It is with profound sadness we share that RedFlash Group Founding Partner Jake Knight passed away Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, after a sudden and unexpected illness. He was 57. Since co-founding the RedFlash Group 25 years ago with Keith Griffiths, Jake has been a steady leader and a trusted partner
It’s been really interesting to watch different organizations respond to the pandemic and economic crisis. Some have withdrawn and are quietly trying to weather the chaos. Others are more status quo; they aren’t doing anything much differently today compared to February 2020.
If you’re like most companies, you’re taking a hard look at your marketing budget and considering some difficult choices in response to the current economy. Typically, boom (expansion) and bust (contraction, or recession) cycles average about five years for an expansion and around one year for a recession. That said, the expansion cycle that lasted from 2009 to February 2020 was the longest ever recorded—and most economists are anticipating a longer than average recession.
Scope creep. We’ve all heard of this in the world of project management, but did you know it can happen in your messaging too? Companies can get distracted by what their competitors are saying or fleeting trends, losing touch with what they should be communicating to their customers.
Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky once said: “Skate to where the puck is going, not to where it has been.” It’s an adage that inspires forward thinking in the sports world, but also resonates with the leadership topic of marketing budgets.
If you’re a leader of an organization serving the public safety industry, this is for you. If you want to make an even bigger difference for your colleagues and customers, well, this is for you, too!