Look Left @ Marketing

Each year, thousands of content marketers make their way to Content Marketing World to gain insight from a wide variety of experts. For the first time, the show moved from its original home in Cleveland to Washington, D.C. Look Left's David Sprague and Skylar Cohen spent two days attending multiple sessions that covered many emerging—and traditional—content-related topics.  To no one's surprise, the most talked-about topic was generative AI, which has created a  whirlwind of disruption in the content marketing sector in recent months. As you'll hear, most at the conference stand firm in their belief that human beings are necessary to harness the power that AI can give a marketing team.  02:53 - On “Evolve,” the theme of Content Marketing World 2023 06:36 - Skylar and David share their favorite sessions: SEO, AI and editing 12:26 - Insights from Content Marketing World that can be applied to our client service 15:32 - The most common theme at Content Marketing World: AI needs humans 20:34 - Content needs to be more personalized 20:10 - Making content more accessible 25:53 - Many sessions contradicted each other in a healthy way Resources Content Marketing World David Sprague's CMW takeaways Skylar Cohen's CMW takeaways 

For those dwelling on the dirt and worm sides of rocks, the term “generative AI” probably doesn't spark a conversation. For the rest of us, there hasn't been a day over the last year when we didn't talk or read about it. Almost every company is trying to figure out where they fit into the AI conversation and how to use it to their advantage.As a B2B tech marketing and PR agency, we get a ton of questions about generative AI from our clients (but not our moms—they still don't understand what we do for a living). In this edition of the Look Left @ Marketing Podcast, we grabbed three of our Smartypants—Geena Pickering, Matt Raven and Bryan Scanlon—to answer some of the most common queries we get about this disruptive technology.3:08 - Dispelling the notion that AI will make B2B tech marketers obsolete.7:30 - Generative AI can save time, but efficiency shouldn't supersede content quality and accuracy.11:52 - Using human smarts and generative AI to develop messaging.14:43 - Companies positioning themselves as an AI company should do so with caution.17:34 - AI can help with SEO and content marketing, but sweat equity is necessary to achieve desirable results.21:50 - Generative AI will compete with search engines moving forward.22:43 - Companies must be vigilant about having an AI policy to address copyright and data privacy issues.Resources:Look Left blog: How We're Using Generative AILook Left blog: Is AI the New Mail Merge?Look Left blog: AI Prompt Engineering to Produce Better OutputsLook Left blog: How to Edit AI-Generated Content in B2B TechLook Left blog: The Impact of ChatGPT on Your SEO Strategy

For B2B tech companies, rebranding exercises are incredibly involved and require expert teamwork, creativity and decision-making. Look Left recently underwent a rebranding, and we decided to use the podcast to share some of our most important learnings.Look Left's David Sprague, Liesse Jayalath and John Masserini offer lessons learned from the Look Left rebrand project and touch on other topics like expanding AI budgets and (ridiculous) child-to-parent litigation stories. 3:07 - David, Liesse and John start with an icebreaker: The fast emergence of generative AI9:27 - The impetus for Look Left's rebranding process.11:40 - The importance of ‘starting with the why' in a rebrand13:25 - Before you tell the world about you, it's critical to determine the right SEO keywords15:49 - Creating a rebranding team that represents a diverse group of people19:30 - Everyone's opinion should be welcomed, but there should be a single decision-maker20:48 - Tips for sticking to your rebranding timeline22:58 - Once a decision is made, you have to move forward and be all-in25:36 - One key to launching a rebrand successfully and on time is internal empathy26:49 - Maintaining ‘the why' and consistency throughout the rebranding process30:04 - Updating the rebrand after the launch32:50 - The roundtable shares things that made them LOL recentlyResources:AI spending report Lex Fridman podcastRASCI responsibility frameworkLook Left blog: The Ultimate Rebranding Project Plan to Bring a New Brand to LifeLook Left blog: How to Build a Successful Website Migration Strategy

Cybersecurity expert Deb Radcliff returns to the Look Left @ Marketing podcast. Since 1996, Deb has been embedded in the hacker and law enforcement communities learning the techniques, lifestyles, and philosophies that make them unique.This conversation covers current cybersecurity topics as well as Book 2 of Deb's exciting Breaking Backbones trilogy, which is now available. Deb still writes articles and does research, and she hosts the Cy Beat podcast from ITSPmagazine. Here are some highlights:01:01 - Overview of the Breaking Backbones trilogy03:55 - Breaking Backbones has been in the works for 25 years07:10 - How the case of former Uber security chief Joe Sullivan impacts the role of CISOs11:20 - CISOs need documented processes and indemnification before taking jobs17:00 - A look ahead to RSA 2023 22:15 - New cyber threats like “deep fake” phone calls24:20 - Awareness of cyber threats is higher, but criminals are finding new ways to wreak havoc 

Over the past 45 years, Wayne Rash has covered every inch of the tech space. Among his many notable posts, Wayne was executive editor at eWEEK, eWEEK.com, and Ziff Davis Events. He was a senior contributing editor and a senior analyst in the InfoWorld Test Center. Additionally, Wayne worked as a reviewer for Federal Computer Week and Information Security Magazine. He also ran the reviews and events departments at CMP's InternetWeek and was a long-time columnist for Byte Magazine. Today, Wayne is based in Washington, DC, and contributes to Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, CNN_Underscored, and Red Ventures. In addition to his work as a reporter, editor, and reviewer, Wayne has authored five books, including Politics on the Nets: Wiring the Political Process, a 1997 work examining the emerging role of the internet in politics. Wayne also pioneered the use of big data analysis in his reporting. As part of his coverage of the 2016 presidential primary season, he was able to show a likely win for Donald Trump. Wayne is a retired naval officer and a former news director for a number of radio and television stations in Virginia.  In this episode of the Look Left @ Marketing podcast, Davida Dinerman gets Wayne Rash's insights on a wide variety of topics. Here are a few of the highlights: 01:51 - 20 years of service in the U.S. Navy03:31 - Technology advances through the years04:45 - Early online communities that foreshadowed social media05:48 - Tech that had promise but went bust06:53 - The current state of tech journalism09:52 – How content properly generated by companies can be helpful and influential11:45 - How to break into the news business13:29 - The best way to grab the attention of a tech journalist16:59 - Predictions for what's ahead in technology20:29 - The problem with building security into products22:18 - The bleak outlook for tech journalism

Welcome to the second part of our conversation about aligning content with lead generation. In the previous episode, Bryan Scanlon and Matt Raven examined the ways that different types of content appeal to prospects at different stages of the sales funnel. In this episode of the Look Left @ Marketing podcast, the sixth in our content marketing series, Bryan and Matt take a look at pillar pages and the importance of focusing on retention after a customer is on board. Here are a few of the highlights: 00:41 - The importance of pillar pages05:01 - Don't force marketing structures on prospects08:38 - Delivery and experience are more important later in the funnel10:31 - The value of complete honesty, even about a product's weaknesses16:56 - The sales funnel doesn't end at conversion. Retention is as important as conversion.18:30 - Show the ways your product solves real-world problems

