FIR #534: Is A Scandal-Based Marketing Campaign Worth the Risk?
When brands deliberately provoke outrage, is the backlash a crisis or a planned part of the marketing strategy? Reformation’s campaign featuring Olivia Jade Giannulli, whose family was embroiled in the college admissions scandal, raises questions about using controversy to sell products. The campaign’s charitable donation from each sale adds another layer to the discussion, but... Continue Reading → The post FIR #534: Is A Scandal-Based Marketing Campaign Worth the Risk? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network .
November 1, 2026Episode 1131 min
OTSP #11: Are You Reaching Your Frontline?
Reaching frontline employees takes more than an app, a digital sign, or a weekly briefing for supervisors to deliver. Employees working in manufacturing plants, on delivery routes, on construction sites, and in healthcare settings have different opportunities to receive information—and different needs. Communicators may not control the channels those employees rely on, and getting a message in front of someone doesn’t mean they understood it or could act on it. Before auditing channels or proposing another communication tool, organizations need to answer a more basic question: What are they trying to accomplish? In this episode of “On the Same Page,” Shel Holtz and Mark Dollins explore how to make frontline communication relevant, accessible, and useful. Drawing on recent studies and examples from their careers, they discuss working with local managers, equipping supervisors to interpret decisions, creating opportunities for employees to ask questions, and testing approaches before expanding them. They also challenge the assumption that frontline employees care only about schedules and pay, and offer a practical way to uncover the gap between publishing information and communicating it successfully. Continue Reading → The post OTSP #11: Are You Reaching Your Frontline? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network .
October 31, 2026Episode 1341 hr 0 min
Circle of Fellows #134: Lead, Communicate, and Connect
What becomes possible when people feel seen at work? As workplaces feel increasingly transactional, helping people know they matter is both a human and leadership imperative. When people feel seen, they are more likely to engage, contribute, connect, and thrive. There are many ways we help people feel seen, but one of the simplest and most powerful is appreciation: noticing who people are, what they bring, and the difference they make -- and letting them know. In this conversation, four IABC Fellows explored the role leaders and communicators play in creating workplaces where people feel seen, and appreciation becomes part of how we lead, communicate, and connect. What changes in people, teams, and organizations when people know they matter, and what gets in the way? Continue Reading → The post Circle of Fellows #134: Lead, Communicate, and Connect appeared first on FIR Podcast Network .
October 26, 2026Episode 5331 hr 25 min
FIR #533: The Two Distinct Realities of AI Adoption
In this long-form October 2026 episode of For Immediate Release, Neville and Shel report on FGS Global’s research, “Winning the Debate on AI.” More than 7,000 people across seven countries rate AI as the least trusted technology in widespread use, yet 37% became more positive after hearing about its benefits. Shel looks at Microsoft’s move of communications into its corporate, external, and legal affairs group, and its plan to put employees out front telling the company’s story. Neville examines OpenAI’s Locked Chats and the gap between the name and what the feature delivers. Shel reports on Fresh’s finding that 28% of employees meet company news through an AI summary first, and on how to write content that survives it. Neville asks what a Northern Ireland council’s return to a printed newsletter says about channels and measurement. Shel closes with the Wharton 2026 AI Adoption Report, in which managers and the employees they manage describe two very different workplaces. In his Tech Report, Dan York reports on the critical PHP vulnerabilities fixed in the October 21 security release. The two remote code execution flaws affect any server hosting a PHP application, which is why WordPress and other platforms urged immediate updates. Dan covers why the release was coordinated, the role AI plays in the story, and the xkcd comic that captures how much of the internet depends on a few critical components. He then turns to Freedom House’s Freedom on the Net 2026 report, “Seismic Shifts on the Global Internet,” and to the French government’s pressure on Meta, TikTok, and other platforms as protests spread this weekend. He closes with two fediverse stories: the Social Web Foundation’s Fediverse Multimedia Grants, funded by a $200,000 Interledger Foundation grant, and what’s coming in Mastodon 5.0, including a redesigned composer and navigation. We’d love to hear from you: comment on LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads, or WhatsApp, email fircomments@gmail.com with or without an audio file attached (or use the voicemail button on the FIR website to record a comment directly from the web). Continue Reading → The post FIR #533: The Two Distinct Realities of AI Adoption appeared first on FIR Podcast Network .
October 21, 2026Episode 1022 min
OTSP #10: The Decline in Employees’ Trust in Each Other
When companies talk about trust, the conversation usually centers on whether employees trust their leaders. But what happens when employees stop trusting each other? Edelman’s latest Trust at Work study found that trust in coworkers is falling faster than trust in managers or CEOs. That decline can undermine collaboration, weaken communication, and leave employees questioning their colleagues’ motives. Bad experiences with organizational change, including the introduction of AI, may be making matters worse. In this episode of On the Same Page, Shel and Mark explore why internal communicators should pay more attention to peer-to-peer trust. They discuss the everyday behaviors that build or erode trust, how managers shape relationships within their teams, and why candor matters when plans change or answers aren’t available. Along the way, they consider what communicators can measure, the behaviors they can reinforce, and where communication alone cannot solve the problem. Trust may appear in the company’s values, but keeping it alive takes more than putting the word on a wall. Continue Reading → The post OTSP #10: The Decline in Employees’ Trust in Each Other appeared first on FIR Podcast Network .
October 20, 2026Episode 53225 min
FIR #532: Do You Really Want That “Seat at the Table”?
Most communicators long for that coveted seat at the table. What do those who have attained it have to say about it? What does it take to achieve it? And does it deliver the kind of influence top-level communicators want? Neville and Shel explore the data and share their own thoughts in this short midweek... Continue Reading → The post FIR #532: Do You Really Want That “Seat at the Table”? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network .
October 12, 2026Episode 53121 min
FIR #531: Should You Mimic Your Detractors?
When misinformation strikes, PR professionals swing into action, directing people to accurate information. But will people follow your links? One study found that people are far more likely to see what you have to say if the invitation sounds much like the language used to invite them to the original misinformation. Neville and Shel discuss the idea in this short midweek FIR episode. Continue Reading → The post FIR #531: Should You Mimic Your Detractors? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network .
October 7, 2026Episode 927 min
OTSP #9: The Uneven Introduction of AI to Employees
Companies are urging employees to adopt AI—but a software rollout, training session, or announcement doesn’t necessarily prepare people for changes to their work. When expectations keep shifting, and the destination remains uncertain, how can organizations build trust and help employees move forward? In episode 9 of On the Same Page, Shel and Mark explore AI adoption as a change management challenge and the role internal communicators should play. They discuss listening to employees, challenging leadership assumptions, and building a flexible approach to change—along with the gap between recognizing the need for change management skills and developing them. Continue Reading → The post OTSP #9: The Uneven Introduction of AI to Employees appeared first on FIR Podcast Network .
October 6, 2026Episode 53021 min
FIR #530: Has AI Created a Demand for Human Ghostwriters?
The volume of AI slop appearing as thought leadership on LinkedIn has, according to the Financial Times, led to a surge in interest in human ghostwriters. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel discuss whether this makes sense or if it's just another case of people using AI poorly. Continue Reading → The post FIR #530: Has AI Created a Demand for Human Ghostwriters? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network .
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