Look Left @ Marketing

Sandra King is a highly respected marketing and communications consultant. She has led teams in sales, marketing, communications and brand development. Sandra has worked with organizations such as Time Magazine, the Boston Red Sox, the UMass Boston and WGBH, one of America’s most storied PBS outlets. 

In addition to running her own marketing consulting firm STKing Associates, Sandra is a lecturer at Boston University for both the School of Business and the School of Hospitality Administration. She also guides the mentoring program for health sector MBA students at Boston University.  

As if all this isn’t enough, Sandra is a principal with the CREST internship program that places underrepresented minority college students and women in the commercial real estate industry. She is also on the board at Daily Table, a nonprofit community grocer dedicated to providing fresh and nutritious food to communities most in need at affordable prices. Sandra has also served on boards for WGBH, New England Baptist Hospital, The Museum of African American History and REACH, an organization dedicated to eliminating domestic violence.

Davida Dinerman recently had a fascinating and wide ranging conversation with Sandra King on the Look Left @ Marketing Podcast. Here are just a few of the highlights: 

• 04:35 - Sandra’s path to a marketing career
• 06:48 - Listening skills are vital to a successful marketing professional
• 09:05 - Classic marketing books that are a must-read
• 14:40 - How has higher education handled COVID-19?
• 23:41 - Young professionals starting careers in the year of remote work environments
• 29:13 - Sandra’s multi-faceted consulting experience 
• 34:46 - Is progress being made in hiring a diverse workforce? 
• 38:15 - How did corporate America handle this year’s civil rights 
• 41:51 - The importance of working with non-profit organizations

NOTABLE QUOTES

• On the art of listening: "If I am pitching an account and I go in for the first meeting with a prospective client, part of my discipline and the discipline of the people that I try to instill with the people I work with is to do less talking and more listening. Let's ask a question and step back so we can hear the issues that this organization, this individual, this group might be grappling with. How are they framing it? Are there some key words, some trigger expressions that you should be capturing?"
• As a college lecturer, she's concerned for new graduates entering a workforce where important mentoring and networking opportunities aren't as easy to cultivate as in the past: "If I look back at the first job I had, I'm still in touch with those people. I know a lot about their families. They know all about mine because we spent physical time together. We traveled together. We did research projects together. We walked down the hall and had a cup of coffee together. That dynamic is not here right now and it won't be for a while. So trying to figure out what you can replicate in the virtual world to give that same sense of community is one of the challenges that these organizations are facing right now."
• Sandra's thoughts on progress toward more equitable hiring: “You need to look differently at what your sources of resources are for students and for prospective employers. It's beginning, there's a confluence, as you know, societally of a bunch of things happening right now. There is a feeling that most people have been talking the talk, but not walking the walk. And therefore, we are at a point where we feel that society needs to do the latter, which is walk the walk and walk the talk.”

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In February of this year, Protocol made its high-profile debut. The new tech media outlet promised to cover the market in a way that goes beyond the story of the day, to “illuminate the personalities, relationships, clashes, ideas and strategies playing out in the shadows of power.” Protocol was started by the same team that created the hugely successful site POLITICO. Bennett Richardson is vice president and general manager of Protocol. Previously, he was executive director of global strategic partnerships at POLITICO.

Look Left’s John Moran spoke with Bennett about Protocol’s roller-coaster first six months in operation and looks ahead to the months ahead, including the presidential election. 

• 01:54 - The two things that make Protocol different
• 04:31 - Taking a “deep-dive” approach to reporting on the impact of Big Tech
• 07:34 - Bouncing back from April lay-offs
• 08:44 - Protocol’s biggest stories thus far at the intersection of tech and politics
• 11:56 - Covering the dynamics and personalities of tech’s leaders
• 15:04 - The role of tech in the 2020 elections  

Notable quotes:

While not an ideal time to launch a news site, the pandemic — along with other important societal changes — have served as an appropriate backdrop for the kinds of stories Protocol wants to tell: “Each of these moments has shown the power of both tech companies as well as technology itself. From conversations around contract tracing to content moderation to seeing how the cloud and enterprise universe was one of the few bright spots in one of the hardest quarters in the US economy in a long time. While it was certainly a challenging year to launch something new, I think it’s really reinforced why we exist in the first place: the really powerful and complex role that technology has played in every one of these big issues that has unfolded in 2020.”

