their long necks, giraffes are known to be relatively quiet animals. This is a reminder that it’s not always the loudest voice that gets the message across, but rather the clarity and relevance of the message itself. Strategic silence, listening, and thoughtful response can sometimes be more powerful than constant chatter.

Gentle Giants: Although giraffes are massive, they are generally peaceful creatures. This characteristic underscores the principle that effective communication doesn’t need to be aggressive or dominating. A gentle approach, characterized by understanding, empathy, and patience, always yields more positive results.

Social Creatures: Giraffes often move in groups and exhibit social behaviours. This can be a reminder of the importance of teamwork, collaboration, and network building in corporate communications. Sharing ideas, gathering feedback, and leveraging the strength of collective intelligence and capability are vital.

Keen Senses: With their height and acute senses, giraffes can see and hear things from a distance. In corporate communications, it’s vital to be attuned to the nuances of the market, stakeholders’ sentiments, and emerging trends, so as to react and adapt promptly.

And finally Graham is 1.94m (6ft 4in) tall and he likes Giraffes…