Beyond the Noise – the PRWeek podcast
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- Dernier épisode
- 12 Nov 2026
À propos du podcast
A panel of industry experts discuss the issues the latest news and hot topics you need to know in PR and communications.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Épisodes 281
Is Xmas the UK’s ‘Super Bowl moment’ – and what’s PR’s role?
Two PR creative directors dissect the effectiveness of this year’s Christmas campaigns in the latest episode of PRWeek’s Beyond the Noise podcast.Steve Strickland, executive creative director at One Green Bean …
Notes de l’épisode
Two PR creative directors dissect the effectiveness of this year’s Christmas campaigns in the latest episode of PRWeek’s Beyond the Noise podcast.
Steve Strickland, executive creative director at One Green Bean, and Lucy Baker, creative director at Earnies, sit down with PRWeek UK’s Evie Barrett in this week’s Beyond the Noise episode.
Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
The pair give their views on the 2026 cohort of Christmas campaigns, analysing the main trends and noting which they liked best.
They discuss celebrity cameos, with Strickland sharing his view that Christmas campaigns are now the UK’s equivalent of the Super Bowl in the US.
Strickland and Baker also speak on the importance of having a flagship TV advert, even in the age of social media, as well as how earned media comes into play.
Elsewhere, they share their favourite Christmas campaigns beyond the typical supermarket and retail brands.
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Reuters on ‘constant innovation’ and tips for PR
How has Reuters been innovating in the AI age, and what does it mean for comms? PRWeek finds out in the latest part of the Future of the Media series - which is now live on the podcast feed.Our guest is Jane …
Notes de l’épisode
How has Reuters been innovating in the AI age, and what does it mean for comms? PRWeek finds out in the latest part of the Future of the Media series - which is now live on the podcast feed.
Our guest is Jane Barrett, head of product at Reuters, who has overseen the AI strategy and earlier led a digital transformation of the newsroom.
Speaking to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington, Barrett offers advice on landing PR pitches and gives other tips for communications professionals.
She discusses how AI has been “transformational” in the newsroom, and describes how the business has been using chatbots and embracing GEO, alongside other innovations. She talks of the increasing need for “empathy” in journalism, the use of social media, and combatting the “mushrooming” problem of fake AI ‘experts’.
The journalist also explains how fundamental skills of journalism remain hugely important – and what the future might hold.
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‘Big agencies need to be on their guard’ – PRWeek UK Awards podcast
What do the winners of the recent PRWeek UK Awards tell us about industry trends in 2026? PRWeek’s latest podcast takes a look.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and …
Notes de l’épisode
What do the winners of the recent PRWeek UK Awards tell us about industry trends in 2026? PRWeek’s latest podcast takes a look.
Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
In the podcast, PRWeek UK journalists Danny Rogers (editor-in-chief), Siobhan Holt (deputy editor) and Evie Barrett (deputy news editor) chat about the awards night, which took place last week (21 October) in London.
They discuss the winners, specifically the rise in campaigns hitting back at ‘big tech’, and the other key themes among the winning agencies this year.
They also reflect on the industry and the reasons behind the rise in winning entries from smaller, independent agencies versus the network agency groups.
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Swearing, pocket dialling, wet trousers… ‘Am I the PR a***hole?’ podcast
PRWeek looks at more of your comms confessions in the latest episode of the ‘Am I the PR A***hole?’ (AITPRA) podcast.In each episode of AITPRA, PRWeek will read out your anonymous confessions and our judges …
Notes de l’épisode
PRWeek looks at more of your comms confessions in the latest episode of the ‘Am I the PR A***hole?’ (AITPRA) podcast.
In each episode of AITPRA, PRWeek will read out your anonymous confessions and our judges – Lynn Advisory founder Shayoni Lynn and Hoffman Agency UK co-MD Richard Fogg – will decide whether an ethical line has been crossed.
Confessions can be submitted via this link. All the confessions are totally anonymous – PRWeek has no way of identifying the confessor.
Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
This week’s confessions include:
- Swearing about a journalist when the journalist could hear.
- Swearing at a Eurostar employee after missing a train to a press conference – then blaming journalists for the event starting late.
- Not standing up to shake a client’s hand because the confessor was not wearing trousers.
