AI has been invading every area of our lives since the launch of ChatGPT about a year-and-a-half ago. Especialy with how we find info and get answers online. What does this mean for marketers, especially those involved with content and SEO? To find out, we invited our friend and SEO guru Mark Traphagen back onto the podcast. It was a great conversation. In 20 minutes, Mark shed light on these areas: How big a deal is AI for search and SEO? State of the tech and how it works Short and long term impact Next steps for big brands and niche players PR that can assist optimization efforts Thanks, Mark for joining the podcast and sharing your insight! You can find Mark and connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marktraphagen/ Also, he posts regularly on the seoClarity blog: https://www.seoclarity.net/seo-content-learning-center
The podcast is PR, Done & Doner, but it was the Nic and Vic show when we welcomed Nic Silver and Vikram Ekambaram to discuss the emerging world of AI agents and GenAI in PR and marketing. Both have built businesses and expertise applying the technology to areas like content, social media posting, demand generation, lead qualification, GTM and other use cases. It was a wide ranging conversation that should be of interest to PR & marketing teams who want to get a better grasp on AI and how it can help meet their goals.We covered these topics and others:Favored tools for agents, GenAI, orchestrationContent acceleration and GTM solutionsCoping with rapid AI change; and resulting org. changeHow to achieve success with the techWhat's next in AIThanks, Nic and Vik for joing the podcast and sharing your expertise. Here is their info if you'd like to reach out to the guests:Nic Silverhttps://digitalalchemy.social/ (newsletter)https://www.nicsilver.com/ (website)contact@nicsilver.comVikram EkambaramContact info - vikram@vyceralsolutions.comLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vekambar
In this episode we welcome back Co-Communications founder and CEO Stacey Ross Cohen. Stacey is an accomplished PR pro, an educator and also an author; we discussed her books Brand Up and Brand Up 2.0 before launching into the topic at hand: how to best adapt to the many changes rocking the PR world.It was a lively chat. We compared notes on what's happening, implications for the field, and offered advice for agency and internal comms teams. There are a number of challenges - but each presents new opportunities, too:AI: how is it helping, hurting, what should PR teams do?Changes in media landscape, blurring lines of paid and earned.Emergence of alternative media channels.The importance of thinking holistically, and integration with other marketing channels.Measuring and achieving the results that really count.Thanks for tuning in! And thank you, Stacey, for sharing your insights.
It was great having Kourtney Jason on the podcast. She was an entertainment journalist before launching and growing book publicity and digital marketing agency Pacific and Court.Kourtney offered advice on how to improve media relations and results.We discussed top tips, such as:How to succeed in a changing media landscape.The growth of alternative media channels, and how to best identify and pursue them.Honing outreach based on timing, freelance vs. staff writers, headline consideration.Thinking outside the email pitch boxA new media opportunity alerting serviceHacks for finding journo emailsThe importance of research to understand an outlet's voice.Thank you, Kourtney, for sharing your insight with our audience, and thanks , listeners, for tuning in. You can reach Kourtney at:kourtney@pacificandcourt.com
Some may take a dim view of hype and publicity stunts. But both can be used in good ways to break out of the boxes of email pitches and press releases.Joining host Bob Geller is Michael F. Schein, author of The Hype Handbook, and Joseph Dans, host of the Creativity and Tech in Business and Life radio show, on WTBQ AM and FM in the greater NY area.We discussed the use of these things and big ideas to advance PR goals. It was a wide ranging conversation covering these points and others:Hype history - Edward Bernays, PR inventor and hype artistThe cornerstones of ethical hypeShake up your program with creativity and big ideasExamples of successful stuntsThanks, Michael and Joe, for joining the podcast and sharing your insight. You can find them at these Web addresses:https://michaelfschein.com/https://wtbq.com/wednesday/
In this episode, digital marketing consultant Neal Schaffer joined the podcast to discuss setting the social media agenda for 2025.We talked about his new book, Digital Threads , and the importance of taking a digital-first approach in marketing. The conversation covered these points and others:Putting the SES (search, email and social media) cornerstones in place.Advice for PR teamsThe most critical piece of advice for social media success.Should you stay or should you go now? (The incursion of politics into social media - which networks to leave behind and which to join or double down on?)Neal, I have truly enjoyed our collaboration over the years. Thanks for joining the podcast and sharing your insights.Everyone, please check out his sitehttps://nealschaffer.com/to learn about Neal's services and books.
