For Immediate Release

For Immediate Release episodes:

• 04.17.2017

  For Immediate Release #83: The Problem with Magical Thinking

  Chris Abraham and Frank Eliason join Shel Holtz for this week’s episode, commenting on these stories… * United Airlines’ crisis drags on and on, aided by user-generated content, competitors piling on, and Saturday Night Live. Even Pepsi can’t escape the United kerfuffle. *...

  
• 04.10.2017

  For Immediate Release #82: The Ridicule Pepsi Generation

  Lionel Menchaca and Ike Pigott join Shel Holtz for this week’s episode, commenting on these stories… * Pepsi was the subject of ridicule when the brand released a tone-deaf TV commercial accused of appropriating and minimizing the protest movements of Black...

  
• 04.03.2017

  For Immediate Release #81: The Socially Investible Company

  Francine Hardaway and Kami Huyse join Shel Holtz for this week’s episode, digging into these stories… * More and more brands are producing web video series. The latest to join the trend: Chipotle, Marriott Rewards, and Dove. Is there potential here...

  
• 03.27.2017

  FIR #80: New life for news outlets, fake news 2.0 and how the ‘like’ button ruined the internet

  Shel Holtz is globe-trotting this week, so Paul Gillin and David Strom of FIR B2B take the reins. Our guests are Todd Van Hoosear, a well-known social media figure in Boston and elsewhere, and Barbara Selvin, associate professor at the...

  
• 03.20.2017

  For Immediate Release #79:

  Shel Holtz was away on travel and so FIR correspondent Dan York stepped in as a guest host. Chip Griffin and Jen Phillips joined Dan for this week’s episode, which covered these stories… * The Association of National Advertisers calls for independent ad...

  
• 03.13.2017

  For Immediate Release #78: A New Dawn for Earned Media

  Jenn Floto and Christine Perkett join Shel Holtz for this week’s episode, which covered these stories… * Chatbots seem to dominate the panels at this hear’s South by Southwest tech conference, but marketers are already starting to abandon the bots they’ve...

  
• 03.06.2017

  For Immediate Release #77: Blockchain, Brands, and Trust

  Phil Gomes and Sherrilynne Starkie join Shel Holtz for this week’s episode, which covered these stories… * Snap Inc.’s IPO went well and the stock is performing better than expected. That doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a bright future for Snapchat. * One...

  
• 02.27.2017

  FIR #76: The Perception of Unfiltered, Unedited Truth

  Melissa Agnes and Olivier Blanchard join Shel Holtz for this week’s episode, which covered these stories… * The #DeleteUber movement, which seemed to wind down after the conversation moved on from the company’s response to the Trump administration’s immigration ban, is...

  
• 02.20.2017

  FIR #75: The Quality of Your Intent

  Note: This episode continues our experiment with a streamlined format: two guest co-hosts instead of three panelists and fewer stories. We were able to shave even more time off the show this week and will aim for further slimming next...

  
• 02.13.2017

  For Immediate Release #74: Influencer Marketing or Influencer Relationships?

  Note: This episode continues our experiment with a streamlined format: two guest co-hosts instead of three panelists and fewer stories. We were able to shave even more time off the show this week and will aim for further slimming next...

  
• 02.06.2017

  For Immediate Release #73: One crisis after another

  Note: This episode is the first of several that experiments with a streamlined format: two guest co-hosts instead of three panelists and fewer stories. The goal is to slim FIR down to a more listenable length. This first effort shaved...

  
• 01.30.2017

  For Immediate Release #72: Corporations Take Sides

  Kelly Hoey, Andrea Weckerle, and Lynette Young were on the panel this week, reacting to the non-stop torrent of news from the White House and how business has responded, along with other communication-focused update, including… * The range of corporate reactions...

  
• 01.23.2017

  For Immediate Release #71: The Historic Decline in Trust

  Steve Crescenzo, Steve Lubetkin, and Jen McClure joined host Shel Holtz to discuss a range of topics with an overarching connecting theme: trust and its decline. This week’s stories include… * Sean Spicer, the White House Press Secretary, held his first...

