
Tuesday, October 07, 2014
FIR Interview: Roger Bolton and Matt Gonring on Authentic Advocacy

Gauging the latest developments in stakeholder engagement theory and practice - and understanding their implications for those leading, managing and advising the communications function - is a primary goal of Authentic Advocacy, the latest research report from the Arthur W. Page Society.
Authentic Advocacy offers an in-depth look at how stakeholder engagement strategies are evolving and how Chief Communication Officers can best undertake them within their enterprise. It includes compelling findings about the nature of stakeholder engagement in today’s environment, learned through interviews conducted with CCOs at five leading companies - Cargill, Chevron, Lundbeck, Southwest Airlines and USAA. The report offers seven action steps for CCOs to consider when devising their approach to building and maintaining these critical stakeholder relationships.
In this FIR interview, co-hosts Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz discuss the Authentic Advocacy report with Arthur W. Page Society president, Roger Bolton, and Matt Gonring, co-chair of Page’s Stakeholder Engagement Workstream, and consider some of the challenges and opportunities the report highlights for CCOs, and the transformation required in the way companies operate and engage with their stakeholders.
Get this podcast:
- Download the MP3 file (16.3Mb, 40:37)
- Get the show on iTunes
- Subscribe to the FIR Interviews RSS feed
- Get the FIR app for your mobile device - Android | iPhone | Windows Phone | Windows 8 and 8.1
About our Conversation Partners
Roger Bolton is the president of the Arthur W. Page Society, the premier professional association for senior corporate communications executives. Members include the chief communications officers of the world’s major corporations, the CEOs of the most influential public relations agencies and leading academics from select business and communications schools.
Previously, he served as senior vice president of communications at Aetna, a $35 billion provider of health care benefits, with responsibility for all internal and external communications, advertising, brand management and corporate public involvement. Before Aetna, Bolton was IBM’s director of corporate media relations and director of communications for the IBM server and software groups.
Prior to his business career, Bolton served as assistant secretary of the Treasury for public affairs under President George H.W. Bush, assistant US trade representative for public affairs in the Executive Office of the President under President Reagan, and special assistant to President Reagan in the White House, with responsibility for the president’s relations with business and labor. He is a recipient of the US Treasury Distinguished Service Award.
- Connect with Roger on Twitter: @rogerbolton.
As a seasoned corporate executive, Matthew Gonring has a proven record of accomplishments derived from more than 35 years of experience building and leading marketing and corporate communications teams in manufacturing, consumer goods, professional/financial services, healthcare and airlines.
Matt most recently served as VP Corporate Communications with Jackson National Life, a $25 billion leader in financial services and the largest underwriter of variable annuities in the US. Prior to that he served as Vice President and Chief Communications Officer for Pactiv Corporation, a $3.4 billion leader in the consumer and foodservice packaging markets. Late in 2010, the company was acquired by Reynolds Group Holdings Limited, and Matt joined Jackson.
Matt holds a Masters degree in Public Relations from the School of Business, American University in Washington, DC, and Bachelor of Science degree in Communications and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin/Stevens Point. He is a member of the Graduate Faculty, Integrated Marketing Communications Program, at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and currently serves on the graduate faculty at George Washington University. He currently is on the Board of Directors of the Arthur W. Page Society, and Chairman Emeritus of the Institute for Public Relations.
- Connect with Matt on Twitter: @mpgonring.
Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.
You can also send us instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.
Check the FIR website for information about other FIR podcasts. To receive all podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the “everything” RSS feed.
This FIR Interview is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.
Podsafe music - On A Podcast Instrumental Mix (MP3, 5Mb) by Cruisebox.
Monday, October 06, 2014
AMP Up Your Social Media #33: How to Involve C-level Employees in Social Media Marketing
Brian Basilico started his first business - a recording studio - at age 18. After working for AT&T, he worked in recording and eventually worked with an agency in interactive marketing. 13 years ago, he opened his own business focusing on the trifecta of websites, analytics, and social media. Brian recently joined AMP UP Your Social Media’s host Glenn Gaudet to discuss social media marketing and how it relates to C-level employees.
“Education is one of the best ways to get C-level people…[to use new social media techniques]. It’s even more powerful if you can show a competitor doing that!”
Brian talks about ways to help CEOs and businesses understand how to develop a social media strategy:
- Establish your market. Knowing how to sell your product and how to utilize your marketing platform is all based on who your market consists of. People want to connect with businesses, so developing a presence through content helps to put a face to your business. Even if your marketing team is posting on behalf of the CEO, take the time to connect with and establish your market. Look for opportunities to utilize social media components to improve upon your traditional methods.
