This episode was recorded from a LInkedIn live stream AMA with inudstry AR guru Robin Schaffer, of Schaffer AR.

It was great having Robin on again, to discuss the state of AR and answer a wide range of questions from the audience.

Topics we covered included:

• AI impact on analysts and AR
• When is the right time to engage AR firms?
• When shoud you consider investing in them?
• How much budget to allocate.
• Evaluating metrics and ROI.
• How to choose the analysts and vendor evaluation reports to pursue.
• Using AR to boost PR, marketing and sales.
• The 3 key things to get from your AR efforts.

In addition, Robin shared pro tips on working AR for optimal advantage.

Thanks, Robin, for joining and sharing your insight and answers.

In this episode, we invited four experts on to discuss how to use AI and take it to the next level in PR - that means in generating results, not just streamlining work.

The panel included the following guests:

Participants:

• Elena Davidson, CEO Liberty Communications
• Emily Fang, VP Greenough Communications
• Katie Passarello, Director, The Pitch Club; Cofounder, Pitchwell
• Milos Eric, Co-founder, GM at OysterLink

They brought a range of experiences, everyone was eager to share and compare notes; there was great chemistry - we agreed more often than not. Here are some of the topics we explored:

• The importance of the human touch vs. overreliance on AI
• The tension between avoiding AI for wanton content generation and using it to improve pitches and results.
• Katie, Milos and Emily shared proprietary tech their firms have developed; with Pitchwell, Katie and her team have launched a commercial offering that uses AI to boost results with podcasts and other media.
• Favored GenAI and agentic platforms
• Ways to improve targeting and "road test" messages
• Sought answers to questions like: can AI help you guess what a journalist will respond to; and what PR content helps boost "share of model"?
• Several shared quantifiable results they achieved

Thanks, all, for joining and sharing your insight!

Shahar Silbershatz, CEO of reputation management and analytics firm Calber joined the podcast in a fascinating conversation about the impact of executive brands on company reputation and business. That was the just the main course; the 30 minutes were crammed with useful and actionable info across a number of topics that should be of great interest to comms pros. We discussed:

• Comparisonn of brand measurement methods.
• The emergence of always on, real-time surveys and panels.
• Connection between CEO and company reputation.
• How to convert data into PR results.
• The decline of the tech and CEO brands, and what to do about it.
• How to be an effective and visible thought leader in today's hyper-polarized, perilous world.

Shahar shared interesting case studies, especially around a PR campaign regarding Elon Musk and Tesla's business performance that got covered in Reuters, CNN and others.

He also dished on survey data about the reputations of tech CEOs, answering:

• Which ones are most recognized and liked/disliked?
• The two tech leaders who are most often associated with their respective companies.
• Which tech leaders are liked more than their companies and vice versa?

We think you will enjoy and get a lot out of this podcast, so check it out. And thanks, Shahar, for joining, and sharing your insight.

To get in touch with Shahar, you can connect with him on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/silbershatz/

Caliber Website https://www.groupcaliber.com/

In Tech we Trust? post https://www.groupcaliber.com/in-tech-we-trust/

CNN story: What's wrong with Tesla? https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/07/business/tesla-ev-sales-slowdown-stock/index.html

Podcasts have taken off, and many are seeking to leverage the medium for brand building and thought leadership. 

Most PR teams have likely by now gotten involved with pitching podcasts and getting spokespeople on the shows. But what about launching a CEO podcast?

In this episode, PR, Done and Doner host Bob Geller spoke with Saul Marquez, the CEO and Founder of Outcomes Rocket, a globally recognized digital marketing agency and podcast of the name. Saul also hosts the show, which features interviews with the most inspiring leaders in healthcare.

We had a great chat in which Saul demysitified the process of launching a CEO/executive podcast, and shared interesting data and insights about the benefits and potential ROI. Here are some of the questions and points we discussed:

• The growth in CEO podcasters and listeners
• Podcasting to drive top of funnel awareness
• Steps to building a successful CEO podcast
• Goal setting, analytics, ROI
• Saul's 4 tips for executive podcasters

During the show, Saul shared some interesting third party research findings, e.g. 55% of business owners and founders listen to podcasts daily. You can download the report here:

https://lowerstreet.co/blog/reach-ceos-and-other-key-decision-makers-with-podcasts

We hope you enjoy the episode. Feel free to contact Saul at saul@outcomesrocket.com

Thanks, Saul for participating and sharing your insights.

For this end-of-year epsisode, we invited a roundtable of comms experts to critique high profile videos of interviews that went off the rails in 2023.