We invited Ben Guttmann, author of Simply Put, on the podcast. It's a book about how to intentionally design simple, clear and effective messages. Ironically, getting simple is not necessarily easy. His book is a great guide, with practical, actionable tips, anectodes, and research behind the ideas. In 30 minutes, Ben took us on a tour of the challenges, benefits and cornerstones of designing messages that can rise above the noise and hit home. We covered these topics and others: The disconnect between message senders and receivers Cornerstones of simple messages Putting the ideas into practice The importance of the 1000 most common words How AI and other tools can help You can connect with Ben and download the first chapter of Simply Put for free at BenGuttmann.com. Also check out the Resources page for a tool that can help you write more simply.
Shahar Silbershatz, CEO of reputation management and analytics firm Calber joined the podcast in a fascinating conversation about the impact of executive brands on company reputation and business. That was the just the main course; the 30 minutes were crammed with useful and actionable info across a number of topics that should be of great interest to comms pros. We discussed: Comparisonn of brand measurement methods. The emergence of always on, real-time surveys and panels. Connection between CEO and company reputation. How to convert data into PR results. The decline of the tech and CEO brands, and what to do about it. How to be an effective and visible thought leader in today's hyper-polarized, perilous world. Shahar shared interesting case studies, especially around a PR campaign regarding Elon Musk and Tesla's business performance that got covered in Reuters, CNN and others. He also dished on survey data about the reputations of tech CEOs, answering: Which ones are most recognized and liked/disliked? The two tech leaders who are most often associated with their respective companies. Which tech leaders are liked more than their companies and vice versa? We think you will enjoy and get a lot out of this podcast, so check it out. And thanks, Shahar, for joining, and sharing your insight. To get in touch with Shahar, you can connect with him on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/silbershatz/ Caliber Website https://www.groupcaliber.com/ In Tech we Trust? post https://www.groupcaliber.com/in-tech-we-trust/ CNN story: What's wrong with Tesla? https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/07/business/tesla-ev-sales-slowdown-stock/index.html
Podcasts have taken off, and many are seeking to leverage the medium for brand building and thought leadership. Most PR teams have likely by now gotten involved with pitching podcasts and getting spokespeople on the shows. But what about launching a CEO podcast? In this episode, PR, Done and Doner host Bob Geller spoke with Saul Marquez, the CEO and Founder of Outcomes Rocket, a globally recognized digital marketing agency and podcast of the name. Saul also hosts the show, which features interviews with the most inspiring leaders in healthcare. We had a great chat in which Saul demysitified the process of launching a CEO/executive podcast, and shared interesting data and insights about the benefits and potential ROI. Here are some of the questions and points we discussed: The growth in CEO podcasters and listeners Podcasting to drive top of funnel awareness Steps to building a successful CEO podcast Goal setting, analytics, ROI Saul's 4 tips for executive podcasters During the show, Saul shared some interesting third party research findings, e.g. 55% of business owners and founders listen to podcasts daily. You can download the report here: https://lowerstreet.co/blog/reach-ceos-and-other-key-decision-makers-with-podcasts We hope you enjoy the episode. Feel free to contact Saul at saul@outcomesrocket.com Thanks, Saul for participating and sharing your insights.
For this end-of-year epsisode, we invited a roundtable of comms experts to critique high profile videos of interviews that went off the rails in 2023. We discussed what went wrong, what went right, and offered tips (and yes, maybe a little snark), through the lens of long time PR pros. Participating were: Bob Geller, host Jordant Chanofsky, Fusion PR CEO & Founder Olga Shmuklyer, Fusion PR SVP Mark Prindel, Fusion PR Director It was a lot of fun (not that we take great pleasure in painful interviews; spend a lot of time helping clients avoid or navigate such situations). There were many cringeworthy moments, and unforgettable quotes, from interviews of Elon Musk, X CEO Linda Yaccarino, several Ivy League universtiy presidents, and Oracle CEO Saffra Katz. So check it out, we'd love to hear any feedback and hope you enjoy. And thanks, panel, for offering your insights.
This is a special episode covering the situation in Israel, recorded one month after the terrible attack. It is a time of tragedy and strong emotions; and it is not always clear how to best respond - how should companies communicate? Should they get politcial and react to anti-Israel sentiment? We invited guests who work on the ground in the Israeli tech community, a Fusion PR partner and a client: Yotam Gutman: cyber marketing and business development consultant Shai Alani, VP marketing, Aporia It was an intense, wide ranging and sometimes emotional discussion that sought answers to these questions: Impact on lives, families and the tech community How to best respond and communicate What should the message be to employees, customers, investors and the world? Thoughts on the US reaction Also, Shai Alani spoke about an effort organized by Israeli marketing executives to bring stories to the media and counter anti-Israel narratives. If you want to find out more, and help, please contact Shai on LinkedIn. Thanks, Shai and Yotam! Stay safe and strong.
