Episoder
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In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss the increased risk aversion and prolonged decision-making processes among clients and prospects in the agency industry, especially in light of economic uncertainties and the 2024 U.S. election.
Continue Reading →The post ALP 234: Adapting your agency for risk-averse clients appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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We are told, "AI won't take your job." Instead, "Someone who knows how to use AI will take your job."
Tell that to the scores of copywriters who have already lost their jobs to generative AI. With ChatGPT and its competitors in the frontier LLM space being used to write more than anything else, agencies and organizations are figuring out how to craft prompts that turn out decent copy. Some copywriters are figuring out how to stay relevant, though, including taking gigs improving the copy these AI tools churn out.
In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel examine these trends and wonder what they mean for other communication jobs.
Continue Reading →The post FIR #413: AI Is Coming for Copywriters appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss the importance of ensuring that no one in an agency, including owners and key employees, is too indispensable to take time off.
Continue Reading →The post ALP 233: Building an agency culture where everyone can take time off appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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You work for one of the biggest consulting firms in the world. You've been told that taking a voluntary separation package from the company is in your best interest. When you agree (not that you had much choice), you're asked to sign an agreement that not only won't you disparage the company, but you'll use the language provided to you to let your colleagues know why you're leaving (nothing bad about the company) and how great your time there has been. With more than 330,000 employees in this company, won't anybody think identical farewell messages from multiple employees find this a bit suspicious? That's what happened at PwC, our lead topic in this monthly long-form FIR episode for June 2024.
Also in this episode: Megainfluencers charge as much as $1.5 million for a single post. Could you do better with a bunch of mico and nanoinfluencers? New studies are out from Deloitte and McKinsey on the state of AI in the workplace. AI avatars and coworkers are starting to show up in some companies as the tools to create them get easier to deploy. Publishers worldwide have been hit by Facebook deleting posts that have been inaccurately identified as spam. And your favorite brand that showed such commitment to that social cause a few years ago? They don't care about being "woke" anymore.
Dan York is focused on policy in his Tech Report, looking at age verification laws that are popping up all over the place, Canada imposing a tax on streaming services (after a less-than-optimal experience with a link tax), and a U.S. Supreme Court Decision is due about content moderation.
Continue Reading →The post FIR #412: Don’t Let the Door Hit You on Your Way Out appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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Several studies seem to suggest that a small cadre of "supersharers" was responsible for spreading 80 percent of "fake news" on X (formerly Twitter) in 2020. Further, by removing these supersharers from the platforms they use to spread misinformation and disinformation, the number of lies appearing on the social network plummeted. What's more, another study found that most people aren't swayed by online misinformation and disinformation. As a result, all the panic about online misinformation and disinformation could be overblown.
Or not. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel examine the data and what's missing to reach a conclusion about communicators' role in addressing what's true and what's not online.
Continue Reading →The post FIR #411: Are We Unnecessarily Panicked About Online Disinformation? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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Don’t sugarcoat it when writing up a job description or interviewing potential new hires – painting a rosy picture that doesn’t match reality will only cause you headaches down the road.
Continue Reading →The post ALP 232: Setting honest expectations for your agency employees from the start appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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PRovoke Media broke a story about at least 11 fake profiles of people who listed a PR recruitment firm as their employers. LinkedIn removed them as fakes—an action with which the business-centric social network is all too familiar. So far, no other media outlets seem interested in the story. Still, Neville and Shel wonder about the motivation behind the profiles -- under other circumstances, fake profiles can easily be used for illicit purposes -- and the amount of effort organizations will need to take to ensure profiles listing them as employers are legitimate.
Continue Reading →The post FIR #410: Who’s Behind All Those Fake LinkedIn Profiles? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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Despite the excitement over the possibilities generative AI provides, it was easy to predict that doubters would insist it's just a fad -- the same naysaying we heard about email, the web, social media, podcasting, live streaming, and a host of other digital technologies. In this case, the reports conflict with other research showing rapid adoption, even if we're not anywhere close to widespread consumer use of gen AI tools, which nobody expects after only 18 months since ChatGPT 3.5 was unveiled. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel compare the reports and look at the potential for communicators to fall behind with yet another important technology.
Continue Reading →The post FIR #409: Just Another Fad appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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Gen Z employees tend to have a different (not worse!) approach to their jobs than the older generations do. Which means that as an owner, you need to evolve the way you communicate with and manage them.
Continue Reading →The post ALP 231: Agencies need to adapt to effectively manage Gen Z employees appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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PwC has released a detailed report analyzing over half a billion job ads from 15 companies representing over 30 percent of global GDP. The goal: unearth empirical evidence of AI's impact on jobs. The results are remarkable, if unsurprising. For example, the analysis found 4.8 times higher growth in labor productivity in AI-exposed sectors and 25 percent higher skills change in AI-exposed occupations. Jobs that require specialist AI skills are growing 3.5 times faster than all jobs. Neville and Shel report on highlights and discuss the multi-dimensional impact on communicators in this short midweek episode.