We discussed what went wrong, what went right, and offered tips (and yes, maybe a little snark), through the lens of long time PR pros.  Participating were:

• Bob Geller, host
• Jordant Chanofsky, Fusion PR CEO & Founder
• Olga Shmuklyer, Fusion PR SVP
• Mark Prindel, Fusion PR Director

It was a lot of fun (not that we take great pleasure in painful interviews; spend a lot of time helping clients avoid or navigate such situations). 

There were many cringeworthy moments, and unforgettable quotes, from interviews of Elon Musk, X CEO Linda Yaccarino, several Ivy League universtiy presidents, and Oracle CEO Saffra Katz.

So check it out, we'd love to hear any feedback and hope you enjoy. And thanks, panel, for offering your insights.

This is a special episode covering the situation in Israel, recorded one month after the terrible attack.

It is a time of tragedy and strong emotions; and it is not always clear how to best respond - how should companies communicate? Should they get politcial and react to anti-Israel sentiment?

We invited guests who work on the ground in the Israeli tech community, a Fusion PR partner and a client:

• Yotam Gutman: cyber marketing and business development consultant
• Shai Alani, VP marketing, Aporia

It was an intense, wide ranging and sometimes emotional discussion that sought answers to these questions:

• Impact on lives, families and the tech community
• How to best respond and communicate
• What should the message be to employees, customers, investors and the world?
• Thoughts on the US reaction

Also, Shai Alani spoke about an effort organized by Israeli marketing executives to bring stories to the media and counter anti-Israel narratives. If you want to find out more, and help, please contact Shai on LinkedIn.

Thanks, Shai and Yotam! Stay safe and strong.

This episode features a chat with Eric Yaverbaum, CEO of ⁠Ericho Communications⁠ and author of Public Relations for Dummies and Leadership Secrets of the World's Most Successful CEOs.

He uses the latest influencer scandals (e.g., with Twitch star Kai Cenat and YouTuber Mr. Beast) as a lens to view the state and future of crisis management. Eric speaks at length about crisis strategy with newer social platforms such as TikTok and Twitch, and impications for crisis comms in the next six months to ten years and beyond.

It was a fun and interesting conversation. Eric shared examples, citing some famous names he has worked with (celebrities, influencers and brands). He shed light on these topics and others:

• The new rules of crisis management
• Unintended consequences of working with influencers
• Advice on working with influencers
• The importance of being prepared for a crisis, having a plan
• Eric gets caught up in the Kai Cenat scrum in Union Square, NYC

Thanks, Eric, for joining and sharing your insight!

Host Bob Geller spoke with Stacey Ross Cohen recently about her new book, Brand Up (co-authored by Jason Shaffer and Alan Katzman), and the personal and company branding connection.

Stacey is an accomplished PR pro and entrepreneur who earned her stripes on Madison Avenue and at major TV networks before launching and growing her own agency, Co-Communications.  She is a frequent speaker at TedX and industry conferences.

We discussed the challenges and opportunities in personal branding, from the junior employee to the C-suite, covering these topics and others:

• Why it’s important to get started early on in personal branding
• The CEO as a brand asset
• Countering personal branding misperceptions
• The 3Ds of personal branding: discovery, development, and delivery
• Magnetic content: why you need to be your own communications channel
• How to encourage employees to advocate for the company brand
• Should brands get political?
• Managing the tension between personal branding and your work

Thanks for tuning in! And thank you, Stacey, for sharing your insights.

In this episode, PR D&D host Bob Geller interviews Gregory Hartley, a renowned body language expert and a panelist on the popular Behavior Panel YouTube channel. Gregory shares insights about human behavior gained from the battlefield and boardroom.  He got his start as an army interrogator and instructor and brought the expertise to the business world, where he has been advising execs about the art of mastering and reading body language.

It was a wide ranging discussion which covered these topics:

• Myths and misperceptions (spoiler alert, there is no foolproof liar's "tell")
• How to increase the power of your message
• 5 kinds of body language to watch and improve
• Why Trump's behavior is weird (and why Bill Clinton adapted his "illustrator" gestures)

We had a great conversation. Since body language is inherently visual, you may want to watch the video on video-enabled podcasts or our YouTube channel. Thanks for tuning in! And thank you, Gregory, for sharing your insights.

Here is The Behavior Panel website and a link to Gregory Hartley's books - he's written ten on the topic.