This episode features a chat with Eric Yaverbaum, CEO of Ericho Communications and author of Public Relations for Dummies and Leadership Secrets of the World's Most Successful CEOs. He uses the latest influencer scandals (e.g., with Twitch star Kai Cenat and YouTuber Mr. Beast) as a lens to view the state and future of crisis management. Eric speaks at length about crisis strategy with newer social platforms such as TikTok and Twitch, and impications for crisis comms in the next six months to ten years and beyond. It was a fun and interesting conversation. Eric shared examples, citing some famous names he has worked with (celebrities, influencers and brands). He shed light on these topics and others: The new rules of crisis management Unintended consequences of working with influencers Advice on working with influencers The importance of being prepared for a crisis, having a plan Eric gets caught up in the Kai Cenat scrum in Union Square, NYC Thanks, Eric, for joining and sharing your insight!
Host Bob Geller spoke with Stacey Ross Cohen recently about her new book, Brand Up (co-authored by Jason Shaffer and Alan Katzman), and the personal and company branding connection. Stacey is an accomplished PR pro and entrepreneur who earned her stripes on Madison Avenue and at major TV networks before launching and growing her own agency, Co-Communications. She is a frequent speaker at TedX and industry conferences. We discussed the challenges and opportunities in personal branding, from the junior employee to the C-suite, covering these topics and others: Why it’s important to get started early on in personal branding The CEO as a brand asset Countering personal branding misperceptions The 3Ds of personal branding: discovery, development, and delivery Magnetic content: why you need to be your own communications channel How to encourage employees to advocate for the company brand Should brands get political? Managing the tension between personal branding and your work Thanks for tuning in! And thank you, Stacey, for sharing your insights.
In this episode, PR D&D host Bob Geller interviews Gregory Hartley, a renowned body language expert and a panelist on the popular Behavior Panel YouTube channel. Gregory shares insights about human behavior gained from the battlefield and boardroom. He got his start as an army interrogator and instructor and brought the expertise to the business world, where he has been advising execs about the art of mastering and reading body language. It was a wide ranging discussion which covered these topics: Myths and misperceptions (spoiler alert, there is no foolproof liar's "tell") How to increase the power of your message 5 kinds of body language to watch and improve Why Trump's behavior is weird (and why Bill Clinton adapted his "illustrator" gestures) We had a great conversation. Since body language is inherently visual, you may want to watch the video on video-enabled podcasts or our YouTube channel. Thanks for tuning in! And thank you, Gregory, for sharing your insights. Here is The Behavior Panel website and a link to Gregory Hartley's books - he's written ten on the topic. For more information or to suggest guests or topics, please email bob.geller@fusionpr.com
Last time the podcast covered ChatGPT and its impact on PR, media and other fields. In this episode, we invited a panel of experts to discuss the adoption of LLM, generative, and other forms of AI in PR. Two vendors and a PR tech blogger spoke at length about challenges, opportunities and use cases. Host Bob Geller moderated the session which, included Frank Strong, CEO of Sword & the Script Media Zach Cutler, Co-Founder, CEO & Chairman at Propel Tressa Robbins, Vice President of Customer Onboarding, Burrelles We covered these points and others: PR tech vendor landscape, adoption of AI AI to generate & analyze content, monitor media, and hone and target pitches Challenges Will AI take your job away? Avoiding quality pitfalls, ensuring responsible usage Where are we going with AI in PR? Current and emerging use cases Thanks for tuning in! And thank you, panel, for sharing your insights with PR, Done & Doner. For more information or to suggest guests or topics, please email bob.geller@fusionpr.com
PR, Done & Doner kicks off a new season with a discussion about achieving and proving great PR results. Renée Warren of We Wild Women, an agency that helps female entrepreneurs turn vision into impact, shares her experiences over many campaigns involving startups and tech companies. Host Bob Geller spoke with Renée about these topics: The importance of measuring and connecting PR to business outcomes Tech tools ranging from spreadsheets to commercial solutions PR attribution: what it is, how to do track Case studies Renée is a dynamo, a great speaker, author, entrepreneur and a fellow podcaster. You can read more about PR attribution in her article on the PRowly blog https://prowly.com/magazine/pr-attribution/ About Renée Warren: Renée Warren is an award-winning entrepreneur, inspirational speaker, author, and founder of We Wild Women, a platform that helps women-led businesses amplify their visibility. She’s also the host of the celebrated podcast, Into the Wild, a program that features curated interviews with women entrepreneurs and provides actionable advice to women who are launching or growing their own dream businesses. Renée firmly believes that the best advice comes from someone who has successfully done it before. Her approach to PR comes from over 23 years of experience as an entrepreneur, running marketing and PR agencies, and being an unapologetic risk-taker. When she's not crafting the ultimate pitch for her clients or podcasting, you can find Renée spending time with her family. In addition, she loves CrossFit, travel, and refining her drumming skills.
