Katie Zeppieri

Content is exploding yet the time we need to read, watch and listen to it is remaining the same. As a result we have to become ever more discerning in the choices we make. Here are 2 great PR Podcasts that I have just caught up on, and you should too, both highly recommended. First up is the welcome return of The PR Hub Podcast with special guest, #PublicRelations guru Andy Barr of 10 Yetis Digital, rapidly becoming one of our industry's top voices in all things Crisis Comms. Hosted by Jon Wilcox and Adam Tuckwell, they dive into all of the issues surrounding the launch, or lack of a launch, of Co-Op Live. One of the key points discussed is whether this is an operational issue or a PR one, and following from that how difficult it is to communicate your way out of bad behaviour. No doubt great comms would have helped protect reputation and it appears that the comms team were not included early enough in the situation. Have a lesson and see what you think. On another tack entirely, Michael Murphy and Ben Smith are on the PRmoment pod sharing great tips for buying, growing or selling a PR Agency. Michael has reams of experience in this field and as someone who has grown, sold and bought agencies myself, his wise words really resonate. Michael emphasizes the importance of a realistic valuation and the emotional impact of selling, urging owners to recognize the significance of this possibly once-in-a-lifetime decision. Michael also highlights the importance of cultural fit over just financial terms when choosing a buyer. All great points along with many others you won't want to miss. I've shared links to each below.

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LOVE the State of Podcast Agencies 2024 Report by Quill Inc. This is an industry still in its infancy. Downloads remain the dominant metric (sadly) but there are some terrific options available to help us make those metrics more sophisticated. Trackable ROI is one of the biggest challenges but that reinforces the need for Agencies to work with clients from the beginning to establish KPIs for their podcast. Download the report here https://lnkd.in/geS8VbRt Fatima Zaidi #podcasting #podcastagencies

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Having representation in advertisements isn't enough to expand into multicultural markets, though many companies might think it's sufficient. Truly connecting with diverse audiences requires thoughtful research into cultural nuances and strategic thinking. ✨ Sociological methods combined with marketing methods can guide us to connect more meaningfully with multicultural audiences. Learn how companies can effectively expand their market share by engaging with these communities thoughtfully and strategically. Read the case studies here: https://lnkd.in/dcR7T57Q

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ANNOUNCEMENT www.TheNHF.com : I am happy to announce I (and my company ReachOut Communications Corp. (ROCC)) has been hired as the Web and Social Account Manager for the National Health Federation (https://TheNHF.com). I am passionate about NHF and what they stand for. It was a Doctor I worked with years ago who recommended me to thee NHF. What is the NHF? The NHF: 1. Protects access to alternative health therapies and healthy medicine. In fact, the NHF stopped congress from passing a law years ago that would have prohibited vitamins and supplements from be sent in the mail! 2. Protects your right to purchase the full range of dietary supplements. 3. Protects the rights of alternative (integrative) doctors, chiropractors, and other healers. 4. Oppose toxins and contaminants in your food and water. 5. Support health food store owners’ right to exist. Please visit their website and consider becoming a member, and giving a donation, any amount would be appreciated. https://thenhf.com/

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Great write-up here from David Gollom and Madeleine Porter from Proof Strategies, ahead of tomorrow's BoC announcement. "Central banks know what it feels like to be under the microscope. Even the slightest of diversions in their messaging can have large implications. Ample preparation is key – both with respect to a spokesperson (ideally, there should be just one for complex issues) as well as the messaging itself. Data-driven key messages are essential to contextualizing the narrative, therefore increasing the level of understanding for the audience. Failing to have clear, concise messages supported by data, delivered by a well-prepared spokesperson can do more harm than good."

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So far we've helped small business owners in British Columbia receive over $15k in grant funding. Your business may also be eligible to recieve government grant funding of up to $2400 to improve your marketing. Every small business owner feels the stress of trying to stay on top of digital marketing AND run their business. These are things like email marketing, lead magnets, funnels, online sales and SEO. Marketing is more than an essential skill, it’s a business superpower to sell your products, programs and services. If you're a small business book a discovery call and let's see if you are eligble for funding!

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If you've been wondering how AI comes up with its trusted models and information, I'm guessing a list like this is not a bad proxy for how one ranking system can look at, say, journalism and media, and decide what's valuable. It's from a service called @prowly and it purports to list the top 100 media outlets in Canada. If you were based in Dallas or Shanghai it all looks plausible enough but you can see some of the subjective errors if you live here. They use a proprietary influence score based on: "number of social media followers the contact has, impact of the outlet they represent, completeness of their profile" You can see how the errors might start here - as it biases towards online presence of a certain kind the machines can scrape and analyze. And it doesn't distinguish between self-interested speech and public service information. It's also interesting that this list is what @google puts at the top of their search results (snake eating its own tail). Interesting that many companies (FreshBooks) and advocacy groups (@greenpeace) score as high as respected mainstream media like National Post, Inc. and @chatelaine Does an article on Freshbooks.com mean as much as a feature in the National Post? According to some metrics, yes. If you're just trying to reach eyeballs, it probably doesn't matter. But if you're building a model of the world you should figure out how to distinguish these sources the way a normal human would. https://lnkd.in/g94KdYzz