- Post in industry-specific groups. Even if your content is mostly informational, find content that creates a connection and engages your market. Build a reputation with skilled people in the industry in order to gain traction in the market and to gain a response. If you don’t have an industry-specific group to post to, create your own!
- Plan ahead. When you attend conferences and industry-related groups, take the time to plan ahead and meet up with folks who plan to attend. Then, when you attend the event, you can solidify the connection and develop the relationship further.
- Maintain the relationship. While many companies may be overzealous off the bat when it comes to their social media marketing, many falter over time and forget to maintain the relationships they’ve created. Partners, vendors, and clientele remain loyal to those who maintain and strengthen the relationship over time, so don’t let these efforts fall by the wayside.
Brian would love to hear from you! Chat with him on Twitter or find him on Facebook!
Brian Basilico
Brian is an internationally recognized best selling author and sought after speaker on the topic of Social Networking, Relationship Marketing, and Internet Marketing for Business. With over 30 years experience with running businesses, he has a unique perspective on traditional and new marketing tools that help businesses make the most of their internet marketing efforts. He’s also a social advocate, webmaster, and leader of an independent ministry.
Get this podcast:
- Download this episode (9.88Mb, 21:29)
- Subscribe to the FIR Presents AMP Up Your Social Media RSS feed
- Subscribe via iTunes
- Get the FIR app for your mobile device - iPhone | Android | Windows
Tweet about the show using #AUYSM or Tweet at us @AMPUpSocial. AMP Up Your Social Media is a proud member of the FIR Podcast Network.
Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.
Join the AMP Up Your Social Media Google Plus community or Facebook group. You can send us an instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.
Check the FIR website for information about other FIR podcasts. To receive all podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the “everything” RSS feed.
AMP UP Your Social Media is sponsored by:
- GaggleAMP - Empower your employees, partners and resellers to amplify your social media.
- SafeLinks - Know when your links on social media messages fail before you lose out on the people clicking on them.
The FIR Podcast Network is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide.
Show Notes • AMP Up Your Social Media • (0) Comments • Permalink
The Hobson & Holtz Report - Podcast #776: October 6, 2014
Plans for FIR in October with Shel on the road for the whole month;
Quick News: Facebook to address real-name issue after meeting with Transgender Law Center, Windows (10) Technical preview released, employees with work friends have more commitment to their employers, Dubai detectives to get Google Glass to fight crime; Ragan promo;
News That Fits: Wearable technology and implications for the future workplace; Dan York’s Tech Report: FIR On Technology #2 coming soon, RIP Orkut, reflections on Ello; is it time for your organization to be on Snapchat?; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; listener comments in audio and from the FIR Podcast Community on Google+; Igloo Software promo; brace yourself for the corporate journalism wave; the past week on the FIR Podcast Network;
Music from Tasherra Project; and more.
Get FIR:
- Download the MP3 file (34.6Mb, 85:51)
- Subscribe to the Hobson and Holtz Report RSS feed
- Get the show at iTunes
- Get the FIR app for your mobile device - Android | iPhone | Windows Phone | Windows 8 and 8.1
Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir; Igloo Software, providers of an intranet you’ll actually like, delivered securely with our cloud platform: learn more at www.igloosoftware.com/fir.
For Immediate Release: The Hobson and Holtz Report for October 6, 2014: An 86-minute podcast recorded live from Wokingham, Berkshire, England, and Concord, California, USA.
Links to websites, blog posts and other content we discuss in the show are posted as Delicious bookmarks to facilitate your connection with the discussions and sharing of that content.
Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.
You can also send us instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (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 podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the “everything” RSS feed. To stay informed about occasional FIR events (eg, FIR Live), sign up for FIR Update email news.
So, until Monday October 13…
Sunday, October 05, 2014
FIR B2B #17: Sandy Carter on What Separates Pacesetting Companies From the Rest
Paul is solo again this week. In this episode:
News & Trends
A post titled “7 Web Design Trends That Are Outdated” on the Conetix blog covers many of the worst practices in B2B websites: boring stock photos, pointless oversized banners and (worst of all) auto-play videos.
Don’t short-change your video production by limiting it to a video platform. Many people would rather read or listen to your content than watch it, so give them a choice. “What to Do When Your B2B Video Marketing Doesn’t Go Viral” from the Online Results Blog by Whittington Consulting has some excellent ideas. Also check out Knowledge@Wharton for an excellent example of how to use multiple media together.
Kristen Vaughn took away some lessons for B2B marketers from the HubSpot Inbound 2014 conference and she shares them on the KOMarketing Associates blog. Malcolm Gladwell urged the audience to “be a deeply disagreeable person,” meaning have the courage to disagree. Matevz Klanjsek of Celtra likens prospecting to courtship. If you keep inviting people to “learn more,” they won’t.
The Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and MarketingProfs have just released their latest annual report on the state of B2B content marketing. Satisfaction with content marketing programs continues to be frustratingly low.
Vanessa DiMauro’s Big List 2.0: The Top 106 B2B Online Customer Communities is a terrific resource for marketers who want to find a community or who run one. If you’re a community manager, make sure you’re included.
Special Guest: Sandy Carter
Sandy Carter’s name is synonymous with the term “social business.” The 25-year IBM veteran has long been one of the company’s most prominent advocates for the use of social media, and she’s an accomplished practitioner with nearly 30,000 followers on Twitter. Sandy is the author of three book, including the the bestselling “Get Bold” in 2011. Her awards include: “Brand Leader of the Year” from the World Brand Congress, “Top 10 in Social Media” from Altimeter Group and Fast Company’s “Most Influential Women in Technology.” She was also named one of the “Ten most powerful women in tech” by CNN magazine.
Sandy is currently General Manager of Ecosystems, ISVs and Entrepreneurs at IBM, a role that has her working with many born-on-the-Web startups. She joined us for this interview a day after launching Digital.nyc, an online hub for New York technology entrepreneurs. Sandy talked with us about the latest IBM Tech Trends Report, which found that leading companies are embracing cloud services, leveraging partnerships for speed and innovation and adopting social business principles.
Visit Sandy Carter’s blog.Get this Podcast:
- Download the MP3 file (35.3MB, 38:36)
- Subscribe to the FIR B2B RSS feed
- Subscribe with iTunes
- Get the FIR app for your mobile device - iPhone | Android | Windows
About Your Hosts
Paul Gillin is a veteran technology journalist and a thought leader in new media. Since 2005, he has advised marketers and business executives on strategies to optimize their use of social media and online channels to reach buyers cost-effectively. He is the author or co-author of five books, including Social Marketing to the Business Customer (2011), the first book devoted entirely to B2B social media marketing. He is also a social media trainer and coach at Profitecture, a training firm for B2B companies and their channel partners.
- Send Paul an email or connect with him on Twitter: @pgillin
Allan Schoenberg is based Vice President, Corporate Public Relations and Communications at TIAA-CREF in New York. As part of the firm’s Enterprise Communications team within Marketing, this role helps the team drive firm-wide corporate communications, employee communications, reputation and crises management, social media, CEO positioning and public policy communications. He has more than 20 years of experience in B2B communications, including his work for Accenture, Edelman Worldwide, Fleishman Hillard and CME Group..
- Connect with Allan on Twitter: @allanschoenberg
Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.
You can also send us instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (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 podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the “everything” RSS feed. To stay informed about occasional FIR events (eg, FIR Live), sign up for FIR Update email news.
FIR B2B is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications,serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.
Friday, October 03, 2014
FIR presents AllthingsIC with Rachel Miller episode 10 October 03 2014
Welcome to the tenth episode of All Things IC with Rachel Miller.
In this podcast Rachel reports from the annual internal communication Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Inside conference, which was attended by 200 comms pros on 2 October 2014.
You can find full notes to accompany this episode via Rachel’s blog www.allthingsic.com/fir10 so you can grab a cup of tea, sit back and relax and enjoy the show.
Get this podcast:
- Download the MP3 file (10.6Mb, 24:49)
- Get the show on iTunes
- Subscribe to the FIR presents All Things IC with Rachel Miller RSS feed
- Get the FIR app for your mobile device - iPhone | Android | Windows
About Your Host
I’m Rachel Miller, MCIPR, PG (Dip). I’m an internal communication and social media strategist who consults, speaks and blogs on all things internal communication.
In 2014 I was awarded the inaugural Best Individual Contribution to Internal Communication award from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR Inside) and honoured as a Fellow of the CIPR. I was named one of the UK’s leading social business influencers in 2013, and was a finalist for CIPR Outstanding PR Professional of the Year (People’s Choice).
Since 2009 I’ve written my own blog which led to Econsultancy recognising me in 2012 as one of the Top UK female bloggers. I was named in PR Week’s Top 29 under 29 professional communicators in the UK list (2009).
Every company is different and a one size fits all approach to communication simply doesn’t work. Though my business, All Things IC, I have the pleasure of working alongside companies to help them achieve communication excellence.
Find Rachel on Twitter: @AllthingsIC.
Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.
You can also send us instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (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 podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the “everything” RSS feed. To stay informed about occasional FIR events (eg, FIR Live), sign up for FIR Update email news.
