The Spin Sucks Podcast with Gini Dietrich

For decades, we've built personas around titles, demographics, and buyer journeys. But today, your most important persona doesn't have a job title—it has an algorithm. In this episode, Gini Dietrich explains why AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are no longer just tools—they're the gatekeepers shaping your category. You'll learn: Why AI personas are necessary today How these platforms “think” and what they reward What CMOs and comms leaders need to do differently Four practical steps you can run in 90 days to show up in AI results How to lock in your category narrative before competitors do If you're not influencing the machines, you're not influencing the people.

Your reputation isn't just what people say anymore—it's what machines decide is true. In this episode of Spin Sucks, Gini Dietrich explains why structured trust is the new currency of reputation—and how AI tools are already encoding your brand. If your data is inconsistent, outdated, or missing, you're invisible (or worse, misrepresented). She covers what structured trust actually means (and why it matters), how machines decide if your brand is credible, the risks of ignoring structured trust, practical steps to build a “source-of-truth” page, use schema markup, and publish citation-ready content, and how to measure if your efforts are working. If AI were asked who you are…would it get the answer right?

On this week's Spin Sucks podcast, Gini Dietrich digs into IBM's new CMO Revolution study and what it means for the future of marketing leadership. The report makes one thing clear: the next decade won't belong to the marketers with the biggest budgets. It will belong to the CMOs with operational courage—those willing to dismantle outdated systems and rebuild for an AI-powered marketplace moving at the speed of a microsecond. She shows you how the PESO Model© has evolved into a full marketing operating system, helping CMOs close the execution gap and deliver: Precision, prediction, and protection at scale Integrated, measurable strategies that strengthen first-party data and customer relationships A perpetual growth engine that balances AI speed with human creativity If operational courage is the price of survival, PESO is the playbook.

PR is powering AI visibility—and communicators are more essential than ever. In this episode of the Spin Sucks podcast, Gini Dietrich breaks down how brand mentions, structured trust signals, and consistent PESO execution are shaping whether your brand shows up in AI-generated answers. The tools may have changed, but the strategy? Still rock solid. You'll walk away with: A more clear understanding of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) A checklist for improving AI discoverability A smarter way to align your PESO strategy across platforms Hope (yes, really) that your role is more valuable than ever Subscribe, share, and get ready to run your same strategy—at machine scale.

Your job title hasn't changed. But your responsibilities have. In today's episode of the Spin Sucks podcast, Gini Dietrich breaks down what it means to be a Visibility Engineer—and why communications pros are now at the center of AI-driven brand discovery. You'll learn: Why 95% of AI citations come from non-paid sources (and how to get yours included) How to translate traditional comms skills into strategic AI visibility What new KPIs matter—like citation velocity, AI brand summaries, and misinformation risk How to use the PESO Model to engineer visibility across search, summaries, and smart assistants Plus, we'll share a “day in the life” of a visibility engineer and give you a tactical roadmap to start applying this thinking inside your own org. Join the Spin Sucks Community for deeper discussions: ⁠⁠⁠https://spinsucks.com/spin-sucks-community⁠⁠⁠  Follow Spin Sucks on LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram for weekly tips.

What do you get when you combine a Coldplay concert, a viral Kiss Cam moment, a silent startup, and Gwyneth Paltrow? A crisis communications case study for the ages. In this episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich breaks down the real-time brand meltdown sparked by a now-infamous Kiss Cam and what every comms pro can learn from it.  You'll learn why timing is everything, how to prevent an awkward moment from becoming a full-blown scandal, and what to do when your CEO trends on TikTok. We'll cover: How to build a proactive crisis plan (before it's too late) What to do in the first hour of a PR firestorm Why silence is no longer strategicHow to keep a moment from spiraling into a movement (or how to prevent an issue from becoming a crisis) Whether you're crisis-tested or just crisis-curious, this episode will help you stay ready, stay fast, and stay in control of your narrative. Listen in—before your brand becomes the next internet punchline. Join the Spin Sucks Community for deeper discussions: ⁠⁠https://spinsucks.com/spin-sucks-community⁠⁠  Follow Spin Sucks on LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram for weekly tips.

AI doesn't see you if your marketing content is brilliant but disconnected. And if AI doesn't see you, neither do your customers. In this episode of the Spin Sucks podcast, Gini Dietrich unpacks the discovery crisis—how AI is quietly reshaping the buyer journey, and what it means for brands that haven't integrated their content strategies. Spoiler alert: the old SEO playbook won't cut it. Join the Spin Sucks Community for deeper discussions: ⁠https://spinsucks.com/spin-sucks-community⁠  Follow Spin Sucks on LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram for weekly tips.

Generative AI search is rewriting how people find, trust, and engage with information—and communicators are uniquely positioned to lead in this new world. In this episode, Gini Dietrich breaks down why authoritative mentions, trust, and brand signals—PR's bread and butter—are now the currency of visibility in an AI-first world. If you're ready to stop chasing algorithms and start building durable visibility, this episode is for you. Join the Spin Sucks Community for deeper discussions: https://spinsucks.com/spin-sucks-community  Follow Spin Sucks on LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram for weekly tips.

