Our Expertise

Summary of Our Expertise
Issues & Crisis Management

Preparation prevents crisis. We help you mitigate risk, safeguard reputation, respond decisively, and provide 24/7 support — minimizing impact and guiding recovery when challenges arise.

Presentation & Media Training

With over 30 years in broadcast journalism and strategic communications, John delivers expert presentation and media training, tailoring every session to your needs and ensuring you are fully prepared and confident for any media interview or public speaking engagement.

Visual/Digital Strategy

Acara Strategy partners with award-winning ARTeFACT Entertainment and Concinnity, blending top-tier film production with expert digital marketing and SEO services.

Risk Mitigation

Acara Strategy partners with V2 Global to deliver crisis advisory, and strategic analysis, helping leaders and firms worldwide to swiftly resolve and mitigate risks.

Leadership Positioning

We help leaders build reputation through sharp messaging development, advanced media training, and impactful communication - ensuring you influence audiences effectively both externally and within your organization.

Written Communications

As a former Bloomberg journalist and feature writer published in leading international outlets including The New York Times, Business Week, and the Financial Times, John brings journalistic precision and editorial flair to every project. He crafts clear, tailored content — from thought leadership to keynote speeches — that reflects each client’s unique voice and resonates with their audience.

Issues & Crisis
Management

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Never is that adage more relevant than with the handling of a crisis, or an issue before it mushrooms into a crisis. It is better to prepare for all eventualities and be in a position of strength should an issue arise. The priority is to act quickly and be authoritative and considered in your response. A deafening silence for too long, or a poorly messaged holding statement, can often cause more harm and escalate the original issue. With our help, the goal is to, first, mitigate the risk, maintain trust and protect your reputation. We will prepare you for a potential crisis, be there 24/7 if it comes, limit the damage when it happens and re-calibrate once it passes.

Leadership Positioning

“Don’t follow where the path may lead but go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

Simon Murray | CBE | Polar Explorer & Former French Legionnaire

Our experience coaching global leaders and influencers across business, politics and entertainment can help you to correctly position and develop your reputation through message development, bespoke presentation and media training. We advise on how you can create reputational value both for yourself and your organization, how to develop your own personal narrative and the techniques you need to make an impact with the audience. This support includes discreet and high-profile training for media interviews, keynote speeches, leading conferences and – often overlooked – an effective strategy and voice for your internal communications.

Written
Communications

John has a compelling command of the written word. A graduate in English & Classics, John is an accomplished journalist whose work has been published across Bloomberg, Financial Times, New York Times and Business Week. His experience, and proven track record, has provided invaluable support to clients around the world. Client work can range from drafting thought leadership pieces for leading publications, to writing speeches, letters to dignitaries and impactful strategy reports. John ensures the finished product is clear, concise, succinct and ‘on message’. He tailors his writing style, so it bears the personal mark of the client.

Risk Mitigation

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts”

Winston Churchill

Acara Strategy's trusted partner is U.S.-based V2 Global, experts in risk mitigation and relationship management, and who deliver strategic analysis and crisis response. V2 helps executives, legal teams, and high-profile individuals safeguard reputations, navigate complex challenges, and protect what matters most. V2's success is built on agility to anticipate, resolve, and prevent business threats with discretion.

Media and Presentation Training

“If you’re always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.”

Maya Angelou

With over 20 years as an international journalist, both print and broadcast, combined with a decade in senior roles at a leading reputation and crisis management agency - including serving as executive communications counsel to one of the world’s most dynamic CEOs – John offers an exceptional depth of experience and insight. Leveraging his journalistic expertise, extensive communications background and global network, John strategically selects and secures impactful media coverage, ensuring his clients feel confident and protected throughout the process. He also develops tailored media and presentation training programs, fully preparing clients for successful print, broadcast or conference interviews.

In consultation with clients, John ensures that each training session is developed to the specific needs and abilities of the individual. He prepares a detailed Q&A to ensure the questioning is incisive and he uses his insight, developed through years in the newsroom, to guide on a journalist’s methodology and line of questioning. John films his clients to analyse their performances, provides detailed feedback and re-records to demonstrate progress. The media training course will prepare you for all contact with the press, be it online, television or radio.
Our pledge is that you will not face a question that we have not prepared you for.

The following SIX components constitute the Media Training program, and can be packaged as individually focused sessions
  1. Facing The Media

    Successfully navigate media engagement.

  2. Crisis Media Training

    Using a combination of scenario planning and tailored message development, these exercises fully prepare you in the event of a ....

  3. Voice As A Force

    Mastering your voice through articulation, vocal and breathing techniques. As a presenter, John trained under the renowned British RSC...

  1. You The Brand

    Using messaging and positioning strategies, we work with you and your Communications Director to develop your brand voice, narrative and gravitas.

  2. On-Camera

    Ensure you have a commanding presence and maximise any interview opportunity.

  3. Public Speaking - How To Win The Audience

    Techniques, stage presence and mastering public speaking.

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Objectives

Ensure you fully understand the media landscape and are equipped to handle all types of interviews.

Confidently handle crisis-related events, including media flare-ups where a post can quickly go viral.

Leverage your messaging and techniques so you create maximum impact with your audience.

Training Areas

How the media works and how to expertly navigate journalists’ needs, thirst for headlines and pressures.

Navigating tough questions. Differentiate between what the media wants vs. your needs and message.

Quote trap. Avoid pitfalls and ensure you are not misquoted, and your comments are not taken out of context.

Bridging & Blocking: how to structure answers and control interviews.

Storytelling: effective use of statistics, anecdotes.

Scenario planning & simulated exercises.

Be prepared and briefed ahead of any media interview – know the publication, know the journalist.

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Visual/Digital Strategy

“Visuals are processed sixty thousand times faster than text by the human brain and ninety percent of information transmitted to the brain is visual.”

Ekaterina Walter | The Power of Visual Storytelling

Acara Strategy’s trusted partners include multi award-winning NYC- and Shanghai-based film production company, ARTeFACT Entertainment, and Concinnity, a digital marketing agency and SEO specialist, to combine world-class film direction, production and expert digital marketing services.

ARTeFACT

Based in New York and Shanghai, ARTeFACT is an international media company founded by two-time Academy Award winning Director/Writer, Malcolm Clarke, and Golden Horse winning Director/Producer, Yi Han. The company develops, produces and distributes documentary films, television programming and online content for multi-media platforms. The ARTeFACT team harness world-class production expertise with integrated cross-media marketing and PR capabilities. They collaborate with brands, institutions, and the public sector, producing each film with a total commitment to authentic voices and creative vision. Their award-winning productions have reached global audiences of hundreds of millions through major TV networks, theatrical distribution and film festivals and the burgeoning online space around the world.

Concinnity

Headquartered in Hong Kong, Concinnity operates with a global perspective, delivering top-tier digital marketing strategies across search engine optimization (SEO), growth hacking, video production, emerging technologies, and lead generation. The firm also supports companies in managing online reputation and overseeing digital assets, including Wikipedia profiles. With a commitment to excellence and innovation, Concinnity serves the diverse needs of businesses seeking to thrive in the digital landscape. Its mission is to empower organizations worldwide with strategic solutions that drive success in the ever-evolving realm of digital marketing.