Interviews
FIR Interviews
Tuesday, April 02, 2013
FIR Interview: Steve Rubel, Chief Content Strategist, Edelman
The race to take advantage of new ways that consumers read, watch and listen to content - and how marketers want to sponsor those initiatives - has led a giant public relations agency to name a senior executive to a new, content-centric post.
That’s how The New York Times reported on the appointment of Steve Rubel as Chief Content Strategist at Edelman, the global PR firm, in February.
In his new role, Rubel - previously the PR firm’s Executive Vice President of Global Strategy and Insights - is responsible for creating and cultivating best practices in content strategy from inside and outside the firm and for piloting new and innovative programs such as media partnerships that blend paid, earned and owned disciplines.
In this FIR Interview - the fourth time since 2005 that we’ve had the pleasure of talking to Steve on FIR - co-hosts Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation with him in which he explains his thinking on a media ecosystem that, he says, is in a constant state of flux. He considers the evidence for, and pointers to, a rapidly-evolving communication landscape where content isn’t the only king.
"As more brands ramp up their efforts to become storytellers in their own right, some are choosing to bypass certain agencies in favor of working directly with media owners," he says. He believes this presents significant challenges and opportunities for PR firms as media firms move to disintermediate parts of the agency ecosystem - all in a quest for survival.
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About our Conversation Partner
Steve Rubel is Chief Content Strategist at Edelman, based in New York City. Since joining Edelman in 2006, Rubel has driven the firm’s thinking on the future of media and how content is produced, distributed, consumed and monetized across four screens.
Rubel works with teams across the network to help clients better understand and take advantage of the changes occurring in media consumption habits. He has provided strategic counsel to clients such as Adobe, Starbucks, Samsung, GE and many others. This work includes developing new approaches for partnerships between clients and media outlets.
Rubel is an industry thought leader on media trends, and has been a monthly columnist in Advertising Age since 2006. He has published two Clip Reports, which provide a look at the future of media. Rubel frequently speaks at conferences on media trends and has also been named to several prestigious lists, including PRWeek’s 40 Under 40. He was an early blogger on LinkedIn as part of their INfluencer Program and currently has more than 78,000 followers on Twitter.
Prior to joining Edelman, Rubel worked for 15 years in a variety of marketing communications positions in corporate, non-profit and small/mid-sized PR firms, including CooperKatz where he was an early pioneer in using social media in client programs. Before becoming an EVP in 2011, he served in a similar capacity in the firm’s Digital practice for five years.
Connect with Steve on Twitter: @steverubel.
Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future interviews, in the online FIR communities on Facebook, Friendfeed and Google+. You can also email us at fircomments@gmail.com; call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: @FIRpodcast. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.
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This FIR Interview is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.
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Wednesday, February 13, 2013
FIR Interview: Allan Schoenberg, CME Group, on social media and the futures industry
A strategic approach to planning and implementing social media initiatives has played a significant and measurable role in enabling the CME Group to claim a position that is ahead of the curve when it comes to using social media among financial exchanges.
The world’s largest future exchanges and owner of the Dow Jones stock and financial indexes, CME Group was an early adopter and experimenter with social media. Since starting out five years ago, the organization has expanded from a few publicly-available tools to a host of enterprise-wide applications. Customers, future customers (students), partners, competitors, regulators and employees have also integrated social media into their daily routines.
In this FIR Interview, Allan Schoenberg, the CME Group’s Executive Director Corporation Communications, tells FIR co-hosts Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson what his organization has done so far as the B2B social media space continues to be a land of opportunity for businesses.
Schoenberg explains the four key areas he and his global team are focusing on - content management, distribution, internal stakeholders, and metrics - to better organize and further enhance what the organization does. He talks about the role of advocacy, the regulatory environment regarding communication and social media, the evolution of niche networks and building community.
The conversation offers keen insight into an integrated, strategic and effective approach to embracing social media. It showcases the recognition CME Group has earned in its industry for being a leader in the social media space, which fits well with its culture of innovation and customer service.
Get this podcast:
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About our Conversation Partner
Allan Schoenberg is Executive Director of Corporate Communications for CME Group (@CMEGroup), the world’s leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace.
Based in London, he manages international corporate communications for the company, which includes media relations, social media, reputation management and exchange partner relationships.
Prior to working at CME Group, Allan was with Accenture, Edelman and Fleishman Hillard. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University in Economics and his master’s degree in Communications Management from Syracuse University.
Allan is a regular contributor of content to the blog B2B Voices. You can follow Allan on Twitter: @allanschoenberg.
Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future interviews, in the online FIR communities on Facebook, Friendfeed and Google+. You can also email us at fircomments@gmail.com; call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: @FIRpodcast. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.