If audiences have fragmented attention and trust is harder to earn, what do you need to do? You don't need to burn it all down. It's about aligning your strategy to what works now. Gini Dietrich discusses how you can adapt the PESO Model© to function in a zero-click, zero-share world and how to structure your strategy for discover, trust, and measurable traction.

Remember when clicks, shares, and impressions were reliable measures of success? Those days are gone. In this episode, Gini Dietrich breaks down why AI-generated answers, algorithm-controlled feeds, and private, hidden sharing have fundamentally changed how audiences discover and trust your content.We're living in a zero-click, zero-share, zero-visit world—and traditional marketing tactics are losing visibility fast. But here's the good news: you don't need a shiny new framework to navigate this shift. You need to evolve your PESO Model® strategy to reflect how trust and attention work in 2025.

What does it mean to work smarter not harder when it comes to your communications strategy? Often a 'more is more' strategy feels like the way to go - adding content and tasks and tactics, but you'll get much better results if you focus on alignment instead of addition, and that's what Gini Dietrich is talking about this week on the Spin Sucks Podcast.

The expectations for marketing and communications teams are higher than ever, and old systems aren't going to cut it. This week on the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about how the PESO Model© turns disconnected tactics into aligned strategy, vanity metrics into business results, and overwhelmed teams into confident, focused operators.

It seems like AI content is everywhere these days - in your inbox, on LinkedIn - even in major publications. And for all the many amazing ways AI can help make you more effective, it needs to be supervised. Closely. On this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about how to walk the line between getting value out of AI tools, and losing the credibility you've worked so hard to build.

In an environment that is constantly changing, you need to make sure that you are in partnership with your clients, and providing the strategy and insight they need to grow. This week on the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is walking you through exactly how to change your relationship from vendor to business parter.

Last week on the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich shared the 4 types of data stories you need to communicate your metrics effectively. This week, she is talking about how to take those stories to the next level, and make them relatable to the decision makers you're working with.

When you're in communications, you need to make data compelling, and the best way to do that is through stories. On this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about the 4 types of Data Stories you need to be able to tease out and share.

Do you know if your client's business is moving forward with all the data collected? This week on the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about how you can take your client's data and uncover the why behind the number by asking the questions they haven't asked yet.

The PESO Model© will help you build an integrated communications strategy, but if you're not measuring the right things - the outcomes it's creating - then you're going to have a hard time proving it. This week on the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about how to stop measuring your activity, and start putting some real numbers around the outcomes you're creating.

Doing a little bit of everything - picking and choosing tactics - is NOT using the PESO Model©. This week on the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about the real power of the model: the integration. When you have a fully integrated PESO Model© strategy, then you have a replicable system that works in your sleep, with each element re-inforcing all of the others, and *that* will never be achieved by choosing and deploying individual tactics.

As economic uncertainty and the pace of technological change increases around the world, the communications plans you made late last year might already need an update. On this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking you through how you should be reviewing and updating your communications plans in light of this constantly changing environment.

A lot has changed since the PESO Model© was first released in 2014 - marketing and communications have all seen massive change - but the model has been there through it. On this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is sharing the evolution and elevation of the PESO Model, so that the marketing communications professionals who use it continue to be the best of the best in the industry.

AI adoption in the PR industry has been huge, but you're not at risk of being replaced. AI is taking over the work that ultimately, we don't want to be doing, and on today's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is sharing exactly how to get started, and where your human touch is, and will remain, needed.

When customer journeys are non-linear, and happening around the world, a one-size fits all approach to marketing an communication just doesn't work - but picking and choosing individual tactics from the PESO Model© won't fix the problem - you need a whole strategy. This week on the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about how large organizations operating internationally can fill that gap, improve performance and bring consistency to your operation.

Being a good communicator means being able to effectively tell stories - that is what helps you build trust and relationships. On today's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about the stories that work best in business and how you can get comfortable telling them.

Most brand stories miss the mark becuase they're focused on the wrong thing, don't resonate with the intended audience, or lack consistency accross different channels. But there is a way to do it right, and that's exactly what Gini Dietrich is sharing this week on the Spin Sucks Podcast.

Requests for Proposals are the bane of many agency's existence, and although they're popular, they're rarely the best way to stary a new professional relationship. On this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about a better way to position yourself as an expert and get new business without the proposals.

You've seen them on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube - they're an increasingly popular and important method of connecting with the people interested in the companies you represent. On this week's episode of the Spin Sucks podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about how to use this format, and how to integrate it into your PESO Model© strategy.

If AI is stopping people from clicking through to websites - what is the end goal for our PR work? That's what Gini Dietrich is exploring on this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast: the challenges, the opportunities and what you should be tracking and prioritizing as the landscape keeps shifting.

