Fred Bateman

In today's data-rich environment, PR practitioners who embrace data-driven decision-making are gaining a significant edge in developing more effective, targeted and measurable campaigns -- H Patel, FINN Partners https://odwpr.us/3zBzyYe

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The October monthly episode of our For Immediate Release podcast explores critical communication trends. Shel Holtz, SCMP, and I discuss six compelling topics, including Reddit's potential for crisis comms, the state of blogging in 2024, ethical concerns in celebrity news coverage, workplace connection challenges, and AI's impact across industries. In a blog post, I've set out some key takeaways that present opportunities for communicators, including leveraging Reddit for stakeholder engagement and preparing to guide organisations through AI adoption. Read more and listen now for valuable perspectives and insights on navigating today's complex communication landscape. https://lnkd.in/e5_CcMR2

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My early takeaway from PRSA Oregon #CommCon2024 is that the public is facing a real trust issue when it comes to innovations like AI and other emerging tech (and in general). Which raises the question: how do we address the trust crisis in a way that is both authentic and effective? #communications #publicrelations

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I am proud to share Team Flow Institute Fellows' latest paper, "How to Prepare for the Integration of AI to Achieve Business and Human Success." In its simplest terms, AI has been classified as a series efficiency tools, built on creating productivity and savings. Now, through the lens of the Team Flow model -- which prioritizes collaboration, communication, and innovation -- this paper focuses on several ways AI can drive the human element of business. Among them: 🤖 How AI technologies can augment and elevate human work rather than just automate tasks. 💪 Empowering employees rather than replacing them and placing more value on human work. 📊 Measuring “progressivity” -- as opposed to productivity -- as a key success metric. 🌟 Envisioning new opportunities and possibilities with the addition of AI technology, rather than just adopting a new technology and conducting business as usual. Read more at https://lnkd.in/eyBSCPvs #ai #teamflow

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As eloquently put by Eleanor Hawkins in Axios Communicators, there's a recalibration happening as executives navigate how and when to address socio-political issues in the era of Trump 2.0. For corporate communicators, decisions about if, and how, to respond are going to be taking up a lot more of our time over the next four years, if past experience is any indication. Check out the full article at https://lnkd.in/eZCnfVNQ

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In this week’s Borkowski Media Trends we apply Meltwater data to Justin Timberlake’s DWI crisis to demonstrate two home truths about the new conditions. Negative publicity unfolds at mind-boggling speed and in uncontrollable volumes. BUT.. #PR Crises flare out quickly in the modern news cycle Meme culture can accelerate this process by diluting negative publicity “In the past week, 81% of non-neutral mentions of Timberlake in the media have been negative – that’s over 100,000 stories and significant social media posts. But it’s not all bad; crises these days don’t last long – overall mentions of Timberlake spiked at 132,000 on Wednesday but, as of Friday, have already dropped 93% to below 10,000. And the comedy is undoubtedly distracting from the negativity; nine of the top 10 most shared links about Timberlake in the last week have been memes – with only the first significant share of his mugshot treating his arrest as anything more than a joke. If that doesn’t illustrate the trivial nature of the crisis, there’s also the small matter that the ‘ROFL’ emoji has been used in conjunction with Timberlake’s name over 2,000 more times than ‘DWI’ since the arrest. While instructive, it’s important to note that it would have been very hard, if not impossible, for Timberlake to engineer a situation where a meme distracts the general public from his reputation crisis. Possibly the only major public figures who have done that successfully in recent times have been Donald Trump and Boris Johnson – and neither of them was able to swim against the serious undercurrent of their reputational issues forever. But it does show any errant celebrity worried about a career-ending scandal that the modern news cycle is short-lasting and easily distracted by frivolity...there's hope for us all.” For weekly insights into the PR, Communications and Reputation lessons behind the week’s top stories, delivered every Friday, subscribe to our Substack: https://lnkd.in/eB9ME6VJ #PR, #CrisisCommunications #Reputation #celebrity #reputation #riskmanagement #crisismanagement 

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Preparing for the election battleground of 2024: where AI, deepfakes, and disinformation collide. An eye-opening read 👀🔍 #Election2024 #AI #Deepfakes https://lnkd.in/gk82cm9T

