Hanson & Hunt

Thanks for listening! Here’s our June episode: The Quick News & Quick Takes segment this month includes stories about how Facebook is hiring people to help combat fake news (4:35), the huge increase in the creation and consumption of the story format, like Instagram Stories (5:20) and a study on journalists’ options of the press release (7:30). The Talking Points Spotlight highlights how Macy’s is...

Thanks for listening! Here’s a bonus episode for June, as Kevin and Arik talk with Brad Ruiter, vice president of communications for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx basketball teams. In this interview, he talks about his role and how his staff is structured, the day-to-day work for professional sports, and offers advice for anyone looking to get into sports PR, among other topics. Fo...

Thanks for listening! Here’s our May episode: The Quick News & Quick Takes segment this month includes stories about the rise of Reddit (3:20), the 2018 USC Annenberg survey on Global Communications and PR (4:45), and the end of the Klout era (7:40). The Talking Points Spotlight highlights the conference calls that The New York Times is hosting for certain subscribers (9:45). And, the three Talkin...

Thanks for listening! Here’s a bonus episode for April, as Kevin talks with Vineeta Sawkar, senior media relations manager for the University of St. Thomas. Vineeta spent the first part of her career in television news, as an award-winning reporter and anchor (she worked with Kevin at KSTP-TV in Minneapolis/St. Paul). In this interview, she talks about her work in TV, making the transition away fr...

Thanks for listening! Here’s our April episode: The Quick News & Quick Takes segment this month includes stories about the response by companies and brands to Facebook’s controversy (2:45), LinkedIn’s decision to open up video uploads for companies (4:40) and why communicators everywhere need to pay attention to GDPR (7:00). The Talking Points Spotlight highlights how H&R Block handled “National S...

Thanks for listening! Here’s a bonus episode for March, the first edition of our “Hot Topics” series. The focus of the discussion is the impact of “fake news” (or more appropriately, misinformation) being shared online. What can communicators and marketers do to make sure the truth about their companies, brands and organizations is not manipulated? We’re joined by Bruce Anderson and Susan Beatty....

Thanks for listening! Here’s our March episode: The Quick News & Quick Takes segment this month includes stories about what YouTube creators really earn from their content (2:40), new data from the Pew Research Center about social media use (4:20) and the takeaways from the 2018 Infinite Dial study (5:25). The Talking Points Spotlight highlights an interesting podcast from McDonald’s (8:15). And,...

Thanks for listening! Here’s a bonus episode for February, as Arik talks with Heidi McGuire, communications business partner for the Trane Commercial business, within Ingersoll Rand,. Their conversation covers her career path, the trends in communications that she’s paying attention to, how executives and employees have a stronger voice online, the Super Bowl activations in Minneapolis, and the ch...

Thanks for listening! Here’s our February episode: The Quick News & Quick Takes segment this month includes stories about the social media activity of CEOs (2:00), Facebook’s declining user count (3:10) and the 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer (6:05). The Talking Points Spotlight highlights the marketing activity in Minneapolis for the Super Bowl (8:40). The Talking Points in this episode feature disc...

Thanks for listening! We kick off 2018 with a jam-packed show: The Quick News & Quick Takes segment this month includes stories about a new study of consumer opinions about brands taking a stand (5:30), the newest features and user stats about Instagram (8:00) and there’s new data about the decline of TV news viewership so we ponder if PR pros should even pitch local TV stations anymore (10:40). T...

The Quick News & Quick Takes segment this month includes stories about the rise of the “headline browser” (3:30), influencer campaigns and the use of trackable URLs (5:40), and why your podcast’s success might depend on the “super-listener” (7:50). The Talking Points Spotlight highlights Patagonia and the POTUS (10:20). And, the three Talking Points in this episode feature discussions about a pres...

A bonus episode for December, as Arik talks with Mykl Roventine of Orange Jackalope Creative in Minneapolis, Social Media Breakfast - Minneapolis-St Paul (SMBMSP), and Get Social Events. Their conversation primarily covers the history and evolution of SMBMSP (believed to be the longest running chapter in the U.S.), as well as where social media is headed in 2018. (Apologies for some audio difficul...