One of the primary objectives of a B2B content marketing program is to attract the attention and interest of potential customers. There are a lot of factors to be considered—after all, certain content may be more effective with prospects at different points in the sales process.   In this episode of the Look Left @ Marketing podcast, the fifth in our content marketing series, Bryan Scanlon and Matt Raven provide insight and suggestions for B2B companies looking to properly produce content that supports lead generation. 00:51 - A look at the classic marketing funnel01:30 - The role of search and science in identifying customer interest03:46 - Understanding the B2B audience05:49 - How to plan for search when your emerging tech isn't well known yet07:59 - Appealing to “top of the funnel” prospects09:41 - Companies that don't fit in well-defined categories need to explore a variety of place12:32 - Consideration and evaluation in the middle of the funnel, where comparison-based content works well 15:07 - The value of product reviews has changed in recent years

The 2022 RSA Conference returns June 6-9 in San Francisco and online. Two people who know a thing or two about the evolution of security are Jill Aitoro, SVP of content strategy for CyberRisk Alliance and editor in chief for SC Media, and Bill Brenner, VP of custom content at CyberRisk Alliance. Jill and Bill joined Look Left's Davida Dinerman to preview the upcoming show and to dig into what they're looking forward to:01:17 - The excitement of returning to live events03:25 - What Jill and Bill are most looking forward to at RSA04:45 - The impact Zoom has had on SME interviews7:06 - What topics they're looking to cover at RSA11:27 - Changes they've seen at RSA over the years15:11 - RSA as an opportunity to produce a lot of interesting content18:38 - What they look for in a good interview21:49 - What challenges there are to pitching media24:50 - Favorite “hot spots” at RSA28:06 - Interesting stories from past RSAs29:58 - How security blogging has evolved 

The RSA Conference, the world's leading information security conference, will hold its annual cybersecurity conference June 6-9 at The Moscone Center in San Francisco. 50,000 people in the industry -- from vendors and company executives to policymakers and academics -- will converge to talk about current and future cyber and privacy concerns, ideas and solutions.In this episode of the Look Left podcast, Davida Dinerman speaks with award-winning cybersecurity and privacy journalist Mathew Schwartz. Since 2014, Mat has been with Information Security Media Group, where he now serves as the executive editor for DataBreachToday and for European news coverage. For a preview of what will be new and exciting at RSA 2022, check out these highlights:02:31 - The ISMG team that will be at RSA04:56 - After a two year in-person hiatus, what is Mat looking for at RSA this year?06:29 - 2022 trends in cybersecurity08:45 - The latest coverage areas for ISMG12:02 - Burnout factors impacting CISOs14:49 - Changes in RSA through the years19:40 - The evolution of today's cyber threats20:52 - Mat's “shock and awe” approach to covering RSA26:41 - Mat's advice for first time attendees at RSA30:38 - Having fun at RSA

HIMSS22 takes place March 14 - 18 in Orlando, Florida. As always, thousands of people in the industry -- from vendors, clinicians and health system executives to policymakers and patient advocates -- will participate in person or via the Digital Experience.   In this episode of the Look Left @ Marketing podcast, Davida Dinerman chats with John Lynn, founder of HealthcareScene.com, and Colin Hung, chief marketing officer and editor of HealthcareScene.com. John and Colin have been at the vanguard of digital health and consumer engagement for decades - and they have plenty of valuable information to share in this podcast about health IT conferences. Here are some of the highlights:01:35 - HIMSS is about connecting with people throughout the industry03:55 - How to approach a conference with so much content05:35 - It's a mistake to skip the conference because it's “too big”08:29 - The evolution of HIMSS 11:40 - The merging of technology and healthcare16:08 - Where is telehealth is going17:13 - Advice for first time attendees - “Have a plan, but be brave.”19:59 - Extending the value beyond HIMSS22:44 - Possible competition between HIMSS vs. ViVE26:05 - Don't miss the community photo

Reimagine Health is the theme of HIMSS22, which takes place in person March 14 - 18 in Orlando, Florida. People can also participate in the Digital Experience if they can't travel. In this episode of the Look Left podcast, Davida Dinerman gets the inside scoop on the latest  developments for this year's conference from HIMSS Meeting Services VP Karen Malone, Professional Development VP JoAnn Klinedinst, and Senior Director of Event Programs at HIMSS Media Cynthia Hornketh. For a preview of what will be new and exciting at HIMSS22, check out these highlights:01:08 - Planning for this year's conference02:35 - Lessons learned from the COVID-impacted show last August04:14 - Why relationships and connections matter more than ever06:22 - The Digital Experience complements the in-person program08:11 - Networking opportunities via the Digital Experience10:35 - What's new for 2022!12:59 - Amplifying the voices of speakers and attendees via social media14:20 - A preview of keynote speaker Angela Duckworth16:31 - Olympic champion Michael Phelps will deliver the closing keynote, “The Pursuit of Dreams”

Companies typically devote a great deal of time and effort to putting together PR strategies. Goals, campaign themes, messaging and media lists are classic components of a plan. But in today's digital era, SEO data should also be part of the mix—yet, in many cases, it's not.  In this episode of the Look Left podcast, the fourth in our content marketing series, Matt Raven offers three ideas for effectively using SEO data to build a PR plan.00:54 - Why companies don't include SEO data and the risks of leaving this material out of planning03:11 - The reasons companies are still a bit intimidated by SEO04:50 – Why SEO data needs to be part of message development and refinement07:17 - What cusp content is — and why it is important11:03 - How to use backlink gaps to refresh media lists14:15 - How to expand media horizons by assessing competitor activity15:22 - The best SEO tools to accomplish proper planning goals 17:27 - How often SEO data should be revisited For more information on using SEO data in PR planning and content development, we invite you to read Matt's blog post on the topic. 

This is the third installment in our content marketing series. Our previous episodes focused on the art and science of content marketing and avoiding common B2B marketing mistakes. Look Left's Bryan Scanlon and Matt Raven examine earned media's role in a content marketing strategy. The media landscape is changing all the time, so a company's earned media content marketing strategy must be flexible. And we find that the most successful companies place an emphasis on making sure that public relations, in-house content and SEO teams all work closely together. Here are a few of the highlights from the latest Look Left @ Marketing podcast: 00:49 - What is earned media?04:50 - The value of earned media placements.07:14 - Keyword strategy is just as valuable to journalists as it is to business.10:28 - Using public relations to position a company for SEO success.13:55 - Don't let keyword strategy drive corporate storytelling. Keep the focus on how to solve customer problems and weave keywords into the story.17:23 - The importance of a workflow to promote earned media placements.23:10 - Leveraging earned media placements via account-based marketing.26:40 - Ensuring integration between earned media and owned content initiatives.29:25 - Including the public relations team on material developed by a company's content creation team to ensure everything is media and SEO friendly.

