For Immediate Release launched on January 3, 2005. Episode #1 explained what podcasting is, then looked at the role blogs played in the tsunami tragedy in Asia. On our 20th anniversary, Neville and Shel recall FIR’s origins and the many changes the show has undergone in two decades, some significant milestones, memorable moments, some of the challe…

Astroturfing, smear campaigns, social media manipulation, unauthorized release of private information, defamation, character assassination, whisper campaigns, media planting, and gaslighting. These activities are undertaken by the seamiest, most ethically challenged public relations practitioners. While there are far more PR professionals who abide…

In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss the findings from the SAGA quarterly survey of small agency owners. They cover insights on optimism in business outlook despite recent challenges, with a focus on talent-related issues such as compensation, retention, and recruiting. They delve into some surprising statistics, such as one in five agency owners…

The world’s biggest PR agency laid off five percent of its global staff. It’s a sign of the headwinds facing the industry, including reduced opportunities for earned media, which is what PR agencies spend a lot of their time trying to achieve. We’ll explore what’s happening in the PR agency world in the long-form FIR episode for December 2024. Also…

The communication function offers practitioners a rare opportunity. It is one of the few roles in any organization involved in every aspect of the business. In this Circle of Fellows panel, you will hear international perspectives on how the role of communication extends beyond the exchange of knowledge and information. The panel shares thoughts on…

Even when they know it has been rigged, people assign a lot of credibility to experiments. When they see the experiment produce favorable results, for example, potential customers might be more inclined to buy. Experiments can also influence decision-makers in your company — again, even if they assume you put your thumb on the scale. The phenomenon…

In this episode, Chip and Gini delve into the importance of empathy in agency management. They emphasize the need for agency owners to put themselves in the shoes of clients, prospects, and employees to improve communication and relationships. Key points discussed include handling difficult client conversations, managing scope creep, billing practi…

There is a common thread among many of the predictions and trends posts that typically blossom across the web as the year draws to a close: AI agents are poised to revolutionize (a word we don’t use lightly) work in 2025. The frontier AI models — ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Llama, and a few others — have captured imaginations and led to various uses t…

In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss the complexities of pricing strategies for agency engagements. They explore whether agencies should charge more upfront for initial work, the importance of consistent revenue, and creative approaches to managing client expectations and financials. The conversation emphasizes understanding client perceptions an…

It doesn’t seem to be a big deal at first glance. A Google AI Overview answers a search query at the top of a Search Engine Results Page (SERP). Beneath it, all those traditional links and snippets are still there. However, analyses reveal that many people are reading the AI Overview and calling it quits — they never click a link to visit a website…

Research finds that corporations no longer see AI as a novelty; it's a full-blown business tool, one that is so critical that its development is mostly being done in-house. In the November long-form episode of "For Immediate Release," Neville and Shel review new research about AI's place in the business world and among employees. Also in this episo…

Bluesky -- the Twitter-esque social network that has suddenly started attracting refugees from Elon Musk's X -- had its start when Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey asked software engineer Jay Graber to introduce federation to Twitter. She told him she couldn't, but she could create a new social network based on a new federation protocol called AT, a …

In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss PR professionals wanting a seat at the table when it comes to business decision-making. Continue Reading → The post ALP 252: Strengthening your PR agency’s role in business decisions appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Few communication disciplines are as challenging as executive communication. These professionals ensure that organizational leaders communicate effectively, whether making a speech or delivering testimony to a governmental body. In the November 2024 installment of Circle of Fellows, our panel explored executive communication challenges like rebuild…

When executives justify their return-to-office mandates, they almost universally cite the collaboration and innovation that results from serendipitous encounters between employees. They also point to the need to boost productivity. The problem with these arguments is that the evidence does not support them. In this short midweek FIR episode, Nevill…

