FIR Interviews

In this FIR Interview, consultant, writer, and science fiction enthusiast Ezri Carlebach offers a unique perspective on how speculative fiction can be a valuable tool in business leadership, innovation, and ethical decision-making in planning for the future. He discusses how sci-fi fosters imaginative thinking, helping organizations tackle complex challenges, including the ethical dilemmas posed by emerging technologies such as AI, biotech, and space travel.

Carlebach explains his concept of “Applied SF,” highlighting how storytelling and “what if” scenarios can drive creative solutions in strategic planning and leadership development. He explores the role of empathy and ethics in leadership, offering insights on how speculative fiction can inspire future-thinking and better decision-making. A key theme in the conversation is the ethical implications of new technologies. Carlebach argues that speculative fiction can help leaders engage more deeply with ethical issues, fostering empathy and better decision-making. He discusses how fiction, in general, has been shown to improve empathy and leadership, citing examples like Barack Obama, who attributed some of his leadership insights to reading novels.

Overall, the interview highlights the transformative power of speculative fiction in business, offering leaders new ways to think about the future, improve decision-making, and address ethical challenges. Carlebach emphasizes the importance of fostering imaginative capabilities within organizations to better navigate the complexities of modern innovation and leadership.

Whether you’re a sci-fi fan or a business leader, this interview provides a thought-provoking discussion at the intersection of fiction and business.

Ezri Carlebach is a multifaceted professional with extensive experience in various fields. He is a communication consultant, writer, editor, facilitator, and musician. His background includes senior communication roles in the public sector, and he has worked as a visiting lecturer at the University of Greenwich for six years, teaching social theory.

Additionally, he is a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute and has coordinated AI and emerging technologies on the Institute’s Policy and Practice Committee.

Carlebach has also been involved in PR and communications for over 20 years and has founded the Climate Action Society at University College London. He is known for his expertise in countering conspiracy theories and has written about the power of words and stories to influence beliefs and behaviors.

Follow Ezri on LinkedIn

Links From This Interview

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AI can greatly enhance media production and social media engagement, but it should be used to complement, not replace, human creativity and connection. And, as AI becomes more integrated into media and social platforms, it’s crucial to establish ethical guidelines and robust systems to prevent the spread of misinformation.

In this FIR interview with Pete Pachal, founder and CEO of The Media Copilot, Neville and Shel explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and media, with a focus on how generative AI influences social media, journalism, and brand engagement. We also consider how brands must adapt to new social media landscapes where AI-driven conversations may replace traditional metrics of engagement, requiring a shift in how they interact with their audiences.

Pete argues that the rapid advancement of AI tools means that businesses, media companies, and communicators need to stay ahead of the curve to leverage these technologies effectively while being mindful of the potential risks.

Pete Pachal is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Media Copilot, where he writes about how generative AI is changing journalism, the media and creative fields. He also teaches journalists and content creators how to use AI tools and consults with companies of all sizes on how to incorporate generative AI into real work.

Pete has a long career in journalism and media, previously holding senior roles in global newsrooms such as CoinDesk and Mashable. He also puts his encyclopedic knowledge of Doctor Who to work every week in the podcast ‘Pull To Open’.

Follow Pete on LinkedIn.

Links from This Interview:

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Google searches link to Wikipedia more than any other website. It is the largest and most-read reference work in history. It is consistently ranked as one of the 10 most popular websites in the world, and as of 2024 is the fifth most visited website on the net. Wikipedia is also one of the richest sources of information for AI training models. With all those eyes on Wikipedia, it’s no surprise that PR professionals want relevant entries to reflect their priorities and messages. Yet Wikipedia’s rules generally prohibit people and representatives of organizations from editing their articles. Some people try to game the system, frequently facing consequences like bans from Wikipedia. Others work with companies like Beutler Ink, a reputation agency specializing in Wikipedia entries based on founder William Beutler’s knowledge of working with the site’s volunteer editors to achieve the best possible results for his clients.

In this FIR Interview, Shel and Neville talk with Bill about the current state of Wikipedia’s relationship with the PR industry, how AI affects Wikipedia, and a host of other topics of interest to communicators.

About our conversation partner

William Beutler is the founder and president of Beutler Ink, a digital agency specializing in “white hat” Wikipedia consulting for corporate and institutional clients. Since its launch in 2010, Beutler Ink has led successful Wikipedia engagements for hundreds of clients, including numerous firms in the Fortune 50.