For more information or to suggest guests or topics, please email bob.geller@fusionpr.com

Last time the podcast covered ChatGPT and its impact on PR, media and other fields. In this episode, we invited a panel of experts to discuss the adoption of LLM, generative, and other forms of AI in PR. Two vendors and a PR tech blogger spoke at length about challenges, opportunities and use cases.  Host Bob Geller moderated the session which, included

• Frank Strong, CEO of Sword & the Script Media
• Zach Cutler, Co-Founder, CEO & Chairman at Propel
• Tressa Robbins, Vice President of Customer Onboarding, Burrelles

We covered these points and others:

• PR tech vendor landscape, adoption of AI
• AI to generate & analyze content, monitor media, and hone and target pitches
• Challenges

• Will AI take your job away?
• Avoiding quality pitfalls, ensuring responsible usage 
• Where are we going with AI in PR?
• Current and emerging use cases

Thanks for tuning in! And thank you, panel, for sharing your insights with PR, Done & Doner.

For more information or to suggest guests or topics, please email bob.geller@fusionpr.com

Is ChatGPT a threat or opportunity for creative and knowledge-driven fields like PR and journalism?

We invited two PR pros and  an AI wonk / entrepreneur to help us understand what is happening and where things are going.  Host Bob Geller moderated the discussion with these panelists:

• Mark Prindle, Director, Fusion PR
• Diana Bost, Director, Fusion PR
• Stefano Pacifico, CEO and Co-founder of Epistemic AI, a company that uses AI for drug discovery

It was a lively and wide ranging conversation.  The participants covered these points and others:

• Real-world PR use cases for ChatGPT today
• Pitfalls of ChatGPT
• State of AI, how far off is Artificial General Intelligence?
• Impact on AI vendor landscape
• How PR teams can responsibly harness its power
• Other generative AI solutions

Please contact bob.geller@fusionpr.com to offer feedback, and suggest topics and podcast guests.  Thanks for tuning in!

PR, Done & Doner kicks off a new season with a discussion about achieving and proving great PR results.

Renée Warren of We Wild Women, an agency that helps female entrepreneurs turn vision into impact, shares her experiences over many campaigns involving startups and tech companies.   Host Bob Geller spoke with Renée about these topics:

• The importance of measuring and connecting PR to business outcomes
• Tech tools ranging from spreadsheets to commercial solutions
• PR attribution: what it is, how to do track
• Case studies

Renée is a dynamo, a great speaker, author, entrepreneur and a fellow podcaster.  You can read more about PR attribution in her article on the PRowly blog

https://prowly.com/magazine/pr-attribution/

About Renée Warren:

Renée Warren is an award-winning entrepreneur, inspirational speaker, author, and founder of We Wild Women, a platform that helps women-led businesses amplify their visibility. She’s also the host of the celebrated podcast, Into the Wild, a program that features curated interviews with women entrepreneurs and provides actionable advice to women who are launching or growing their own dream businesses.

Renée firmly believes that the best advice comes from someone who has successfully done it before. Her approach to PR comes from over 23 years of experience as an entrepreneur, running marketing and PR agencies, and being an unapologetic risk-taker.

When she's not crafting the ultimate pitch for her clients or podcasting, you can find Renée spending time with her family. In addition, she loves CrossFit, travel, and refining her drumming skills.

Can tech stave off a surge of synthetic spokespeople?  That is one question we discussed when I had Nick Toso on the podcast. He's the founder and CEO of Rolli, an AI-powered platform that provides state-of-the-art tools and resources for newsgathering.

Nick began his career in newsrooms (started at Voice of America, eventually becoming a bureau chief at CNN) and saw the need for a better way to find expert sources, leading him to launch Rolli six years ago.

The subject should be of greatinterest to journalists, and PR pros who want to increase success with Tier 1 and 2 media, especially broadcast. We had a wide-ranging conversation, covering these points and others:

• The challenges of finding expert sources for breaking news.
• How is Rolli different (do we need another news source matching service)?
• Why email pitching your spokeseople has low odds for success.
• How AI amplifies email pitch spam, and fake info and profiles.
• Rolli cuts through the AI fog, connecting busy newsrooms with just the right source on demand.

Thanks, Nick, for coming on the podcast and sharing your insight.

Check it out at https://rolli.ai/

You can find Nick on LInkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicktoso/

This special episode of PR, Done & Doner features highlights from interviews over the past year.

It wasn't easy picking the best moments, because there were so many truly great guests covering important topics.  Here, we share insights that the hosts found to be interesting, informative and actionable, in snippets of 1-3 minutes each. We have combined experience of many decades of PR work - yet learned new and surprising things through these interviews.

