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In this episode we’re cross-examining a recent warning from Canada's Competition Bureau that has businesses buzzing and reevaluating their online review strategies. The Bureau has put the spotlight on the potential bias of employee-generated reviews and testimonials, signaling a need for companies to monitor these contributions closely.

Yet, in the realm of internal communications, encouraging employees to be brand champions is considered foundational. So, where does the line between advocacy and bias lie?

And it isn’t just Canada moving in this direction. There are signs the United States, UK, and Australia may be too.

How can organizations navigate this complex landscape?

Listen For
4:32 Is it Still Legal for Your Employees to Leave Reviews Without Declaring They are Employees?
10:37 This is Happening in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia
15:43 The Role of Disclosure in Employee Reviews
18:38 Influencers and Native Advertising Ethics

Guests: Gavin Tighe and Stephen Thiele
Website | Gavin email | Stephen email

Listen to Gavin and Stephen’s podcast Beneath the Law

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For the past 2+ years nights have been tense in Kyiv and throughout Ukraine.

Julia Petryk, one of the co-founders of the Ukrainian PR Army joins us one evening to share what life is like now and the critical role of communications in the ongoing conflict. The efforts of the PR Army have helped mobilize a formidable information front to combat disinformation and keep Ukraine's situation in the international consciousness.

This episode offers a unique look at the power of strategic communication in times of war and the unyielding fight for national identity and sovereignty.

Listen For
3:15 The Role of PR in Conflict Zones
4:37 Founding the Ukrainian PR Army
13:56 Utilizing AI in Counteracting Disinformation
23:25 How PR Pros can Help

Guest: Julia Petryk
Website | Ukraine PR Army Website | Email | X | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

Read Kateryna’s Story on the PR Army website

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Managing public relations for the British Royal Family is an intricate world, particularly now amidst the backdrop of King Charles III's health concerns. Two people who’ve been very close to that world are David Yelland, former editor of the Sun in the UK, and Simon Lewis who… managed public relations for the Royal Family under Queen Elizabeth II.

In this episode we explore the evolution of public relations strategies within the Royal Family. Simon and David share their insider perspectives based on their experience. What are the biggest PR challenges facing the Royals today with the health of King Charles III in question? How has the Royal Family adapted to the digital age? And what advice would they give today?

Listen For
3:11 The Evolution of Royal Communications Strategy
4:42 Reviewing the Importance of Simon’s Role as the First Comms Director for the Royal Family
5:54 Transparency and Openness Within the Palace
10:03 The Importance of Duty and Public Service

Guests:
Simon Lewis, former Communications Director for Queen Elizabeth II
David Yelland, former Editor of the Sun

Listen to Simon and David on their podcast “When it Hits the Fan” as produced by Raconteur for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

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The third edition of the Asia-Pacific study by PRovoke Media flags Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) as a key driver behind rising optimism and budgets for communications leaders. But underneath the top layers, there’s uncertainty.

Listen For
4:21 The Importance of ESG in Asia Pacific
7:50 The Role of Communications Teams and ESG
9:25 Measurement of ESG Efforts
13:32 DEI Challenges

Guest: Arun Sudhaman
Website| X | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook
Read the PRovoke Media 2023 Asia-Pacific Communications Index

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Last week we had a look at how to make an apology when you should – and why most apologies are just awful. But there’s another side to that human interaction – forgiveness. Accepting an apology. An apology can be the key that unlocks forgiveness, yet forgiveness can also occur in its absence, driven by personal growth and healing.

In this episode we look at the psychological journeys involved in embracing forgiveness.

Listen For
5:22 Why Apologies are Mandatory but Forgiveness is Not
8:13 Forgiveness Benefits the Forgiver
10:10 The Importance of Acknowledging Apologies
15:09 Self-Forgiveness and its Role in Personal Growth

Guests:
Marjorie Ingall
Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Wikipedia Page | Contact

Susan McCarthy
X | LinkedIn

SorryWatch.com

The Meagan Napier Foundation

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There are a lot of apologies out there. And a lot of them only serve to make things worse.

“I’m sorry if you were offended”
“We’re sorry if what we said was misunderstood”
“The situation is regrettable”
“Sorry but we have the right to do it and we reserve the right to do it again”

Sometimes a bad apology is because someone wants to hold on to their pride, or deep in their heart an apology can’t be right because they know they’re the hero of their own story.