FIR B2B is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications,serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.
FIR Interview: Chris Christensen and Rick Calvert of BloggerBridge
Chris Christensen was running into an experience many of us have faced. After he had left a town he was visiting, someone would email and say, “Oh, you were here? I would have loved to meet with you. Let me know when you’re back again.” Seeking a way to let interested people know in advance he was coming, his thinking evolved to include the ability to connect content producers with companies who want to tap into both their creativity and their expertise. New Media Expo CEO Rick Calvert had the same interest from the other side of the equation: wanting to be able to connect with people who were coming to town. The pair—already well acquainted through New Media Expo and the Travel Blog Exchange—joined forces to create a service that fulfills those needs.
BloggerBridge is a service that connects companies with “relevant bloggers, writers, podcasters, videographers, and other content creators,” according to the website, which goes on to suggest that “some people should not work together. Find the right match of skills, approach, content, and style for your brand.”
In this FIR interview, Shel Holtz talks with Christensen and Calvert about their vision for BloggerBridge, their experience building it, and their plans for the future.
Get this podcast:
- Download the MP3 file (13.0 Mb, 32:32)
- Get the show on iTunes
- Subscribe to the FIR Interviews RSS feed
- Get the FIR app for your mobile device - iPhone | Android | Windows
About our Conversation Partners
Follow Rick on Twitter at @BlogWorld.
Chris Christensen is the owner of BloggerBridge.com which is a new startup connecting bloggers and industry contacts.
He is the host of the Amateur Traveler which is a popular online travel show that focuses primarily on travel destinations. It includes a weekly audio podcast, a video podcast, and a blog. Amateur Traveler was won both a SMITTY award from Travel+Leisure as the “best independent travel journalist” and a Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award. Chris is also a co-host for This Week in Travel which has won 3 North American Travel Journalist Association awards.
He has worked for years in technology startups in Silicon Valley. He was formerly the Director of Engineering for TripAdvisor’s New Initiatives group and was the EVP Engineering at LiveWorld where his team built and ran online communities and events for companies including eBay, HBO, TV Guide, Expedia, Marriott, A&E, History Channel, the NBA, NBC, ABC, Disney, Microsoft, WebTV and American Express.
Reach Chris on Twitter at @Chris2x.
Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.
You can also send us instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.
Check the FIR website for information about other FIR podcasts. To receive all podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the "everything" RSS feed.
This FIR Interview is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.
Podsafe music - On A Podcast Instrumental Mix (MP3, 5Mb) by Cruisebox.
Wednesday, October 01, 2014
Thought Leadership with Mitchell Levy and Michael Procopio, Episode 42: October 1, 2014

In this episode of Thought Leadership with Mitchell and Michael (#TLL) we interview James Feldman (@ShiftHappensNow). We discuss the many facets of innovation and thought leadership.
James knows hands down what it means to be successful in the midst of conflict – in both his personal life and professional career. It was that sense of challenge that drove James to rethink the way he lives and works which transformed his struggle into success. James inspires others to reexamine their own lives during pivotal moments and reinvent themselves. He has helped so many clients that I have become known as “The Bright Idea Guy.” From BASF to Aria Resort and Casino, AT&T to Toyota, Hewlett Packard to Marriott, InfoComm to Cremation Association of North America, US Department of Defense to Hired Education For Vets, Jim has a proven history working with every size and kind of organization from start ups to Fortune 100.
To learn more about Thought Leadership and how it can help you be successful, subscribe to the channel: http://youtube.com/user/thoughtleaderlife.
Join us 11 am PT / 2 pm ET / 7 pm GMT on Saturday every week. The show blog is Thought Leader Life.
Any comments or suggestions for the show please send them. Thank you for listening and if you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes!
This episode was sponsored, in part, by THiNKaha.com, helping experts become thought leaders.
You can connect with Mitchell at MitchellLevy.com, @HappyAbout on Twitter, or join his Thought Leadership Best Practices Group on LinkedIn; and with Michael at MProcopio.com, on Twitter: @MichaelProcopio; or LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/MichaelProcopio.
Get this podcast:
- Download the MP3 file (15.3MB, 32:11)
- Get the show on iTunes
- Subscribe to the FIR presents Thought Leadership with Mitchell Levy and Michael Procopio RSS feed
- Get the FIR app for your mobile device - iPhone | Android | Windows
- This show is recorded as a Google+ Hangout on Air, watch it on YouTube
Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.
You can also send us instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (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 podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the “everything” RSS feed. To stay informed about occasional FIR events (eg, FIR Live), sign up for FIR Update email news.
FIR presents Thought Leadership with Mitchell and Michael is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.