So check it out. The podcast includes three groups of clips, about creating influence, executive leadership, and PR in tech segments, featuring the following speakers:

• Kevin Maney, co-author of Playing Bigger, management consultant, top-tier journalist
• Mark Traphagen, SEO guru and influencer
• Robin Schaffer, analyst relations consultant
• Chris Holscher, analyst relations consultant
• Diego Pineda, thought leadership guru and author
• Brette  Goldstein, executive coach and casting director
• Daniel Nelson, crypto journalist
• Mark Hollmer, insurtech journalist
• Joseph Steinberg, cyebrsecurity influencer and top-tier contributor

There were many other great moments and speakers, feel free to go back and binge on our episodes.  We will be running other roundups, as it is impossible to get everything into one episode.

Thank you PR, Done & Doner fans - wishing you joyous holidays and a happy new year!

PR, Done and Doner sometimes takes a deep dive into the verticals that Fusion PR serves.  In this episode we explore the state of buzz, innovation and funding in insurtech, via a panel of experts:

• David Gritz, co-founder of InsurTechNY, the largest such community in North America that connects carriers, investors and startups
• Mark Hollmer, a veteran journalist who has covered the property/casualty insurance industry for more than a decade
• Layla Atya, serial insurtech entrepreneur; serves as CEO of Quantumerge, the first and only transactional liability MGA for small deals; and founder and CEO of Zala Technology, an insurance developer for tech companies and tech developer for insurance companies

It was an informative conversation around these questions and others.

• The state of Insurtech - what it is, why it matters, where is it today?
• How have insurtechs been coping in light of reduced funding, and other economic stresses?
• What are VCs looking for?
• How is the playing field different today vs. a few years ago?
• Which technologies are hot, what's next?
• What's the number one tip for startup success?
• What are the best PR tactics for insurtech startups?

Bios

Layla Atya

Before joining the insurance industry, Layla spent eight years in the Middle East, creating predictive models to understand behavior and the emergence of insurgencies in Iraq.  In 2016 Layla transitioned to insurance, which allowed her to combine her technology and legal expertise to improve the underwriting processes. After working for Victor Insurance for four years, she became the principal insurance consultant and the CEO of her first US-based company - Zala Technology. Zala was created to serve rising insurtech companies in the United States. In 2021 Layla founded an insurtech in the transactional liability space. Quantumerge officially became the first insurtech servicing small transactions in the United States.

David Gritz

David Gritz is an InsurTech community leader, public speaker, and InsurTech advisor. He has been featured in recognized Insurance media including Carrier Management, Digital Insurance, IIR, AM Best TV, and the Re/Image Podcast. David is the co-founder of InsurTech NY, the largest InsurTech community in the NY metro area. David also serves as a strategic advisor to high-growth InsurTechs to help them go from concept to scale. Previously David has served as the Director of Innovation for the Silicon Valley Insurance Accelerator (SVIA) and has led product at Zero, a behavioral safety focused InsurTech acquired by EverestRe. He holds a J.D. from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law and business and industrial engineering degrees from Lehigh University.

Mark Hollmer

Mark Hollmer is a veteran journalist who has covered the property/casualty insurance industry for more than a decade. For Key Media he helped launch two technology email newsletters focused on insurtech and mortgage fintech, respectively. At Wells Media, he wrote about the property/casualty insurance industry and co-edited a daily email newsletter for Carrier Management. He also launched a twice-monthly InsurTech newsletter in June 2019, under the Carrier Management umbrella. In addition, he helped plan and execute online InsurTech events for Wells, designing content and curating speakers. 

To contact Bob Geller about the podcast or features he can be reached at Bob.Geller@Fusionpr.com

Most startups recognize the key role of industry analysts, and the value of getting into their reports.  But they may not understand exactly how (and when) to engage analysts for best results. Now,  the Universtiy of Edinburgh, with analyst relations experts Robin Schaffer and Chris Holscher, have released the results of a groundbreaking study that sheds light on the topic.

We had Robin and Chris on the show to discuss the research, which is based on a survey of 500 startups, VCs, accelerators and industry analysts.

They explained how the study refuted common myths, and shared actionable insights to help startups understand how and when to engage analysts, what to expect and how to improve collaboration and results, including:

• How to get on analysts' radars
• Jumpstarting success
• Working with analysts to ensure the best product-market fit
• The disconnect in perceptions that prevents many from deriving the most value
• Why analysts value startup relationships, and the right time to get started with A/R

Thank you, Robin and Chris, for coming on the podcast and discussing the research.

You can contact Robin Schaffer via her email robin@schafferar.com.  Feel free to reach out to Chris Holscher on LinkedIn.