In this episode Susan McCarthy and Marjorie Ingall of SorryWatch.com share some of what they see behind the bad apologies and offer good advice for doing better.

Listen For
4:23 Why Apologies are Important to Society
5:54 The Challenges (and Benefits) of Apologizing
9:59 The Key Elements of a Good Apology
13:15 Why Sometimes You Shouldn’t Apologize Right Away

Guests:
Marjorie Ingall
Website |Facebook| LinkedIn | Instagram | Wikipedia Page | Contact | Publishers Website for Book

Susan McCarthy
X | LinkedIn

SorryWatch.com

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The report shows two-thirds of senior leaders say they would describe their role as both marketing and communications but there’s a clear shift happening toward marketing.

More focus on brand awareness, broader reach, building media relationships, and managing brand reputation.

What does that mean for budgets in 2024? For content strategy?

Muck Rack helps us understand the trends.

Listen For
4:14 The Roles of Marketing and Communications are merging
6:21 How Budget is Being Allocated
10:41 The Focus on B2B or B2C?
12:38 Is Enough Attention Being Paid to Internal Communications? 

Download the Muck Rack State of PR Report

Guest: Linda Zebian, Muck Rack senior director, communications and community
LinkedIn
Muck Rack
X | Instagram | LinkedIn | Threads | Website

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Historically, our approach to setting objectives and evaluation criteria has been organizational-centric. What is the company trying to achieve? What behavioural changes are needed by our key audiences to accomplish those goals? How do we nudge or persuade the behaviours of our key audiences?

But is that satisfying those audiences? Is it ethical for us to think our job is to influence their behaviour? Are we considering how those audiences are evaluating us?

In this episode Anne Gregory, a past chair with the Global Alliance and CIPR, and a recipient of Lifetime Achievement awards from both the PRSA and CPRS, says a new approach is needed. One that marks a step toward a new direction, emphasizing a more inclusive and responsive evaluation framework that aligns with the dynamic nature of modern communications and stakeholder engagement.

Listen For
5:45 Anne’s Challenge of Traditional Evaluation Methods
8:28 Redefining the Purpose of Public Relations
10:46 Bridging the Gap Between Organizational Goals and Stakeholder Expectations
20:12 Aligning Communication with Your Societal Role and Stakeholder Expectations

Guest: Anne Gregory, Ph.D., BA, FRSA, HonFCIPR, Huddersfield University
University Website page | Email | X | LinkedIn

You can download An evaluation u-turn: From narrow organisational objectives to broad accountability by Anne Gregory and Jim MacNamara here

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In March 2021 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle gave an interview to Oprah Winfrey that was absolute gold for fake You Tube body language experts. Some said it was a significant moment when she touched her nose. Others said she revealed all when she showed the tip of her tongue. And another said the tell-all moment was that one particular blink. The top five videos of those “analyses” generated 5.9 million views.

The Royals aren’t alone. A video analyzing the nonverbal communication of family murderer Chris Watts was watched by more than 38 million people. After the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard court case there were numerous body language experts on You Tube giving analysis like “when she licks her lips here, that’s when she’s lying.” Even Dr Phil has done videos analyzing precise body movements he said have definitive meaning.

The problem? It’s all voodoo. There is no acceptable scientific method to decode body language. There is no “language of the body.” It is pseudoscience wrapped in bells and whistles to delight and amaze. And it’s based on our human tendency, in our everyday lives, to make judgements based on what see and interpret which is influenced by our internal prejudices.

In this episode, the truth about nonverbal behaviour, and why misinterpretation can be downright dangerous to society.

Listen For
6:02 Debunking the Famous Myth that 93% of all Communication is Non-Verbal
14:21 How Misconceptions Influence Decision-Making
17:16 Non-Verbal Communication in Credibility Assessment
19:28 Challenges in Applying Non-Verbal Communication

Guest: Vincent Denault, Ph.D. , McGill University Postdoctoral Fellow
Website | LinkedIn | You Tube

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There may be an emerging overreliance on generative AI in marketing and public relations. While artificial intelligence can enhance efficiency and creativity, it shouldn't overshadow fundamental marketing strategies. PR and marketing often focus too much on tactics like AI, neglecting the importance of a coherent, overarching strategy.

