You’re called into the office of your CEO. “We’re launching a new initiative,” he tells you, and then outlines just what that initiative is all about. As he talks enthusiastically, your blood runs cold. You know, as certainly as you know how to punctuate the possessive “its,” that there is no good way to tell this story without it going sideways. On episode 6 of Circle of Fellows, four IABC Fellows and moderator Shel Holtz (also a Fellow) will explore the various ways to handle the situation, from convincing leadership the initiative is a bad idea to delivering the message as effectively as possible.
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FIR Interview: Jason Kintzler on Compressor, a PR “Smart Bomb”
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Public Relations practitioners routinely attach Word documents, images, and other assets to emails as part of their pitches to journalists and influencers. In an effort to bring document-sharing into the 21st Webified world, Jason Kintzler (founder, president, and CEO of PitchEngine) introduced Compressor, which he describes as “a drag-and-drop OR smart bomb.” The idea is simple: Drag a Word document, JPG, PNG, or GIF file onto Compressor, add a headline, and suddenly you can share the files through Twitter, Facebook, email, or other channels.
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FIR Interview: Eric Schwartzman on going “OPEN” with learning modules
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Recognizing a need for compliance (and other) employee training on social media, Eric Schwartzman launched a new business called Comply Socially. He created 22 high-end learning modules that were purchased by a wide variety of companies. But recently, Eric changed gears dramatically, changing the name of the site to Social Media Training and licensing every one of the modules through Creative Commons. Now, anybody is free to download, edit, remix, and update these online courses.
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Talking Social Business with Krishna De joins the FIR Podcast Network lineup
The FIR Podcast Network is delighted to announce the launch of a new podcast on the FIR Podcast Network that will explore some of the latest tools and technology that you can put to use in your organisation. The podcast, Talking Social Business, is hosted by digital communications strategist Krishna De, a long-time listener of the FIR Network (you may recall her show introductions and exits for the earlier editions of FIR).
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FIR #22: Lawyers vs. humanity in Indianapolis
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Today’s panel includes Pure Performance Communications CEO Deirdre Breakenridge, Francine Hardaway of startup advisory firm Stealthmode Partners, and SeeDepth, Inc. CEO Christine Perkett. Today’s topics includeCarrier Corp’s ill-advised approach to announcing 1,400 layoffs as jobs move from Indianapolis to Monterrey, Mexico; why Advertising Value Equivalencies are back in the news (and how people have reacted); the impact of social media on the 2016 U.S. presidential election; how two startups are coping with big problems after raising billions of dollars; whether thought leaders have an obligation to comment on every issue that arises in their sphere of influence; and much more.
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FIR Interview: Jen McClure and Alex Parkinson on SNCR-Conference Board merger
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The Conference Board and the Society for New Communication Research announced today that they are merging. In this FIR Interview, Shel Holtz interviews SNCR co-founder and president Jen McClure and Conference Board Associate Director Alex Parkinson about the merger and the organizations’ plans for the future.
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Social Chorus is FIR’s latest sponsor
We are delighted to welcome Social Chorus as the latest sponsor on the FIR Podcast Network. Social Chorus will sponsor both For Immediate Release and EE Voice.
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FIR #21: Vying for relevance
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Today’s panel includes Richard Binhammer, one of the earliest adopters of social media for business while on the Dell communications team; Olivier Blanchard, director of Operations and Strategy at Frontspace Media; and Howard Greenstein, chief operating officer of DomainSkate and co-founder of the Social Media Club. Today’s topics include the 2016 crop of Super Bowl ads and whether the $5 million price tag might have been better spent on digital media, the need for CEOs to emerge from the shadows and take a more active role positioning their companies and good corporate citizens, the Bernie Sanders campaign’s use of SnapChat in New Hampshire (leading to a longer conversation on whether SnapChat is ready for prime time), and much more.
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FIR #20: Don’t call us lobbyists
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Today’s panel includes Shonali Burke, president and CEO of Shonali Burke Consulting; Chip Griffin, founder of CustomScoop and a communication consultant; and Doug Haslam, a senior consultant at Stone Temple Consulting. topics include an opinion from a New York state commission classifying PR practitioners as lobbyists, a new form of single-topic journalism, the rollout of Facebook Live to the Facebook iPhone app, steps to improve the chances of your video going viral, whether share of voice still matters as a metric, the turmoil at Twitter and whether it should guide communicators’ decisions about tweeting, and whether specialization is a good idea for agencies.
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Circle of Fellows #5: Certification, Accreditation, and Education
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Call them the “shuns:” communicators are routinely offered opportunities for certification, accreditation, and education (including everything from advanced degrees to continuing education credits). Which should you consider? What value can they add to your job and career? Four IABC Fellows explore the “shuns” and discuss IABC’s new certification program.
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