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I’m profoundly thankful to Srini, Editor of TheFederal.com (https://thefederal.com/), and the Executive Council of New Generation Media for placing their trust on me to lead the charge in product-driven digital transformation at The Federal. Let’s be honest—building a scalable and sustainable news business isn’t exactly a walk in Cubbon Park. But where’s the fun without a challenge? News might be a public good, but it still has to bring home the bacon (or idli, depending on your palate). For agile, small newsrooms like The Federal, embracing AI tools isn’t a luxury anymore—it’s the new power move. A special shoutout to Srini, who redefined the term "hands-on leadership" by enrolling in Python classes alongside his team. Yes, you read that right—an editor who codes! If that doesn’t scream “newsroom of the future,” I don’t know what does. It’s proof that understanding code is no longer optional; it’s essential for survival and growth in modern journalism. The cherry on top? Witnessing our custom AI model (built to convert video to news stories) in action, complete with a disclaimer proudly displayed at the end of an article. Sure, it’s one small step for AI, but it’s a moonwalk for The Federal. And trust me, this is just the trailer—there’s a blockbuster ahead. As we forge ahead, The Federal is set to adopt a freemium model (because, yes, we know what the cool kids are doing) and explore Generative AI-driven targeted programmatic ads. No clickbait nonsense—just smart, relevant ads that actually make sense. And we’re not stopping there: our expansion into vernacular content (Hindi, Kannada, and Telugu) will get a major boost from our AI allies. Of course, at the heart of it all remains The Federal's unwavering commitment to quality journalism. Let me leave you with this parting thought: AI isn’t replacing humans anytime soon, but humans who know how to harness AI? Now, that’s who’s rewriting the story. 🚀 PS: Oh, and if you’re part of a newsroom and have thoughts to share—whether you’d like to exchange notes, throw a few bricks, or even swear this is plain silly—I’d love to hear from you! Let’s learn and grow together, one AI-powered typo at a time. PPS: The Federal’s disclosure highlights its use of a proprietary AI model alongside a Human-In-The-Loop (HITLO) process, ensuring AI efficiency is paired with human oversight for reliable journalism. In an era where AI tools like GPT and Gemini are widely used in newsrooms, this transparency builds trust and sets a standard for ethical implementation.

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Pro PR Tip 💡 Build media connections and relationships before you need them. Disinformation is a growing problem and having reporters who already are on your side and know what you stand for is the best way to combat the Internet trolls - which seem to be everywhere (even in places you'd expect to be credible). It's much harder to get your commentary placed in the midst of disinformation if they've never heard of you before -- but if they've covered you before and trust you, they'll continue to trust you. Because while you can't totally avoid the dark side of the Internet - repeating your values publicly, prioritizing a positive message and stacking reporters who champion your work will always help you come out on top. 🔥 P.S. If you'd like more easy and actionable PR advice that is designed to help you get more media coverage right now (and just in time for the biggest PR season of the year!) make sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter Fintech & Friends. #pr #pragency #publicrelations #startups #fintech #media

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Top takeaways from the "Beyond the Basics: A #GenerativeAI Masterclass for Business Communicators" at #IABC24. Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending a workshop led by Matt Russell from the Mayo Clinic. The masterclass focused on leveraging #ChatGPT and other AI tools to grow and enhance business communications. Here are my top takeaways (first draft thanks to ChatGPT;) 1. Expand AI Use: Start using tools individually and then scale their uses across teams for enhanced productivity. 2. AI in Project Management: Integrate AI into project planning to streamline processes and boost efficiency. 3. Promote AI Integration: Develop strategies to advocate for AI adoption, keeping in line with policy and culture, while staying on top of advancements.

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Comms Pro Tip of the Day: Follow Steve Mnich for all of your AI hacks (and use Claude). He posts great nuggets on ways to use Claude to be a better and more efficient practitioner.

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Join me July 11 at 3:30 EST for this Notified webinar, where I'll share advice and tips on effectively pitching your press releases to journalists. Hope to see you there, along with the 800+ people already registered - the link to sign up is in the comments. We'll cover: ➡️ What a press release is - and isn't - for 👍 ➡️ What to include in a well-written release 📝 ➡️ The best methods to pitch your news to journalists 🗣 ➡️ Other ways you can repurpose your release ♻️ #publicrelations #mediarelations #PRtips

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When Americans look for information about politics and elections, one of the first places they turn to is Google. The Associated Press and Google Trends have partnered throughout this year to show what folks are most interested in: crime, healthcare, unemployment, economy and so on. The data updates weekly and you can drill down to see which topics are on the minds of residents in your county. Hope you take a look.

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AI leaders have a crucial chance to address risks now and strengthen governance practices before playing catch-up to regulations, notes Kjell Carlsson, Ph.D. of Domino Data Lab. In a recent VentureBeat article, he shares his perspective on California's AI bill veto and why proactive governance is key to the future of AI innovation. Learn more about this addressing this opportunity: https://gag.gl/4WCTkP #AI #AIGovernance #AIInnovation #DataScience