Mr. Beutler is considered the foremost expert in public relations for Wikipedia, and is the author of an influential blog, The Wikipedian (www.thewikipedian.net). His commentary has been featured by The Economist, on C-SPAN, at SXSW, and in 2020 he contributed a chapter to the book “Wikipedia @ 20: Stories of an Incomplete Revolution” published by MIT Press.

Links from this episode

The next monthly, long-form episode of the “For Immediate Release” podcast will drop on Monday, March 25.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat most Thursdays at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request the credentials in our Facebook group, or email [email protected].

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers and/or clients.

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Volumes have been written in the last year about how to apply ChatGPT and other generative AI tools to the practice of public relations and organizational communication. In this midweek episode, we let ChatGPT speak for itself about how it can enhance communicators’ work — and whether communicators are at risk of being replaced by AI.

Shel is solo in this episode, so he interviews ChatGPT to ask about its processes for press releases and other PR writing and editing, its non-media and non-writing capabilities, ethical considerations, crisis communication functionality, and much more. Hear ChatGPT in her own words articulate the best approaches professional communicators can take to optimizing their work with an AI collaborator.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, January 29.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request the credentials in our Facebook group, or email [email protected].

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

The post FIR Interviews: ChatGPT Speaks for Itself About Its PR Capabilities appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The latest research report out of communication agency Edelman is rich with takeaways. The 2023 Corporate Communications Study follows a 2021 edition that explored the implications of the pandemic on the role of organizational communication. The report revealed that Chief Communication Officers (CCOs) now spend nearly 20 percent of their time counseling CEOs on issues unrelated to communication. That’s just one sign that the CCO’s stock has risen in organizations, with 91 percent of top communicators involved in crafting strategy before or during the decision-making process. Speaking to Axios, U.S. Corporate Practice Chair Radina Russell said, “These stats are indicative of (CCOs) informing decision making, having a seat at the table, and helping to steer the enterprise.”

Neville and Shel spoke with Russell in this FIR Interview about other findings from the report.

About our Conversation Partner

Radina Russell is US Corporate Practice Chair & General Manager, Atlanta Southeast Market, Edelman. Radina is a highly accomplished communications professional with over two decades of experience in financial and corporate communications, shareholder engagement, and ESG strategy. She currently serves as Chair of the U.S. Corporate Practice and market leader for Atlanta Southeast at Edelman, where she advises C-suites and boards on complex issues.

Throughout her career, Radina has played a leading role in some of the largest domestic and cross-border capital markets transactions, including Kraft Heinz and Restaurant Brands International. She is also a trusted advisor to executives on high-profile executive visibility, reputation management, thought leadership, and crisis management efforts.

Radina is passionate about DEI and ESG and is committed to increasing the number of racially and ethnically diverse directors on corporate boards. In 2020, she collaborated with Ursula Burns to establish the Board Diversity Action Alliance.

Radina’s accomplishments have earned her recognition in her profession and community. In 2021, The Network Journal and Morgan Stanley named her one of the 25 Influential Black Women in Business.

Prior to joining Edelman, Radina served on the Executive Committee and was head of the Atlanta office at Teneo. She also led the Global Shareholder Activism Defense and Capital Markets Advisory practice at Brunswick Group and was head of Corporate, Financial, and Consumer Communications for Macy’s Inc. Radina began her career in finance as a sell-side analyst at J.P. Morgan.

Radina is a native of Atlanta and holds a B.S. in Business Administration from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.B.A from Columbia Business School. She is also a co-founder and director of Harlem Girls Cheer, Inc., and serves on the board of the John A. Reisenbach Foundation.

Follow Radina on LinkedIn.

Links from This Interview

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Robert L. Dilenschneider has learned a lot about power and influence during his storied career. The former president and CEO of global PR firm Hill & Knowlton has led his own agency, The Dilenschneider Group, since 1991. The author of several books, Bob is about to launch his latest work, “The Ultimate Guide to Power and Influence: Everything You Need to Know,” which hits bookstores on July 25.

In this FIR Interview, co-host Shel Holtz speaks with Bob about the nature of power and influence and the various ways to acquire and use it. Of particular interest is Bob’s perspective on what power and influence are: tools that help you get things done.

About our conversation partner

Robert L. Dilenschneider formed The Dilenschneider Group in October, 1991. Headquartered in New York and Chicago, the Firm provides strategic advice and counsel to Fortune 500 companies and leading families and individuals around the world, with experience in fields ranging from mergers and acquisitions and crisis communications to marketing, government affairs, and international media.