Maybe Generative AI is part of a bigger problem.

Listen For
4:47 Strategic Focus Over Tactical Execution
8:27 The Role of Generative AI in Marketing and PR
11:01 The Value of Human Insight in Content Creation
13:27 The Emerging Role of Prompt Engineers

Guest: Joe Zappa, Founder Sharp Pen Media
LinkedIn | Sharp Pen Media LinkedIn | X | Website | Email

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This is a FEED DROP of an episode of the Parenting and Personalities Podcast

Imagine your child still hasn’t cleaned their room although you’ve asked them to numerous times. You probably don’t need to imagine. You remind them again, this time in a stronger tone, perhaps even demanding. And they either don’t or they do but the communication between you is strained.

Another approach to this might be the “Curiosity Approach.” Your child doesn’t care about a clean room, they care that it’s THEIR room. They care about the ownership of it. So imagine interacting with your child on the possibilities they could do with THEIR room. Possibilities they realize for themselves can only happen if they straighten some things up.

The Curiosity Approach is just one of the tools Life Coach Ellie Bambury uses working with parents and their kids to help them forge real communication.

Guest: Ellie Bambury, The Big Sister Project
Instagram: @thebigsisterproject_
Facebook
LinkedIn

Contact Kate Mason:
Email | Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | X
Kate's book on Amazon

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Hurricanes, floods, wildfires. Depending on where you live there are times when authorities tell you it’s in your best interests to leave your home. This gets people to safety and creates necessary room for emergency teams they so desperately need.

Evacuation is scary for residents. Some may have a chronic illness, some are afraid their home or property may be damaged or looted, and yes good old-fashioned stubbornness is another factor. Sometimes people feel they can do a better job of protecting their property than emergency officials and they aren’t necessarily always wrong.

But emergency teams are beginning to notice a trend. The percentage of people refusing to leave is growing and that’s creating more danger. Additionally, there are stories of verbal abuse and intimidation toward emergency personnel trying to do a very difficult job.

What is a communications pro to do?

Guest: Tim Conrad, APR, Butterfly Effect Communications
Email | Website | Facebook | X | LinkedIn | Instagram | You Tube

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In today’s crowded digital landscape, standing out as a genuine thought leader amidst the cacophony of voices is a unique challenge. Many voices may be influential, but all can claim the title of a true thought leader. Some naturally gravitate to this role, others pursue it, a few stumble into it.

Some are bold visionaries. Others are evolved communicators, or they have a consistent presence (you know what they’re about). And then some are action-minded community builders.

Regardless of how one attains the status of “Thought Leader” it’s important for companies to provide the time and resources for thought leadership development. It should be an intentional part of a leader’s role, rather than just a side project. When nurtured correctly, it can yield significant benefits for the companies and individuals.

Guest: Kathleen Lucente
LinkedIn | X

Red Fan Communications
LinkedIn | Instagram | X | Website

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In 1917 the US Government found a unique way to reach a mass audience before mass media even existed. Movies. When projectionists needed to change the reel mid-movie, that took about four minutes. That was the perfect window of time to deliver a patriotic message and support an effort that ultimately changed the world.

The four-minute speeches used an old tool (speeches) but embraced a newer technology (movies). And the true brilliance of the delivery was finding that window of time when people were most likely to listen.

In this episode we speak with the chair of the Public Relations Society of America (2023) Michelle Egan, exploring the modern role of communications professionals as we embrace emerging artificial intelligence. And we look at how the role might change over the next 50 years as technologies continue to evolve.

Listen For:
5:22 The adoption and perception of AI tools
7:13 Ethical considerations in AI
12:10 The evolution of the PR professional
15:29 The future of PR and professional communications

Guest: Michelle Egan, APR, Fellow PRSA, 2023 PRSA Chair

LinkedIn | Facebook |Instagram | X | PRSA | PRSA Code of Ethics

Read Michelle’s editorial “How Important is it for Your Organization to Have a Code of Ethics?”

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Wikipedia is one of the most-visited websites in the world. Additionally, it has influence. The information on Wikipedia is also disseminated across the web on Google’s Knowledge Graph and associated search page components, quick summaries of topics on Siri and Alexa, and even into news articles, podcast discussions, and government websites.