This special episode of PR, Done & Doner features highlights from interviews over the past year. It wasn't easy picking the best moments, because there were so many truly great guests covering important topics. Here, we share insights that the hosts found to be interesting, informative and actionable, in snippets of 1-3 minutes each. We have combined experience of many decades of PR work - yet learned new and surprising things through these interviews. So check it out. The podcast includes three groups of clips, about creating influence, executive leadership, and PR in tech segments, featuring the following speakers: Kevin Maney, co-author of Playing Bigger, management consultant, top-tier journalist Mark Traphagen, SEO guru and influencer Robin Schaffer, analyst relations consultant Chris Holscher, analyst relations consultant Diego Pineda, thought leadership guru and author Brette Goldstein, executive coach and casting director Daniel Nelson, crypto journalist Mark Hollmer, insurtech journalist Joseph Steinberg, cyebrsecurity influencer and top-tier contributor There were many other great moments and speakers, feel free to go back and binge on our episodes. We will be running other roundups, as it is impossible to get everything into one episode. Thank you PR, Done & Doner fans - wishing you joyous holidays and a happy new year!
Many in tech and Silicon Valley have closely watched the Theranos saga. It's kept entrepreneurs up at night wondering: does the Holmes conviction spell the end of smoke and mirror pitch decks and the "fake it 'til you make it" Valley ethos? It's also caused concern in the tech PR and marketing circles. You've heard of hate crimes. As we go forward and do PR, and others in marketing go out there and market and advertise, it is a logical question: are we committing hype crimes? In this episode, host Bob Geller speaks with noted legal analyst and commentator Aron Solomon to get answers to these questions. About Aron Solomon A Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer, Aron Solomon, JD, is the Chief Legal Analyst for Esquire Digital and the Editor of Today’s Esquire. He has taught entrepreneurship at McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania and was elected to Fastcase 50, recognizing the top 50 legal innovators in the world. Aron has been featured in Forbes, CBS News, CNBC, USA Today, ESPN, TechCrunch, The Hill, BuzzFeed, Fortune, Venture Beat, The Independent, Fortune China, Yahoo!, ABA Journal, Law.com, The Boston Globe, NewsBreak, and many other leading publications.
In this episode, host Bob Geller speaks with Dan Prince, a B2B PR and marketing pro who achieved success at companies like Accenture, Alliant, Deloitte, Marsh, and Willis for over 20 years before launching his own shop, Prince Communications. Dan discusses his career at length, and lessons from the client side that helped him grow as a PR professional and agency owner. It is a great POV, because Dan worked with many PR agencies, and managed teams that were responsible for PR and MarCom. We cover topics such as: Does agency size matter? How not to pitch a PR prospect Measuring and reporting results Connecting PR and MarCom to sales How to keep programs on track Setting and managing internal stakeholder expectations To contact Dan Prince, you can email him or check out his website and Linkedin. Email: dan@princecomms.com Website: https://princecomms.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danprincecomms/ Want to be a guest? Feel free to contact Bob Geller at Bob.Geller@Fusionpr.com with a topic and speaker suggestion.
Welcome to our first PR, Done & Doner podcast. In this episode, Bob Geller interviews Robin Schaffer, an industry analyst relations expert. Her company Schaffer AR helps B2B tech companies maximize results with analysts and get into the reports. Here, Robin counters myths and misperceptions about analysts, answers the most common questions asked by PR teams, and explains how to influence these key influencers. Robin Schaffer's Book "Analysts on Analyst Relations" is available on Amazon using the following link: https://www.amazon.com/Analysts-Analyst-Relations-Robin-Schaffer/dp/0906378133 You can contact Robin Schaffer via her email robin@schafferar.com To contact Bob Geller about the podcast or features he can be reached at Bob.Geller@Fusionpr.com