For years, satellite media tours have offered executives the opportunity to share their message through broadcast stations across the country, all from a single broadcast studio. While the pandemic initially impacted the opportunity to conduct satellite media tours, emerging video technologies have opened up many new possibilities. Russell Grant is the principal and founder of Live Shot Media, a one-stop video and live broadcast production company. Russell and his team of broadcast professionals have produced hundreds of radio and television media tours over the past 25 years. These tours have amplified the message of Fortune 500 and industry-leading companies and many non-profit organizations.  Look Left's Davida Dinerman and John Moran sat down with Russell to explore how satellite media tours are evolving and what executives can do to prepare.01:35 - Description and value of satellite media tours.03:50 - How has streaming video impacted media tours?05:41 - The importance of a distinctive news hook.08:41 - Covid19's impact on satellite tours.11:32 - The differences between in-studio and remote interviews.15:48 - How producers manage interviews and provide feedback to guests during a tour. 18:19 - Unique locations for remote interviews and the importance of tying the location to your message.24:16 - Best practices for doing multiple interviews in a short period of time.28:23 - The value of media training prep sessions prior to a satellite tour.

Content marketing is critical to raising your brand's visibility to the right audience. However, there are a number of mistakes—from failing to conduct search optimization to publishing boring content to relying too heavily on owned content—that can offset your team's hard work.Look Left's Bryan Scanlon and Matt Raven have seen just about every content mistake imaginable. They recently shared the top content strategy mistakes companies make and ways to avoid them in the latest episode of the Look Left @ Marketing podcast.00:50 - Don't fall in love with messaging that isn't search-optimized.01:50 - Top-of-the-funnel B2B content should focus more on problems and pain points instead of solutions.04:53 - One of the biggest content strategy challenges is producing content for the right sized audience.06:47 - Content has to be both interesting and SEO optimized.08:12 - There's some thought that says the sales funnel is now more of a pinball machine.09:39 - Owned content is important, but brands also need earned content to gain greater credibility.11:20 - Successful, efficient content marketing is based on larger, optimized pieces of content that can be repurposed into smaller offerings.14:49 - Updating older, well-performing content is a relatively painless way to extend its relevance and lifespan.

Fred Bazzoli is a skilled reporter who has written for respected publications such as Modern Healthcare, MedTech Publishing and Health Data Management. Unfortunately, Health Data Management's publisher shuttered the property in February 2020. Through a set of unexpected events, Health Data Management has been revived and will now operate as a not-for-profit publication called HDMgroup, where Fred will serve as the chief content officer and editor-in-chief. Look Left's Davida Dinerman talked to Fred Bazzoli about the new venture, what readers should expect, and his thoughts on some pressing healthcare data topics. Conversation highlights include:01:11 - On the demise of the original Health Data Management and its rebirth as a not-for-profit publication in 2021.02:37 - HDM will be more forward-looking than the original publication. 04:31 - The new HDM will feature writers well known in the healthcare industry and contributed content.05:17 - HDM will explore topics that will affect the healthcare industry in the years to come, like electronic health records (EHR).07:53 - HDM will also explore the impact of cybersecurity on healthcare.08:49 - Fred shares his thoughts on organizations having an impact on healthcare data processes.11:08 - As with all new regulations, Fred believes compliance to the 21st Century Cures Act will take time. 11:36 - Tech giants can impact healthcare today, but what the future holds is still undefined. 12:43 - The pandemic has resulted in the acceleration of certain kinds of patient care, specifically telehealth.16:50 - What Fred would be doing if he weren't in journalism.  

Since 2016, Matt Fisher has combined his two areas of expertise—healthcare and law—to host the Healthcare de Jure podcast. In the bimonthly podcast, Matt talks to various guests about emerging healthcare trends from a legal point of view. He also serves as general counsel for Carium, a telehealth platform company. Before joining Carium, Matt practiced law for more than a dozen years and advised clients across the healthcare spectrum on a wide range of legal matters.Additionally, Matt is active with the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the American Bar Association (ABA). He recently spoke to Davida Dinerman on the Look Left @ Marketing podcast. 01:10 - Matt explains the origins of the Healthcare de Jure podcast and talks about some of his more memorable guests.04:05 - His passion for the law and healthcare happened unexpectedly.06:22 - Matt shares details on what Carium does. 09:22 - At HIMSS, he will discuss the intersection of HIPAA and the 21st Century Cures Act and the opportunity for greater collaboration.12:56 - Contrary to what some suggest, Matt doesn't see HIPAA and the 21st Century Cures Act as contradictory regulations.15:30 - How state-to-state privacy regulations impact how data can flow between care organizations.18:32 - Matt explores the state of healthcare and tech and how the pandemic accelerated the use of telehealth.22:23 - Matt shares his thoughts on Zus, the new healthcare platform company founded by former Athenahealth CEO Jonathan Bush. 

Dr. Christy Dempsey is Chief Nursing Officer Emerita at Press Ganey, where she offered clinical guidance to help clients transform the patient experience. Her work has led to significant results, including reducing hospital waiting times by up to 70%, improving patient satisfaction by double-digit percentiles, developing and enhancing teamwork and leadership, and improving operations through scheduling, staffing, and data integration.In addition, she has been a faculty member of the Missouri State University Department of Nursing since 2008. She is active in the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the Missouri Organization of Nurse Leaders. 02:05 - The “a-ha” moment that sent Christy on a path toward nursing.03:50 - Nurses, while highly skilled and trusted, don't get all the credit they deserve.5:57 - The use of technology in nursing is a double-edged sword.8:08 - Nurses need to integrate technology into their interaction with patients, starting at nursing school.10:54 - Christy shares her journey from nursing to an administrative role.13:50 - The pandemic offered Christy the opportunity to step back into a temporary patient-facing activity. 14:50 - Christy, who is based in Springfield, Mo., is seeing an alarming rise in COVID-19 and is trying to use her influence to increase vaccination rates.15:42 - Christy details her career mentors.17:22 - Christy discusses the impetus for writing her book, “The Antidote to Suffering: How Compassionate, Connected Care Can Improve Safety, Quality, and Experience.”20:47 - Preventing healthcare worker burnout requires a new mindset that prioritizes self-care.23:38 - What Christy would have done if she hadn't become a nurse.

You produce great content, but is it getting in front of the right sets of eyes? Content marketing is a complex skill set that requires more than just a great writer—you also need SEO smarts. Bryan Scanlon and Look Left's head of digital Matt Raven discuss what content marketing is, how to use tech to optimize content and the strategies to gain greater visibility in the first installment of their content marketing series on the Look Left @ Marketing podcast. 00:50 - Content marketing defined.02:48 - Voice search and core web vitals are changing content marketing.06:33 - The right combination of art and science is critical in SEO.09:36 - The continued importance of organic search in content marketing.10:13: Content marketing and SEO are interdependent on one another.14:11 - Once content has been SEO optimized, what do you do to generate visibility?18:05  - Organizations should embrace engagement with the content it creates.

