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This is a landmark episode of “For Immediate Release.” It’s the first show of 2018, the beginning of our 14th year of podcasting, and the introduction of a new, faster-paced format with a shorter overall runtime. Joining host Shel Holtz for some quick conversation are Gini Dietrich (on Snapchat’s new feature that lets you embed Snapchat Stories anywhere on the web), Paul Barton (on the increasing focus companies are placing on employee experience, or EX), and Olivier Blanchard (on just how much chatbots and smart audio will become part of our daily lives in 2019).

Also in this episode:

• Text descriptions for images shared on Twitter
• The ROI of denouncing sexual harassment
• An Augmented Reality version of the printed edition of TIME magazine
• A surge in the use of QR codes, notably in mobile coupons
• In Dan York’s Tech Report, the Meltdown and Spectre bugs; the rise of esports; the apparent demise of niche-oriented online communities; and Mark Zuckerberg’s personal project of the year

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

About today’s guests

Paul Barton, ABC, is business communications consultant who combines fresh thinking with decades of experience. Before beginning his solo practice as Principal Consultant at Paul Barton Communications and Phoenix Public Speaking, he had a successful 20-year career leading internal communications at six fast-growing Fortune 500 companies in multiple industries. Those experiences led him to write the book Maximizing Internal Communication. Paul is a long-time and accredited member of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), and he is a frequent workshop presenter on internal communication, crisis communication, and public speaking. Paul also is a “serial adjunct-preneur,” teaching courses in business communication and public speaking at several colleges in the Phoenix area. When not working, you can find Paul enjoying life with his family and playing guitar.

Olivier Blanchard is a French-born, American-based Brand Management and Digital Marketing consultant, the author of two best-selling books, and an acclaimed keynote speaker. As a Senior Analyst with Futurum Research, Olivier helps organizations better understand the crucial role that emerging technologies like Cloud computing, Big Data, Virtualization, Augmented Reality, Smart Automation, IoT and AI will play their industries and markets over the next 10 to 20 years. Though based in the US, his geographic range extends beyond North America to Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. Olivier is the author of the best-selling #1 social business desk reference for digital managers and business executives: Social Media ROI: Managing and Measuring Social Media Efforts In Your Organization (Que/Pearson). Olivier is also a sought-after subject-matter expert and corporate trainer.

Gini Dietrich is the founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, a Chicago-based integrated marketing communications firm.  She is the lead blogger at the PR and marketing blog, Spin Sucks, is co-author of Marketing In the Round, and is co-host of Inside PR, a weekly podcast about communications and social media.  Her second book, Spin Sucks, is now available! She speaks, she writes for Crain’s Chicago Business and other publications.

Links from this episode

• Twitter lets you describe your pics for the visually impaired
• How speaking out against sexual harassment benefits the bottom line
• Snapchat Looking to Publish Content on Third-Party Websites With ‘Stories Everywhere’
• Sonia Speaks: How IC Professionals Step Up to a Leadership Role
• TIME’s AR issue
• Surge In QR Codes In Mobile Retail
• 2018 Will Be the Year of Employee Experience
• Amazon’s Alexa Will Help Power a Pair of Smart Glasses
• Speak, shower and shave: Kohler brings smarts to your bathroom
• UK police turn to Amazon Echo in the fight against crime
• Here’s How People Say Google Home And Alexa Impact Their Lives
• GE is making a smart ceiling light and light switch with Alexa and Google Assistant
• Amazon Alexa tops U.S. Android and iOS app stores, suggesting strong holiday Echo sales
• 2018 will be the year chatbot conversations get real

Links from Dan York’s Tech Report

• Meltdown and Spectre
• Video Game League Aims to Become the New NFL
• How to Get Rich Playing Video Games Online
• The year we wanted the internet to be smaller
• Mark Zuckerberg’s note

About Shel Holtz

Shel Holtz, ABC (Accredited Business Communicator), is director of Internal Communications at Webcor, a commercial general contractor headquartered in San Francisco. Before joining Webcor, Shel spent 21 years as principal of Holtz Communication + Technology. In addition to integrating technology into communications strategies, his expertise includes strategic communications planning, change management, organizational culture, business initiatives and communications research. Full bio