To contact Bob Geller about the podcast or features he can be reached at Bob.Geller@Fusionpr.com

To obtain the report, you can visit either of the following links:

https://www.holscher.one/ssia

www.schafferar.com/ssia

Can you ace media interviews and up your exec preso skills by learning to channel your inner George Clooney or Meryl Streep? In this episode Brette Goldstein shares her advice and insight, as someone who helps both actors and executives put on their best performances.

Brette chatted with host Bob Geller, and explained:

• The importance of identifying your "special sauce"
• How to get out of your own way and flex your charisma
• The importance of archetypes and role models
• Six questions that can prepare you for any interview or presentation

Brette Goldstein

Brette Goldstein has cast over 50 films, five TV series, over 300 commercials, countless plays, seven pilot presentations, and various new media projects.  Brette also works with executives at large, well known enterprises, non profits, and tech startups, bringing their authentic voice to the “role” for presentations, interiews, etc.

You can read her full bio and find Brette's contact details at https://www.brettegoldstein.com/

In this episode, host Bob Geller interviews thought leadership guru Diego Pineda, an author who has carved out a niche advising solopreneurs and business executives; Diego literally wrote the book (see below). 

He explains why thought leadership is a better place to invest precious time and marketing resources than content marketing if you are not already a big player or established brand.  

These are some of the topics we explored in our conversation:

• How to develop a unique framework and PoV
• Why it is important to take a stand
• The need to publish or perish
• How and where to cutlivate communities
• Influencers vs. creators vs. thought leaders

Diego Pineda

Diego Pineda is the author of two novels, 9 non-fiction books, and hundreds of articles and blogs as a science writer, a business writer, and a sales and marketing writer. He started his career as a medical writer while writing fiction on the side.  Diego is also a book coach helping solopreneurs and business leaders write their first book fast so they can become thought leaders in their industries, gain authority and visibility, and make more money.

Diego's book: Solo Thought Leader

Post on Better Marketing: Content Marketing is Dying; Here’s why you need to Develop Thought Leadership Instead

Connect Diego on LinkedIn

In this episode Fusion PR CEO Jordan Chanofsky interviews Danny Nelson, deputy business editor at CoinDesk, the top publication covering crypto, digital assets and the future of money.  Fusion PR's Diana Bost also joined the conversation.

It was a lively and wide ranging discussion with a somber backdrop, as the show was recorded during the week of the collapse of Terra's Luna and the UST stablecoin.  Daniel shared his thoughts on the following questions:

• Where is crypto today? Is the market maturing?
• Terra crash and Implications for startups entering the space
• Importance and relevance of NFTs
• How to bring more people in the crypto world (without boosterism)
• Danny's thoughts on      pay-for-play in crypto journalism
• Pet PR peeves
• How to pitch Danny
• Can early-stage companies get good press?

Danny is CoinDesk's deputy business editor. He formerly ran investigations for the Tufts Daily. At CoinDesk, his beats include (but are not limited to): federal policy, regulation, securities law, exchanges, the Solana ecosystem, smart money doing dumb things, dumb money doing smart things and tungsten cubes. He owns BTC, ETH, and SOL, as well as the LinksDAO NFT.

Danny Nelson on Twitter

Many in tech and Silicon Valley have closely watched the Theranos saga. It's kept entrepreneurs up at night wondering: does the Holmes conviction spell the end of smoke and mirror pitch decks and the "fake it 'til you make it" Valley ethos?

It's also caused concern in the tech PR and marketing circles. You've heard of hate crimes. As we go forward and do PR, and others in marketing go out there and market and advertise, it is a logical question: are we committing hype crimes? 

In this episode, host Bob Geller speaks with noted legal analyst and commentator Aron Solomon to get answers to these questions.

About Aron Solomon 

A Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer, Aron Solomon, JD, is the Chief Legal Analyst for Esquire Digital and the Editor of Today’s Esquire. He has taught entrepreneurship at McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania and was elected to Fastcase 50, recognizing the top 50 legal innovators in the world. Aron has been featured in Forbes, CBS News, CNBC, USA Today, ESPN, TechCrunch, The Hill, BuzzFeed, Fortune, Venture Beat, The Independent, Fortune China, Yahoo!, ABA Journal, Law.com, The Boston Globe, NewsBreak, and many other leading publications.

In this episode, acclaimed PR blogger/influencer and tech PR pro Frank Strong joins host Bob Geller to discuss the state of PR tech.

We have always relied on various tech tools, but they are becoming increasingly important amidst shortening news cycles and a fragmented media landscape.

Tech marketing and PR folks probably know Frank and turn to his blog Sword & the Script as a resource. He has become an authority on PR tech, and shares his insight with the PR Done & Doner audience, answering these questions and others.