To receive all For Immediate Release podcasts including the weekly Hobson & Holtz Report, subscribe to the full RSS feed.
This FIR Interview is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.
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Monday, January 28, 2013
FIR Interview: Francis Ingham, CEO PRCA, on PR apprenticeships
In July 2012, the first national PR Higher Apprenticeship qualification programme in the UK was announced by the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA), Pearson in Practice, Edexcel and Skills CFA. It intends to create 600 apprenticeship roles within the PR industry over a three-year period.
Six months on, how has the programme progressed? In early January 2013, a significant change arose when Pearson announced its withdrawal as part of a significant shift in that company’s broad business focus. What impact will that have on the future of the programme?
Francis Ingham, Director General of the PRCA, joined FIR co-host Neville Hobson in conversation to discuss the programme, its progress since launch, examples of companies and individuals who have participated so far, and offered insight into the development of such a programme in the UK.
Francis also commented on the PRCA Intern Guidelines, recently announced, to improve industry standards in treatment of interns.
- Download the MP3 file (8.64Mb, 18:49)
- Get the show on iTunes
- Subscribe to the FIR Interviews RSS feed
- Get the FIR app for your iPhone, and for your Android device from the Amazon App Store
About our Conversation Partner
Francis Ingham is Director General of the UK Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA), and Executive Director of the International Communications Consultancy Association (ICCO). The PRCA is the professional body that represents UK PR industry, which promotes all the aspects of public relations work, upholds the highest standards of excellence and acts as the industry spokesman. The ICCO is the global PR body representing 28 national associations in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas and Australia.
Prior to joining the PRCA in 2007, Ingham worked in public affairs and politics, including periods at the Conservative Party and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). He has also been Vice Chairman of an NHS trust, a local Councillor, a political editor of a magazine, and a director of a think tank. He is a Visiting Fellow of Westminster University, a Trustee of The Speakers’ Corner Trust and a member of the Governing Court of the City of London Public Relations Guild.
Connect with Francis on Twitter: @PRCAIngham.
Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future interviews, in the online FIR communities on Facebook, Friendfeed and Google+. You can also email us at fircomments@gmail.com; call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: @FIRpodcast. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.
To receive all For Immediate Release podcasts including the weekly Hobson & Holtz Report, subscribe to the full RSS feed.
This FIR Interview is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.
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Thursday, January 03, 2013
FIR Interview: Intel’s Ekaterina Walter on her new book, Think Like Zuck
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is a lightning rod for controversy, but there is no denying that his entrepreneurial vision led to the creation of one of the most important tools of our time. With over 1 billion active users, Facebook has redefined networking and had a massive influence on branding, marketing and customer engagement. In her new book, Think Like Zuck, Intel social media strategist Ekaterina Walter explores the five critical elements that drive the success of Facebook and businesses like it, including having passion to change the world, clear vision and higher purpose to execute, extraordinary team-building skills, and a flexible business strategy.
In this FIR interview, co-hosts Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz spend half an hour with Walter discussing the book and her motivation for writing it.
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About our Conversation Partner
Ekaterina Walter is a social innovator at Intel. A recognized business and marketing thought leader, she is a speaker and a regular contributor to Mashable, Fast Company, Huffington Post, and other leading-edge print and online publications. She is an author of the book Think Like Zuck: The Five Business Secrets of Facebook’s Improbably Brilliant CEO Mark Zuckerberg Walter has been featured in Forbes and BusinessReviewUSA and was named among 25 Women Who Rock Social Media in 2012. She sits on a Board of Directors of Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) and is an active member of the Thunderbird Global Council at Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Connect with Ekaterina on Twitter @Ekaterina.
Share your comments or questions about this show, or suggestions for future shows, in the online FIR communities on Facebook, Friendfeed and Google+.
You can also email us at fircomments@gmail.com; call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.
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This FIR Interview is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.
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Tuesday, December 18, 2012
FIR Interview: Dell IdeaStorm Project Manager Cy Jervis
Dell was one of the first companies to make a serious commitment to social media and today is one of the most frequently cited companies when conversation turns to businesses that do social media well. Starting with its first blog, Dell has demonstrated how to listen to customers and engage with them.
One of the more compelling social media activities Dell introduced in the early days was IdeaStorm, one of the first formal efforts by an organization to crowdsource ideas from customers for improving products and for new products.
Cy Jervis currently manages IdeaStorm. Originally one of the customers contributing to the tool, he was recruited to run the site based on his understanding of its potential and his passion for the platform. In this interview, conducted by FIR co-host Shel Holtz on the floor of Dell World 2012 in Austin, Texas, Jervis talks about IdeaStorm’s current role, the various kinds of activities that take place on the platform, and his hopes for IdeaStorm in the future.
