PRmoment Podcast

In the fifth episode of the season, Dean Connelly, founder of Latte Recruitment give their best attempt at a spooky Halloween special episode. Earlier in the week, Elizabeth asked PR professionals to submit anonymous recruitment horror stories, whether that be a candidate of nightmares, or an terrifying interview process — we wanted to hear about it, warts and all. Dean, a willing victim, must blind react to the tales of recruitment terror. Later, the pair play a game of Recruitment Trick or Treat, where they discuss whether certain perks, benefits and workplace cultures are as good as they seem. Many thanks to our podcast sponsors the PRCA

Welcome to the PRmoment podcast. Today, we're thrilled to be joined by Lorraine Emmett, the founder and MD of the award-winning B2B tech PR agency, EC-PR. EC-PR is a boutique specialising in B2B PR for engineering, science, and technology scale-ups. They typically partner with high-growth B2B tech brands and companies with 50 to 999 employees, working with Strategic Marketing Leaders and CMOs to elevate brand awareness and influence. Today, we'll dive into her insights on how B2B companies can gain a trust advantage. Before we start, our PR Masterclass the Agency Growth Forum is now live. Virtual and face to face tickets are now available. This event always sells out so if you do want a face to face ticket, be quick. Genuinely, don’t hang about. Check out PRmasterclasses.com or the homepage of PRmoment for the full speaker lineup. Also, do check out PRmoment’s TikTok content, it’ll keep you up to date with the best creative campaigns in PR, interviews with interesting PR folks and our weekly Good and Bad PR content with Andy Barr. Also, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Here’s a summary of what PRmoment founder Ben Smith and founder and managing director of EC-PR Lorraine Emmett discussed on the PRmoment Podcast. The Trust Advantage

In the fourth episode of the season, Dean Connelly, founder of Latte Recruitment and Elizabeth are joined by Shruti Gupta, account executive at Harvard and her colleague Joe McDermott, head of enterprise technology practice at Harvard. Following Gupta's inspirational My PRmoment interview, in which she discussed having imposter syndrome after moving from India to the UK to work in PR, we asked her and McDermott how that presented at work and how effective line management helped to reduce her feelings of doubt. Many thanks to our podcast sponsors the PRCA

Welcome to our review of PR pitches and mergers and acquisitions in the UK PR scene with Andrew Bloch. Here we discuss the biggest pitch wins, mergers and acquisitions that the PR sector has seen in October 2025 Andrew is the lead consultant PR, social, content and influencer at the new business consultancy firm AAR and a partner at PCB Partners, where he advises on buying and selling marketing services agencies. PR Masterclass the Agency Growth Forum is now live. Virtual and face to face tickets are now available. Check out PRmasterclasses.com or the homepage of PRmoment for the full speaker lineup. Also, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors, the PRCA. Here is a rundown of what Andrew and PRmoment founder Ben Smith discussed: Pitches National Express - Block Report - Block Report launched earlier this year Founded by Chris Grimwood of Iris and Social Chain and Jack Colchester of Wonderhood. Singapore Tourist Board - Splendid - UK integrated marketing agency. This win follows an open RFI. Splendid won Heathrow Express in April. Belfast City Council - Cavendish Consulting, Lanyon Communications (part of Consello) and Open Strategic Communications PPHE Hotel Group (formerly Park Plaza Hotels Europe) - Launch PR. Retained consumer and corporate brief. 51 properties across eight countries. Rangemaster - Stakked - Iconic cooker brand with global recognition and deep British roots. Previously in-house. BFI London Film Festival - Vamp - 69th film festival. Vamp has worked with clients inc. Disney, paramount, Netflix, Prime, C4 Apple TV etc Aardman Animation - Wonderland. New Ewe Knit it campaign invites fans to create knitted items that can be turned into blankets for the homeless in London. Toy Retailers Association - WPR. To promote the dream toys list of the hottest toys for Christmas 2025. Butlins - Popcorn. Positioning the holiday resort as the Home of Entertainment. Popcorn is strong in consumer and lifestyle - clients include Thorpe Park, Panasonic and London Designer Outlet. Hey Dude - Words+Pixels. Launch of new campaign with Lewis Capaldi. Acai Berry Foods - Neon Brand Communications - Neon are specialists in health, wellness and beauty and lifestyle brands (hotpot yoga, coconut collab etc.) For Goodness Shakes - Frank. Launch protein and collagen drink, Glow. Lipton Teas and Infusions - Clarion. Retained consumer pr for sub brands PG Tips and Pukka. Youngs Seafoods - Brazen. Consumer pr, social media, influencer. Frozen fish brand - supplies approx. 40% of all the fish eaten in the UK every year, apparently! Omi/Shakers/Dints - Ballou. Trio of new clients for Ballou UK. Nationwide Building Society - Popeyes, Ogi and DEBRA - Folk Border to Coast Pensions Partnership - Apella Advisors. Appella was founded in 2019 by ex APCO UK boss James Acheson Gray - works with Aviva, KPMG and Nationwide Building society Royal Mint - Third City. The Royal Mint is celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Monopoly Board game. Vinted – Smarts. Pan European pr, social and creator for online marketplace for selling, buying and exchanging new/second hand items. POD - Tin Man. EV electric charging provider, joins Tin Man’s existing energy division - EDF, Electrify Britain, Energy GB. Changan - Woosah - Chinese auto firm launching into UK market with all electric Deepal SUV model. Paddy Power - Pitch - Addition to roster alongside Ready10. M&A Team Lewis acquire Instinctif Partners. This deal will double the size of Team Lewis’ UK ope