Some of Protocol’s most interesting insight has come from people who may not necessarily be household names in the tech sector: “There are a lot of really interesting dynamics in the industry, a lot of personalities, and candidly, a lot of personalities behind the scenes. A lot of our most read and most interesting interviews and profiles haven’t been from the CEO you might see on the front cover of every magazine. These industries are deep and they are diverse and they are textured. And there are some amazing smart people with amazing, wild ideas about where the future is going and how they’re building that future.”

With the election less than three months away, Protocol’s coverage of the 2020 election will feature a number of interesting angles: “The role of tech in this election is unprecedented. From seeing those executives up on Capitol Hill virtually to the role our sitting president is using social media as a part of his campaign and the role that could play as results unfold. It is a huge moment, really on both sides, on how these tech companies will navigate those moments. How do we not only ensure election security but also handle falsehoods and misleading information on different platforms? There is no shortage of stories that are going to unfold.” 

Over the past 20 years, Lysa Myers has become a highly recognized information security expert, educating people at all levels of experience in how to improve security. She was featured in the book, “Women Know Cyber: 100 Fascinating Females Fighting Cybercrime,” written by Steve Morgan and Di Freeze of Cybersecurity Ventures.

Most recently, Lysa was a researcher with security vendor ESET. She enjoys educating people about security issues in a light-hearted, honest and approachable way through talking with the media and writing articles. 

Lysa is also dedicated to improving diversity within the technology industry as a way to help make secure devices and services that are useful for a larger segment of the population. 

Look Left’s Davida Dinerman spoke with Lysa about the cyber security industry, her career and the mini farm and food forest Lysa operates with her spouse. Here are some of the highlights:

01:43 - Lysa’s early introduction to technology

06:14 - Managing career changes

10:03 - Thoughts on the amount of data sharing in the cyber security industry

14:02 - Increasing diversity in cyber security

19:51 - Advice on public speaking

24:38 - Switching to remote work resulted in a huge productivity leap

27:45 - Boosting marketing by identifying an organization’s secret sauce

Scott Gerber is CEO of The Community Company, an organization that builds and manages communities for global brands and media companies. Examples include the AdAge Collective, the Forbes Councils, the Business Journals Leadership Trust and the Young Entrepreneur Council, an invitation-only organization of some of the world’s most successful young entrepreneurs.

Scott is also a public speaker, syndicated columnist and author of “Never Get a ‘Real’ Job” and co-author of “Superconnector” - all about building business relationships that matter. He joins Look Left’s Bryan Scanlon to talk about the impact communities can have on your career and offers a few dos and don’ts for making the most out of the experience. 

00:35 - On the importance of making mistakes -- and not making the same ones twice.

02:35 - The best entrepreneurs aren’t necessarily risk takers, they’re risk mitigators.

04:58 - Entrepreneurs can’t surround themselves with yes-men. Success requires a trusted circle of people who will not only have your back, but also call you on a bad idea.

14:23 - Communities of peers are important, but to be of value, they must be organic in nature and be more than just a collection of people.

20:58 - Being a valued part of a community -- and getting the most out of it -- starts with having a “giver” mentality.

23:5 - When part of a community, you want to be a “connector,” not a “networker.”

31:00 - Small, impactful circles of peers are more important than vast networks on social media.

Paul Gillin is an independent consultant, author, speaker, writer and Enterprise Editor at SiliconANGLE. 