• The state of PR tech: Is it still lagging ad and martech?
• What tech tools should the typical agency or internal PR team have in their quiver?
• What is the point of all this tech, anyway?
• Point solutions vs. suites, incumbents vs. startups
• Has AI made a big impact?
• Why does blogging make you a better PR pro?

Bob and Frank also discuss PR blogging and social media, and Frank shares his thoughts on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.   He worked in the military for the first part of his career and offers great insight, especially regarding PR implications, e.g. answering: “Is it OK to newsjack this?”

You can email Frank at: frank@swordandthescript.com

Here are some of his relevant posts:

• 9 Corporate Characteristics to Look for When Buying Public Relations Software
  • Presentation: The PR Technology Landscape 2022
• 8 Innovations in Public Relations Technology to Watch
• The Making of Cision: A Brief History of 18 M&A Transactions that Consolidated a Sizable Chunk of the PR Tech Market into One Company

Want to come on our podcast?  Have an idea for a show?  Please email bob.geller@fusionpr.com with your suggestions, and thanks for listening.

You can see the videos of the interviews on Fusion PR's YouTube channel.

In this episode, friend and former colleague Tina Loncaric speaks with PR Done & Doner host Jordan Chanofsky about how to achieve success with international PR programs. Originally from Sweden, Tina began her PR career in the US at Fusion PR. Since then she has gone on to achieve success for a range of agencies, nonprofits and tech companies, in roles that have taken Tina from Texas, to London, Croatia and Silicon Valley. She currently is a Global PR Manager for Agora.io, the leading video, voice and live interactive streaming platform

In a wide ranging conversation, Tina answers questions such as:

• The difference between PR in the US and Europe
• The role of culture in PR, for various geographies
• How can teams adapt their approaches, press releases and messages?
• How to be agile and go international without a massive budget
• The importance of localization and nuances of translation
• Do customer stories work beyond their home markets?
• How to prioritize international efforts?
• What are the potential barriers?
• Do you need a large global agency or smaller shops in each region?

Tina's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinaloncaric/

Agora's LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/agora-lab-inc/ 

To contact Bob Geller about the podcast or features, he can be reached at Bob.Geller@Fusionpr.com

Want to be a guest on a future episode?

We'd love to hear who you'd like us to feature as a guest. Simply reply to this email and let us know who you think would be a great fit—even (and especially) if that's you!

In this episode, top cybersecurity influencer Joseph Steinberg joins host Bob Geller to discuss the state of the space and how to stand out in a crowded market. We cover the following topics:

• Are there too many cyber tech companies?
• The 3 three things that will grab CISOs and CSOs
• Avoiding common PR errors
• Why you need to be on TikTok and Instagram
• Tips for working with influencers

Joseph Steinberg is known for his keen insights and unique perspectives on cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the impact of technological developments on society. He amassed millions of readers as a regular columnist for Forbes and Inc. magazines. Joseph’s blog gets millions of monthly views, making it one of the most read columns in the fields of cybersecurity and AI. His opinions are also frequently cited in books, law journals, security publications, and general interest periodicals.

Joseph Steinberg serves as a cybersecurity expert witness, and an advisor to both businesses and governments around the world. He has been a leader and innovator in the cybersecurity industry for nearly 25 years, is one of the top cybersecurity influencers worldwide, and has written books ranging from Cybersecurity for Dummies to the Official Guide that many Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) study for their certification exams.

Engage with Joseph Steinberg:

Website:JosephSteinberg.com

Email: Via Contact Form

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JosephSteinberg

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephsteinberg/

To contact Bob Geller about the podcast or features, he can be reached at Bob.Geller@Fusionpr.com

Want to be a guest?

We'd love to hear your idea. Send an email and let us know who you think would be a great fit—even (and especially) if that's you!

The podcast is PR, Done & Doner, but it was the Nic and Vic show when we welcomed Nic Silver and Vikram Ekambaram to discuss the emerging world of AI agents and GenAI in PR and marketing. 

Both have built businesses and expertise applying the technology to areas like content, social media posting, demand generation, lead qualification, GTM and other use cases.

It was a wide ranging conversation that should be of interest to PR & marketing teams who want to get a better grasp on AI and how it can help meet their goals.