Founded in 1996, Dennehy Public Relations is a boutique agency, and the woman behind it is Julie Dennehy. She connects brands with consumers via creative PR, having built a diverse portfolio of clients that includes well-known brands, small businesses and events.Julie has also served as president of the Boston chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and currently teaches at the Boston University College of Communications. Look Left’s Davida Dinerman recently caught up with her. Conversation highlights include:01:21 - How Julie got into the public relations industry and starting her own agency.03:20 - Changes she’s seen in PR over the last two decades.05:40 - Her journey through the “2020 pivot.” 07:02 - The unique nature of learning as much from her students as she teaches.10:30 - Learning where younger audiences are getting their news/content is key to future PR success.13:57 - Her thoughts on how certain obstacles facing women in business are eroding.19:22 - How the pandemic prioritized creativity and user-generated content in marketing.23:19 - The concept of “doing well by doing good.” 27:28 - What PR professionals could learn from jugglers.31:13 - What Julie would want to do if she wasn’t in PR.

Deb Radcliff’s cyber thriller Breaking Backbones: Information Is Power was released this spring. It’s the initial installment in her Hacker Trilogy series.  Deb is the first investigative journalist to make cybercrime a beat. Since 1996, she has been embedded in the hacker and law enforcement communities learning their techniques, lifestyles and philosophies that make them unique. Deb has won several awards for her investigative reporting, most notably two Jesse H. Neal Awards, one for best individual feature, for “Hackers, Terrorists and Spies” in Software Magazine, and the other for group reporting, best news story, Computerworld, “Wireless LANs: Trouble in the Air.”In addition to her work as a novelist, Deb Radcliff is quite busy covering the cybercrime and cybersecurity beat as an analyst, author, speaker and thought leader. Look Left’s Davida Dinerman caught up with Deb to discuss her novels, the latest threats in cybersecurity and a look at some of the pioneering women in cyber security. Here are some highlights of the conversation:01:28 - Overview of Breaking Backbones and a look ahead to the second installment, Information Should be Free.03:51 - Covering from cybersecurity over the past 25 years06:22 - Cyber attacks are longer and better planned than ever10:14 - New cybersecurity roles in IT12:46 - Living in an era of zero trust online15:07 - Pioneering women in cybersecurity 21:21 - Common traits of groundbreaking women in cybersecurity23:47 - Growing diversity in cybersecurity

Melody Kimmel is one of the country’s leading media, presentation and message trainers. Before starting her firm, MK Media Training, Melody spent many years in the communications industry - as a journalist, corporate marketer and agency PR executive. During that time, she coached countless experts, from B2B CEOs to scientists, authors and celebrities. With Melody’s guidance, these professionals learned how to tell their stories with skill and confidence. Look Left’s Davida Dinerman and John Moran recently connected with Melody to discuss effective communication and presentation strategies. Here are some highlights of the conversation:01:45 - Melody’s keys to successful communication - the Four As (Authenticity, Assessment, Anticipation and Agenda) 06:01 - Being prepared but conversational in media interviews12:56 - Getting C-level executives serious about practice and coaching (it doesn’t come easy)18:02 - Being persuasive means projecting energy and confidence 20:50 - Corporate messaging when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion29:36 - Talk is cheap; companies need to put into practice the values they espouse31:44 - Continuous improvement; executives must review past presentations and practice to get better 

Like many events over the past year, the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) 2020 conference was canceled by the organization due to the pandemic. HIMSS is the world’s largest health information and technology show, so the decision was difficult—especially since it was one of the first conferences to make that call. This year, HIMSS21 is poised to return with both in-person and virtual elements Aug. 9-13 in Las Vegas.Look Left’s Davida Dinerman recently spoke with HIMSS Vice President, Meeting Services and Sales Karen Malone and HIMSS Vice President, Professional Development JoAnn Klinedinst about lessons learned from 2020 and what to expect from this year’s new hybrid event. 02:18 - Karen shares insight into the decision to cancel HIMSS 2020 because of the pandemic.04:18- Karen on the future of HIMSS21 and what plans they’re making to potentially be in-person.06:19 - Despite the uncertainty of the HIMSS21 format, JoAnn says speaking and presentation submissions for this year’s show are strong. 07:19 - JoAnn talks about some of the new presentation categories, some of which reflect the reality of the pandemic. 09:11 - JoAnn details the many ways attendees can participate in HIMSS presentations.09:52 - Karen discusses the big company vs. startup ratio at HIMSS.10:57 - Karen on how startups and innovation are driving the healthcare industry.11:45 - JoAnn explains why the show is evolving away from social media ambassadors to influential changemakers.14:15 - Karen shares tips for first-time attendees.16:16 - Karen offers a glimpse into new features for HIMSS this year17:13 - According to Karen, the pandemic has unquestionably changed HIMSS’ approach to event planning.18:33 - JoAnn and Karen share what occupation they’d pursue if they weren’t in their current roles.19:43 - Karen talks about the various benefits of the traditional HIMSS venues — Chicago, Las Vegas and Orlando.

For the past 35 years, Peter Arnold has been immersed in the high-stakes world of Washington political and corporate affairs. Following his years as a White House speechwriter during the Reagan and Bush administrations, Peter began leading national media campaigns, including serving as director of public affairs for UN-50, which organized the United Nations' 50th anniversary. In 1998, Peter founded Arnold Consulting in Washington, D.C. Since that time, he has managed successful government and media campaigns for some of the nation’s highest-profile public policy issues of the past quarter century.Peter Arnold is a graduate of Dartmouth College and a classmate of Look Left’s Davida Dinerman. Davida and John Moran recently caught up with Peter to talk about his illustrious career and the best ways for corporate leaders to communicate in today’s fast-paced media climate. Here are a few of the highlights:01:43 - Tips for planning a successful communications campaign 04:37 - Corporate executives should not treat speeches like policy papers06:10 - Tech companies need to earn the trust of consumers and policy makers09:03 - Most people would be shocked to know how much of their data is gathered by tech giants12:13 - Allocating financial resources for 2021 political and corporate campaigns16:53 - Peter’s experience as a White House speechwriter22:10 - Having a front row seat for many of the dramatic events of the late 1980s24:44 - How should companies handle negative news?26:42 - Suggestions for effective speeches29:35 - An experience that left a lasting impression - the importance of “doing good things”

Don Fluckinger covers customer experience (CX) management and its enabling technologies for Tech Target’s Search Customer Experience and their allied systems for SearchContentManagement. His previous articles have appeared in publications and websites including SearchHealthIT, Ziff Davis’ PDFzone.com, Briefings on Hospital Safety, The Boston Globe, Billboard and Antiques Roadshow Insider. Don also had a stint working as a PR pro alongside Davida Dinerman. The two chatted about a variety of topics.02:07 - Don’s intro into journalism started with music05:15 - How being a music journalist prepared him to write about tech06:34 - The evolution of journalism over the last 30 years11:41 - Article ideas often news-based, but PR pros are also helpful in framing a topic14:01 - When breaking news is your beat, schedules can be fluid16:19 - The best time to reach out with an embargo17:53 - How Don determines what he’ll cover and who he’ll talk to at a trade show21:48 - Virtual are necessary now, but Don misses the face-to-face experience23:51 - Topics that are particularly interesting to him right now27:42 - The transition from journalism to PR was harder than anticipated30:25 - On how he prioritizes PR email31:35 - Things PR pros do that drive him “bananas.” 35:37 - Don shares his affinity for cooking — especially with cast iron skillets and barbecue39:03 - Don offers details on an unexpected brush with a member of the J. Geils Band