Wikipedia is also of interest for SEO practitioners, heavily influencing Google search results and now impacting outputs from generative AI software like Chat-GPT.

Everyone from journalists, investors, and your customers are using Wikipedia to understand your company. Do you understand how it works and what you can do about it?

Listen For
4:17 The importance of Wikipedia for PR and SEO
5:51 The role of Wikipedia editors
10:38 Brand presence on Wikipedia
12:13 Common mistakes Brands make on Wikipedia

Guest: Rhiannon Ruff
Email | LinkedIn | Lumino Digital’s website | Rhiannon’s book Managing a Crisis on Wikipedia

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The benefits of a multicultural campaign should be obvious by now but let’s document some of them so it’s clear.

• Reflect societal trends and values
• You’re able to actually understand more of your audience/stakeholders
• Involve people in appropriate settings and context
• Create tailored marketing content and strategies
• Broaden your brand’s story as inclusive of diverse cultures

September 15 through October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. It’s recognized in the United States, but also in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela. There’s also recognition in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

In this episode we connect with Cuban American Manuel Machado from CCOM Group which specializes in multicultural campaigns.

Guest: Manuel Machado, Co-Chair CCOM Group
Email | X | LinkedIn | CCOM Website |Forbes Article by Manuel

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Rutgers grad student Anna Tamke penned an op-ed in PR Week sharing her thoughts on why college has not prepared her for a career in public relations – a plea for higher education to teach real world skills in the classroom.

"It’s a rude awakening when you graduate with a PR degree and realize you’re unemployed in a post-pandemic world with an unreal expectation for what working in your field looks like,” Tamke wrote. “If the education system properly taught students — like myself — what PR is and how to do it, entering the workforce wouldn’t be so hard."

Austin and Thomas are joined by Calgary-based comms pro Matthew John to weigh on the opinion piece, share their personal experience breaking into corporate communications, what schools of higher learning can do to properly equip students to succeed, and why it’s important for students and professionals to look after their own professional development.

Music Credit: Smoke (with Lostboycrow) – Feather 

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An online survey of 300 people in the United States, Germany, and South Korea explores consumer perceptions of media brands vs other brands. Among the findings:

• When people trust the content shown on the platform, they were more likely to trust the platform (and vice versa)
• The media channel being used (i.e., television news) has a significant impact on the level of trust in the content being consumed
• We think of television, radio, film, music, social media, print, outdoor ads, and video chats as media brands
• We don’t think gaming, online retailing, influencers or global tech brands are media

Guest: Steffen Heim
LinkedIn  

Download the study Exploring Trust in Media Brands today: Definition, Dimensions and Cross-National Differences

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TikTok crime sleuth Ken Waks finds himself in hot water as Texas Monthly opines that “what began as a baseless theory has turned into a social media frenzy—one with the power to frighten the public and hamper police investigations.” Waks has also been accused of leveraging his viral content to promote his FinTech start-up company, Foresyte, which he currently serves as co-founder and chief marketing officer.

What is the cost of virality? Is it worth sacrificing one’s morals or ethics?

LA-based writer and content creator Meredith Lynch joins The Business Communicators to offer her insights into the controversy driven by Waks’ investigation, his numerous brand plugs of Foresyte, and allegations that have surfaced on his since-deleted Twitter account that have racist, homophobic, and misogynistic undertones. 

The podcast further breaks down Foresyte, the company CEO Stephen Eddy’s string of deleted DMs and LinkedIn posts boasting about Wak’s TikTok exploits, and the Denver-based firm, Heinrich Marketing, who is providing $1 million in agency services (according to SEC filings) for the company.

The show wraps by analyzing the actions brands must take when working with influencers, the dangers of cyber vigilantes, agency accountability, and lessons to be learned moving forward.

Editor’s Note: The Business Communicators made multiple attempts to reach Foresyte, Ken Waks, and Heinrich Marketing for comment. According to SEC filings, Heinrich Marketing is Foresyte’s established marketing agency. Heinrich president and owner George Eddy is the lead investor. We received no response.

Music Credit: Smoke (with Lostboycrow) – Feather

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