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Almost every PR measurement effort that is… ·      Impressions-stacking ·      Clip-counting ·      Ad-value-equivalency (AVE)-using ·      Mentions-hunting ·      Newswire-pickup-toting ·      Basic AI sentiment-tracking ·      Releases and pitches-sent focusing ..Is not a metric to show impact to someone. At best, you might be trying to show hustle of potential exposure. Often they’re used due to not fully being aware of, understanding or maximizing modern PR measurement. Or it’s a frustration of not knowing where to begin. Or worse, because they or their bosses or clients don’t care and like pretty clip books with big numbers to say ‘look what we’ve done.’ Do you need to know a starting point on where to begin? Yes. You’re not going to reach for a tool in the garage before you understand what you’re trying to accomplish. Brand exposure metrics are not inherently bad. But if ‘a billion’ people ‘saw’ your announcement that season tickets are on-sale and your phones are not ringing off the hook and your office does not have a ‘sold-out’ sign up, then I’m not sure impressions alone are the right way to look at success. Start by looking at: ** Audience awareness: Define your audience (not “everyone”) and use aided/unaided awareness surveys. ** Audience attitudes: Track sentiment shifts with surveys or early indicators like appointment requests or intent to act (the steps before actually ‘doing the thing.’) ** Audience actions: Identify what you want them to "do" and craft communications to move them toward that goal. And, to round it out en route to the above: Outputs and outtakes help guide strategy and are good leading indicators but aren’t the final proof of impact—don’t confuse them with end-stage success of changing how your target audiences think/feel/do. “But Tim, why push for more if earned media clips are all that’s expected from my brass in sports PR?” Because senior leadership demands -- or will soon start to demand -- higher ROI and modern PR measurement is crucial. That’s why I make my students learn it. Those who connect audience-focused objectives to business outcomes will thrive. Yes, there are tons of tools. It can be overwhelming, but start by defining what success looks like—your champagne moment, as my friend Katie Delahaye Paine calls it. Then work backwards to select tools to measure (and please don't forget to set those related measurable objectives). 👀 The biggest truth: you have to start to learn. And if you never begin to properly measure (many, many times), you’re not going to cut it. #PR #CommunicationStrategy #DataDrivenCommunications #linkedinsports #sportsbiz #publicrelations

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AI is feared as an unpredictable risk to corporate reputation — but maybe that's not the right way for crisis communicators to think about it. Yes, deep fakes, misinformation, and even poor chatbot experiences have emerged as threats. But LLMs can conceptualize complex crisis situations with astonishing detail. For communicators, that means AI can sharpen and enhance your crisis communications planning — for virtually any type of reputational challenge. With AI, you can: ⚡ Predict stakeholder reactions to different crisis fact patterns. ⚡ Draft holding statements for a multitude of audiences with different concerns. ⚡ Simulate key stakeholder groups to stress-test your messaging. ⚡ Identify potential crisis escalation and de-escalation pathways, helping you account for how a crisis might unfold. ⚡ Craft hyper-targeted messages for different stakeholder groups to ensure your responses resonate. ⚡ Pinpoint crisis amplifiers and mitigators, giving you the edge to minimize risk and restore trust. ⚡ Adapt language and messaging for different regions or countries, ensuring global responses land authentically. ⚡ Train for the unexpected with interactive crisis simulations, offering hands-on preparation for your team. ⚡ Monitor real-time sentiment on social media and news platforms, spotting emerging issues before they explode. Don’t just fear AI's disruptive impact on reputation. Use AI to prepare, plan, and protect your organization when building out your crisis playbook. #CorporateCommunications #CrisisCommunications #AI

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Here's added support for the claim that comms pros are taking their rightful seat at the "strategy" table. Why? Because brand building and reputation management are strategic pillars for businesses. Memo's new "Evolving Role of Comms" report shows: 💡 A 34% increase in comms teams reporting directly to CEOs. 💡 A 26% decrease in reporting to marketing since 2023. 💡 An expanding role for comms, beyond earned media. 50% say they now own executive comms, internal comms, and marketing campaigns. CEOs experienced the value of comms during the pandemic and other challenging events of the early 2020s. These data suggest the C-suite is taking a serious look at a range of reputational risks, including: 🚨 Misinformation and disinformation due to AI. 🚨 Cybercrime, cybersecurity, and customer privacy. 🚨 Activist investors, including those pushing back against ESG policies. 🚨 Macroeconomic uncertainty, geopolitical, and climate events. The report also underscores the power that comes from: ⚡ Sharing executive perspectives to promote understanding of corporate values and ethics. ⚡ Having an aligned workforce. Empowered employees are your best advocates. The most interesting tension in this report is the question of priorities. Gaining competitive share-of-voice (SOV), raising awareness, and amplifying key messages top the to-do list more frequently than, say, managing disinformation or changing perceptions. It's a tightly-knit group of priorities, however. And that speaks to the complexities of modern communications. Comms folks drive clarity about purpose and values. They also understand the importance of closing the gaps between corporate stories and actions. Shout out to the comms folks out there who are claiming more space. Check out the full report in the link below. #Comms #PR #StrategicCommunications

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State of play: A recent Memo report found that 56% of CCOs are reporting to the CEO — an increase of 34 percentage points since last year. I loved seeing insights like that in Eleanor Hawkins's Axios Communicators Newsletter this week. It's a topic that is becoming increasingly important as the look of C-Suites continues to change each year. A separate report by the Observatory of Corporate Reputation found that CCO+ roles have increased by roughly 88% within the Fortune 1000 since 2019, outnumbering traditional CCO roles for the first time. I have been a long-time advocate of the CCO reporting to the CEO, indicating the importance of the role as well as its differentiating the position from the CMO which is complimentary but has a different lens to the brand. This hasn't historically been the case but I love to see this shift and its continued trend upwards! https://lnkd.in/gwEeuKxu

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