Gini Dietrich dives into AI and how PR professionals are the future of marketing. She discussed the future of paid media and using paid strategies to extend your reach with valuable content with the PESO Model. The key isn't reaching the most people; it's reaching the right people.

Your intellectual property is the culmination of your experience, insights and proven methodologies - and you should make sure that your proprietary ideas, productized services and frameworks are unambiguously yours. On this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is walking you through the exact steps to take to use you IP to become an overnight success... in just 10 years.

AI search engines, and even traditional search engines using AI are changing how people look for and find information. For communicators, this means we need to update the way we're using the PESO Model© to make sure we're getting found where people are looking. On this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is telling you how.

The magic of the PESO model is integration between the different media types. Often the lines are blurred between the elements and that means you're doing it exactly right. On this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about how to be omnipresent, and why you need to create an environment around each opportunity you have.

More and more of the public have trust issues with companies and media. Gini Dietrich reviews the Annual Edelman Trust Barometer Report and how you can use the PESO Model to address trust challenges in today's communication landscape.

A mistake that companies and individuals often make with the PESO Model© is treating it like a checklist of tactics rather than what it really is - an integrated strategy. On This week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about how to make sure you're getting all of the benefits of the system - not just a few wins here and there.

Search is always changing, and as communications professionals, we don't always stay up to date on the latest. On this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is sharing how you should be updating your SEO strategy in 2025 to make sure that the people who need to find your content, do.

There are things AI can do. Lots of them, in fact. But it can't do everything and it can't replace a solid communications plan and team. This week on the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about how AI can enhance your PESO Model© Strategy in 2025 - complete with measurement and integration.

Competing priorities - goals and budget, immediate results and long term sustainability, efficiency and authenticity - communications is full of them. But that friction can be the source of the best, most creative and most profitable work your company does. On this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about how to make sure your programs have enough friction for the magic to happen.

Communications and PR has always been a fast-changing industry, but something that has never changed is the importance of trust, credibility and authenticity. On this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about what you need to think about as you work on your Earned Media strategy going into 2025.

To create a truly effective communications program, you need to understand how the organization you're working with measure success - that is going to be the foundation of how you communicate the results of your work. In this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about the best ways to demonstrate the results of your work and become a part of the strategic team.

Linking PR and communications work directly to business outcomes has always been a challenge, but a shocking percentage of us are not using all of the tools available, or are not using them correctly, to make it easier. On this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about how important it is to have your results tied with other key data about the business.

The new Earned Media landscape demands a different approach than we've used in the past, and it also offers new opportunities to connect more closely with the stakeholders that matter the most. This week on the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about how to make content that can be adapted and transformed for new channels.

If you're horrified by the very idea of a post-truth country, then you're probably thinking about what you can do to help spread the truth in your role as a communicator. Gini Dietrich is talking about how to fight the three headed monster of modern communications: misinformation, disinformation and malinformation using regular truth audits on this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast.

Disinformation is everywhere, and it reflects a fundamental shift in how information is shared. The challenge of maintaining truth in the public sphere is is more difficult - and more important - than ever. Gini Dietrich is talking about how to do it this week on the Spin Sucks Podcast.

AI is here, and if you're not using it to make your work more efficient, you're going to be left behind. There are tools available that can help you take whole days worth of work off of your desk - and Gini Dietrich is talking about them on this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast.

The march of new AI tools continues on, and today, Gini Dietrich has another particularly interesting one to share with you. Google's NotebookLM has some functionality you have to hear to believe. That's what's happening this week on the Spin Sucks Podcast.

Sometimes you're asked to create content based on a subject matter expert who... doesn't actually have the time or desire to talk to you. This can be a recurring (and common!) problem and on this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast Gini Dietrich is sharing a secret that makes it a lot easier. (Check out Leaps and use the code SpinSucks10 for an extra-long free trial and a 10% discount)

More and more companies are requiring certification in the PESO Model© for new roles, and on this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about how you can get yours.

A 'growth hack' is a creative, low-cost strategy to quickly increase brand awareness, stay top of mind and even acquire customers. Gini Dietrich is sharing several, and how to use them so you can create some wins while you work on your longer term strategy this week on the Spin Sucks Podcast.

If the answer is yes, then you don't have to worry about the next era of search. If the answer is no, you have some work to do, and that's what Gini Dietrich is talking about on this week's episode of the Spin Sucks Podcast.

It can often be difficult to stand by higher prices, negotiate higher salaries and to say no when a deal isn't in your favor, but these are critical skills that everyone - especially the next generation of women need to advance their businesses or careers. This week on the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is talking about why it's so important, and how to be a mentor to newer professionals in the industry.

Sometimes when someone gets really excited about the (considerable!) possibilities of AI, they might start thinking about replacing their current marketing and communications support. Hopefully, they'llquickly learn why you can't replace real expertise with AI, and this week on the Spin Sucks Podcast, Gini Dietrich is explaining why.