  
• 01.16.2017

  For Immediate Release #70: Capitalizing on Insults

  Chris Christensen and Jen Phillips joined host Shel Holtz to discuss these topics: * Most employees don’t know what makes their company different from the competition — and can’t explain it to customers * U.S. travelers make 140 different website visits (on...

  
• 01.09.2017

  For Immediate Release #69: Shut Up Already, Mariah Carey

  Three IABC Fellows — Priya Bates, John Deveney, and Mark Schumann — joined Shel Holtz for this week’s FIR to talk about these topics: * More on how companies can prepare for the prospect of a tweeted attack by the President...

  
• 01.02.2017

  For Immediate Release #68: Did any of us actually say any of this?

  Artificial Intelligence is on the panel’s mind — among other things — as C.C. Chapman, Neville Hobson, and Dan York join Shel Holtz for the first episode of 2017 and the beginning of our 13th consecutive year of podcasting. Here’s...

  
• 12.26.2016

  For Immediate Release #67: Let's launch a startup!

  Not much news of interest to communicators is reported over the holidays, so Ayelet Baron, Eden Spodek, and Brad Whitworth joined host Shel Holtz for a higher-level conversation on these topics: * Science kits from GE integrate with the Amazon Echo....

  
• 12.19.2016

  For Immediate Release #66: Detached from the real world

  Kami Huyse, Marshall Kirkpatrick, and Laura Pevehouse join host Shel Holtz to talk about these topics: * An update on the latest news about fake news, including the steps Facebook is taking to call it out, Germany’s new law that could...

  
• 12.12.2016

  For Immediate Release #65: The Inhuman Experience

  Maris Callahan, Justin Goldsborough, and Tim Hayden join host Shel Holtz to talk about these topics: * An update on the latest news about fake news, including a boycott of the new Star Wars movie, companies waking up to the threat,...

  
• 12.05.2016

  For Immeediate Release #64: That's Not Our Shark!

  Chris Abraham, Cindy Crescenzo, and Steve Farnsworth join host Shel Holtz to talk about these topics: * Breitbart News called for a boycott of Kellogg’s after the cereal company pulled its ads, then started publishing articles critical of the company after...

  
• 11.28.2016

  For Immediate Release #63: A Discounted Christmas Lobster

  Jim Hawker, co-founder and owner of Threepipe, a London-based PR and digital marketing agency, and experience architect Andrea Vascellari weighed in on the following topics: * The reputations of the S&P; 500 are worth nearly 44 trillion of shareholder value, more...

  
• 11.21.2016

  For Immediate Release #62: A Real Episode About Fake News

  First-time panelist Liz Scherer joined Howard Greenstein and David Spark for a deep dive into fake news. * “Post-truth” was the Oxford Dictionaries’ word of the year. (One of the finalists was “alt-right.”) * Fake news is more viral than real news. *...

  
• 11.14.2016

  For Immediate Release #61: The Election Episode

  There’s a lot that communicators and marketers can take away from the 2016 U.S. presidential election — about data and data analytics, about traditional campaigning vs. bottom-up campaigns, about planning for one outcome and having to deal with another. This week’s FIR...

  
• 11.07.2016

  For Immediate Release #60: One Day More

  On the eve of the election, Deirdre Breakenridge, Irene Koehler and Donna Papacosta joined the FIR panel to talk about the election’s impact on PR, marketing, and social media, along with a number of other topics. Here’s the rundown… * Brands...

  
• 10.31.2016

  For Immediate Release #59: Kick Him in the (Virtual) Nuts!

  Christopher Barger (Brain+Trust Partners), Gini Dietrich (Arment Dietrich Inc.), and Doug Haslam (Stone Temple Consulting) were on the FIR panel for some conversation about the following topics… * A study found a correlation between increased investment in CSR activities and profitability. * Ratings...

  
• 10.24.2016

  For Immediate Release #58: Attack of the Things

  Two of our panelists this week have new employment gigs — Heidi Miller with TimeXtender and Olivier Blanchard with Futurum Research + Analysis — while Cyrus Mavalwala is still with Advantis Communications, the company he founded. Here’s the rundown of our...

