In the Fall 2026 semester, Michèle Favorite’s Public Relations class welcomed JCU alumnus Davide Ebraheem, Retail Marketing Activation Expert at Adidas in Milan, to host a guest lecture on business credibility. The lecture focused on how trust, sustainability, purpose, and communication are interconnected and play an essential role in business. One of the lecture’s key takeaways was that companies earn trust by following through on the expectations they establish for themselves. A strong reputation does not come just from what a company says it will do; it comes from consistently proving those claims through actions and communicating them effectively. As Davide explained, establishing credibility is one of the most important things for advancing professionally and building trust in a company.
Building Trust Through Purpose and Communication
One of the topics discussed during the lecture was the relationship between purpose and integrity. A company's purpose should reflect the positive contribution it wants to make, beyond generating profit. However, having a strong purpose statement is not enough on its own. The company's decisions and behavior need to actually demonstrate that purpose. This is especially important when discussing sustainability since consumers are becoming more aware of the difference between companies that genuinely make an effort and those that use it as a marketing strategy.
Davide also introduced the question, “What’s in it for me?”, which helped students better understand the importance of audience-centered communication. When communicating with coworkers, managers, consumers, or business partners, they may all have different priorities. Effective communication therefore means understanding what matters to each of these groups instead of assuming the same message will motivate all of them. The most effective communicators are able to deeply understand their audience and what motivates them.
Students were introduced to the concept of using AI as a “thought partner.” Instead of using it simply to complete a task. Davide encouraged students to use AI to challenge their thinking process, ask difficult questions, or identify weaknesses that may have been overlooked in their projects. He also gave advice on AI prompting techniques; effective prompts should include a clear persona, task, context, and desired format so that the AI can be most efficient and helpful.
Putting Communication into Practice
The lessons also included a practical aspect. Students were given a case study involving a sportswear company that promised to recycle old shoes into new sneakers; however, an investigation revealed that 65% of the collected shoes were actually dumped into landfills overseas. Acting as the company's PR team, students were tasked with creating a plan to respond to the crisis and communicate with different audiences, applying what they learned during the lecture.
Overall, Davide's guest talk showed students that effective business communication is closely connected to trust and credibility. A company's communication strategy must be supported by real actions and follow-through. The key takeaway was that communication is not just about creating a message, but about understanding the different audiences, building trust, and ensuring consistency between what an organization promises and what it actually delivers.
