Building Brand Gravity: Attracting People Into Your Orbit

G&S Communications
  • 5.0 (4)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Building Brand Gravity: Attracting People Into Your Orbit, is a podcast for communicators across industries looking to gain an inside view into business influence. Each episode will feature a down-to-earth conversation with leading communications professionals, to share what they’re hearing and what they’re saying, in real time. Welcome to Building Brand Gravity!

  1. FEB 5

    The AI Strategy Agencies Should Build Now

    AI is just a new tool. It a shift in how work gets done, how brands show up, and how agencies prove value. Anne Green sits down with Aaron Kwittken, Partner and Global Head of AI + Innovation at FGS Global, to trace arc from agency builder to SaaS pioneer to enterprise AI operator. Aaron breaks down why the agentic revolution changes the game, how multi-model systems and “second screen” workflows reduce friction, and why adoption velocity matter more than the tech itself. They get practical about what is make-or-break in 2026from moving beyond hourly pricing to outcomes, to procurement pressure in-house agency. The conversation closes on what must stay human, where AI can accelerate the work, and how leaders can build the operating system for modern communications. In this episode: Why agentic workflows and second screen habits unlock real ROIThe agency business model reset, from hours and outputs to outcomesHow to build an AI stack that is multi-model, governed, and client-readyWhat still requires human judgment, especially crisis, counsel, and trust-building

    56 min

  2. JAN 6

    12 predictions that will shape 2026

    Predictions are everywhere, but the real question is what is changing underneath them. In 2026, the pressure is stacking, the signals are getting noisier, and leaders will be judged on clarity and trust. Anne Green and Steve Halsey share their 2026 predictions and use them as a way to talk through the forces reshaping how brands operate and communicate. They cover the volatility “pressure stack,” the trust crisis of synthetic reality, and why AI is moving from experimentation to standard operating practice, with discipline becoming the differentiator. They also dig into cross sector signals leaders cannot ignore, including the ripple effects of GLP-1s and the growing role of external validation in B2B. The episode lands on two clear leadership shifts: invest in the human side of AI transformation, and treat corporate narrative like an operating system, not a campaign. In this episode:12 predictions for 2026 across AI, trust, narrative, healthcare stress, and volatilityWhy synthetic content and compressed news cycles raise the bar for proof and credibilityWhat AI standardization really means, plus the people gap leaders keep underfundingThe case for narrative as an operating system that keeps your story coherent over time

    37 min

  3. 12/18/2025

    How to Become a Truly Great Speaker and Presenter

    From courtroom advocacy to the C-suite, Benjamin Thiele-Long shows why great speaking and presenting is a system, not just a script. If you want to build trust, clarity, and real influence, you need to learn fundamentals that you can use anywhere. Anne Green talks with Benjamin about his new book on public speaking, presenting, and talking to the media, and why these skills must be viewed – and cultivated – more holistically. He traces how a barrister’s mindset maps to communications, shares the three golden rules that sharpen any message, and explains why adaptability across audiences is the mark of a top communicator. Anne and Benjamin dig into training approaches that actually stick, the limits of AI without human judgment, and the “say-do” habits that build credibility. Benjamin also makes a case for kindness and clarity in how we teach and coach, so busy leaders can apply the right move in the right moment. In this episode: The three golden rules for any presentation, interview, or speaker opportunity, and how to apply them in minutes.Why adaptability beats polish, and how to adjust the same message for a range of stakeholders – whether investors, employees, customers or the media.Training that works, from point-proof-anecdote structure to feedback you can reuse.Trust as a practice, including the say-do ratio, good governance, and leaning into a little more kindness.Other key insights from his new book: How to Be Utterly Brilliant at Public Speaking, Presenting and Talking to the Media

    52 min

  4. 12/04/2025

    How Agencies Can Close the Strategy vs. Reality Gap

    What separates integrated communications and public relations agencies that grow from those that stall? Part of the answer lies where strategy meets serendipity and where chance favors those that are prepared. Anne Green sits down with Michael Lasky, chair of the public relations practice at Davis+Gilbert, to unpack the gap between aspiration and execution found in D+G’s 13th Annual Public Relations Industry Trends Report. They dig into the push toward AI enablement inside agencies, from practices and policy to risk and ethics, and why training may have over-rotated toward technology while fundamentals like business development, financial management, and cross-team collaboration lag. Michael explains the “donut effect” in performance, with small and very large firms outpacing the middle in 2025, and how focus and specialization fuel profit. They also get practical on pricing models and the shift from vendor to counselor that will be increasingly critical moving forward. In this episode: Michael’s three top takeaways from this year’s research: AI governance, neglected areas of training, and the role of long-term incentive programsWhy specialization and focus are outperforming the generalists, and what the “donut effect” says about performance across different types / sizes of firmsWhy it’s essential to talk with clients about AI strategy, usage, contracts, and ROI before procurement callsContinued evolution in pricing strategies and why better success metrics are critical to aligning value and outcomes