We covered these topics and others:

• Favored tools for agents, GenAI, orchestration
• Content acceleration and GTM solutions
• Coping with rapid AI change; and resulting org. change
• How to achieve success with the tech
• What's next in AI

Thanks, Nic and Vik for joing the podcast and sharing your expertise. Here is their info if you'd like to reach out to the guests:

Nic Silver

https://digitalalchemy.social/ (newsletter)

https://www.nicsilver.com/  (website)

contact@nicsilver.com

Vikram Ekambaram

Contact info - vikram@vyceralsolutions.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vekambar

In this episode, host Bob Geller speaks with Dan Prince, a B2B PR and marketing pro who achieved success at companies like Accenture, Alliant, Deloitte, Marsh, and Willis for over 20 years before launching his own shop, Prince Communications.

Dan discusses his career at length, and lessons from the client side that helped him grow as a PR professional and agency owner. It is a great POV, because Dan worked with many PR agencies, and managed teams that were responsible for PR and MarCom.

We cover topics such as:

• Does agency size matter?
• How not to pitch a PR prospect
• Measuring and reporting results
• Connecting PR and MarCom to sales
• How to keep programs on track
• Setting and managing internal stakeholder expectations

To contact Dan Prince, you can email him or check out his website and Linkedin.

• Email: dan@princecomms.com
• Website: https://princecomms.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danprincecomms/

Want to be a guest?  Feel free to contact Bob Geller at Bob.Geller@Fusionpr.com with a topic and speaker suggestion.

On Episode 3 guest Mark Traphagen,  VP of Product Marketing and Training for SEOclarity, joins host Bob Geller to discuss the state of SEO and relevance for PR.Search continues to drive most website traffic, yet many in the PR field are unsure of how to leverage it for the best content and earned media results.Mark is an award-winning veteran of Internet and search marketing. He sheds light on the following questions and topics:

• The latest updates to Google's search algorithm
• Blogging and website content for improved SEO and PR
• Can startups displace the giants in search results?
• Why good UX is so important
• How to combine SEO and PR for the best results

Interact with Mark Traphagen:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marktraphagen

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/marktraphagen

Other resources:

seoClarity SEO & Content Marketing Learning Center

https://www.seoclarity.net/seo-content-learning-center

FREE Spark Content Optimizer Chrome extension:

https://www.seoclarity.net/spark-content-optimizer/

FREE Schema Builder & Tester (tool for implementing structured data code on your site) https://schema.dev

To contact Bob Geller about the podcast or features, he can be reached at Bob.Geller@Fusionpr.com

Want to be a guest on a future episode?

We'd love to hear who you'd like us to feature as a guest. Simply reply to this email and let us know who you think would be a great fit—even (and especially) if that's you!

On Episode 2, guest Kevin Maney, co-founder of strategy consulting firm Category Design Advisors, joins host Bob Geller to discuss how tech companies can achieve market leadership.

It's a noisy and competitive world in technology. How to stand apart? It gets down to creating and owning a category.  Kevin will offer learnings based on his many years working as a consultant, top journalist, and co-author of Play Bigger.

We also get into PR tactics, explore what tech marketing can learn from infomercials, and how to reinvent the press release.

Kevin's book "Play Bigger" is available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Play-Bigger-Dreamers-Innovators-Dominate/dp/0062407619

You can contact Kevin Maney via his email: kevin@categorydesignadvisors.com

To contact Bob Geller about the podcast or features, he can be reached at Bob.Geller@Fusionpr.com

Want to be a guest on a future episode?

We'd love to hear who you'd like us to feature as a guest. Simply reply to this email and let us know who you think would be a great fit—even (and especially) if that's you!

Welcome to our first PR, Done & Doner podcast.  In this episode, Bob Geller interviews Robin Schaffer, an industry analyst relations expert.  Her company Schaffer AR helps B2B tech companies maximize results with analysts and get into the reports.  Here, Robin counters myths and misperceptions about analysts, answers the most common questions asked by PR teams, and explains how to influence these key influencers.

Robin Schaffer's Book "Analysts on Analyst Relations" is available on Amazon using the following link: https://www.amazon.com/Analysts-Analyst-Relations-Robin-Schaffer/dp/0906378133

You can contact Robin Schaffer via her email robin@schafferar.com

To contact Bob Geller about the podcast or features he can be reached at Bob.Geller@Fusionpr.com

In this episode we welcome back Co-Communications founder and CEO Stacey Ross Cohen. Stacey is an accomplished PR pro, an educator and also an author; we discussed her books Brand Up and Brand Up 2.0 before launching into the topic at hand: how to best adapt to the many changes rocking the PR world.

It was a lively chat. We compared notes on what's happening, implications for the field, and offered advice for agency and internal comms teams. There are a number of challenges - but each presents new opportunities, too:

• AI: how is it helping, hurting, what should PR teams do?
• Changes in media landscape, blurring lines of paid and earned.
• Emergence of alternative media channels.
• The importance of thinking holistically, and integration with other marketing channels.
• Measuring and achieving the results that really count.