The Quick News & Quick Takes segment this month includes stories about what influencers are looking for from companies, brands and organizations (5:45), a report on employee attitudes about the workplace and what’s costing them time (7:55), and an annual survey of bloggers about their frequency, writing time and more (11:40). The Talking Points Spotlight highlights Walmart’s podcast (15:00). And,...

The Quick News & Quick Takes segment this month includes stories about Walmart using Facebook’s Workplace (5:15), the type of content that people are reading on LinkedIn (6:25), and the frequency of social posts by brands (8:30). The Talking Points Spotlight highlights the Mayo Clinic and Amazon’s Alexa (9:55). And, the three Talking Points in this episode feature discussions about content strateg...

The Quick News & Quick Takes segment includes stories about how people are getting their news (31:50), an employee advocacy survey (33:50) and the latest numbers about teen use of Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook (38:10). The Talking Points Spotlight highlights an unsung hero of Hurricane Harvey (40:10). And, the three Talking Points in this episode feature discussions about the difference between...

Arik talks with Cydney Strommen of Fast Horse in Minneapolis. The conversation covers the state of influencer marketing. Strommen talks about the role of influencers today, how companies/brands can evaluate and monitor influencers, what most companies/brands don’t do right and more. For show notes, visit http://www. TheTalkingPointsPodcast.com/. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm...

Arik and Kevin recorded this month’s show after the Minnesota PRSA’s first-ever Digital Skills Workshop in Minneapolis. The Quick News & Quick Takes segment includes stories about brand use of messaging apps (16:15), a study about the technology used by communicators in their organizations (17:45) and the popularity of live-streaming (19:40). The Talking Points Spotlight highlights Cambria (20:45)...

The Quick News & Quick Takes segment this month includes stories about the popularity of interactive content (1:55), new data on smartphone use (3:45) and Instagram’s big advantage when it comes to engagement (5:10). The Talking Points Spotlight highlights the Star Tribune’s 150th anniversary in Minneapolis (6:30). And, the three Talking Points in this episode feature discussions about Mary Meeker...

The Quick News & Quick Takes segment includes stories about the FTC’s recent reachout to influencers and marketers (2:35), a lack of recognition for CEOs among their employees (3:30) and new data on podcast awareness and listening (5:10). The Talking Points Spotlight highlights Mall of America (6:45). And, the three Talking Points in this episode feature discussions about the supposed demise of co...

Arik and Kevin went on-location again, this time from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The episode features a conversation with UWEC Chancellor Jim Schmidt about his use of social media, blogging and thoughts on leadership communication (27:00). The Quick News & Quick Takes segment includes stories about the online engagement of CEOs (3:00), a Google survey about the brands that Gen Z think...

Is there a “truther” movement underway in marketing? Arik and Kevin discuss a post that said more people in the industry think “this internet stuff is a bunch of hooey.” Also, clients of PR pros are often confused about what PR really is or does, the importance of having differentiated content and serving a niche audience, YouTube picks up viewers and announces its own live TV service, and more. P...

Communicators are talking about the 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer, so Arik and Kevin tee that up this month and discuss what it means for PR and corporate communications. Also, a new approach to influencer marketing and who should “own” it, revisiting the concept of “content shock,” the use of emojis in business communication, and more. Plus, in the Talking Points “2 Cents” segment, commentary abou...

The first episode of 2017 kicks off the new year with discussions about Help a Reporter Out (HARO), the PR implications of voice technology, and Richard Edelman’s PR predictions for 2017. Plus, in Quick News & Quick Takes: Facebook’s new live audio feature, a survey of social media use by executives, and the most-shared video brand of 2016. Also, in the Talking Points “2 Cents” segment, Arik and K...

The alarming rise and influence of fake news tops the discussion by Arik and Kevin in this month’s episode. They explore what it means for PR pros in companies and brands. Also, bloggers are apparently spending more time writing fewer posts, and that’s a good thing. Plus, IBM launches an internal radio station, a push for “programming” to replace the infatuation with different kinds of “content,”...

Arik and Kevin took the show on the road, to PR students at Winona State University. This episode features interviews with two WSU students, plus a Q&A segment that shows what’s on the minds of soon-to-be PR pros. Before that, the topics up for discussion include a silly but thought-provoking piece by 60 Minutes about the rise of social media influencers, new data on the corporate use of social me...