FIR Podcast Network

People are spending less time on the big open public social networks, opting instead for closed communities, hidden away from public scrutiny. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel examine the phenomenon and share their thoughts on the challenges this presents to organizations trying to reach their stakeholders through social media.
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The post FIR #384: Social Networks Shift Away from the Public Commons appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this episode, Chip and Gini share their perspectives about 2023 — along with things that positioned some agencies for success in what many experienced as a down year.
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The post ALP 219: Did your agency have a rough 2023? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Back in 2012, business executives thought the most important traits to exhibit when interacting with stakeholders included things like forcefulness, a blue-chip pedigree, and physical attractiveness. No more. A repeat of the study 10 years later found that inclusiveness, a "listen to learn" orientation, and authenticity are among the new traits for a strong executive presence. Neville and Shel discuss the evolution of executive presence and communicators' role in helping their leaders adapt in this short midweek episode.
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The post FIR #383: Leadership Traits Aren’t What They Used To Be appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Elon Musk's company, Neuralink, claims it has successfully implanted a device in the brain of a human subject who is recovering well. These devices are designed to enable severely disabled individuals to manipulate computers with their minds, moving cursors, typing, clicking, and so on. It's the stuff of science fiction, but, like AI, it seems destined to become just another fact of life. The implications for society are huge, and there are considerations for communicators. Neville and Shel speculate about the concept and what it means for business and society in this short midweek episode.
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The post FIR #382: Brain Implants Are a Thing Now appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

When Gini shared in a recent episode that her success has come from doing the same thing for 15 years, a listener pointed out that she has continued to evolve.
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The post ALP 218: Agencies succeed through consistency and evolution appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

It happens every year, as surely as the Tiffany ball will drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve: Edelman has released its annual Trust Barometer with a focus on the public's views on innovation and the pace of change, along with the usual dimensions of trust the survey tracks every year. Neville and Shel examine some of the study's core findings and reflect on their meaning for today's communication professionals. Also in this episode, Neville and Shel discuss a court case in the U.K. in which an employee was told she could not work remotely and had to return to the office, along with other developments in the whole remote-hybrid-return-to-the-office battle; a global advertising conglomerate did something remarkably creative with synthetic media, demonstrating some of the positives that are possible with AI-generated hyperrealistic video; and a scandal 20 years in the making has erupted in the UK thanks to a four-part docudrama. In his tech report, Dan York reports on WhatsApp's launch of voice updates, Threads' plans for integration with the fediverse; generative AI developments, and a couple of milestone anniversaries.
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The post FIR #381: The State of Trust in 2024 appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

When the word came down from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that investment companies could offer Bitcoin ETFs, Vanguard shrugged off the opportunity -- but didn't make an effort to let its investors know, leading to high volumes of online criticism and some investors closing their accounts. Neville and Shel dig into the communication failure in this short midweek episode.
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The post FIR #380: Vanguard Leaves Investors Twisting in the Wind appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

It's hard to believe, but this is the 100th "Circle of Fellows." To celebrate, we opted to try something new. (Don't worry, we'll return to our panel discussion format in March.) We asked our Fellows to contribute their best insights and/or advice in a short video or as text. We got more than we could fit in a single episode! The first batch are in this 100th episode, with the rest set for debut in episode 101, scheduled for February 15 at noon ET.

Sharing their thoughts in this episode are Priya Bates, Lee Hornick, Jennifer Wah, Martha Muzychka, Dave Orman, Mary Ann McCauley, Rajeev Kumar, Brenda Siler, Barbara Gibson, Stephanie Griffiths, Alice Brink, Ned Lundquist, Neil Griffiths, Suzanne Salvo, Ian Hawkins, Jim Lukaszewski, John Finney, Cindy Schmieg, Amanda Hamilton-Attwell, Zora Artis, Mark Schumann, Robin McCasland, Les Potter, and Barbara Puffer. It's a remarkable collection of learning from some of the best organizational communicators in the world.
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The post Circle of Fellows #100: Insights and Advice from IABC Fellows appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

When blogs first got hot, every December, it was the rare PR agency and independent communicator that didn't feel compelled to post their predictions and assessments of trends for the new year. That practice has not slowed down. Rather than try to find and read through them all, just sit back and listen to this short mid-week episode of "For Immediate Release." Neville and Shel will summarize key 2024 trends drawn from a number of sources.
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The post FIR #379: Top Communication Trends for 2024 appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this episode, Chip and Gini talk about the need for agencies to find a sustainable focus and be cautious of riding the wave of the latest type of "hot" agency — including digital, social media, cannabis, crypto, and many others that have come and gone.
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The post ALP 217: Are digital agencies dead? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.