Recently I had the honor of being invited to a phone conference with The  Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and Kleenex brand, who together created a social experiment that culminated in a powerful back-to-school ad. The experiment and resulting ad for Kleenex reminds students and parents alike of the challenges associated with back-to-school that we might be overlooking. The ad has already received more than 2.2MM views and 4.5K+ shares. While talking to the researchers more about it, I really liked the concept they brought to the forefront with this idea of empathy. While thinking about back-to-school supplies and going back to school amidst an abnormally politically charged school year, empathy really is the most-needed school supply right now. I took a look at their research and wrote the following article. The Kleenex ad is below as well. Continue reading →