Frank X. Shaw’s Post

I was recently asked what I thought about click-bait articles and if there would ever be a reason to embrace these as a communications tactic, or to celebrate as a win an article that has that sort of headline. The short answer is no. Attention is a valuable currency, but trust is more important. Something written for clicks instead of substance intrinsically is trying to trick the audience into reading more. Our role as communication is not just to capture attention but to earn it, sustain it, and build enduring relationships with our audiences.    And we know that regaining trust is a monumental task. We need to remember that our reputation as communicators hinges on the authenticity and reliability of our messages. Instead of relying on or combating sensational headlines and exaggerated claims, we should focus on delivering meaningful insights and fostering thoughtful dialogue.    As communicators, our aim should be to create content that challenges, inspires, and informs—content that people want to engage with not because it promises something outrageous but because it delivers something valuable. 

One of my fave new podcasts!

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to connect with communication experts from JPMorganChase here in New York City. There is always so much energy and learning when comms teams get together! Jennifer Lavoie and I had a chance to talk about some of the common challenges and opportunities with doing employee all hands, how AI is changing the way we work, the way the evolution of media/social media has pushed us to do things differently, and a bunch of other topics! Every time I get a chance to meet and talk with other communicators I am reminded of all the things we have in common, and how much we learn from each other, sometimes in a q/a session, but often just in the conversations between presentations. Always be learning. 😊

As we continue to push into the age of AI and reshape our function, we must ask ourselves what tools will help our stories connect with audiences in a new era of intelligent communications. Today Microsoft and Meltwater announced the first step in reinventing PR and Communications with the power of AI as we unveiled a communications assistant built on Microsoft’s technology stack that allows users to surface real-time insights such as brand mentions, sentiment analysis, key issues, and competitive benchmarking all within Microsoft Teams. This is more than just a tool—it's a step towards transforming how we understand and engage with our audiences. By integrating these capabilities seamlessly into the platforms we use daily, we're making it easier to stay informed and proactive in our strategies. Let's set the standard for the future together! Learn more about it here: https://lnkd.in/gbda8e6v Aditya Jami, Doug Balut, Scott Gibbs, John B.

Quick trip to NYC ahead! Always like the art at SeaTac, even in the security lines are a bit crowded this time of year. :)

I had fun speaking with Nicole Leverich and the communications team at LinkedIn today.    It was great talking sharing industry insights, lessons learned, favorite stories, biggest challenges. We are all in the same big leaky boat. :) I talked a bit about the value of creating and maintaining strong internal networks and relationships in the same way we work on creating external relationships. Internal perspective is as important sometimes as external perspective, which means it's great to hear regularly from a variety of sources internally -- sales leaders and finance, engineering and marketing, legal and compliance. You never know when you'll need a key piece of information, and I've found it is easier to ask for that information when there is a history of a productive relationship!   Of course, I asked for a picture to share on LinkedIn 😊 

Today, I had the chance to connect with Christine Heenan and her team to talk about all the interesting challenges and opportunities our communications industry faces! We discussed the impact of AI at large and within our communications industry, how to build internal and external networks, how to recover from mistakes. It’s always interesting to hear what other communicators are considering when it comes to AI, and it's definitely a good idea to see if those use cases can cut across industries. Thanks for having me!