The episode is hosted by PRWeek UK editor John Harrington.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
PR’s ‘depressing’ recruitment market – PRWeek podcast
How do you recruit comms and PR professionals in the AI age? PRWeek’s latest podcast takes a look.On this week’s Beyond the Noise podcast, Don Ferguson, managing director of creative comms agency Hope&Glory …
Notes de l’épisode
How do you recruit comms and PR professionals in the AI age? PRWeek’s latest podcast takes a look.
On this week’s Beyond the Noise podcast, Don Ferguson, managing director of creative comms agency Hope&Glory (pictured above, left), and Laura Oliphant, founder of comms consultancy Stand (above, right), share their insights on the recruitment market.
Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
In the episode, Ferguson and Oliphant discuss the specialisms and current roles they have been recruiting for. The pair share their overall view of the current recruitment market in comms.
In addition, the comms chiefs consider candidate applications and explain how AI technology is impacting the hiring process.
They also comment on the rise in AI-created CVs and cover letters, as well as offer advice to candidates on how to approach a job interview in PR.
Separately, the best way to proactively reach potential employees is also discussed on this week’s episode.
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The Romans: how to ‘get big without getting boring’
The Romans’ chief executive, Joe Mackay-Sinclair, discusses the past, present and future of the fast-growing agency on PRWeek’s latest podcast episode.Mackay-Sinclair joins PRWeek UK editor John Harrington as …
Notes de l’épisode
The Romans’ chief executive, Joe Mackay-Sinclair, discusses the past, present and future of the fast-growing agency on PRWeek’s latest podcast episode.
Mackay-Sinclair joins PRWeek UK editor John Harrington as this week’s guest on Beyond the Noise.
Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
As PRWeek previously reported, Mackay-Sinclair discusses potential new overseas markets for The Romans, which currently has offices in London, New York, Dubai, Amsterdam and Berlin. He also reveals his ‘big bets’ for growth at the firm, which is backed by the global ad agency Mother.
Other topics covered include:
- How business is “more hard-fought than it’s ever been”
- How client expectations are shifting (and how they aren’t)
- Recruitment as the agency’s biggest challenge
- What he wants from new hires
- The importance of the corporate offer
- How agencies would be “crazy” not to have a dedicated sports offering
- The Romans’ approach to AI and GEO
- PR firms he admires
- How agencies could get better at articulating what they do
- Running an (arguably) ‘Marmite’ agency
- Running an agency as a “social introvert”
- The importance of face-to-face connections
- Investing in start-up agencies
- Being the “energy bunny” for The Romans
- His personal ambitions.
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Tim Peake: "Put a human and our best robot with AI on Mars today... and a human will still do more."
What is the true balance between human spaceflight and robotic exploration when it comes to science, inspiration, and decision-making capabilities? How is space transitioning from a niche frontier to an …
Notes de l’épisode
What is the true balance between human spaceflight and robotic exploration when it comes to science, inspiration, and decision-making capabilities? How is space transitioning from a niche frontier to an everyday commercial workplace? What role do regulatory frameworks, such as the United Nations, the Artemis Accords, and the Astra Carta, play in keeping orbit and the lunar surface safe and sustainable? And how can the UK Government act as an "anchor customer" to bridge the commercial "valley of death" for domestic space startups?
Join Alice and Jonners in this special episode recorded in Chichester Marina with British astronaut Tim Peake as he shares insights on space adaptation syndrome, commercial space stations, lunar research bases, global space traffic management, and the future of human exploration to Mars.
Contributors:
Alice Bunn, President of UKspace
Dr Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng | LinkedIn
Jonathan Davies, The Karman Line
Tim Peake, Astronaut
Key topics covered:
- Human spaceflight vs. robotic exploration
- Space Adaptation Syndrome (nausea & gravity adjustment)
- Normalising space as a commercial workplace
- Transition from space stations to commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Artemis programme & sustainable lunar research bases
- Astronaut selection mindsets, psychological profiles, and stress testing
- International space cooperation & soft power (ISS legacy)
- Governance, leaseholds, and regulatory frameworks on the Moon
- The Astra Carta & space sustainability
- Human exploration of Mars
- Government as “anchor customers
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How to pitch to clients: Ministry of Justice
What do clients really want, and not want, from agencies? That’s the focus of the latest PRWeek podcast, featuring Emily Vickers, strategic comms lead at the Ministry of Justice.Beyond the Noise looks at some …
Notes de l’épisode
What do clients really want, and not want, from agencies? That’s the focus of the latest PRWeek podcast, featuring Emily Vickers, strategic comms lead at the Ministry of Justice.
Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
Speaking to PRWeek deputy editor Siobhan Holt, Vickers offers some dos and don’ts of client/agency partnerships and discusses the role of procurement.
She chats about the skills she values the most from agency execs and offers advice on working with public sector organisations.
Elsewhere, the comms professional discusses regional communications and shares top tips for professionals considering a role in government or public sector comms.
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‘I lied about a car crash after a client bailed on a press briefing - am I the PR a***hole?’
PRWeek looks at more of your comms confessions in the latest episode of the ‘Am I the PR A***hole?’ (AITPRA) podcast. In each episode of AITPRA, PRWeek will read out your anonymous confessions and our judges …
Notes de l’épisode
PRWeek looks at more of your comms confessions in the latest episode of the ‘Am I the PR A***hole?’ (AITPRA) podcast.
In each episode of AITPRA, PRWeek will read out your anonymous confessions and our judges – Lynn Advisory founder Shayoni Lynn and Hoffman Agency UK co-MD Richard Fogg – will decide whether an ethical line has been crossed.
Confessions can be submitted via this link.
Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen in the browser above or on your favourite platform.
This week’s confessions include:
- Inventing a story about a car crash to cover for a client pulling out of a media briefing.
- Resigning an account after the client behaved appallingly - but without the authority to do so.
- Messing with colleagues in a team bonding session of ‘guess who from the baby photo'.
The episode is hosted by PRWeek UK editor John Harrington.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
VCCP Roar bosses: how to manage a PR agency merger
How do you merge PR and communications agencies? PRWeek’s latest podcast takes a look.On this week’s Beyond the Noise podcast, VCCP Roar chief executive Stephanie Brimacombe (pictured above, left) and VCCP …
Notes de l’épisode
How do you merge PR and communications agencies? PRWeek’s latest podcast takes a look.
On this week’s Beyond the Noise podcast, VCCP Roar chief executive Stephanie Brimacombe (pictured above, left) and VCCP founding partner and group chairman Charles Vallance (above, right) share their strategies on merging PR agencies.
Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
Nine months after the launch of VCCP Roar, the product of the merger of sister PR agencies Good Relations, Harvard and Teamspirit, the duo sit down with PRWeek reporter Elizabeth Wiredu to discuss the process.
Together, Brimacombe and Vallance explain how they united three specialised agencies spanning consumer, corporate, tech and financial PR services.
They discuss the reasons behind the merger, what the biggest challenges were in the process and how they overcame them, and how to maintain agency culture at VCCP Roar. They also chat about the agency’s recent Starbucks account win.
Elsewhere in the episode, legendary adman Vallance discusses the rivalry between the advertising and PR sectors and argues that the PR sector is in a strong position in the current market compared to other disciplines, such as advertising.
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TUI and The Remarkables: ‘Don’t overcomplicate GEO’
TUI’s comms boss, and the chief of the agency handling the travel firm’s GEO, are the guests on this week’s Beyond the Noise podcast.Amy Dowling, head of communications at TUI; and Kerry Parkin, founder and CEO …
Notes de l’épisode
TUI’s comms boss, and the chief of the agency handling the travel firm’s GEO, are the guests on this week’s Beyond the Noise podcast.
Amy Dowling, head of communications at TUI; and Kerry Parkin, founder and CEO of The Remarkables, discuss the latest on GEO and how it continues to disrupt the comms world.
It comes as brands continue to appoint PR agencies for AI discovery briefs; Nationwide and Dishoom have done so in recent weeks. One of the first announcements of this kind came in July, when travel brand TUI enlisted The Remarkables to help boost its AI visibility.
Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
Dowling discusses why TUI partnered with The Remarkables, and what pitfalls other agencies may be falling into when offering GEO services to brands.
Meanwhile, Parkin gives tips for businesses looking to implement a GEO strategy, explaining why she believes PR should take full ownership of the discipline.
The pair share their view that it is not necessary to “buy into the technicalities” of AI in order to increase your visibility, warning PR teams to “try not to get bamboozled”.
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Ents PR is ‘moving away from coverage’
Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen in the browser above or on your favourite platform.This week we hear how …
Notes de l’épisode
Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen in the browser above or on your favourite platform.
This week we hear how entertainment PR is evolving, with mainstream press coverage no longer being the top priority in many cases.