Get this podcast:
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About our Conversation Partner
Cy Jervis started his journey with Dell as a customer who joined the community to connect with fellow owners and the company. Over time, he became the top contributor to IdeaStorm and eventually was hired by Dell to run the site. also manage the Twitter accounts for @IdeaStorm and @DellEnterprise as well as a few other Dell Social Media accounts. Before joining Dell, he was a communications supervisor in the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office. Outside of Dell, Cy describes himself as a computer geek who loves movies, travel, photography, video games and spending time with his wife and two children (a boy and a girl).
Connect with Cy on Twitter @CyJervis, and with IdeaStorm at @IdeaStorm.
Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future interviews, in the FIR FriendFeed Room. You can also email us at fircomments@gmail.com; call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIRpodcast. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.
To receive all For Immediate Release podcasts including the weekly Hobson & Holtz Report, subscribe to the full RSS feed.
This FIR Interview is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.
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Tuesday, December 04, 2012
FIR Interview: Craig Silverman on content curation
“Content curation” is a phrase we’ll hear more of as we all struggle to manage the flood of information that confronts us every day, and as demand for content increases.
Making sense of information abundance and message overload are the watchwords today. Finding, selecting and filtering content that is relevant, using simple but powerful tools to make the process efficient and effective, is a key business imperative.
In this FIR interview, co-host Neville Hobson met with Craig Silverman, director of content and product strategy at Spundge, the Montreal-based curation and publishing platform, on his recent visit to London.
Silverman highlights examples of how news organizations are using Spundge to research information and curate content to create stories for their publications; and considers how companies, professional services firms and other organizations can use a platform like Spundge to demonstrate and showcase their expertise and thought leadership.
The interview concludes with Silverman looking ahead to 2013 and offering his perspectives on content evolution, brand journalism and paid versus earned media; and looks at how content curation and publishing are becoming the foundational elements in establishing your subject-matter authority and building trust.
Get this podcast:
- Download the MP3 file (10.2Mb, 22:15)
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- Get the FIR app for your iPhone and for your Android device (visit the Android Market from your device)
About our Conversation Partner
Craig Silverman is an award-winning journalist and the founder of Regret the Error, a blog that reports on media errors and corrections, and trends regarding accuracy and verification. The blog moved to The Poynter Institute in December 2011, and he joined as Adjunct Faculty.
He is also director of content and product strategy at Spundge, building tools to enable knowledge workers to collaboratively discover, curate and create content.
Craig wrote a weekly column for the Toronto Star and has been a columnist for Columbia Journalism Review, The Globe And Mail and BusinessJournalism.org. He’s the former managing editor of PBS MediaShift, and was part of the team that launched OpenFile.ca, a Canadian online news start-up. His journalism and books have been recognized by the Mirror Awards, National Press Club, Canadian National Magazine Awards, and the Canadian Online Publishing Awards.
Connect with Craig on Twitter @CraigSilverman, and on Spundge.
Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future interviews, in the FIR FriendFeed Room. You can also email us at fircomments@gmail.com; call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIRpodcast. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.
To receive all For Immediate Release podcasts including the weekly Hobson & Holtz Report, subscribe to the full RSS feed.
This FIR Interview is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.
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Friday, November 02, 2012
FIR Interview: Lee LeFever of Common Craft
Lee LeFever, founder of explainer video company Common Craft, is out with a new book, “The Art of Explanation.” Far too few explanations are included in most communication and marketing efforts; the focus is on selling instead of explaining the whats and whys people may be wondering about. Common Craft’s well-known “In Plain English” videos set a standard for how a clear, easy-to-understand explanation can add value to a communication effort.
In this FIR interview, co-host Shel Holtz chats with LeFever about the book, Common Craft and explanations in general.
Get this podcast:
- Download the MP3 file (11.7Mb, 29:18)
- Get the show on iTunes
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- Get the FIR app for your iPhone and for your Android device (visit the Android Market from your device)
About our Conversation Partner
Lee LeFever is the Chief Explainer, illustrator and voice of Common Craft who is widely credited for inspiring the video explanation industry. Since 2007, the company has won numerous awards, created explanations for the world’s most respected brands including Intel, Google, Dropbox and Ford and earned over 50 million online video views. Today, Common Craft’s mission is to make the world a more understandable place to live and work by inspiring and equipping professionals to become explanation specialists.
Follow Common Craft on Twitter at @CommonCraft. Follow Lee at @leelefever.
Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future interviews, in the FIR FriendFeed Room. You can also email us at fircomments@gmail.com; call the Comment Line at +1 206 338 7960 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.
To receive all For Immediate Release podcasts including the weekly Hobson & Holtz Report, subscribe to the full RSS feed.
This FIR Interview is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.
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