Continue Reading →The post FIR #408: AI’s Impact on Jobs, Quantified appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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The need to promote ethical behavior in communications has never been greater as the volumes of misinformation and disinformation continue to rise with the growing use of AI fueling the speed with which unethical behavior intensifies. Marketers debate whether using AI in marketing is ethical in the first place, and when it is used, and whether and when it needs to be disclosed. And all the ethical dilemmas communicators faced before AI remain as challenging as ever.
Four International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Fellows discussed ethics in today’s communication environment in the latest Circle of Fellows episode, moderated by Brad Whitworth.
Continue Reading →The post Circle of Fellows #104: Communication Ethics appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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White-collar employees everywhere are embracing AI, even if they're using their own accounts and not telling their colleagues or bosses. This widespread adoption of AI among workers is already creating challenges for managers, who traditionally evaluate their team members based on outputs that may now be coming in whole or in part from an AI. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel explore what this means for managers and the internal communicators who recognize them as a discrete audience.
Continue Reading →The post FIR #407: AI Is Changing How Managers Manage appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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Chip and Gini discuss recent updates from the federal government affecting agency owners, including a ban on non-compete agreements and changes to salary thresholds for overtime exempt employees.
Continue Reading →The post ALP 229: What new rules on overtime and non-competes mean for agencies appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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Among a flood of AI announcements in the last week -- including remarkable advances in ChatGPT -- Google's move to produce narrative results called "overviews" instead of web links caused the most consternation. Neville and Shel break down all the news and focus in on Google's overviews in this long-form episode for May. Also in this episode, a Baidu executive wound up in hot water after remarks that offended employees and customers; Australian media manipulated a photo of a member of parliament, launching conversations about ethical use of AI when it comes to photos; Apple misfired on both an advertisement and its apology, but Bumble's apology is a prime example of how to apologize for a miscalculation; and a lot of venture capital money is going to companies offering apps that provide people with AI companions. In his Tech Report, Dan York, looks at evolutions among social media alternatives, a renewed interest in online communities, and Google's new AI=generated answers.
Continue Reading →The post FIR #406: Alas, SEO, We Knew You Well appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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Felicity Barber, founder of Thoughtful Communications, has penned speeches and spearheaded executive communications for some of the world's most prominent financial institutions, including BlackRock, the Federal Reserve and Lloyds of London. Through her extensive experience, Felicity has discovered that storytelling—or as she calls it, "spinning a good yarn"—is one of the most effective ways to convey complex topics.
In this episode, Felicity shares how humor and openness can transform executive communications. She emphasizes the power of authenticity in storytelling to deliver key messages.
"A story gives a speech a really nice sense of completeness," Felicity explains. "Adding an anecdote, or anything that humanizes the leader delivering the message, is a powerful way to connect with audiences."
This engaging conversation delves into the challenges of executive communication, such as building trust with leaders and delivering strategic feedback. Felicity's insights on honest communication and setting the right expectations offer valuable guidance for anyone looking to advance in their executive comms career.
Continue Reading →The post EPISODE #78: CRAFTING STORIES THAT RESONATE – FELICITY BARBER ON EXECUTIVE COMMS appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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Patrick Rogan of Ignition HR joins Chip to discuss the FTC’s new ruling on non-compete agreements and expected adjustments to overtime pay regulations.
Continue Reading →The post CWC 100: Practical HR advice on new overtime and non-compete rules (featuring Patrick Rogan) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss the importance of balancing senior and junior hires in agencies, highlighting the pros and cons of primarily staffing with senior level talent.
Continue Reading →The post ALP 228: Should your small agency hire senior-level pros? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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Just how much influence do online influencers wield? According to a Sprout Social report, nearly half of all consumers make purchases based on influencer recommendations, and influencers appear to nobody more than Gen Zers. Those born between 1997 and 2012 -- the oldest of whom are now in their mid-20s with increasing buying power -- are even partial to AI-generated influencers, casting doubt on the importance of authenticity (and even how authenticity is defined). Neville and Shel break down the report and explore what it means to marketers in this short midweek episode.
Continue Reading →The post FIR #405: Gen Z’s Connection with Influencers appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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In this episode, Chip and Brad Farris of Anchor Advisors discuss the importance of effective leadership and meetings in agencies, emphasizing the owner's unique role in providing vision and direction.
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The post CWC 99: Modernizing leadership in meetings (featuring Brad Farris) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.
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