Gaby Jerrard, who runs entertainment and comedy specialist firm Gaby Jerrard PR, recounts working on campaigns for satirical political candidate Count Binface and controversial figure Amanda Knox within the span of a few weeks.
Meanwhile, Lawrence Francis discusses the impact of streaming on the work of Premier, which handles global PR and brand partnerships for some of the biggest film, TV and entertainment franchises in the world.
Our guests discuss how to reach fandoms in unconventional ways, particularly on social media – where niches such as ‘BookTok’ are now flourishing.
Elsewhere, the pair speak on ‘cancel culture’, and how public figures can best avoid ‘culture war’ narratives while promoting their work.
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Good Housekeeping: ‘We’re not turning our journalists into influencers’
PRWeek gets the lowdown on changes at Good Housekeeping in the latest instalment of the Future of the Media series.Recorded in July and available now on PRWeek’s podcast feed, the episode sees PRWeek UK editor …
Notes de l’épisode
PRWeek gets the lowdown on changes at Good Housekeeping in the latest instalment of the Future of the Media series.
Recorded in July and available now on PRWeek’s podcast feed, the episode sees PRWeek UK editor John Harrington speak to Jane Bruton (Good Housekeeping UK editor-in-chief) and Liz Settle (MD of Good Housekeeping and the Good Housekeeping Institute).
The guests discuss structural overhaul in editorial and how the department works with commercial.
The shift to “75 per cent digital, 25 per cent print” is explained, as is the greater use of video. Our guests talk about how communications is getting “more sophisticated”, and how they like to work with PR professionals.
Speaking from the Good Housekeeping Kitchen in Hearst’s central London office, other topics covered include ‘wising up’ to clickbait; membership models; target demographics; the downside of AI; and imbuing a “culture of impatience”. The guests predict what might lie ahead for Good Housekeeping, and for publishing in general.
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‘I set off the fire alarm to stop a media interview – am I the PR a***hole?’
PRWeek delves into more of your comms confessions in the latest episode of the ‘Am I the PR A***hole?’ (AITPRA) podcast. In each episode of AITPRA, PRWeek will read out your anonymous confessions and our judges …
Notes de l’épisode
PRWeek delves into more of your comms confessions in the latest episode of the ‘Am I the PR A***hole?’ (AITPRA) podcast.
In each episode of AITPRA, PRWeek will read out your anonymous confessions and our judges – Lynn Advisory founder Shayoni Lynn and Hoffman Agency UK co-MD Richard Fogg – will decide whether an ethical line has been crossed.
Confessions can be submitted via this link.
Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen in the browser above or on your favourite platform.
This week’s confessions include:
- Asking a colleague to trigger the fire alarm to halt a damaging media interview.
- In a PR job interview, questioning the interviewer who asked if nursery drop-offs would prevent her getting to work on time.
- Manipulating AI to appear in AI search as the “best-dressed PR practitioner in the UK”.
The episode is hosted by PRWeek UK editor John Harrington.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What’s going on in travel PR? Two experts throw new light on a transforming discipline
In this week’s episode PRWeek editor-in-chief Danny Rogers is joined by Paul Charles, former Virgin Atlantic comms director and founder of The PC Agency, and Jules Ugo, former boss of Lotus and now founder of …
Notes de l’épisode
In this week’s episode PRWeek editor-in-chief Danny Rogers is joined by Paul Charles, former Virgin Atlantic comms director and founder of The PC Agency, and Jules Ugo, former boss of Lotus and now founder of Palma & Partners, to discuss the changing ways in which travel and tourism are communicated and marketed.
Beyond the Noise examines some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
There has been a spate of high-level departures from generalist PR consultancies with travel divisions, and some new start-ups such as Ugo’s Palma & Partners, which means the face of classic travel comms now looks different.
Why is it that only specialist travel consultancies such as The PC Agency and luxury hospitality specialists such as Bacchus or Perowne International seem to thriving in this new environment?
The podcast discusses trends in agency business models, the growing need to be international, which sectors of the travel sector are currently buoyant and the huge impact of AI.
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FleishmanHillard UK chief: agencies must transform commercially
FleishmanHillard UK CEO Marshall Manson discusses his plans for the Omnicom agency and challenges the industry on how it must change, in PRWeek’s latest podcast.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest …
Notes de l’épisode
FleishmanHillard UK CEO Marshall Manson discusses his plans for the Omnicom agency and challenges the industry on how it must change, in PRWeek’s latest podcast.
Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
In this week’s episode, Marshall Manson speaks to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington shortly after sister agency Porter Novelli integrated into FleishmanHillard amid wider changes at owner Omnicom, following its merger with IPG late last year.
The FleishmanHillard UK chief executive discusses the background to the Porter Novelli move, how he’s been “blown away” by the agency, and how the teams have been working together.
Manson reveals his three-year vision for FleishmanHillard in the UK, including how the agency has been using AI.
He discusses how agencies need to change in the “fragmented” media landscape, and why they should adapt their commercial models. The comms leader also explains how FleishmanHillard has been transforming its approach to creativity.
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‘I blacklisted a rude journo – am I the PR a***hole?’
PRWeek runs the rule over more of your confessions in the latest episode of the ‘Am I the PR A***hole?’ (AITPRA) podcast. In each episode of AITPRA, PRWeek will read out your anonymous confessions and our …
Notes de l’épisode
PRWeek runs the rule over more of your confessions in the latest episode of the ‘Am I the PR A***hole?’ (AITPRA) podcast.
In each episode of AITPRA, PRWeek will read out your anonymous confessions and our judges – Lynn Advisory founder Shayoni Lynn and Hoffman Agency UK co-MD Richard Fogg – will decide whether an ethical line has been crossed.
Confessions can be submitted via this link.
Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
This week’s confessions include:
- Permanently blacklisting a rude journalist
- Blanking the person who effectively replaced their job after returning from maternity leave
- (Almost) outing their agency employer for threatening to freeze staff pay over baseless claims of stealing electronic equipment.
The episode is hosted by PRWeek UK editor John Harrington.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The biggest risks facing corporate affairs – PRWeek/In.Comms podcast, with BT and Deloitte
How has corporate affairs been changing, and what’s the future for the function? A new podcast from PRWeek and In.Comms takes a look.Our guests this week are Mark Hutcheon, a director in Deloitte who leads the …
Notes de l’épisode
How has corporate affairs been changing, and what’s the future for the function? A new podcast from PRWeek and In.Comms takes a look.
Our guests this week are Mark Hutcheon, a director in Deloitte who leads the firm's Corporate Affairs Advisory practice, and Leslie McGibbon, chief corporate affairs and brand officer at BT.
Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
This week’s podcast follows the publication last month of a report from Deloitte that looks at the main changes in corporate affairs in recent years and what we can expect by 2030.
The duo discuss the “structural reset” of the function, looking at how remits and expectations have shifted.
They talk about the impact of AI on team structures and requirements, and agency relationships. ESG and measurement are also discussed, and our guests examine the ‘two futures’ for corporate affairs.
This is the first joint podcast between PRWeek and In.Comms. Its hosts are PRWeek UK editor John Harrington and In.Comms editor Claire Warren.
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Golin Ketchum UK chief: ‘the work starts now’
How has the Golin-Ketchum merger fared in the UK? We hear first-hand in PRWeek’s latest podcast, which features our guest Ondine Whittington, president of Golin Ketchum and Virgo Health London.Beyond the Noise …
Notes de l’épisode
How has the Golin-Ketchum merger fared in the UK? We hear first-hand in PRWeek’s latest podcast, which features our guest Ondine Whittington, president of Golin Ketchum and Virgo Health London.
Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
On the latest episode, Ondine Whittington discusses the challenges of merging Golin and Ketchum to form the new agency, including helping to create a unified culture.
She describes how clients have responded to the merger and addresses questions of client conflicts, redundancies and her priorities for the months ahead.
Speaking to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington, the former Golin London chief talks about the reasons behind bringing back creative shop Brooklyn Brothers in London, and speaks about how it will work alongside Golin Ketchum in the UK.
Whittington also reflects on the biggest lessons from Cannes Lions this year. And she gives her take on major industry issues, including current trading, shifting client needs and pitching.
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Should PR ditch phone calls? Gen-Z pros debate
A pair of young PR stars are guests on this week’s Beyond the Noise podcast, discussing AI, office attendance, navigating LinkedIn and more.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR …
Notes de l’épisode
A pair of young PR stars are guests on this week’s Beyond the Noise podcast, discussing AI, office attendance, navigating LinkedIn and more.
Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
This week, we hear from Chris Maho, account manager at The Romans, and Holly Ryan, account director at WA Communications – both of whom were shortlisted as People Stars in PRWeek’s People and Places Awards last month.
In conversation with PRWeek UK deputy news editor Evie Barrett, the pair speak about targeting Gen Z as a demographic, whether they think comms has an ageism problem, and using social media to boost your professional profile.
Elsewhere, they address the stereotypes that young comms professionals dislike phone calls, and that social events in PR are becoming less alcohol-centric.
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Cannes: where are the UK indie winners?
What were the biggest lessons and talking points from Cannes Lions 2026? PRWeek’s latest podcast takes a look.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via …
Notes de l’épisode
What were the biggest lessons and talking points from Cannes Lions 2026? PRWeek’s latest podcast takes a look.
Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
Joining this episode are PRWeek trio Danny Rogers (editor-in-chief), John Harrington (UK editor) and Siobhan Holt (deputy editor).
They discuss the big trends from the PR Lions in particular this year, and discuss why ‘The KitKat Heist’ by VML and Burson won the prestigious Grand Prix in the category.
The journalists talk about some of their favourite winners and what they tell us about campaigns today – including trends with purpose, humour and AI.
They also ask why smaller UK independents were largely absent from the awards in 2026, despite many still attending the event on the French Riviera.
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‘I gave honest feedback to a colleague and they cried’ – Am I the PR A***hole?
We put more of your confessions under the spotlight in the latest episode of PRWeek’s ‘Am I the PR A***hole?’ (AITPRA) podcast.In each episode of AITPRA, PRWeek will read out your anonymous confessions and our …
Notes de l’épisode
We put more of your confessions under the spotlight in the latest episode of PRWeek’s ‘Am I the PR A***hole?’ (AITPRA) podcast.
In each episode of AITPRA, PRWeek will read out your anonymous confessions and our judges – Lynn Advisory founder Shayoni Lynn and Hoffman Agency UK co-MD Richard Fogg – will decide whether an ethical line has been crossed.
Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
This week’s confessions include:
- Making a colleague cry (and being pulled up) after giving honest feedback.
- Making a group of pensioners sit in a cordoned-off area for hours for a PR stunt.
- Purposely avoiding work but getting promoted anyway.
The episode is hosted by PRWeek UK editor John Harrington.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lord Heseltine: "You’re just playing in toy town”
Lord Heseltine tells the story of the birth of the European Space Agency. Why post-Apollo, when the US was spending £1.2 billion a year on space, the whole of Europe was spending just £200 million. Why the …
Notes de l’épisode
Lord Heseltine tells the story of the birth of the European Space Agency. Why post-Apollo, when the US was spending £1.2 billion a year on space, the whole of Europe was spending just £200 million. Why the birth of ESA was driven by the self-interest of three major countries. Why the US general with a $29 billion budget for the Star Wars project wanted to invest in Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. Why, the idea that Britain could compete alone with the technologies that were accumulated and available to the American capitalist system was “simply laughable”. Why “being European is not selling out British interests”. And why Margaret Thatcher told him: “If you want to get on and put your budget into this, you can, but you're not getting any of mine."
Join Alice and Lord Heseltine as they pick apart the negotiating contrivances and the wheeling and dealing to circumnavigate “turkeys not voting for Christmas” that ultimately put European space on the map.
Contributors:
Alice Bunn, President of UKspace
Dr Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng | LinkedIn
Lord Heseltine, Member of the House of Lords
Key topics covered:
- Creation of the European Space Agency (ESA)
- US "Star Wars" program and brain drain
- Geopolitical case for European R&D collaboration
- Impact of Brexit on science and technology
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Edelman, Burson and Smarts on Cannes predictions
In a Cannes Lions special, PRWeek’s Beyond the Noise speaks to communications professionals from Edelman, Burson and Smarts about this year’s Festival.Ahead of the Cannes Lions International Festival of …
Notes de l’épisode
In a Cannes Lions special, PRWeek’s Beyond the Noise speaks to communications professionals from Edelman, Burson and Smarts about this year’s Festival.
Ahead of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, which starts on Monday (22 June), PRWeek UK spoke to Edelman’s international chief creative officer, international, Kate Stanners, alongside Burson’s chief strategy officer, Eleanor Sullivan, and Smarts’ brand futures director, Natalie Moores.
Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen in the browser above or on your favourite platform.
