For Immediate Release

AI-powered tools like Perplexity are replacing Google as the go-to search resource for a growing number of people. Even AI tools that are not focused on searching the web, like Microsoft’s Copilot and Claude’s pro version, provide links to resources in their results. Is it enough to dethrone Google, which has held sway over search for decades? Some say yes, while others question whether AI is best for the variety of different uses to which people put Google. Neville and Shel are not in complete agreement on this one.

Links from this episode:

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

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].

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.

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.

The post FIR #396: Will AI End Google’s Search Dominance? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

We have expectations from our use of social media, but in two recent studies, there is evidence that the outcomes we expect aren’t necessarily what we get. Also in this episode, we look at Gini Dietrich’s latest update to her PESO model for using various media channels in integrated communication efforts, the schoolkids who are bringing back print (along with advertisers, marketers, and others), insights from the 2024 Ragan Communications Benchmark Report, the kerfuffle that ensued when Merriam-Webster posted on Instagram that it’s fine to end a sentence in a preposition, and Glassdoor’s exposure of user names without their consent. You’ll also hear a follow-up to our story a few weeks back about the resurgence of NFTs. In his Tech Report, Dan York looks at Threads’ entry into the fediverse and Reddit’s IPO, among other things.

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

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].

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.

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.

Links from this episode:

Links from Dan York’s Report

The post FIR #395: Extra! Extra! Read All About It! (In Print!) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Companies whose boards include a member with marketing experience deliver higher investor returns than those whose boards lack marketing expertise. That higher return increases among companies losing market share. Does Artificial Intelligence (AI) threaten the path to board membership by dramatically reducing the number of marketers? OpenAI CEO Sam Altman thinks 95 percent of the work marketers do could become AI tasks. (Of course, the number of boards that take advantage of that marketing expertise — and improved returns — is very, very small.) Neville and Shel delve into these issues in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR 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].

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.

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.

The post FIR #394: Marketers, Boards, and AI appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

A new type of influencer, known as “Jinfluencers,” is emerging in the media landscape. These influencers, who combine the roles of journalists and influencers, are gaining attention and challenging traditional media outlets. The media landscape has become fragmented, catering to niche interests and creating opportunities for trusted sources with loyal audiences. However, concerns have been raised about whether influencers can uphold journalistic standards. Neville and Shel explore the pros and cons of publishers embracing jinfluencers in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR 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].

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.

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.

The post FIR #393: Will Jinfluencers Eclipse Traditional Journalism? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Unsavory and nefarious things happen in the Dark Social Media. But Dark Social is not exclusively a place for ne’er-do-wells, criminals, and extremists. Dark Social includes messaging apps, private discussion groups on popular public forums, and even email. An increasing share of conversations about brands is taking place on the Dark Web, according to new research. How can communicators monitor it and influence the conversation in their favor? Neville and Shel dive into Dark Social in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR 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].

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.

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.

The post FIR #392: Going Below the Surface into Dark Social Media appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Match Group wanted the world to know it had secured 1,000 business licenses from OpenAI. In a press release, the company claimed that giving employees access to the full suite of ChatGPT tools has not only improved productivity but also altered the culture. The company disclosed in the press release that it was written by ChatGPT and edited by the company’s communication professionals. Opinions about the propriety of using AI to craft press releases run the gamut. Neville and Shel consider this broad range of views in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR 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].

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.

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.

The post FIR #391: Match Group Swipes Right on AI-Generated Press Release appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Based on the plunge in the value of NFTs last year and the evaporation of business on NFT exchanges, it would be easy to think these tokens were just a passing fad, like Pet Rocks and Beanie Babies, especially given the resounding death knell produced by media. But NFTs never left, with companies like Starbucks and Nike continuing to invest in them, fashion companies continuing to use them, and artists continuing to offer their work via NFTs. The prices are rebounding, too — even among the silly pixelated avatars selling for millions of dollars. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel explore the resurgence of NFTs and what it means for communicators.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR 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].

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.

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.

The post FIR #390: The Fall and Rise of NFTs appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The list of CXO titles is proliferating. The addition of chief culture officers, chief AI officers, chief data officers, chief wellness officers, chief diversity officers, chief learning officers, chief experience officers…the list goes on…has increased the size of C-suites across industries. There is strong evidence that larger executive teams can be less efficient than smaller ones. They result in increased complexity and bureaucracy, communication and coordination challenges, reduced accountability, and greater opportunity for conflict. Neville and Shel discuss a BBC report on the issue and explore some alternatives to traditional structures in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR 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].

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.

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.

The post FIR #389: Bloated C-Suites (and Some Alternatives) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

GenZers are recording their firings and layoffs, and the videos are going viral on TikTok and elsewhere. This is shining a harsh spotlight on organizations’ approach to letting people go, and it’s not pretty. What’s worse is how some companies plot to avoid being subjects of these videos. Also, in this episode:

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].

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.

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.

Links from this episode:

Links from Dan York’s Report

The post FIR #388: Watch Me Get Fired appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

A long list of A-list companies from across the spectrum of industries have embraced Artificial Intelligence in a way that is raising eyebrows: monitoring employee emails and posts to messaging and collaboration services like Slack and Microsoft Teams. Privacy experts are raising red flags over the trend. When CNBC reached out to these companies about how they’re using it, only two replied, suggesting the others would rather avoid public attention on disciplinary actions taken as a result of the AI’s surveillance capabilities. Meanwhile, research finds that employees who work for companies that engage in surveillance suffer mental wellness consequences. Neville and Shel discuss the trend in this short midweek episode.

Links from this episode:

The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, February 26.

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].

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 #387: Sentiment Analysis, Risk Mitigation, or Big Brother Surveillance? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.