For Immediate Release

Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz
  • 5.0 (20)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
For Immediate Release

In addition to news items and in-depth discussion of trends and issues, you'll hear the Internet Society's Dan York report on technologies of interest to communicators.

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    FIR #435: Physical Presence is Not a Collaboration Magic Bullet

    When executives justify their return-to-office mandates, they almost universally cite the collaboration and innovation that results from serendipitous encounters between employees. They also point to the need to boost productivity. The problem with these arguments is that the evidence does not support them. In this short midweek FIR episode, Neville and Shel look at one financial services company that has seen eye-popping increases in performance metrics since listening to its employees and adopting a policy that lets employees work where they want. We also review a report on what it actually takes to build connections and collaboration in organizations. Continue Reading → The post FIR #435: Physical Presence is Not a Collaboration Magic Bullet appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

    20 min

  2. NOV 13

    FIR #434: Podcasts Defeat Mainstream Media in 2024 U.S. Election

    Among the many post-election analyses flooding media channels are reports that mainstream media and social media wielded far less influence than they have in the past. Instead, influencers and podcasts held sway. In this short midweek FIR episode, Neville and Shel break down the reports and discuss the impact on communicators far beyond the election and politics. Continue Reading → The post FIR #434: Podcasts Defeat Mainstream Media in 2024 U.S. Election appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

    21 min

  3. OCT 28

    FIR #433: Something Old, Something New

    Blogs have been with us for 30 years, which qualifies as "something old." In this long-form episode of FIR for October, we'll examine the state of the oldest social media category. We'll also examine the state of generative Artificial Intelligence, which has been around, for all practical purposes, since November 2022, which makes it "something new." In this episode, we'll also explore Reddit's potential as a channel for government agencies and businesses to engage with stakeholders during a crisis and which agencies and brands are already there. Intuit's chief communication officer didn't like the direction a podcast interview with his CEO took, so he demanded the podcast trim the parts he didn't like. Was he justified? The news media has gained a reputation for clickbait, but it recently took a dark turn. And, executives justify their return-to-office push by citing the need for greater collaboration and connection among employees. But does having everyone in the office produce those results? We'll look at the research. In his Tech Report, Dan York (joined by a special guest) shares details of a VC investment round for Bluesky, and how competitors like Mastodon reacted. Continue Reading → The post FIR #433: Something Old, Something New appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

    1h 32m

  4. OCT 18

    FIR #432: The CEO Authenticity Balancing Act

    CEOs and other senior executives are increasingly expected to nurture a presence on social media—especially LinkedIn, which has seen a 35-percent increase in C-suite professionals in the U.S. over the last five years. These executives are also expected to be authentic in their online engagements, even sharing some details of their personal lives. Professionals also expect their leaders to speak out on pressing societal issues. It's rare to find an executive who is comfortable displaying vulnerability. That's where communicators need to step in, helping leaders find the most comfortable way to engage authentically online. Continue Reading → The post FIR #432: The CEO Authenticity Balancing Act appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

    19 min

  5. OCT 2

    FIR #431: The Evolution of Influence

    In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel dive into PRWeek's "The Evolution of Influence" report, exploring the dynamic shifts in how public relations professionals exert influence in today's fast-changing landscape. We break down the seven key themes revealed by the survey, including the growing challenges of decentralization, the increasing importance of AI in PR, and the ever-present threat of fake news and deepfakes. Join us as we unpack these insights and discuss how communicators can stay ahead of the curve in maintaining consumer trust, authenticity, and influence in a digital-first world. Continue Reading → The post FIR #431: The Evolution of Influence appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

    20 min

  6. SEP 30

    FIR #430: Influencers, Memes, and AI Boost Marketing Transparency Mandate

    Much of the content in this monthly long-form episode of FIR spotlights rising trends in marketing, including employee influencers, Gen Z's rising power as influencers, the role of influencers in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, and AI's growing presence in the marketing space. All of this is raising alarms about the need for marketers to be transparent and laser-focused on what matters to their stakeholders. Also in this episode: the dominance of chat podcasts and Dan York's Tech Report. Continue Reading → The post FIR #430: Influencers, Memes, and AI Boost Marketing Transparency Mandate appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

    1h 22m

  7. SEP 27

    FIR #429: Fake Podcasters Dusciss Debunkbot

    Debunkbot was designed to talk people out of their beliefs in conspiracy theories -- and it works. To discuss this remarkable chatbot, we turned to PDF2Audio, a tool that creates an audio podcast discussion (or summary or lecture) from any uploaded PDF. It's not Google's NotebookLM, which features a similar capability within a more robust note-keeping tool, nor does it replicate the easy-going, conversational flow that Notebook LM delivers. It does, however, offer multiple voices, avoiding the sameness of NotebookLM's outputs. Both tools -- though jaw-dropping -- have flaws, but given that the technology is just months old, it's not hard to imagine what the technology will be capable of in the next few years. Continue Reading → The post FIR #429: Fake Podcasters Discuss Real Debunkbot appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

    13 min

  8. SEP 25

    FIR #428: Which AI Tool Is Best For What?

    Edelman, the global PR agency, has vetted the current crop of AI tools, winnowing out those not enterprise-ready, categorizing them, and identifying those that excel at various tasks. Given the dozens (if not more) of new AI tools that appear every day, this can be a big help to overwhelmed communicators who can't take the time to try out every app that looks potentially useful. Does the report measure up to its promise? Find out in this short midweek episode. Continue Reading → The post FIR #428: Which AI Tool Is Best For What? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

    20 min
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5
out of 5
20 Ratings

About

In addition to news items and in-depth discussion of trends and issues, you'll hear the Internet Society's Dan York report on technologies of interest to communicators.

Information

  • Creator
    Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2024
  • Episodes
    50
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0)
  • Show Website
    For Immediate Release

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