The trio discuss what they are looking forward to at this year’s event, whether purpose-led campaigns will win big this year, and the impact of AI technology. They also offer advice on how to get the most out of the festival from a business perspective.
Asked whether the festival may look a bit extravagant in 2026, especially given industry consolidation and cost-cutting, alongside the ongoing geopolitical strife, the professionals share their thoughts.
As part of the episode, the three comms pros debate earned creativity within the PR Lions, and if the lines between PR and advertising have blurred.
Stanners, who spent two decades at advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi before joining Edelman last year, dismissed the idea of a turf war between PR and advertising agencies.
“There is a school of thought where advertising agencies are saying: ‘Watch out, PR companies, we know how to do it,’” she said. “I think, interestingly, it’s the wrong discussion to have. This is about recognising the power of a very different media landscape.”
In the discussion, Stanners argued that audience behaviour increasingly favours earned communications over traditional advertising.
“Ninety-nine per cent of people would like to skip the ads if they could, so that tells us a huge amount,” she said. “People are significantly more likely to trust work that comes in an earned space, which also tells us a huge amount.”
PR retains a unique advantage in creating earned impact, added Stanners. “It is a battleground, probably, for all sorts of businesses to be playing in. But a truly earned piece of work plays slightly differently.”
The three professionals assess the festival’s updated guidelines, introduced following controversies at last year’s awards, and whether they will prove effective.
And the panel members share their own experiences at Cannes and outline the criteria they use to evaluate what makes a standout PR campaign.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
‘PR is having an extraordinary renaissance with this World Cup’
‘If you’re talking about brand reputation, this World Cup is probably the most important comms and strategy campaign for nations and for an organisation (FIFA) that we’ve ever seen… and it’s fraught with …
Notes de l’épisode
‘If you’re talking about brand reputation, this World Cup is probably the most important comms and strategy campaign for nations and for an organisation (FIFA) that we’ve ever seen… and it’s fraught with dangers,’ says MSQ Sport & Entertainment’s co-founder Steve Martin, on a World Cup Special podcast by PRWeek.
Speaking on the latest episode of Beyond the Noise, MSQ Sport & Entertainment co-founder Steve Martin, the most influential Sports Agency professional in PRWeek’s 2026 Power Book, argues that “PR is having an extraordinary renaissance” with this World Cup, bearing in mind both the amount of earned-media-led brand campaigns and the level of reputation management required in what is proving a highly politicised tournament.
Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
In this episode, Martin was joined by fellow sports comms expert Sarah Hartwell, executive director for sports entertainment consultancy 50 Sport, who is also a proud Canadian.
Hosted by PRWeek editor-in-chief Danny Rogers, Martin and Hartwell discuss successful brand campaigns from Nike, Adidas, Irn-Bru, Duracell, Lego, Burberry and others.
They also talk about some of the damaging stories that are impacting the reputation of FIFA and the United States, as well as the opportunities for fellow host nations Canada and Mexico.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Where are PR’s LGBTQ+ leaders?
In a Pride Month special, PRWeek UK speaks to two prominent LGBTQ+ PR professionals on the comms industry’s progress, as well as analysing what ‘corporate pride’ looks like in 2026.Christina Peach, director at …
Notes de l’épisode
In a Pride Month special, PRWeek UK speaks to two prominent LGBTQ+ PR professionals on the comms industry’s progress, as well as analysing what ‘corporate pride’ looks like in 2026.
Christina Peach, director at FleishmanHillard and head of comms for London Pride 2026, is our guest on this week’s podcast, alongside Josh Wheeler, founder of Be Broadcast PR and head of comms at InterComms, the network for LGBTQ+ PR professionals.
Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or on your favourite platform.
The guests dissect the finding that the majority of LGBTQ+ comms professionals do not feel there are visible or vocal role models within the industry, and about half believe LGBTQ+ practitioners become less open about their identity as they become more senior.
Speaking to PRWeek deputy news editor Evie Barrett, Peach and Wheeler also discuss the effects of big businesses scaling back their DEI initiatives, giving examples of organisations that they believe engage authentically with Pride Month.
The guests offer tips to employers on being more inclusive, as well as advice to PR professionals struggling to be open about their identity in the workplace.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Space comms: why rockets really aren’t the story
Why do people in the space sector think they have a comms problem and yet the public at large think space is sexy? Should we stop evangelising about the technology that gets stuff into space rather than the …
Notes de l’épisode
Why do people in the space sector think they have a comms problem and yet the public at large think space is sexy? Should we stop evangelising about the technology that gets stuff into space rather than the core marketing message? After all, KFC is about the chicken not the trucks that deliver it.