Thanks for tuning in! And thank you, Stacey, for sharing your insights.

It was great having Kourtney Jason on the podcast. She was an entertainment journalist before launching and growing book publicity and digital marketing agency Pacific and Court.

Kourtney offered advice on how to improve media relations and results.

We discussed top tips, such as:

• How to succeed in a changing media landscape.
• The growth of alternative media channels, and how to best identify and pursue them.
• Honing outreach based on timing, freelance vs. staff writers, headline consideration.
• Thinking outside the email pitch box
• A new media opportunity alerting service
• Hacks for finding journo emails
• The importance of research to understand an outlet's voice.

Thank you, Kourtney, for sharing your insight with our audience, and thanks , listeners, for tuning in. You can reach Kourtney at:

kourtney@pacificandcourt.com

Some may take a dim view of hype and publicity stunts. But both can be used in good ways to break out of the boxes of email pitches and press releases.

Joining host Bob Geller is Michael F. Schein, author of The Hype Handbook, and Joseph Dans, host of the Creativity and Tech in Business and Life radio show, on WTBQ AM and FM in the greater NY area.

We discussed the use of these things and big ideas to advance PR goals. It was a wide ranging conversation covering these points and others:

• Hype history - Edward Bernays, PR inventor and hype artist
• The cornerstones of ethical hype
• Shake up your program with creativity and big ideas
• Examples of successful stunts

Thanks, Michael and Joe, for joining the podcast and sharing your insight. You can find them at these Web addresses:

https://michaelfschein.com/

https://wtbq.com/wednesday/

In this episode, digital marketing consultant Neal Schaffer joined the podcast to discuss setting the social media agenda for 2025.

We talked about his new book, Digital Threads , and the importance of taking a digital-first approach in marketing. The conversation covered these points and others:

• Putting the SES (search, email and social media) cornerstones in place.
• Advice for PR teams
• The most critical piece of advice for social media success.
• Should you stay or should you go now? (The incursion of politics into social media - which networks to leave behind and which to join or double down on?)

Neal, I have truly enjoyed our collaboration over the years. Thanks for joining the podcast and sharing your insights.

Everyone, please check out his sitehttps://nealschaffer.com/to learn about Neal's services and books.

We invited Ben Guttmann, author of Simply Put, on the podcast. It's a book about how to intentionally design simple, clear and effective messages.

Ironically, getting simple is not necessarily easy. His book is a great guide, with practical, actionable tips, anectodes, and research behind the ideas.

In 30 minutes, Ben took us on a tour of the challenges, benefits and cornerstones of designing messages that can rise above the noise and hit home. We covered these topics and others:

• The disconnect between message senders and receivers
• Cornerstones of simple messages
• Putting the ideas into practice
• The importance of the 1000 most common words
• How AI and other tools can help

You can connect with Ben and download the first chapter of Simply Put for free at ⁠BenGuttmann.com⁠. Also check out the ⁠Resources page⁠ for a tool that can help you write more simply.

AI has been invading every area of our lives since the launch of ChatGPT about a year-and-a-half ago. Especialy with how we find info and get answers online. What does this mean for marketers, especially those involved with content and SEO?

To find out, we invited our friend and SEO guru Mark Traphagen back onto the podcast.

It was a great conversation. In 20 minutes, Mark shed light on these areas:

• How big a deal is AI for search and SEO?
• State of the tech and how it works
• Short and long term impact
• Next steps for big brands and niche players
• PR that can assist optimization efforts

Thanks, Mark for joining the podcast and sharing your insight!

You can find Mark and connect with him on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marktraphagen/

Also, he posts regularly on the seoClarity blog:

https://www.seoclarity.net/seo-content-learning-center

It has been 10 years since Play Bigger hit the bookshelves to great acclaim, and three years since co-author Kevin Maney last appeared on PR, Done & Doner. We thought it was high time to have him back on again, closely following release of The Category Creation Formula, the new book that he and partner Mike Damphousse co-wrote.

It provides an update and playbook for playing bigger, based on 10 years of their experience helping companies mint and dominate new categories, or markets.

We had a wide ranging conversation about what works today, covering these topics and others:

• Is it harder to become category king today?
• AI impact on category creation
• The category creation formula
• Building vs. following categories
• Getting VCs and the team on board
• Stars and flops, spanning Jobs, Bezos, the knuckleball (yes, there's a category for that) and the Segue

Thanks, Kevin for coming back on and sharing your insight. You can find him on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmaney/ and at https://www.categorydesignadvisors.com/