Prior to forming his own firm, Mr. Dilenschneider served as president and chief executive officer of Hill and Knowlton, Inc. from 1986 to 1991, tripling that Firm’s revenues to nearly $200 million and delivering more than $30 million in profit. Mr. Dilenschneider was with that organization for nearly 25 years.

Mr. Dilenschneider started in public relations in 1967 in New York, shortly after receiving an M.A. in journalism from Ohio State University and a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame.

Experienced in a number of communications disciplines, Mr. Dilenschneider is frequently called upon by the media to provide commentary and strategic public relations insights on major news stories. He has counseled major corporations, professional groups, trade associations, and educational institutions and has assisted clients in dealings with regulatory agencies, labor unions, and consumer groups, among others.

In 2001 he established The Borromean Lecture at St. Charles Preparatory School of Columbus, Ohio. The annual event attracts a nationally renowned speaker to talk on the topic of morals and ethics in business and government.

In 2012 The Dilenschneider Group established the Civility in America Lecture Series, which features many of the nation’s leading thinkers from a wide variety of professions and provides a perspective on what must be done to restore civility in our Country.

Mr. Dilenschneider serves as a Trustee of the Institute of International Education and is a member of the North American Advisory Board of The Michael Smurfit School of University College Dublin. He serves as a judge for The Olin Award, a program of the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis. A member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Economic Clubs of New York and Chicago, Mr. Dilenschneider has also served on numerous corporate boards.

A former member of the Board of Governors of the American Red Cross, Mr. Dilenschneider also served on the advisory board of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Board of Governors of the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and The Bretton Woods Committee. He is a former member of the U.S. Japan Business Council and the Florida Council of 100.

In 2001, he received an honorary Doctorate of Public Service degree from Muskingum College, and in 2012 he received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of New Haven.

Mr. Dilenschneider is a Knight of Malta.

Mr. Dilenschneider has been called the “Dean of American Public Relations Executives” and is widely published, having authored 14 books, including A Briefing for Leaders, On Power, The Critical 14 Years of Your Professional Life, Moses: C.E.O, The Critical 2nd Phase of your Professional Life, 50 Plus!—Critical Career Decisions for the Rest of Your Life, A Time for Heroes, Power and Influence: The Rules Have Changed, and most recently The AMA Handbook of Public Relations. His new book, Decisions, will be published by Kensington Press in Fall 2018.

He has lectured before scores of professional organizations and colleges, including the University of Notre Dame, Ohio State University, New York University, and The Harvard Business School.

About “The Ultimate Guide to Power and Influence”

Respected consultant Robert L. Dilenschneider explains how technology and globalization have revolutionized the ways to both build and keep success—and tells readers that to accomplish your goals, you must not only gain power but also apply it with proper wisdom.

The Ultimate Guide to Power & Influence arms its readers with intellectual, technical, and moral weapons—tools you need to get and stay ahead in the increasingly competitive and ever-evolving business world. Acquiring both power and influence is crucial to advancing not only your personal interests but also a more prosperous society at large.

Drawing from current-day lessons and the wisdom of hundreds of drivers of change in all fields of business, The Ultimate Guide to Power & Influence is Robert Dilenschneider’s latest guide to harnessing the universal principles for success. It provides anecdotes and insights on a wide range of keys to success, including how to seize opportunity amid crisis, manage your network, communicate effectively, and take full advantage of social media to bolster your image.

A leader in the sphere of public relations and the founder of The Dilenschneider Group, which provides strategic advice to Fortune 500 companies and leading figures around the world—with experience in everything from mergers and acquisitions to government affairs and international media—Robert Dilenschneider writes with experience and authority to help readers acquire and amplify their power.

For graduate students to corporate professionals alike, The Ultimate Guide to Power & Influence is an essential guide to charting the ever-changing waters of the business world with imagination, competence, and grace.

Amazon U.S. Link | Amazon Canada Link | Amazon UK Link

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Allan Schoenberg has spent much of his career as a communication leader in the financial services space, including a stint as Sr. VP and Global Head of Communications and Social Media for NASDAQ.  Allan, former co-host of the FIR Podcast Network’s “FIR B2B,” recently pivoted to become Chief Communication Officer at Vinson & Elkins, a New York-based law firm. In this FIR Interview, Allan discusses the move along with a culture audit he undertook at the firm. He also shares his views on the current state of Twitter (and its potential alternatives), Artificial Intelligence, and more.

