We’re thinking of Cindy Crescenzo as she deals with a difficult time and had to bow out of this week’s episode, but David Grossman and Mark Story still joined me for a stimulating conversation about another brand — this time, Tic Tac — that dealt in close to real time with an unwelcome cultural reference; a survey that found nearly 70% of company staffs don’t know what the company strategy is (and bad communication is the top reason); as CCOs and CMOs face the shift to digital, a study from Pew Research Center finds that a lot of people in our audiences aren’t ready, especially to learn via digital channels; and much more.

• A growing number of companies are applying sentiment analysis to internal communication. Is that good or is it to Big Brother-like for employees?

Continue Reading →

The post FIR #56: Strategy? What strategy? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Three PR agency thought leaders were on the panel: Gerry Corbett, Phil Gomes, and Joe Thornley. The discussion looked at how Ford and the United Auto Workers handled inaccurate charges levelled at Ford during the presidential debate (and whether real-time marketing is winding down as a useful tactic), whether PR’s future is in integrated marketing (and what happens to traditional media-focused PR), the challenges facing communicators at Wells Fargo, the revelation of an ethically-questionable media tactic by the FDA and other government and scientific organizations, how Internet Society employees were blindsided by trolls, and more.
Continue Reading →

The post FIR #55: Beating Back the Trolls appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Employee engagement was a constant theme in this week’s conversation with iCology founder Chuck Gose, internal communication measurement thought leader Angela Sinickas, and BBVA’s global head of employee communication, Peter Vogt. (Don’t worry; if you’re not involved with employee communication, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into in this episode for you, too.) Our topics included a look at the dark side of employee engagement, internal communications’ slow uptake of mobile technology, whether companies need to consider their talent brand, why company mission statements aren’t resonating with employees, and much more.
Continue Reading →

The post FIR #54: Our most engaging episode appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Today’s panel features Owner Media Group CEO Chris Brogan, MarketingProfs Chief Content Officer Ann Handley, and Scott Monty  of Scott Monty Strategies. Our topics included a number of breaking Twitter stories, the shift from big-name celebrity influencers to niche influencers (and whether the practice should even be called “influencer marketing”), a kerfuffle and a new social tool at YouTube, the kinds of email subject lines that appeal to journalists, brands’ continued use of organic posts on Facebook, comment filtering on Instagram, and much more.
Continue Reading →

The post FIR #53: PewDiePie is not happy appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Today’s panel features social media and communications consultant Richard Binhammer, Zoetica Media CEO Kami Huyse, and Little Bird co-founder and board chairman Marshall Kirkpatrick. Our topics included the “Social Contract with Patients” published by Allergan’s CEO that outlined the company’s commitment to restrict price increases for its drugs (the post also referred to those who boost their drug prices “outliers” who threaten the ecosystem); eMarketer’s projection that Snapchat will earn almost $1 billion in ad revenue next year and how communicators should start taking advantage of the service; Ford Motor Company’s move into businesses other than making cars for individuals to buy (because they’ve seen the writing on the wall for individual car ownership) and what it means for communicators when the vehicles people ride in become moving entertainment systems; the state of influencer marketing; and much more.
Continue Reading →

The post FIR #52: All About Influence appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.