  
• 10.17.2016

  For Immediate Release #57: PR on TV

  It’s a wide-ranging conversation this week with TopRank Marketing CEO Lee Odden, Bozell PR and Social Media Strategist Jennifer Stauss, and Zena Weist, director of Marketing and Media Relations for Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. Our topics included the following: *...

  
• 10.10.2016

  For Immediate Release Podcast #56: Strategy? What strategy?

  We’re thinking of Cindy Crescenzo as she deals with a difficult time and had to bow out of this week’s episode, but David Grossman and Mark Story still joined me for a stimulating conversation about these topics… * Another brand —...

  
• 10.03.2016

  For Immediate Release #55: Beating Back the Trolls

  Three PR agency thought leaders were on the panel: Gerry Corbett, Phil Gomes, and Joe Thornley. Our topics included… * A couple brands — Ford and Skittles — had a chance to market themselves in real time when their names were...

  
• 09.26.2016

  For Immediate Release #54: Our most engaging episode

  Employee engagement was a constant theme in this week’s conversation with iCology founder Chuck Gose, internal communication measurement thought leader Angela Sinickas, and BBVA’s global head of employee communication, Peter Vogt. (Don’t worry; if you’re not involved with employee communication,...

  
• 09.19.2016

  FIR #53: PewDiePie is not happy

  We recorded on Talk Like a Pirate Day, so I used a pirate name generator to give each of our panelists a pirate name. Today’s panel features Owner Media Group CEO Chris Brogan (Samson “Commodore Chops” Drinkwater, “The Drunkard of...

  
• 09.12.2016

  For Immediate Release #52: All About Influence

  Today’s panel features social media and communications consultant Richard Binhammer, Zoetica Media CEO Kami Huyse, and Little Bird co-founder and board chairman Marshall Kirkpatrick. Our topics included… * The “Social Contract with Patients” published by Allergan’s CEO that outlined the company’s...

  
• 09.05.2016

  FIR #51: A real plastic influencer

  Today’s panel features Jen McClure, who founded the Society for New Communication research; business blogging pioneer Lionel Menchaca; and PR agency president Sherrilynne Starkie. Our topics included… * Whether the Epi-Pen crisis would ever have happened without social media and how...

  
• 08.29.2016

  For Immediate Release #50: Sex! Violence! Politics!

  Today’s panel features social media early adopter and veteran marketer C.C. Chapman, Business Wire’s Social and Evolving Media Director Serena Ehrlich, and marketing technology specialist and business strategist Lynette Young. We talked about… * The Cincinnati Zoo, which has had enough of...

  
• 08.22.2016

  For Immediate Release #49: Billing for winning

  Today’s panel features internal communications thought leader Rachel Miller, metrics queen Katie Paine (cousin of an Olympics bronze medalist), and PR veteran Jen Phillips. Our conversations covered… * The crisis management (or lack thereof) from Ryan Lochte, Olympic gold medalist and...

  
• 08.15.2016

  For Immediate Release #48: Texting while massaging

  Today’s panel features three former IABC chairs: Michael Ambjorn (2015-16), founder of UK-based Align Your Org; Dr. Barbara Gibson (2008-09), principal of Cultural Resolution and lecturer at the University of London; and Brad Whitworth (1989-90), senior marketing and communication manager...

  
• 08.08.2016

  For Immediate Release #47: Take that, US Olympic Committee

  Today’s panel features “Writing Without Bullshit” author Josh Bernoff, social media traveler Steve Garfield, and SHIFT Communications Marketing Technology Vice President Christopher S. Penn. The stories covered in today’s show: * A follow-up to last week’s report on Saatchi & Saatchi...

  
• 08.01.2016

  For Immediate Release #46:There's no escaping Donald Trump

  Today’s panel features Stealthmode Partners’ Francine Hardaway, Stone Temple Consulting’s Doug Haslam, and Alabama Power’s Ike Pigott. We talked about the following topics: * A report from pwc (Price Waterhouse Coopers) identified eight technologies that are about to have a massive global...

  
• 07.25.2016

  For Immediate Release #45: I'm an influencer, pay me more!

  Today’s panel features digital strategist and technologist Chris Abraham, Zeno Group EVP Frank Eliason, and Cision SVP Heidi Sullivan. Today’s discussion topics: * Is the PR community going about influencer marketing all wrong? Is it earned or paid media? * Medium could...