    47 min

  5. 10/23/2025

    Clarity Wins in a Noisy Year

    When everything feels urgent, clarity wins. Trust, structure, and focus are core to who gets heard. In this mailbag edition, Steve Halsey and Anne Green take on this podcast season’s most asked questions from communicators, marketers and other leaders. They revisit the communication function’s “seat at the table” debate through the lens of reputation as a business asset, and explore how values alignment works in the real world when individuals and organizations pull in different directions. They break down why hybrid comms structures can deliver both alignment and agility, and why clarity is currency in a noisy year. You will also hear how GEO and AI are reshaping visibility, why proof beats posture, and how the best leaders embrace paradox and think in systems. In this episode: What the “seat at the table” conversation gets wrong, and how to prove value with reputation and resultsAlignment and agility in practice, and why hybrid comms models are gaining groundGEO, AI, and the move from traffic to trust with citation-friendly content and steady proofLeadership in uncertainty, from leaning into transparency to embracing paradox and systems thinking

    39 min

  6. 09/30/2025

    What Comms Fragmentation Can Do to Trust

    Structure sends signals. In an AI-driven attention economy, how a company organizes its communications function can sharpen its corporate narrative or splinter it - and this has big implications for trust both inside and outside an organization's walls. Anne Green sits down with seasoned communications leader Chrissy Jones to unpack centralized and decentralized models, the real risk of fragmentation in a volatile reputation environment, and how a focus on communications structure and governance can help protect reputation in complex and regulated spaces. Chrissy shares thoughts on practical hybrid approaches that maintain a clear enterprise voice while building “local” agility. The discussion also gets beyond the surface on the “Comms need a seat at the table” discussion to focus on the bridges that prove strategic value. In this episode: The pendulum swing between centralized and decentralized comms functions, and trends Anne and Chrissy are seeing today in sectors like pharmaceuticalsAssessing and balancing potential pros and cons – including how decentralization can build subject matter expertise and speed gains yet can erode coherence, create duplication of efforts, and lead to a patchwork brand voiceHow a central system with embedded business units can scale trust, clarity, and accountability across the enterpriseSimple moves you can make now, from cross-silo alignment and narrative hygiene to GEO implementation, to help key stakeholders and LLMs alike understand your story and build coherence in your narrative

    40 min

  7. 09/18/2025

    What AI Reads Now and Why You’re Missing It

    AI is rewriting the map of attention, and it isn’t reading your ads. To show up in answers, brands need earned authority that both people and machines trust. In this episode, Steve Halsey is joined by Muck Rack’s Head of Data, Matt Dzugan, and Loren King of MorganMyers to unpack what AI is actually citing and why it matters. They break down fresh findings from a large-scale look at ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, the recency dynamics shaping visibility, and the sector-by-sector patterns hiding in plain sight. Together they translate it into practical GEO moves (generative engine optimization) that make your stories easier for models to parse and publishers to amplify. In this episode… What AI is reading now and why high-authority journalism and credible third parties carry outsized weightHow recency, model behavior, and industry context influence discoverability and the cadence your comms need to stay visibleA GEO checklist with answer-first structure, plain-language definitions, technical hygiene, and an always-on earned rhythm across PR, content, and search

    50 min

  8. 08/21/2025

    From Earned Media to Earned Attention

    Traffic is tanking. Search is splintering. And what used to count as a “PR win” may no longer be strategic. In a landscape where AI overall and large language models specifically are reshaping discovery, attention is no longer just a side effect of good content—it’s the point. But how do you earn it when the rules keep shifting? In this week’s episode, Anne Green and Steve Halsey kick things off with a fast-moving conversation about what’s driving urgency and big opportunity around earned media today, from the rise of generative engine optimization (GEO) to AI’s growing appetite for structured, high-authority content that gives third-party credibility renewed weight. Drawing on recent insights from a private gathering of high-level media publishers, advertising and brand leaders, they reflect on what it now takes to stay visible in a “post-traffic” world. Then, Anne is joined by Dan Nestle, communications strategist, podcaster, and advocate of the “Earned Attention” framework, for a conversation about what really builds influence today. With experience across both corporate and agency roles, Dan challenges communicators and PR pros to revisit long-held assumptions about success in a fragmented, AI-shaped landscape. Together, they explore what happens when teams prioritize prestige placements over channels that actually impact audience behavior, and how that disconnect can undermine relevance, visibility, and trust. They examine how trade and niche media are regaining strategic value, what today’s audiences actually pay attention to, and why content built for trust and clarity is more likely to be seen by people and platforms alike. Join us as we explore: - Why audience behavior is replacing top-tier coverage as the true measure of success - What GEO (generative engine optimization) means for earned media strategy - How AI is reshaping discoverability and visibility, sometimes quietly, sometimes radically - The enduring value of trade and niche media in an authority-driven ecosystem - What comms leaders can do to earn attention, build trust, and stay strategically visible

    48 min
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About

Building Brand Gravity: Attracting People Into Your Orbit, is a podcast for communicators across industries looking to gain an inside view into business influence. Each episode will feature a down-to-earth conversation with leading communications professionals, to share what they’re hearing and what they’re saying, in real time. Welcome to Building Brand Gravity!

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