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The November installment of the Hobson & Holtz Report includes reports on these stories:

• A spoof airline fooled a lot of people. Experts say it had some good ideas.
• A look at some technological behaviors adopted during the pandemic but that are likely to outlast it.
• Twitter is the source of some remarkable PR pitch fails.
• Digital-only financial services startups are turning to influencers to help build their brands.
• Retailers and other brands are pressuring employees to become TikTok influencers for them.
• What happened when humans stopped managing social media content? (It wasn’t pretty.)
• Dan York’s Tech Report explores Twitter “Fleets,” Google search results and “page experience,” and Google’s new webinars and its partnership with PRX.

Our FIR recording sessions are now being streamed live, because why not? We already stream it in order to capture a backup recording on YouTube; we’ve just been making these restricted streams. We have decided to make them public so you can watch and comment. Our next recording is Saturday, December 19 at noon ET. You’ll see our pre-recording conversation as well as seeing how the sausage gets made. Watch here.

We are hosting an FIR Communicators Coffee Break on Zoom each Thursday during the stay-at-home period at 1 p.m. ET (though not on Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.). For credentials, contact Shel or Neville directly or request the credentials in our Facebook group or send an email to fircomments@gmail.com. Spread the word to your communications community.

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

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Neville’s link blog, Outbox, is available, as well.

Links from This Month’s Episode

• Minimizing email overload for remote teams
• The spoof airline that could actually predict the future of travel
• New technological behaviors will outlast the pandemic
• The Workplace is Dead. Long Live the Workplace.
• 10 embarrassing PR fails that show how not to pitch
• The “Fin-influencer” boom: Why Instagram and TikTok are the new battlegrounds for digital banks
• Retailers are pushing their employees to become TikTok influencers
• What happened when humans stopped managing social media content
• Coronavirus: Facebook accused of forcing staff back to offices

Links from Dan York’s Report

• Fleets: a new way to join the conversation
• Timing for bringing page experience to Google Search
• Google’s new webinars in their partnership with PRX

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

About Neville Hobson

Neville Hobson is a communicator, social strategist, consultant, digital change agent, writer, and podcaster. He is co-founder and co-host of the 'For Immediate Release' podcast. Since 2000, his career has focused on working with organisations globally to help them leverage his experiences, knowledge and subject-matter expertise of social networks, social media marketing, analytics and insights reporting, to create and build foundations for authentic engagement and to expand online reach and influence. Full bio

About Dan York

Dan York focuses on explaining the changes going on all around us within communication technology and practices. In addition to producing FIR on Technology, Dan is a long-time contributor to The Hobson & Holtz Report. Full bio