ShelHoltz4d ago

AI is not just changing communication. It’s changing the assumptions behind it. In #FIRpodcast 506, @nevillehobson and I explored six topics that point to something bigger:

– Billable hours under pressure
– Work observed, not just reported
– Gartner's PR budgets hype
– Misinformation risks
– Bots vs humans
– Are humans still central?

Plus, Dan York's tech report. Put together, all this isn’t just change – it’s a shift in how communication works.

https://www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-506-battle-of-the-bots/

ShelHoltzSep 29

In #FIRpodcast 482, Neville and I dig into #workslop – workplace content that looks good but adds no real value

Also: human-centred organisations, the evolving role of internal comms, Amazon’s AI audience targeting, AI and press releases, and more.

🎧 bit.ly/42i54Wy

ShelHoltzSep 24, 2025

#AI can polish our words, but at what cost to authenticity? In #FIRpodcast 481,
@nevillehobson.xyz and I discuss tone in AI-assisted writing and the 2025 em dash kerfuffle. Plus, Shel’s project to turn 28 blog posts into a new book with AI’s help.

🎧 Listen: bit.ly/42c8n1n

ShelHoltzSep 2, 2025
#SEO is evolving into #GEO – Generative Engine Optimisation.
In #FIRpodcast 479, Neville and I discuss how brands are seeking workarounds to appear in AI-generated answers. But shortcuts don’t build trust. Old-school PR and marketing still matter.
https://www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-479-hacking-ai-optimization-vs-doing-the-hard-work/
FIR #479: Hacking AI Optimization vs. Doing the Hard Work - FIR Podcast Network

Posts and videos featuring Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) hacks and formulas are flooding the web. We reported recently on one such hack focusing on press releases. But when you consider the kind of content on which the AI models rely for their answers, it may be more efficient to revert to good, old-fashioned PR and marketing.

FIR Podcast Network
ShelHoltzApr 28, 2025

🎙️ In FIR 462,
@shelholtz.bsky.social
&
@nevillehobson.xyz
cover a $5M-funded AI cheating tool, 7 types of AI agents communicators must know, and much more, from new social network verification to onboarding challenges and generational shifts in PR.

🎧 Tune in: bit.ly/4jKORiW

#FIRpodcast #AI

ShelHoltzApr 9, 2025

If you've ever wanted to interrupt a podcast to ask the host a question, @nevillehobson and I explain how to do just that, using the episode's transcript and generative AI. in the latest #firpodcast episode. It's how Satya Nadella listens to his podcasts.

https://www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-459-ai-transforms-content-from-passive-to-interactive/

FIR #459: AI Transforms Content from Passive to Interactive - FIR Podcast Network

In this episode, Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson discuss the evolving landscape of podcast consumption, particularly in light of Satya Nadella's innovative approach to engaging with audio content through AI. They explore the significance of transcripts, the potential for AI to facilitate interactive experiences, and the challenges that come with adopting these new technologies. The conversation highlights the future of podcasts as a medium that can be both passive and interactive, reshaping how audiences engage with audio content. Neville and Shel also examine how these same generative AI tools can make other content interactive and the ease with which users will be able to take advantage of it as LLMs become multi-modal.

FIR Podcast Network
ShelHoltzMar 24, 2025

🤖 AI is reshaping how we prove expertise.
📲 Unilever bets big on influencers.

In #FIRpodcast 456,
@nevillehobson.xyz
and
@shelholtz.bsky.social
dive into these shifts, plus Ghost and the fediverse, internal comms fails, AI in journalism, and more.

🎧 Tune in: bit.ly/4hHvB4v

ShelHoltzMar 18, 2025

Is traditional PR dead? Lulu Cheng Meservey says founders should ditch agencies and go direct. But does ignoring earned media and strategic PR make sense? Do you agree?
Neville and I discuss the claims in episode 455.

🎧 Tune in: bit.ly/3FD6sdV

#PR #FIRpodcast

ShelHoltzMar 5, 2025
Academic research found that strategically "roasting" customers can enhance brand loyalty. Are you ready for some playful provocation? @nevillehobson.xyz and I explore the notion in the latest #FIRpodcast.
https://www.firpodcastnetwork.com/fir-453-humor-us-how-playful-teasing-strengthens-brand-relationships/
FIR #453: Humor Us - How Playful Teasing Strengthens Brand Relationships - FIR Podcast Network

It may seem counterintuitive, but playful teasing between brands and customers can produce unexpected benefits. Inspired by research from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, we explore why strategically "roasting" customers with humor and lighthearted banter can enhance brand loyalty and deepen customer connections. Discover how embracing a bit of playful provocation might be the surprising secret ingredient your brand needs to stand out, build lasting relationships, and keep your audience coming back for more. Also in this episode, we follow up our report from FIR #442 (December 26, 2024) about the publicity battle between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively: A report in the Hollywood Reporter finds that the fallout from this conflict is affecting publicists everywhere.

FIR Podcast Network
ShelHoltzFeb 24, 2025

🔥 In the Feb long-form episode 452,
@nevillehobson.xyz and I tackle the chaos communicators are facing in 2025 🔥 Truth is under attack, disinformation is a strategy, and polarization is deepening.

And more 🔗 Tune in: bit.ly/4bgpFgY

#FIRpodcast #Communication #Leadership