What are the leadership opportunities in the UK from launch in Scotland and what is the “environmental conscience” behind that endeavour? And how did we end up with kids in St Austell working on global lunar space missions on the back of a famous “failure”?
Join Alice, Jess Ratty from Halo Global and John Harrington UK editor of PR Week, as they confront the introspection of space and figure out better ways of confounding British understatement and amazing a world of would-be investors.
Contributors:
Alice Bunn, President of UKspace
Dr Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng | LinkedIn
Jess Ratty, Founder and Leader, Halo Global
John Harrington, UK Editor, PR Week
Key topics covered:
- Communications
- Marketing
- Leadership opportunities
- Saxa Vord launch
- Environment
- Spaceport Cornwall
- Virgin Orbit’s “Start me Up” mission
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Uncommon’s Nils Leonard: ‘PR should be scared’
Nils Leonard, co-founder of renowned ad agency Uncommon, is a guest on this week’s PRWeek Beyond the Noise podcast episode – speaking alongside Randy Manicks, managing partner of the firm’s PR arm.The Uncommon …
Notes de l’épisode
Nils Leonard, co-founder of renowned ad agency Uncommon, is a guest on this week’s PRWeek Beyond the Noise podcast episode – speaking alongside Randy Manicks, managing partner of the firm’s PR arm.
The Uncommon leaders discuss how the firm’s PR, Culture & Influence practice – which launched in February – has performed so far.
Leonard discusses how he caused a stir in the PR industry by setting out his ambition to “carve out a new space in a tired category” with the launch of Uncommon’s PR offer.
Speaking with PRWeek UK deputy news editor Evie Barrett, he explains how he believes traditional PR agencies could improve their offer, and reveals the types of briefs that Uncommon’s PR division has worked on so far.
Meanwhile, Manicks, a former managing director at comms agency John Doe, dissects the difference between working at a traditional PR firm versus a creative agency that has expanded into PR.
Elsewhere, the pair argue that more PR agencies should be boosting their own profile with independent projects alongside launching client work.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
'Am I the PR A***hole?' New PRWeek podcast launches
In each episode of the new podcast series Am I the PR A***hole? (AITPRA), PRWeek will read out your anonymous PR confessions and our judges – Lynn Advisory founder Shayoni Lynn and Hoffman Agency UK co-MD …
Notes de l’épisode
In each episode of the new podcast series Am I the PR A***hole? (AITPRA), PRWeek will read out your anonymous PR confessions and our judges – Lynn Advisory founder Shayoni Lynn and Hoffman Agency UK co-MD Richard Fogg – will decide whether an ethical line has been crossed. Confessions can be submitted via this link.
This week’s confessions include:
- Purposely uploading unflattering images to a press portal
- Pitching the same ‘exclusive’ to two rival newspapers
- Asking juniors to sort travel admin
- And finally… booking a destructive thrash techno band for a credit card launch.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How to lobby as Labour implodes
How should public affairs and political comms in the UK navigate political upheaval? PRWeek’s latest podcast takes a look.This week’s episode of Beyond the Noise features Damion Potter, executive chairman …
Notes de l’épisode
How should public affairs and political comms in the UK navigate political upheaval? PRWeek’s latest podcast takes a look.
This week’s episode of Beyond the Noise features Damion Potter, executive chairman, public affairs in the UK, at H/Advisors; Emily Fermor, partner at Hanbury Strategy and chair of the PRCA Public Affairs Professional Board; and Fraser Raleigh, MD, public affairs and government relations, at SEC Newgate.
Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
As Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faces his first proper challenge as Labour leader since coming to office, our guests discuss how their workload has changed since the crisis began following the elections on 7 May.
They talk about what clients have been looking for specifically in this period of uncertainty and how they know which politicians, spads and civil servants to target in particular.
Speaking to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington, they discuss whether they think the expected leadership challengers are likely to be more or less amenable to businesses and lobbying should they come to power. How the Starmer government has differed from expectations from a public affairs perspective, and how this has changed over time, is also examined.
The guests also give their perspective on how they think the political crisis might end – and whether Starmer will last the distance.
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