Welcome to part two of Davida Dinerman’s fascinating conversation with Deb Radcliff. Deb is the first person to recognize cybersecurity as a reporting beat. She was immersed in the hacking community in the mid-1990s, when few people were familiar with hacking. Deb has won several awards for her investigative reporting, most notably two Jesse H. Neal Awards, one for best individual feature, for “Hackers, Terrorists and Spies” in Software Magazine, and the other for group reporting, best news story, Computerworld, “Wireless LANs: Trouble in the Air.”Deb’s business, DeRad CyberSecurity Publishing Services, built a white paper and webcast program for SANS institute. She has also written for the SANS Security Insights blog, including Top Three COVID-Related Risks from earlier this year. Radcliff has recently created a new cyber thriller screenplay, Breaking Backbones, as part of a hacker trilogy TV or streaming series.In this portion of the conversation, Deb Radcliff shares her insights on the role of the CISO and gives us a preview of her cyber thrillers.00:49 - The term “hacker” has been mangled through the years04:37 - CISOs are in a tough place07:12 - CISOs must be able to speak the language of the business - not just security11:21 - Deb’s latest cyber thriller, “Breaking Backbones”13:56 - Story characters are based on real-life personalities18:37 - Getting started as a book author19:32 - Privacy issues related to chips embedded in humans

Deb Radcliff is the first person to recognize cybersecurity as a reporting beat. She was immersed in the hacking community in the mid-1990s, when few people were familiar with hacking. Deb has won several awards for her investigative reporting, most notably two Jesse H. Neal Awards, one for best individual feature, for “Hackers, Terrorists and Spies” in Software Magazine, and the other for group reporting, best news story, Computerworld, “Wireless LANs: Trouble in the Air.”Deb’s business, DeRad CyberSecurity Publishing Services, built a white paper and webcast program for SANS institute. She has also written for the SANS Security Insights blog, including Top Three COVID-Related Risks from earlier this year. Radcliff has recently created a new cyber thriller screenplay, Breaking Backbones, as part of a hacker trilogy TV or streaming series.Look Left’s Davida Dinerman recently spoke with Deb Radcliff on the Look Left @ Marketing Podcast. In part one, Deb describes how she got into cybersecurity and some of the characters and adventures she encountered in the early days.01:55 - Started her cybersecurity career in 1995 researching Kevin Mitnick for Jonathan Littman’s book, “The Fugitive Game.” 09:05 - Reporting the first email viruses13:08 - Cybersecurity is still not being done properly16:28 - Even corporate cyber IT pros don’t fully grasp where vulnerabilities exist19:25 - Evolution of “hackers”23:10 - Today’s bug bounties

Janice McCallum, managing director for Health Content Advisors, is a marketing strategist for companies that produce healthcare content or data products. She specializes in developing and assessing business models that leverage the value of data and has a strong focus on how the healthcare industry can improve information access to enable informed decision making. Over her 25 years of consulting, Janice has led engagements with dozens of companies, including Thomson Reuters, Elsevier, D&B, Microsoft Health Solutions Group and some of the top medical journal publishers like NEJM. She also serves as an independent board member for the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery and is a past board member of The Society for Participatory Medicine. In addition to speaking at industry conferences, Janice is consistently on the #HIT100 list of top contributors to health IT in social media, as well as being a HIMSS social media ambassador for three years. Look Left’s Davida Dinerman recently spoke with Janice McCallum on the Look Left @ Marketing Podcast to talk about a wide range of healthcare and data topics.06:22 - The challenges brought on by today’s vast volumes of data09:16 - Janice’s interest in infodemiology15:46 - The promise and challenges of patient-provided information22:11 - Why aren’t we prescribing more information?25:53 - The development of patient communities27:35 - Not all patients are alike and the system needs to reflect thatNotable quotes:"One of my hot buttons is that we don't spend enough time or put enough dollars or effort into gathering data and preparing data for analysis.” Data is only as valuable as your ability to accurately analyze it: “I think there's a lot of promise in information that patients can provide either through their own observations or through devices and sensors. One of the issues, and, this is an age old problem that I've dealt with since the early days of my computer use, is the data has to be normalized and it has to be in a common format so that analyzation makes sense. If something's not in the same unit as the next item in your data input, then it's not going to make any sense. So "Patient empowerment with agency means the patient can actually direct some of their care and and control information flows.”The difference between engagement and empowerment as it relates to patient data: “The concept of patient engagement that we mostly see now in practice is, ‘Oh, here patient. Here's some more information,’ or ‘Here patient, do this.’ And it's a one-way delivery of orders, if you will. Whereas patient empowerment would be much more of an interactive process."

Few publications have stood the test of time. SC Media is one that, over the decades, has continued to improve, expand and align with industry needs. And its new editor-in-chief, Jill Aitoro, has plans to keep it moving forward.In addition to her role at SC Media, Jill is also the editorial director at CyberRisk Alliance, where she supports content development for the Cybersecurity Collaborative network of chief information security officers. Jill is an experienced journalist and editor who has held leadership positions at numerous business, government and technology brands, leading several through digital transformations. Prior to joining the CyberRisk Alliance, she worked at Sightline Media as editor of Defense News and executive editor of the Business-to-Government Group, guiding and developing the editorial strategy for federal outlets and the cyber brand Fifth Domain. She previously worked for Washington Business Journal and Nextgov, covering federal technology, contracting and policy. She recently joined Look Left’s Davida Dinerman on the Look Left @ Marketing Podcast to talk about a wide range of cybersecurity topics.01:44 - Careers Jill might have pursued if she hadn’t chosen publishing02:50 - Why SC Media and CyberRisk Alliance felt like the right move for Jill05:29 - Cybersecurity is the underlying factor to innovation 06:57 - Companies are beginning to view cybersecurity as a business driver08:46 - Cybersecurity lessons the public and private sectors can learn from one another 10:45 - The changes affecting cybersecurity professionals. 13:23 - What Jill’s most pleased with, in terms of SC’s coverage16:45 - A preview on SC’s annual Women in Security feature20:33 - Factors contributing to the cybersecurity skills gap22:50 - The evolving nature of cybersecurity and trends 22:48 - TikTok and the difficult balance of access to data and cybersecurity27:31- Cybersecurity predictions for the coming year29:21 - Advice for PR pros working with the SC and CyberRisk Alliance

