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Why is strategic communications so important to NASA? And what strategies do they use? What audiences do they target?

Brittany Brown of NASA shares how NASA tailors messages for different audiences - ranging from super fans to untapped communities and stakeholders. She shares insights into memorable campaigns, including the Apollo 11 moon landing and the Parker Solar Probe.  

Listen For
 5:21 Segmenting NASA's Audiences
9:38 Making Complex Science Relatable
11:02 Collaborating with Partners - There's Space for Everybody
21:30 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Arik Karani  

Guest: Brittany Brown
NASA Contact | Website | X | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube 

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Arik Karani, the President of the African Public Relations Association shares why three African nations have introduced mandatory certification for public relations professionals. It’s intended to standardize the PR practice and enforce ethical practice but they also standardize pay rates and even protect practitioners from being fired needlessly.

Is it working in Africa? Would it work in the United States?

Listen For
4:37 Elevating Professional Standards
8:57 Penalties for Unlicensed Practice
12:58 Standardizing Pay for PR Professionals
19:22 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Sia Papageorgiou  

Guest: Arik Karani, President African Public Relations Association
X | LinkedIn 

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Is professional certification is becoming a must for the industry? Sia Papageorgiou challenges the traditional idea of accreditation and argues that certification is the real game-changer for PR professionals. She shares insights on why the Global Communication Certification Council (GCCC) stands out with its internationally recognized standards, and why it’s crucial for communication professionals to continually update their skills to stay relevant in a rapidly changing field.  

Listen For
2:43 Certification over Accreditation
6:02 Ongoing Education and Accountability
12:55 Mandatory Certification in Some Countries
17:00 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Guest Vince Nero  

Guest: Sia Papageorgiou, FRSA, FCSCE, SCMP
Website | Email | X | LinkedIn
CSCE link to training offerings 

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We perform a tricky balancing act every day – writing for both the human eye and the search engine algorithm. As content creators, we’re constantly faced with the dilemma: Should we prioritize crafting engaging, meaningful stories that resonate with our readers, or should we focus on hitting those all-important keywords that boost our SEO rankings?  

The rise of semantic SEO adds yet another layer to this puzzle, as it pushes us to consider not just the words we use, but the intent and sentiment behind them.  

In this episode, the Search Dilemma: Human Eye or Algorithm? 

Listen For
3:34 Prioritizing Human-Centric Content
5:31 Google’s Evolution and its Impact on SEO
15:27 Testing and Personalization
21:20 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Guest Dallas Taylor  

Guest: Vince Nero, Buzzstream
X | LinkedIn 

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This episode first published in May 2023. 

It’s as if we have a new toy. When Open AI released Chat GPT-3 last November, and made it fully accessible to the public, it suddenly changed how we can create engaging and relevant content for our audiences, with just a few prompts. 

Not only can we CREATE content, but we can also gather valuable insights into customer behaviours and preferences like never before. By analyzing the data generated by customer interactions, businesses can identify patterns and trends they can use to optimize their strategies. 

But it’s all so new for so many of us. What exactly can we do with this NEW TOY? 

Listen For
2:00 Understanding Generative AI as a Tool
6:35 Mega Prompting for a Consistent Brand Voice
8:06 Personalizing Content with AI
19:41 Ethical Considerations in AI 

Guest:  Brad Williamson, Lead Strategist Catch Digital
Website | Email

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Sound is powerful. 

Doug connects Dallas Taylor of the Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast to explore the remarkable influence of audio on human connection and branding. From the hidden magic of Sonic branding to how podcasts create lasting bonds, they uncover why audio remains one of our most potent yet underutilized senses.  

They also dive into the darker side of audio, discussing the rise of deep fake technology and its impact on trust in the digital age. Whether you’re a PR professional or just curious about sound’s role in our lives, this episode offers valuable insights into the world of audio. 

Listen For
4:17 Audio’s Hidden Powers
6:58 Sonic Branding’s Emotional Impact
11:41 Audio and Deep Fakes
20:55 Answer to Question Posed Last Week by Dean Heuman 

Guest: Dallas Taylor
Website
Dallas’ podcast 20 Thousand Hertz

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How do you navigate leadership changes, even when the decisions make little sense? 

In this episode, Doug and Dean Heuman tackle the challenges of handling leadership transitions, especially when the choices seem controversial. Using the recent example of the Edmonton Oilers hiring a new GM, they explore the delicate balance between maintaining trust, managing emotions, and ensuring transparency. Heuman introduces the EFA (Emotion, Fact, Action) approach as a framework for communicators to manage such transitions effectively, stressing the importance of addressing internal and external concerns. 

When leadership decisions ripple across employees, sponsors, and the broader community – the challenges become intricate, and the stakes are higher.

Listen For:
5:51 The Ripple Effect of Leadership Changes
7:59 Edmonton Oilers: A Leadership Change Breakdown
12:42 The EFA Method: Managing Emotions First
18:19 When to Question a Leadership Change
20:12 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Akeem Anderson 

Guest: Dean Heuman, Focus Communications
Website | Email | LinkedIn 

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As the stakes grow higher in today's fast-paced, interconnected world, top executives are increasingly turning to social and other digital platforms to shape their public personas, engage with critical social issues, and build direct connections with key stakeholders. A new report explores the public relations and communications strategies behind these efforts and how this shift is redefining leadership in the digital age. 

Listen For
6:32 Executives are Moving Beyond Just Sharing Company News
9:51 Authenticity and Thumb-Stoppers
13:33 Building a Consistent Voice
16:24 Multi-Channel Presence
19:14 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Shayoni Lynn 

Guest: Akeem Anderson, H Advisors Abernathy
LinkedIn

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There is an anatomy of a disinformation campaign.  

In this episode we reveal the tactics that make false narratives so dangerously effective. From the subtle beginnings of a lone post to the orchestrated amplification by bots, and finally, the unwitting spread by receptive hosts. These campaigns infect the public psyche faster than you can blink.  

But we can fight back. We can invest in early warning systems, develop proactive diagnosis and intervention, and perhaps most uniquely, we can conduct experiments to test different interventions and techniques on audiences – simulating exposure to disinformation in a controlled environment. 

Listen For:
4:40 Understanding the Life Cycle of Disinformation
9:36 The Role of Receptive Hosts (or DisInfluencers)
11:15 Importance of Early Warning Systems
15:06 Experimentation and Simulated Exposure 

Guest: Shayoni Lynn, Lynn Group
Website | LinkedIn

How Hate Spreads: How Hate Spreads: A briefing note from The Misinformation Cell - Lynn

Mpox and Conspiracy Theories:  Mpox and conspiracy theories - Lynn

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This is a Replay from Episode 79 which first published in January 2023.

In this age of misinformation and disinformation we can all agree lies and deception are bad right? 

Aren’t they?

Philosophers, psychologists, economists – and all those morality experts on social media have always insisted deception harms trust.

Four Behavioral Science studies done through the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania show that assertion just isn’t true. In fact, there lies we hear, knowing they are lies, that make us trust those liars even more. 

So what’s the truth about lying?

Listen For
4:02 Pro Social Lies and Trust
11:06 Altruistic Lies and Moral Credit
14:14 Cultural Differences in Lying
18:08 Lying in Politics 

Guests Maurice Schweitzer, PhD and Emma Levine, PhD:
[email protected]
[email protected] 

Link to Emma and Maurice’s study Prosocial Lies: When deception breeds trust 

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