Everything old is new again, the saying goes. Despite touting the idea of a press release as a destination being a new idea, it actually dates back about 15 years -- and retains all of its value. Neville and Shel explore the idea of defeating paywalls with destination press releases in this monthly long-form episode of "For Immediate Release." Also in this episode:

Continue Reading →

The post FIR #312: The Social Media Press Release Redux appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Library TikTok is growing -- organically. Librarians are meeting teenagers where they are, on TikTok, with videos that attract their attention and lead to library visits and more reading. Can this unorganized, grass-roots approach translate to marketing and communications? Is it looking at the idea of "influence" through a different lens? Neville and Shel explore the idea in this short mid-week episode.
Continue Reading →

The post FIR #311: What Communicators Can Learn From Librarians appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Working from home has become more commonplace in the wake of the pandemic, with executives who once believed productivity would plummet now reconciled to the fact that remote work, for the most part, has little impact on productivity (unless, as is the case in some organizations, it actually boosts employee outputs). And a lot of employees are thrilled to be working from home. That doesn't mean that things aren't getting a little stale. A Harvard Business Review article suggests remote workers might want to consider making some changes to their routines. The article even inspired Neville to take action he has been considering for a while. It's all part of this short mid-week FIR episode.
Continue Reading →

The post FIR #310: Shake Up Your Work-From-Home Routine appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In our first episode of the year, we look to unpack what’s going on and what lies ahead for communicators in 2023. To us, there’s no one better suited to discuss the present and future of executive communication than David Murray.

In addition to being an expert communicator and accomplished author, David is the Executive Director of the Executive Communication Council, the head of the Professional Speechwriters Association, and he also pens the popular communications blog, “Writing Boots.” We’re thrilled to have him back on EE Voice.

During our conversation, David jests that this is “the only interesting time” in executive communication and, while we’ll happily grant our friend some room for hyperbole, the reality is that we have absolutely reached an inflection point. Tune in as David discusses the unprecedented spotlight on – and access to – executives, an increasingly influential workforce, emerging AI technology, and how communicators can plan accordingly. (Tune in for the terrific storytelling; stay for the great advice.)
Continue Reading →

The post EPISODE #67: DAVID MURRAY – WHAT’S AHEAD FOR EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATION appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The communications world has been abuzz with discussion about the impact that AI-generated content may have on their roles.
Continue Reading →

The post ALP 176: Is AI writing an agency’s friend or foe? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel tackle a question from listener Kris Hansen about developing a metrics dashboard for her organization's leadership.
Continue Reading →

The post FIR #309: Measuring Stuff That Didn’t Happen appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The virtual worker industry is booming in China. For about $14,000 a year -- 80 percent less than it cost just a year earlier -- you can get a three-dimensional virtual person to handle everything from tours to customer support. With expectations that the industry will grow by 50 percent annually for the next three years, the arrival of virtual persons in the West is inevitable. Neville and Shel dive into the industry in this short midweek episode of "For Immediate Release."
Continue Reading →

The post FIR #308: Here Come Virtual Workers appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Keurig Dr. Pepper has stirred up a controversy by issuing an RFP that included payment terms of 360 days. While some big PR and advertising agencies may be able to wait a year to be paid for their work, it's most likely a non-starter for small and minority-owned agencies. (If most big clients turned to one-year payment terms, even the big agencies might have difficulty accommodating the requirement.) The agency world has united in its condemnation of the move, and Keurig Doctor Pepper's response is tepid, to say the least. Neville and Shel discuss the situation in this short midweek episode of "For Immediate Release."
Continue Reading →

The post FIR #307: We’ll Pay You…In A Year appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

It's not unlikely that you have been mispronouncing some well-known company and brand names like IKEA, Hyundai, Porsche, Bayer, and Adidas. Some brands use common mispronunciations as the foundation for a marketing campaign, as Hyundai has undertaken in the UK.  Neville and Shel explore some of these campaigns and examine the broader issue of hard-to-pronounce brand names in this short midweek episode of the "For Immediate Release" podcast.
Continue Reading →

The post FIR #306: Brand Name Pronunciation As A Marketing Ploy appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

A petulant venue owner is using facial recognition software to keep people with whom he has issues from entering his spaces -- including a mom with a Girl Scout troop. Also in this monthly long-form episode of the "For Immediate Release" podcast, Neville and Shel discuss the value of virtual goods and whether brands should start taking them seriously; business schools are exploring the potential for teaching in the metaverse -- especially classes about digital technology; it hasn't been a great year for metaverse activations, but at least brands are learning; it has been a year since Lush closed its Instagram and Facebook accounts, which means it's time to see how that decision turned out; and the better ChatGPT (the AI text-generating chatbot) gets, the more worried some people get about its impact on truth; and Dan York shares a year-end Tech Report with a range of updates including using WordPress for newsletters, WordPress's State of the Word 2022, and Tumblr Live.
Continue Reading →

The post FIR #305: We See You And You Can’t Come In appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.