Lori Cohen is a go-to-market executive with an impressive track record in launching and growing enterprises. The founder and CEO of BlueSky Branding, Lori is a data-driven CMO with deep experience in demand generation including search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), account based marketing (ABM), field and partner marketing, content-marketing, digital and much more. She’s also a former journalist. Lori began her career as a business reporter for PBS - and won multiple awards including a National Emmy, Peabody Award and a Nieman Fellowship to study at Harvard Business School.In this episode of the Look Left @ Marketing podcast, Bryan Scanlon talks with Lori about the importance of branding in enterprise tech.01:15 - Discovering your “why”02:23 - Lori’s definition of branding05:36 - Marketers measuring vanity metrics08:56 - Gazelle, an example of how proper branding boosts a business16:42 - Symptoms of a lackluster brand25:12 - Branding around customer insights30:09 - Best metrics for measuring branding successFor more information on everything she’s up to, be sure to visit https://www.blueskybranding.com/.Notable quotesThe term “brand” can mean a lot of things — here’s how Lori defines it: “I think at the highest level a brand is what people are saying about you when you're not in the room. So the brand is the experience, it's every touch point, your logo and your tagline and your colors and your website. But it's (also) your reps, your emails, your social tiles and what you're talking about. It's all of those things wrapped together that create kind of this emotional bond between you and your customer.”The volume of vanity metrics like managed qualified leads (MQL) and sales qualified leads (SQL) doesn’t necessarily help build your brand: “I think it's a little bit backwards. I think if you can figure out what your brand stands for, then you can target the right people. Then you can bring less MQL in. So maybe when you make this transition, they go down and to the left, but the quality is better and it feeds your pipeline. And the end result is the end result you want, which is to drive revenue. Because whether you're in sales or marketing, isn't your job to drive revenue and be part of the go to market team?”Lori identifies the symptoms of a lackluster brand: “Your campaigns are no longer performing the way they used to. Your cost of customer acquisition is really going up. You know, your churns are high, your competitors are kind of nipping at your heels. And there's a lot of downward pressure on price, not just from your customers, but even your sales team is saying, “We have to lower the price.” We have to lower our price. And traditionally you've had a great product. I mean, you really do have good technology, but you've, you've always focused on things like the features and the functionality. And now you have competitors in the market that are really blowing you out of the water because they're positioning themselves against you and you're not responding.”

Sandra King is a highly respected marketing and communications consultant. She has led teams in sales, marketing, communications and brand development. Sandra has worked with organizations such as Time Magazine, the Boston Red Sox, the UMass Boston and WGBH, one of America’s most storied PBS outlets. In addition to running her own marketing consulting firm STKing Associates, Sandra is a lecturer at Boston University for both the School of Business and the School of Hospitality Administration. She also guides the mentoring program for health sector MBA students at Boston University. As if all this isn’t enough, Sandra is a principal with the CREST internship program that places underrepresented minority college students and women in the commercial real estate industry. She is also on the board at Daily Table, a nonprofit community grocer dedicated to providing fresh and nutritious food to communities most in need at affordable prices. Sandra has also served on boards for WGBH, New England Baptist Hospital, The Museum of African American History and REACH, an organization dedicated to eliminating domestic violence.Davida Dinerman recently had a fascinating and wide ranging conversation with Sandra King on the Look Left @ Marketing Podcast. Here are just a few of the highlights: 04:35 - Sandra’s path to a marketing career06:48 - Listening skills are vital to a successful marketing professional09:05 - Classic marketing books that are a must-read14:40 - How has higher education handled COVID-19?23:41 - Young professionals starting careers in the year of remote work environments29:13 - Sandra’s multi-faceted consulting experience 34:46 - Is progress being made in hiring a diverse workforce? 38:15 - How did corporate America handle this year’s civil rights 41:51 - The importance of working with non-profit organizationsNOTABLE QUOTESOn the art of listening: "If I am pitching an account and I go in for the first meeting with a prospective client, part of my discipline and the discipline of the people that I try to instill with the people I work with is to do less talking and more listening. Let's ask a question and step back so we can hear the issues that this organization, this individual, this group might be grappling with. How are they framing it? Are there some key words, some trigger expressions that you should be capturing?"As a college lecturer, she's concerned for new graduates entering a workforce where important mentoring and networking opportunities aren't as easy to cultivate as in the past: "If I look back at the first job I had, I'm still in touch with those people. I know a lot about their families. They know all about mine because we spent physical time together. We traveled together. We did research projects together. We walked down the hall and had a cup of coffee together. That dynamic is not here right now and it won't be for a while. So trying to figure out what you can replicate in the virtual world to give that same sense of community is one of the challenges that these organizations are facing right now."Sandra's thoughts on progress toward more equitable hiring: “You need to look differently at what your sources of resources are for students and for prospective employers. It's beginning, there's a confluence, as you know, societally of a bunch of things happening right now. There is a feeling that most people have been talking the talk, but not walking the walk. And therefore, we are at a point where we feel that society needs to do the latter, which is walk the walk and walk the talk.”###

In February of this year, Protocol made its high-profile debut. The new tech media outlet promised to cover the market in a way that goes beyond the story of the day, to “illuminate the personalities, relationships, clashes, ideas and strategies playing out in the shadows of power.” Protocol was started by the same team that created the hugely successful site POLITICO. Bennett Richardson is vice president and general manager of Protocol. Previously, he was executive director of global strategic partnerships at POLITICO.Look Left’s John Moran spoke with Bennett about Protocol’s roller-coaster first six months in operation and looks ahead to the months ahead, including the presidential election. 01:54 - The two things that make Protocol different04:31 - Taking a “deep-dive” approach to reporting on the impact of Big Tech07:34 - Bouncing back from April lay-offs08:44 - Protocol’s biggest stories thus far at the intersection of tech and politics11:56 - Covering the dynamics and personalities of tech’s leaders15:04 - The role of tech in the 2020 elections Notable quotes:While not an ideal time to launch a news site, the pandemic — along with other important societal changes — have served as an appropriate backdrop for the kinds of stories Protocol wants to tell: “Each of these moments has shown the power of both tech companies as well as technology itself. From conversations around contract tracing to content moderation to seeing how the cloud and enterprise universe was one of the few bright spots in one of the hardest quarters in the US economy in a long time. While it was certainly a challenging year to launch something new, I think it’s really reinforced why we exist in the first place: the really powerful and complex role that technology has played in every one of these big issues that has unfolded in 2020.”Some of Protocol’s most interesting insight has come from people who may not necessarily be household names in the tech sector: “There are a lot of really interesting dynamics in the industry, a lot of personalities, and candidly, a lot of personalities behind the scenes. A lot of our most read and most interesting interviews and profiles haven’t been from the CEO you might see on the front cover of every magazine. These industries are deep and they are diverse and they are textured. And there are some amazing smart people with amazing, wild ideas about where the future is going and how they’re building that future.”With the election less than three months away, Protocol’s coverage of the 2020 election will feature a number of interesting angles: “The role of tech in this election is unprecedented. From seeing those executives up on Capitol Hill virtually to the role our sitting president is using social media as a part of his campaign and the role that could play as results unfold. It is a huge moment, really on both sides, on how these tech companies will navigate those moments. How do we not only ensure election security but also handle falsehoods and misleading information on different platforms? There is no shortage of stories that are going to unfold.”