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MAKING TREATIES - Truthful history of treaty making in Canada - documentary - On the making of our modern Indian treaties - presenting an emotional and personal approach to the outcomes of the modern treaty process in Canada. Profiles on First Nations blend with input from resource developers and governments as the program weaves our tale of land ownership and forecasts our economic future. By presenting a balanced perspective, native and non-native alike, and by educating a concerned public, we may begin to build the very needed bridges and the dialogue that must exist for all societies to coexist in Canada. The program is a must-see for all audiences. Broadcast: Global Television. (Info - richard@firstnationsfilms.com) https://lnkd.in/g__hDbh

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We've become much more than an officer of information. Catch the full episode: https://lnkd.in/gn88eYzM Thanks to Jan Enns for hosting this episode!

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"Know your audience" and "be relevant" to them; focus on "their problem" not "your product." Why are these principles--the daily bread and butter for marketers worldwide-- so difficult to plug into our operating system for many of us working in climate communications? I just listened to an invigorating and insightful conversation between John Marshall, from Potential Energy Coalition and Dickon Bonvik-Stone on his brilliant Communicating Climate Change podcast that I strongly recommend to you. John highlights that climate change has a marketing problem, and indeed it does. He offers actionable advice that can be implemented immediately so that we stop preaching the parish and enlarge our influence to those with the voting, purchase and any form of power able to change things for good. As I await the results of the highly technical and somewhat enigmatic UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, known as #SB60 (you can't do more cryptic), John and Dickon's discussion makes it clear why, despite 30 years of climate negotiations, we still feel we've achieved only a fraction of the impact we need. Have a listen and let's keep talking to each other and understanding how to solve our marketing problem! I would love to read your thoughts. https://lnkd.in/e8Rh9kgr #climatecommunications #climatechange #climatecrisis #climatecomms #marketing #communications

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Discover the Power of Podcasting in Canada! Here are some eye-opening podcast statistics in Canada: - Widespread Popularity: 71% of Canadians have listened to at least one podcast. - Dedicated Listeners: 29% of Canada’s monthly podcast listeners spend at least five hours per week tuned in. - Youth Engagement: 42% of Canadian monthly podcast listeners are aged 18 to 34. - Platform Preferences: Spotify and YouTube are the top platforms for podcast listening in Canada. - Home Listening: 81% of Canadians listen to podcasts at home, and 74% use portable devices. - Discovery Channels: Listeners often find new content through recommendations on podcasts they already enjoy. - Top Genre: Comedy is the most popular podcast genre in Canada. - Revenue Growth: Podcast advertising revenue in Canada was $127.1 million in 2023. - Advertising Impact: Brands have seen 89% higher brand awareness after advertising on podcasts. - Consumer Actions: 51% of bi-weekly podcast listeners have bought a product after hearing about it on a podcast. So what are you waiting for? Tune in now and Be inspired.

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The single-most powerful differentiator for digital agencies today: “Love your craft.” I heard this from Lindsay Smith, CEO of Massive Media, at the Vancouver Agency Leaders Summit this week, and it stuck with me. The event brought together founders of digital product and marketing/PR agencies to talk about the state of the industry, building strong teams, and keeping (the right) clients happy. At a time when there’s no shortage of technical bells and whistles for agency owners — from AI copilots to an ever-expanding marketing stack — it was refreshing to hear the word “craft” brought up. Doing great work — work you put your heart into — still matters, even if that’s not easy to quantify and lost on certain clients. A thank you to Mark Fromson for putting on such a candid, well-executed, no-fuss event here in Vancouver (with such abundant pizza). Also great to hear from the other panelists: - 🛸JP Holecka🛸 … on why a “generation-less” team is the best kind - Darian Kovacs ♾️ … on why dahlia tubers are the new Pokemon - Jose Hernandez Castilla … on the real vs. imagined efficiency gains of AI - Pete Smyth … on keeping (and letting go of) great team members - Nick Wilkinson … on the power of firing nightmare clients Looking forward to the next summit! cc: Aristotel Dascal

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In a comprehensive annual review, Rod Cartwright's "Reputation, Risk and Resilience 2024" highlights the complex challenges and opportunities for corporate communicators, offering a fresh perspective on global risks. 📊 Despite the challenging outlook, as PR professionals we must see risk management, crisis preparedness, and resilience-building as sources of positive value. 🚀

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Does planning your content send your head in a spin? Let’s untangle that caos and give you 8 weeks of content prompts that will give your socials a boost this summer. Say goodbye to creative overwhelm and help to engaged content. Giving you headspace back to work on other things within your business or enable you to take some well deserved time off. Content is all ready to go as soon as you sign up so you can get planning and scheduling ahead. https://lnkd.in/eVg6EH_A