About Our Conversation Partner

Allan Schoenberg is the Chief Communications Officer for Vinson & Elkins, an international law firm founded in 1917 with more than 700 attorneys handling transactions, investments, projects, and disputes across the globe. Schoenberg leads a team that manages the firm’s public relations efforts, including brand services, media relations, internal communications, rankings, digital, and social media. His team leverages a multi-channel approach to promote the firm’s brand and reputation through storytelling and thought leadership. Schoenberg has extensive experience in business-to-business communications, including leadership roles with Nasdaq, Bloomberg LP, CME Group, and Accenture. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Central Michigan University and his master’s degree in Communications Management from Syracuse University.

Connect with Allan on LinkedIn.

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Jeremiah Owyang has a habit. Whenever a new digital technology emerges that seems to be poised to disrupt business and society, Jeremiah dives in, talking to everyone he can, attending conferences, meetings, and talks,  and undertaking a deep dive into every research resource available. In his eighth FIR interview, Jeremiah shares his perspectives on Artificial Intelligence (AI), which has been around for some time but has only recently taken the world by storm with the release of ChatGPT.

About Our Conversation Partner:

Jeremiah Owyang is well recognized by both the tech industry and the media for his grounded approach to deriving insights through rigorous research. From corporate innovation to autonomous technology or modern well-being, he views every aspect of emerging technologies through the lens of growth, opportunity, and constantly shifting consumer behaviors and expectations. Forever at the forefront, he identifies trends and advises major companies to adapt their business models to better connect with customers. His clients include Adobe, Cisco, Wells Fargo, Nestle, Esurance, Johnson & Johnson, Visa, and Colgate, among others.

An acknowledged thought leader and widely read publisher, Owyang has appeared in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, and Fast Company. He also publishes numerous research reports, playbooks, and frameworks to help businesses navigate change, improve customer experiences and identify trends before they happen.

Owyang’s career took shape as an analyst with Forrester Research, advising on social strategy for the interactive marketer. He was a Founding Partner and Research Director at Altimeter Group, specializing in customer strategy and emerging technologies. He formed Catalyst Companies in 2013 to focus on the emerging collaborative economy and the maker movement.

Owyang is recognized as the definitive authority on corporate innovation programs, ready to translate the next wave of powerful technologies and transform the way you do business.

A popular speaker and presenter at conferences and events around the world, from global conferences, corporate kickoffs, or on a TED stage, Jeremiah is ready to translate the next wave of powerful technologies and transform the way you do business.

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, May 22.

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request the credentials in our Facebook group, or email [email protected].

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

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While journalists are sick of spray-and-pray pitches and press releases, they are equally heartened to see pitches that are tailored to their interests. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) has gained prominence since the November 2022 public release of ChatGPT, more public relations practitioners may be open to the idea of using AI to help identify the right journalists for their stories and craft pitches that will be more likely to appeal to them.

In this FIR Interview, Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz spoke with Aaron Kwittken, founder and CEO of PRophet, which is billed as “the only generative and predictive PR platform.” Once you have created an initial pitch, PRophet evaluates it, predicts media interest, and then helps draft personalized pitch copy to interested journalists.

About our conversation partner

Aaron Kwittken is founder and CEO of PRophet (prprophet.ai), the first-ever generative and predictive AI SaaS platform designed by and for the PR community. The platform uses AI to help modern PR professionals become more performative, productive, and predictive by generating, analyzing, and testing content that predicts earned media interest and sentiment. Aaron is also CEO of the Comms Tech Unit for the Stagwell Marketing Cloud, a suite of AI SaaS solutions for PR, social media, and content creators.

Aaron founded KWT Global in late 2005 (f/k/a Kwittken), a highly acclaimed global PR and brand strategy consultancy where he currently serves as Chairman. Stagwell acquired KWT Global in 2010.

A proud George Washington University alum, Aaron serves on GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs advisory board. He is the immediate past president of the Public Relations Society of New York, past president of the Americas for the International Communications Consultancy Organization, a former Board member of the PR Council, a former adjunct professor at New York University, and a former Forbes columnist. He currently writes a monthly column for The Drum and is the creator and host of the popular Brand on Purpose podcast that features companies and leaders that do well by doing good.

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A recent post by a member of the Spin Sucks Community raised the topic of calculating the cost of winning new clients — and determining how to account for that expense properly.
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