Over the past 20 years, Lysa Myers has become a highly recognized information security expert, educating people at all levels of experience in how to improve security. She was featured in the book, “Women Know Cyber: 100 Fascinating Females Fighting Cybercrime,” written by Steve Morgan and Di Freeze of Cybersecurity Ventures.Most recently, Lysa was a researcher with security vendor ESET. She enjoys educating people about security issues in a light-hearted, honest and approachable way through talking with the media and writing articles. Lysa is also dedicated to improving diversity within the technology industry as a way to help make secure devices and services that are useful for a larger segment of the population. Look Left’s Davida Dinerman spoke with Lysa about the cyber security industry, her career and the mini farm and food forest Lysa operates with her spouse. Here are some of the highlights:01:43 - Lysa’s early introduction to technology06:14 - Managing career changes10:03 - Thoughts on the amount of data sharing in the cyber security industry14:02 - Increasing diversity in cyber security19:51 - Advice on public speaking24:38 - Switching to remote work resulted in a huge productivity leap27:45 - Boosting marketing by identifying an organization’s secret sauce

Scott Gerber is CEO of The Community Company, an organization that builds and manages communities for global brands and media companies. Examples include the AdAge Collective, the Forbes Councils, the Business Journals Leadership Trust and the Young Entrepreneur Council, an invitation-only organization of some of the world’s most successful young entrepreneurs.Scott is also a public speaker, syndicated columnist and author of “Never Get a ‘Real’ Job” and co-author of “Superconnector” - all about building business relationships that matter. He joins Look Left’s Bryan Scanlon to talk about the impact communities can have on your career and offers a few dos and don’ts for making the most out of the experience. 00:35 - On the importance of making mistakes -- and not making the same ones twice.02:35 - The best entrepreneurs aren’t necessarily risk takers, they’re risk mitigators.04:58 - Entrepreneurs can’t surround themselves with yes-men. Success requires a trusted circle of people who will not only have your back, but also call you on a bad idea.14:23 - Communities of peers are important, but to be of value, they must be organic in nature and be more than just a collection of people.20:58 - Being a valued part of a community -- and getting the most out of it -- starts with having a “giver” mentality.23:5 - When part of a community, you want to be a “connector,” not a “networker.”31:00 - Small, impactful circles of peers are more important than vast networks on social media.

Paul Gillin is an independent consultant, author, speaker, writer and Enterprise Editor at SiliconANGLE. He has made his mark in the industry during an impressive career spanning all the changes of the past 30 years - from his time writing for Ziff Davis, to his years as editor-in-chief at Computerworld, to his work as one of the founders of TechTarget. Paul is also the author of five books and more than 300 articles on the topic of social media and digital marketing.In this conversation with Look Left’s John Moran, Paul shares his insights on many of today’s leading issues. Highlights include:00:59 - Is “digital transformation” a buzzword?04:27 - Technologies getting a boost from the response to COVID-19.06:23 - Paul doesn’t love the term “artificial intelligence.”08:44 - How covering technology has changed in the digital era.11:19 - Advice for business executives on successful media interviews.16:57 - The difference between demographics and psychographics in marketing.20:42 - Recommendations for great webinars and video presentations.22:36 - What makes an effective PR pitch?26:42 - Paul’s thoughts on the state of social media.We invite you to subscribe to the Look Left @ Marketing series - on Apple, Google, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. And, of course, we welcome your comments and suggestions for future episodes.Next up, Bryan Scanlon has a lively discussion with Scott Gerber, CEO of The Community Company, an organization that builds and manages communities for global brands and media companies. Thank you for listening to the Look Left @ Marketing podcast.

Shonali Burke is a growth strategist who helps purpose-driven brands bring big ideas to life through Social PR. Over the past two decades, Shonali has worked with some of the most forward-thinking and innovative organizations in the world. She’s also an adjunct faculty member in The Johns Hopkins University’s M.A./Communications program and is currently enrolled in Harvard’s Business Analytics Program so she can help organizations better leverage data in their marketing efforts.In this episode of the Look Left @ Marketing podcast, Bryan Scanlon talks with Shonali about life-long learning, course corrections and how current events are affecting the way we all work.01:15 Shonali talks about her personal journey and the importance of life-long learning.04:19: Understanding what you want to learn and why is critical to using new knowledge to your advantage. 07:53: Mentors are critical to advancing your career -- and they can come in many forms.12:41: On the importance of learning as much as possible early on in your career.19:21: Why millennials and others are embracing the idea of a “side hustle.”23:53: How the succession of cultural uncertainties are affecting focus and work. 27:57: Working remotely is a true challenge, especially for those doing for the first time while managing family responsibilities under quarantine. 36:37: Failure is both inevitable and difficult, but it also provides a unique opportunity to learn. Our thanks to Shonali Burke for appearing on the Look Left @ Marketing podcast.

Chris Preimesberger has been covering and analyzing IT business and innovation since 1995. Currently, he is editor-in-chief at eWEEK - for over two decades, one of the leading outlets for information technology news, reviews and features.In addition to his chores running eWEEK, Chris is also busy these days with the #eWEEKchat on Twitter (which you can easily join via Crowd Chat) and in the process of producing the eSPEAKS video-interview series and a new podcast. Here are some of the conversation highlights:01:26 - Reporters today must be a “jack-of-all-trades”02:55 - eWEEK’s evolution06:20 - New developments at eWEEK08:17 - Translating complex technologies into compelling business stories 10:00 - Executives need to be able to explain the business value of their technology13:15 - COVID-19’s impact on collaborative technologies15:20 - Conferences will never be the same, but they will be back15:40 - The business executives that Chris enjoys interviewing16:23 - Working well with PR professionalsOver the past 25 years, Chris has been on top of all the major shifts in business IT. With the new ownership at eWEEK bringing new energy to the outlet, we look forward to following the work of Chris and his team in the years ahead. Our thanks to Chris Preimesberger for joining us on the Look Left @ Marketing podcast.