In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss the common challenges agencies face in obtaining timely feedback and necessary information from clients. Continue Reading → The post ALP 251: What to do when clients don’t get your agency what it needs to succeed appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Among the many post-election analyses flooding media channels are reports that mainstream media and social media wielded far less influence than they have in the past. Instead, influencers and podcasts held sway. In this short midweek FIR episode, Neville and Shel break down the reports and discuss the impact on communicators far beyond the electio…

In this FIR Interview, Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson speak with Monique Zytnik, a business communicator and author of Internal Communications in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Monique delves into the transformative impact of AI on internal comms, highlighting the need for experiential, audience-centered engagement over a flood of generic conte…

In this episode, Chip and Gini share specific examples of agency owners breaking or ignoring rules that they don’t like — or that clients may pressure them to bypass. Continue Reading → The post ALP 250: Are you playing with fire as an agency owner? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Blogs have been with us for 30 years, which qualifies as "something old." In this long-form episode of FIR for October, we'll examine the state of the oldest social media category. We'll also examine the state of generative Artificial Intelligence, which has been around, for all practical purposes, since November 2022, which makes it "something new…

In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss strategic planning for growing an agency in 2025. Continue Reading → The post ALP 249: Planning for agency growth appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

CEOs and other senior executives are increasingly expected to nurture a presence on social media—especially LinkedIn, which has seen a 35-percent increase in C-suite professionals in the U.S. over the last five years. These executives are also expected to be authentic in their online engagements, even sharing some details of their personal lives. P…

Change management is among the most critical of communication skills. As organizations face unprecedented challenges and opportunities, the ability to navigate and implement change effectively can mean the difference between an organization thriving or struggling to survive. The pace of change has been accelerating dramatically, driven by technolog…

This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert Dagmar Fleming. Continue Reading → The post #758: Dagmar Fleming On Mitchell Levy Presents Leaders Living Their Values appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert David Meltzer. Continue Reading → The post #757: David Meltzer On Mitchell Levy Presents Leaders Living Their Values appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this episode, Chip discusses agency business development with regular guest and seasoned expert Lee McKnight Jr., of RSW/US. Continue Reading → The post CWC 102: Content, consistency, and conversions for agency biz dev (featuring Lee McKnight Jr.) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss the critical aspects of onboarding new clients in the agency world. Continue Reading → The post ALP 248: Onboarding agency clients the right way appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel dive into PRWeek's "The Evolution of Influence" report, exploring the dynamic shifts in how public relations professionals exert influence in today's fast-changing landscape. We break down the seven key themes revealed by the survey, including the growing challenges of decentralization, the increasing…

In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss the importance of having clear alcohol policies in agencies. Continue Reading → The post ALP 247: Balancing booze and your agency business appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Much of the content in this monthly long-form episode of FIR spotlights rising trends in marketing, including employee influencers, Gen Z's rising power as influencers, the role of influencers in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, and AI's growing presence in the marketing space. All of this is raising alarms about the need for marketers to be tr…

Debunkbot was designed to talk people out of their beliefs in conspiracy theories -- and it works. To discuss this remarkable chatbot, we turned to PDF2Audio, a tool that creates an audio podcast discussion (or summary or lecture) from any uploaded PDF. It's not Google's NotebookLM, which features a similar capability within a more robust note-keep…

Edelman, the global PR agency, has vetted the current crop of AI tools, winnowing out those not enterprise-ready, categorizing them, and identifying those that excel at various tasks. Given the dozens (if not more) of new AI tools that appear every day, this can be a big help to overwhelmed communicators who can't take the time to try out every app…

In this episode, Chip and Gini explore the challenges of ageism within the PR and marketing industries, with a focus on agencies. Continue Reading → The post ALP 246: Agencies and ageism appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The pressure’s on — deadlines, stakeholders, and the ever-present need to deliver. According to data, half of PR, marketing, and comms professionals reported experiencing severe stress, anxiety, or burnout multiple times each year. Two in five PR professionals feel pressure and/or anxiety from their job every day. And 60 percent of PR professionals…