He has made his mark in the industry during an impressive career spanning all the changes of the past 30 years - from his time writing for Ziff Davis, to his years as editor-in-chief at Computerworld, to his work as one of the founders of TechTarget. Paul is also the author of five books and more than 300 articles on the topic of social media and digital marketing.

In this conversation with Look Left’s John Moran, Paul shares his insights on many of today’s leading issues. Highlights include:

00:59 - Is “digital transformation” a buzzword?

04:27 - Technologies getting a boost from the response to COVID-19.

06:23 - Paul doesn’t love the term “artificial intelligence.”

08:44 - How covering technology has changed in the digital era.

11:19 - Advice for business executives on successful media interviews.

16:57 - The difference between demographics and psychographics in marketing.

20:42 - Recommendations for great webinars and video presentations.

22:36 - What makes an effective PR pitch?

26:42 - Paul’s thoughts on the state of social media.

We invite you to subscribe to the Look Left @ Marketing series - on Apple, Google, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. And, of course, we welcome your comments and suggestions for future episodes.

Next up, Bryan Scanlon has a lively discussion with Scott Gerber, CEO of The Community Company, an organization that builds and manages communities for global brands and media companies. 

Thank you for listening to the Look Left @ Marketing podcast.

Shonali Burke is a growth strategist who helps purpose-driven brands bring big ideas to life through Social PR. Over the past two decades, Shonali has worked with some of the most forward-thinking and innovative organizations in the world. 

She’s also an adjunct faculty member in The Johns Hopkins University’s M.A./Communications program and is currently enrolled in Harvard’s Business Analytics Program so she can help organizations better leverage data in their marketing efforts.

In this episode of the Look Left @ Marketing podcast, Bryan Scanlon talks with Shonali about life-long learning, course corrections and how current events are affecting the way we all work.

01:15 Shonali talks about her personal journey and the importance of life-long learning.

04:19: Understanding what you want to learn and why is critical to using new knowledge to your advantage. 

07:53: Mentors are critical to advancing your career -- and they can come in many forms.

12:41: On the importance of learning as much as possible early on in your career.

19:21: Why millennials and others are embracing the idea of a “side hustle.”

23:53: How the succession of cultural uncertainties are affecting focus and work. 

27:57: Working remotely is a true challenge, especially for those doing for the first time while managing family responsibilities under quarantine. 

36:37: Failure is both inevitable and difficult, but it also provides a unique opportunity to learn. 

Our thanks to Shonali Burke for appearing on the Look Left @ Marketing podcast.

Chris Preimesberger has been covering and analyzing IT business and innovation since 1995. Currently, he is editor-in-chief at eWEEK - for over two decades, one of the leading outlets for information technology news, reviews and features.

In addition to his chores running eWEEK, Chris is also busy these days with the #eWEEKchat on Twitter (which you can easily join via Crowd Chat) and in the process of producing the eSPEAKS video-interview series and a new podcast. Here are some of the conversation highlights:

01:26 - Reporters today must be a “jack-of-all-trades”

02:55 - eWEEK’s evolution

06:20 - New developments at eWEEK

08:17 - Translating complex technologies into compelling business stories 

10:00 - Executives need to be able to explain the business value of their technology

13:15 - COVID-19’s impact on collaborative technologies

15:20 - Conferences will never be the same, but they will be back

15:40 - The business executives that Chris enjoys interviewing

16:23 - Working well with PR professionals

Over the past 25 years, Chris has been on top of all the major shifts in business IT. With the new ownership at eWEEK bringing new energy to the outlet, we look forward to following the work of Chris and his team in the years ahead. Our thanks to Chris Preimesberger for joining us on the Look Left @ Marketing podcast.

Since its debut in 2014, the New Stack has served up a unique blend of research, reporting, and domain expertise that takes technologists beyond “daily headlines” and offers an impressive level of context for all that’s happening with modern architectures, operations and software development. 