  
• 07.18.2016

  For Immediate Release #44: Where No Smartphone Game Has Gone Before

  Today’s panel features Surefire Social CMO Shashi Bellamkonda, digital public affairs strategist Mark Blevis of Full Duplex LLC, and Lady Soleil, Inc. founder Geoff Livingston. Our topics this week: * A laundry list of news items about Pokémon Go with a...

  
• 07.11.2016

  For Immediate Release Podcast #43: You Just Can't Trust Anyone These Days

  Today’s panel features Pure Performance Communications CEO Deirdre Breakenridge; Ron Ploof, Chief Storytelling Officer and Content Strategist for OC New Media; and Cisco Systems Senior Communication and Marketing Manager Brad Whitworth. Our topics this week: * Accuracy and honesty from organizations...

  
• 07.04.2016

  For Immediate Release #42: The panel drones on

  Today’s panel features Augie Ray, who leads the customer experience research team for Gartner; digital communication and social media marketing strategist Eden Spoden; and Inside PR co-host Joseph Thornley, CEO of Thornley Fallis. Our topics this week: * Facebook’s latest algorithm...

  
• 06.27.2016

  For Immediate Release #41: Earned media and the Brexit vote

  Today’s panel features FIR on Higher Education host and communications consultant Kevin Anselmo, branding and digital integration consultant Olivier Blanchard, and communications consultant Shonali Burke. This week’s topics included: * The Brexit vote: PR opportunities arising from the exit and media...

  
• 06.20.2016

  For Immediate Release Podcast #40: Alligators, gorillas, and creepy CEO letters

  Today’s panel features crisis communication consultant Melissa Agnes, founder and CEO of Agnes+Day; RedPhlag LLC CEO Gerard Corbett; and Cyrus Mavalwala, founder of Advantis Communication. This week’s topics included: * How The Walt Disney Company has handled the death  of a child...

  
• 06.13.2016

  For Immediate Release Podcast #39: Client, measure thyself

  Today’s panel features IBM Social Consulting Senior Business Consultant Neville Hobson (a familiar voice to listeners of the Hobson & Holtz Report), @Steveology CMO Steve Farnsworth, and SeeDepth and PerkettPR founder and CEO Christine Perkett. Topics discussed include… * Breaking news:...

  
• 06.06.2016

  For Immediate Release #38: The worst press release ever?

  Today’s panel features C.C. Chapman, co-founder of SocialGood.club; Kami Huyse, CEO of Zoetica Media, and Hollis Kara, communications manager at ARIN. FIR tech correspondent and Internet Society communicator Dan York guest hosted while Shel Holtz was away. Topics discussed include… * Mark...

  
• 05.30.2016

  For Immediate Release Podcast #37: Must we now pitch news to Snapchat?

  Today’s panel features Serena Ehrlich, director of social and evolving media at BusinessWire; Dave Fleet, executive vice president and national practice lead for digital at Edelman in Toronto; and Martin Waxman, president of Martin Waxman Communications in Toronto (and co-host of the...

  
• 05.23.2016

  For Immediate Release #36: A QR code in every Cracker Jack box

  Today’s panel features Paul Gillin, who is opening a content marketing arm of his company Profitecture (and who also is host of FIR B2B here on the FIR Podcast Network); Carol Kinsey Goman, a keynote speaker, author, and adviser on...

  
• 05.16.2016

  For Immediate Release 35: Everybody hates change

  Today’s panel features DomainSkate COO Howard Greenstein, Scott Monty Strategies founder Scott Monty, and Trafalgar Communications principal Donna Papacosta, along with host Shel Holtz, exploring these topics: * Facebook’s Trending Topics kerfuffle, what it means for communicators, and the broader implications...

  
• 05.09.2016

  For Immediate Release #34: Mired in stock photo hell

  Despite unusual recording issues, we managed to get this one in the can! Panelists include Cruiseable.com CEO JD Lasica, Elasticity Senior Vice President Jason Falls, and ClaimWizard Marketing Director Lynette Young — social media thought leaders all — had a...