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From renewing passports to getting medical treatments to improving sustainability across our industrial supply chains, technology adoption is not happening and it is crippling productivity. Plus… 1. Your teams want to be learning and leveraging technology to do their jobs better. Retention and employee satisfaction! 2. Investors get ROI through their investee technologies getting adopted. No ROI means capital doesn’t cycle back and LPs don’t reinvest. Foresight Canada 🍁 is committed to scaling ventures and supporting industry and government adoption of technologies that improve sustainability and productivity! Let’s work together to make this happen. #cleantech #scale #matchmaking #capacity #competitivenes #Canada

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9 months ago, our social-first media model almost fell apart. On August 15, 2023, Meta officially blocked all legitimate and trusted news content from being shared in Canada on Facebook and Instagram. Overnight, our 5 million follower metric on these platforms across Canada became worthless. We could have easily given up and thrown in the towel as our largest distribution channels became obsolete. Here’s what we did instead: 1. Own the situation. We knew for many years that we never owned that audience, but we kept investing in it anyway. The fact that they pulled the plug first was because we didn’t wean ourselves off of them earlier. We reset expectations and started rebuilding off-platform, something we should have done much earlier. 2. Our brand equity is stronger than ever. Critically, many of our agency and brand partners still saw the value we provided, even without the organic reach we had on these platforms. Those clients now see stronger performance than we ever had. 3. Embrace the Creator Economy. Even though there seems to be an overwhelming imbalance of power between platforms and creators, we believe that balance will start shifting as creators mobilize and organize. We made it our mission to rally prominent local creators across the country to build solid businesses that can withstand algorithmic pressure. 4. Go all in on first-party data. We launched a dynamic registration wall across all our content that restricts high-converting content to logged-in users and removes the login wall on lower-performing content (to maximize display revenue). This has helped us scale to over 165,000 registered users in less than six months while not completely wiping away our programmatic inventory. The fight is not over, though. Reinvention and ruthless focus on the metrics that matter are crucial to coming back from what we lived through, but we’re making progress day by day. In the next few weeks, I will be launching a crowdfunding campaign that will propel us to the next phase of our business, and I’m excited to allow anyone who wants to see us succeed to own a piece of the upside. Onward! #canadianmedia #billc18 #creatoreconomy

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With less 24 hours before we hit the polls, the recent launch of Iceland’s manifesto, "Frozen Out," speaks volumes about our collective mistrust of traditional institutions and political systems. Businesses have lobbied Parliament for years, and the past decade has seen brands across all sectors take up the mantle of 'purpose' as consumers become more socially and environmentally conscious. But this feels different. "Frozen Out" aims to share monthly insights from its shoppers, covering more than their concerns about food prices and inflation. The manifesto will address a wide range of issues, from health and social concerns to education and the environment. Iceland championing the concerns of its shoppers in this formalised way signifies a significant shift in how brands are influencing culture. This change isn't just a marketing strategy but a response to a genuine societal need. Is a business like Iceland the right channel for people to finally have their concerns heard by whoever takes power this election week? I would love to know others’ thoughts. #marketing #culture #trust

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💡 Is AI going to take our jobs? As I've been attending various events and engaging with experts in the Generative AI space across Toronto, one common question keeps surfacing: Is AI going to take our jobs? This concern isn't something new. Historical creatives like Frank Herbert in his 1965 novel Dune and Stanley Kubrick in his 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey already pondered the implications of machines overtaking human roles. However, the deeper I delve into these discussions, the clearer it becomes that the issue isn't straightforward. It challenges us to redefine what we actually mean by "jobs." If we only consider job roles as positions within companies, then indeed, AI and robots might one day manage many tasks, even those we currently see as uniquely human, like creativity in art and literature. But there’s a broader perspective to consider. AI lacks something fundamental that humans possess: intent. While AI can suggest ways to clean our oceans or optimize reforestation, it doesn’t possess the intrinsic motivation to care or to initiate change. That’s a human trait. Why should we limit our identity to our job titles? The rise of AI offers a chance to think about our roles not just by the tasks we perform, but by the impact we make. It’s worth considering our worth not by our office titles but by our contributions to society. This perspective encourages shifting from an individualistic focus on personal achievements to a collectivist approach that values our contributions to the broader community. I see our true job, which no machine can replicate, as serving humanity in ways that reflect our unique human spirit. As AI takes over more routine tasks, it isn’t replacing us but rather freeing us to address larger, more complex problems that require human empathy and commitment. Our future with AI doesn’t have to be a narrative of job loss but rather one of role expansion. This is an exhilarating time to rethink our work and our purpose, to discover how we can truly make a lasting difference in the world. In my opinion, the embrace of collectivism over individualism isn’t just beneficial; it’s essential as we forge paths forward in an AI-enhanced world. #GenerativeAI #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Humanity #Purpose

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