Since its debut in 2014, the New Stack has served up a unique blend of research, reporting, and domain expertise that takes technologists beyond “daily headlines” and offers an impressive level of context for all that’s happening with modern architectures, operations and software development. Alex Williams is founder and editor in chief of The New Stack. He's a longtime technology journalist who wrote for TechCrunch, SiliconAngle and ReadWriteWeb before starting the New Stack. Speaking of ReadWriteWeb, Richard MacManus, who started the weblog in 2003 and built it into one of the world’s most influential technology news sites before selling it in 2011, has recently joined the New Stack as a Senior Editor. On this episode of the Look Left @ Marketing Podcast, we have an opportunity to hear these longtime colleagues and friends discuss tech’s extraordinary evolution from the early days of the Cloud in 2006 to where we’re at today and, most importantly, where the New Stack is going in the years ahead. Here are some of the conversation highlights:02:02 - Alex provides an overview of The New Stack0 3:24 - Richard explains the excitement of covering the Cloud native era05:21 - Alex describes the thrill of having Richard join the New Stack team08:55 - Providing a thoughtful perspective on important and timely topics13:31 - Providing coverage in all forms - text, podcasts and video14:13 - The future of the Cloud17:52 - How the current pandemic is accelerating digital transformation22:34 - The experts and topics the New Stack is looking for25:31 - Working with PR pros31:31 - What’s ahead for the New StackOur thanks to Alex Williams and Richard MacManus for joining us on the Look Left @ Marketing podcast.

Mark McClennan is the principal of EV Strategic Communications, and for more than 20 years, he has led PR campaigns for companies of all sizes - and in a wide variety of markets. His passion for ethics and insistence that the industry maintains impeccable professional standards led him to create Ethical Voices Blog and Podcast in 2018. Each week, he features a PR professional discussing a tough ethical challenge they faced at some point in their career.Mark is a frequent writer on public relations, ethics, measurement and social media - and he often speaks at industry conferences and universities on these same subjects. Throughout his career, Mark has been an active member of the Public Relations Society of America, serving as the organization’s National Chair in 2016.On this episode of the Look Left @ Marketing Podcast, he joins Bryan Scanlon to discuss a wide range of ethical topics facing companies, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.1:55 -- The Ethical Voices blog and podcast was created to raise awareness of ethical challenges facing the PR industry.3:12 -- On some of the more unusual -- and serious -- ethical challenges Mark’s podcast guests have faced.4:51 -- The coronavirus pandemic has created unusual ethical circumstances for communication professionals. 7:26 -- How working from home has led to unusual and unexpected quandaries related to security and privacy.10:10 -- How brands are addressing the growing consumer demand to be politically vocal.12:44 -- How social media has forced companies to address ethical challenges more quickly. 16:05 -- Preparing for difficult situations before they happen is the key to successfully navigating them.19:05 -- The balance between sharing good news, while not whitewashing serious situations.22:39 -- How actively listening helps make you more ethical.

Maria Korolov is a popular tech journalist who covers cybersecurity for CSO and AI for CIO magazine. She’s also editor and publisher for Hypergrid Business, following the world of extended reality. Prior to focusing on technology, Maria reported for organizations such as the Chicago Tribune, Reuters, UPI, the Associated Press and the Hollywood Reporter. She was a war correspondent in the former Soviet Union in the 1990s and also ran a business news bureau in China for five years. As if all that isn’t enough, Maria is also an accomplished science-fiction writer. She recently spent time discussing her fascinating career with Look Left’s John Moran.01:57 - From the Ithaca Times to the Chicago Tribune to covering wars in the 1990s 08:38 - The move to covering technology11:54 - How the job of a journalist has changed over the past 20 years17:10 - Advice for executives on conducting successful interviews22:39 - The impact of social media on today’s journalist25:32 - A bit about Hypergrid BusinessOur thanks to Maria Korolov for sharing her insights, opinions and pitching advice with us on the Look Left @ Marketing Podcast. You can follow Maria on Twitter and be sure to visit her website.

Colin Hung is editor and chief marketing officer for Healthcare Scene. He is also co-founder of the healthcare leadership tweetchat – which is one of the most popular and active healthcare social media communities on Twitter.With host John Moran, Colin shares insightful takes on the impact COVID-19 is having on the news, areas of innovation during the pandemic and why thought leaders should move past theories and share real solutions. He also breaks down his unusual journey from mechanical engineer to healthcare editor and marketer. Here are a few of the topics discussed:00:33 — COVID-19 is dominating almost every aspect of their editorial output in just six weeks02:34 — Telehealth taking off as a breakthrough option for both patients and clinicians07:46 — The unexpected silver lining of COVID-19: rapid technology and logistics innovation10:17 — The impact of COVID-19 on healthcare IT budgets11:33 — How the Situation Awareness for Novel Epidemic Response (SANER) Project aims to revolutionize outdated and unreliable data-sharing processes 13:42 — New ONC rules on interoperability have taken a backseat to COVID-19 coverage, but it’s still important15:21 — Colin discusses his journey from mechanical engineer to sales to marketing and beyond17:13 — Social media as a conversational equalizer 19:07 — Smaller healthcare conference and online events may thrive in coming months21:27 — Personalized pitches and real solutions increase chances of catching a reporter’s attention24:00 — Staying sane during quarantineColin Hung is one of the most active and influential leaders in healthcare IT. Our thanks to him for sharing his time and insights on the Look Left @ Marketing podcast.

Allison Schiff is a senior editor at AdExchanger, an award-winning online publication devoted to the digital advertising and marketing space. Allison has been covering marketing and advertising for the past decade. There is so much to talk about in martech and adtech – from the impact of data privacy regulations like CCPA and GDPR to ever-growing technology solutions to trends related to consumer habits. And, of course, these days COVID-19 commands everyone’s attention. Here are some of the highlights in Allison’s conversation with Look Left’s John Moran:00:50 – COVID-19 impacts every aspect of business coverage04:05 – Reduced M&A activity in adtech – even prior to COVID-1906:10 – Don’t expect CCPA enforcement to be delayed08:40 – Should Facebook police health-related posts?10:25 – Personalization efforts beset by lower than expected ROI and consumer privacy concerns13:28 – Apps Fight COVID Project15:18 – A reporter’s thoughts on what makes for a great executive interviewOur thanks to AdExchanger’s Allison Schiff for sharing her expertise with us on the Look Left @ Marketing Podcast.

Sam Whitmore started Media Survey in 1998 - and in the ensuing 22 years, it has become one of the most trusted resources for PR professionals eager to deliver exceptional coverage for clients.Sam’s tech media research and analysis is outstanding - whether it’s highlighting trends, pitching opportunities, tracking reporter moves or even breaking tech media news via Twitter.

In times of crisis, there’s a lot of scrambling, even for well-prepared organizations. When a real crisis hits — not an “event” or an “incident” — you haven’t seen everything. COVID-19 has had more than its share of “Oh s**t!” moments - situations that simply are not in even the best crisis or continuity plans. Yet, somehow you need to manage.Bryan Scanlon, founder of Look Left Marketing, lays out a framework for companies to utilize in crisis situations. This framework values the importance of dousing immediate fires and looking ahead to prevent other fires from growing and spreading. It also provides a practical meeting structure and gets everyone focused. In addition to this podcast, you can view an infographic of the framework.

COVID-19 has impacted nearly every aspect of our personal and professional lives – and, of course, that includes marketing and public relations. There’s plenty of marketing and communication happening these days – the tricky part is doing it right. These are unprecedented times – so the conventional playbook doesn't always apply. It's important to know evaluate each situation and determine the most appropriate path forward.