Alex Williams is founder and editor in chief of The New Stack. He's a longtime technology journalist who wrote for TechCrunch, SiliconAngle and ReadWriteWeb before starting the New Stack. Speaking of ReadWriteWeb, Richard MacManus, who started the weblog in 2003 and built it into one of the world’s most influential technology news sites before selling it in 2011, has recently joined the New Stack as a Senior Editor. 

On this episode of the Look Left @ Marketing Podcast, we have an opportunity to hear these longtime colleagues and friends discuss tech’s extraordinary evolution from the early days of the Cloud in 2006 to where we’re at today and, most importantly, where the New Stack is going in the years ahead. Here are some of the conversation highlights:

02:02 - Alex provides an overview of The New Stack

0 3:24 - Richard explains the excitement of covering the Cloud native era

05:21 - Alex describes the thrill of having Richard join the New Stack team

08:55 - Providing a thoughtful perspective on important and timely topics

13:31 - Providing coverage in all forms - text, podcasts and video

14:13 - The future of the Cloud

17:52 - How the current pandemic is accelerating digital transformation

22:34 - The experts and topics the New Stack is looking for

25:31 - Working with PR pros

31:31 - What’s ahead for the New Stack

Our thanks to Alex Williams and Richard MacManus for joining us on the Look Left @ Marketing podcast.

Mark McClennan is the principal of EV Strategic Communications, and for more than 20 years, he has led PR campaigns for companies of all sizes - and in a wide variety of markets.  His passion for ethics and insistence that the industry maintains impeccable professional standards led him to create Ethical Voices Blog and Podcast in 2018. Each week, he features a PR professional discussing a tough ethical challenge they faced at some point in their career.

Mark is a  frequent writer on public relations, ethics, measurement and social media - and he often speaks at industry conferences and universities on these same subjects. Throughout his career,  Mark has been an active member of the Public Relations Society of America, serving as the organization’s National Chair in 2016.

On this episode of the Look Left @ Marketing Podcast, he joins Bryan Scanlon to discuss a wide range of ethical topics facing companies, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

1:55 -- The Ethical Voices blog and podcast was created to raise awareness of ethical challenges facing the PR industry.

3:12 -- On some of the more unusual -- and serious -- ethical challenges Mark’s podcast guests have faced.

4:51 -- The coronavirus pandemic has created unusual ethical circumstances for communication professionals. 

7:26 -- How working from home has led to unusual and unexpected quandaries related to security and privacy.

10:10 -- How brands are addressing the growing consumer demand to be politically vocal.

12:44 -- How social media has forced companies to address ethical challenges more quickly. 

16:05 -- Preparing for difficult situations before they happen is the key to successfully navigating them.

19:05 -- The balance between sharing good news, while not whitewashing serious situations.

22:39 --  How actively listening helps make you more ethical.

Maria Korolov is a popular tech journalist who covers cybersecurity for CSO and AI for CIO magazine. She’s also editor and publisher for Hypergrid Business, following the world of extended reality. 

Prior to focusing on technology, Maria reported for organizations such as the Chicago Tribune, Reuters, UPI, the Associated Press and the Hollywood Reporter. She was a war correspondent in the former Soviet Union in the 1990s and also ran a business news bureau in China for five years. 

As if all that isn’t enough, Maria is also an accomplished science-fiction writer. She recently spent time discussing her fascinating career with Look Left’s John Moran.

01:57 - From the Ithaca Times to the Chicago Tribune to covering wars in the 1990s 

08:38 - The move to covering technology

11:54 - How the job of a journalist has changed over the past 20 years

17:10 - Advice for executives on conducting successful interviews

22:39 - The impact of social media on today’s journalist

25:32 - A bit about Hypergrid Business

Our thanks to Maria Korolov for sharing her insights, opinions and pitching advice with us on the Look Left @ Marketing Podcast. You can follow Maria on Twitter and be sure to visit her website.