In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss results from the SAGA Q3 Agency Owner Survey. Despite a difficult year, the survey reveals widespread optimism among small agency owners regarding future revenue and profit growth. Continue Reading → The post ALP 245: Q3 agency owner survey shows overall optimism, but dissatisfaction with state of business dev…

In this FIR Interview, consultant, writer, and science fiction enthusiast Ezri Carlebach offers a unique perspective on how speculative fiction can be a valuable tool in business leadership, innovation, and ethical decision-making in planning for the future. He discusses how sci-fi fosters imaginative thinking, helping organizations tackle complex …

In this episode, Chip and Gini dismantle the myth that agency management can rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. Continue Reading → The post ALP 244: Why one-size-fits-all advice doesn’t work for agencies appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

When OpenAI released Chat GPT 3.5 in November 2022, conversations about virtually any other technology were sucked into the vacuum of space. Venture capitalists and other investors shifted priorities overnight, sinking billions into Gen AI and often turning their backs on other endeavors. That and the colossal failure that is Meta's Horizon Worlds …

Many agency leaders view reports as a necessary evil, but when done right they can actually become an important contributor to profits. Continue Reading → The post ALP 243: Turning agency reporting into a profit center appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

"Share of model" refers to the frequency or prominence with which a particular brand, keyword, or phrase appears in an LLM's responses to user prompts relative to competing brands or related terms. It measures how often and favorably an LLM mentions or discusses a specific entity or concept in its outputs. Marketers and PR practitioners were accust…

The desire to stand out has declined significantly over the last 20 years, according to a new study. That has serious implications for society, business, and communicators. Meanwhile, shutting off comments on your social media channel could have worse repercussions than putting up with comments you don't want to see. Also in this episode, The fediv…

As we reported nearly a year ago, communication's influence is growing among organizational leadership. However, in many companies, executive acceptance of communication may be taking a worrisome turn as additional responsibilities are being tacked onto the communication role, including sustainability and DEI. Is this because some companies see a n…

In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss the pros and cons of using LinkedIn for agency growth and professional engagement. Continue Reading → The post ALP 242: Using LinkedIn effectively to grow your agency appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The headline reads that Google’s Olympics ad went viral for all the wrong reasons and is fueling the growing concerns about using generative AI apps in people’s personal and work lives. Gartner’s Peer Insights offers Generative AI Apps Reviews and Ratings to guide your foray into foreign territory. And, Capgemini’s Harnessing the Value of Generativ…

Op-eds pay off. According to one analysis, New York Times opinion articles get 37 percent more readers than the newspaper's general news coverage. Wall Street Journal op-eds attract 571 percent more readers than its general news. (That's not a typo. Five hundred seventy-one percent.) However, more and more news outlets are shuttering their opinion …

Neville and Shel both spent time at a global Human Resources consulting firm in addition to their long tenures as independent consultants. At the core of all consulting is the labor-intensive work that takes time, and time is money. Every consultant has an hourly billable rate, and even when quoting project fees, those fees are based on the hours r…

In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss the pivotal role of trust within agency teams. They explore common scenarios where agency owners struggle with trusting their employees, often due to micromanagement tendencies, ill-defined roles, or unrealistic expectations. Continue Reading → The post ALP 241: Do you trust your agency team members? appeared …

AI can greatly enhance media production and social media engagement, but it should be used to complement, not replace, human creativity and connection. And, as AI becomes more integrated into media and social platforms, it’s crucial to establish ethical guidelines and robust systems to prevent the spread of misinformation. In this FIR interview wit…

The End of the Generative Artificial-Intelligence Bubble The End of Investors' Generative AI Honeymoon Will Generative AI Really Pay Off? Generative AI Seed Funding Drops 76% As Investors Take A Wait-and-See Approach Is Generative AI Worth the Investment? These are all headlines from the last several weeks suggesting, as Gartner believes, that gene…

In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss the importance of asking "So what?" and how it can lead to more effective decision-making for agency owners. Continue Reading → The post ALP 240: Unlocking agency potential by asking “So What?” appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.