A recent survey by Fairtrade, with research undertaken by Kantar, finds 86% of shoppers want brands to be upfront about sourcing and more than half (55%) think businesses should take a ‘large amount’ or ‘full responsibility’ for protecting the human rights of workers in their supply chains. The study found that 59% of UK adults support Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) legislation, while just 9% oppose it, showing strong public backing for government action and responsible business practices. Sustainability and purpose matter in communications. They help you build trust and credibility, they help you attract and retain talent and they help you drive innovation in green technologies. In a special PRmoment podcast, inspired by the final deadline for the Sustainability and Purpose Awards we’re chatting to The Fairtrade Organisation’s Martine Parry about its Fairtrade Fortnight Research and its implications for communicators. Before we start a reminder that PRmoment’s Sustainability & Purpose Awards final entry deadline is on Wednesday 15th October. Take a look at all the categories on the microsite. Here’s a summary of what PRmoment founder Ben Smith and Martine Parry discussed on this week’s show: 75% of UK adults believe their shopping habits are the most meaningful way to help build a fairer world. Martine and Ben discuss the implication of this for brand communicators. Is the value of the ‘green pound’ (total ethical spend in the UK) still a relevant measure of consumer ethical and sustainability spending trends? Fairtrade’s research identified 2 sustainability and purpose personas, what are they? How can brands encourage consumers to shop “fair”? It’s a busy media agenda but is there still room for sustainability and purpose related stories? Define what authentic sustainability storytelling looks like in 2025? What is the Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) legislation and why is it important for communicators who are worried about reputation issues resulting from their supply chains? As a judge in the Sustainability and Purpose Awards, what sort of work is Martine looking forward to seeing this year?

PRmoment founder Ben Smith is interviewed by Eilizabeth Giles about the speaker line up for PR Masterclass series The Agency Growth Forum and why it has become a bit of a personal challenge. What PR Masterclass: The Agency Growth Forum covers in one day is incredible. You get to hear the real experts talk about how to overcome the key challenges that PR firm owners are having right now when it comes to growth. As always with our PR Masterclass series, there are absolutely no sponsors. We don't believe in charging delegates for a ticket and then filling the program with sponsored slots. When, Where: Wednesday 26th November 2025 Virtual tickets from £230 +VAT. Face-to-face from £460 +VAT, buy your ticket before 10/10/25 to get these early bird rates. Here’s a run down of what Ben and Elizabeth talk about on the show: Why did we choose Rachel Bell to speak at the Agency Growth Forum? Let's just run through Rachel's PR agency CV: Founder, Shine Co founder, Mischief Co founder, The Academy Co founder, John Doe Co founder, Adhuro Non executive chair, Cavendish Enough said? Why did we choose Jonny Bentwood to speak at the Agency Growth Forum? There's an interesting global community of about 8-10 PR firm data geeks who are at the arrowhead PR and technology. Jonny's at the tip of that arrow. No PR Agency Growth Forum event would be complete without an analysis of PR's GEO opportunity and here Jonny will update us with the latest thinking. Why did we choose Rachael Marshall to speak at the Agency Growth Forum? Her firm Magic Digits has circa 30 PR agency clients and so there's no-one better to give a third party insight into the financial trends and challenges of running a PR firm today. In house panel: What do clients want? Bieneosa Ebite, GSK, head of communications and government affairs, inclusion Clara Biu, Allwyn UK, head of consumer communications Charlotte West, Lenovo, vice president, global corporate communications Why did we choose Rachel Friend to speak at the Agency Growth Forum? Rachel’s had success at PR firms who are part of the holding groups and she's also had success at PR firms who are independent. So she knows how to run PR agency businesses. Rachel's going to talk to us about how to re-energise your PR businesses and get your momentum back. Why did we choose Jo Carr to speak at the Agency Growth Forum? For about the last 10 years PR firms have, in the main, worked hard to improve their employer brand and to become better employers. Jo was at the start of this trend. She understood that in a consultancy business where creativity and customer service are absolutely vital, happy employees are always going to mean happy clients. Why did we choose Paul Nolan to speak at the Agency Growth Forum?As this is the Agency Growth Forum, I didn't just want a PR AI expert, I wanted the PR leader who was furthest along the road integrating AI into their agency. That's why Paul's speaking Why did we choose Jackie Elliot to speak at the Agency Growth Forum?If you know, you know. Independent PR agency panel: The growth challengeThis panel will give an insight into the growth challenges for independent agencies at the moment. Why did we choose Lee Beattie to speak at the Agency Growth Forum?Lee is going to talk about how Joe Doe has had success in developing a culture where young people can thrive.

Thank you for joining us today. Our guest is at the sharp end of what makes a successful PR campaign tick in 2025: data and insight. She is the managing director of Censuswide, a respected international market research consultancy, who help agencies and brands write the headlines that drive media coverage. For years, PR has known that original research can fuel earned media coverage, but in the post-AI era, the need for credible, first-party data has never been more critical. And on the show today we're going to dive into the Censuswide’s Voice of the CMO 2025 Report. The report is a crucial temperature check of how marketing leaders' roles and priorities are changing for 2026. This research zeroes in on the biggest tension facing the C-suite today: the massive adoption of Generative AI and the concurrent consumer skepticism about it. Nicky will help us dissect the findings that show 100% of CMOs are using AI, yet many are still struggling to connect their digital spend directly to long-term brand equity and sales growth. If you’re an agency or an in-house leader looking to benchmark your strategy, understand the future of budget allocation, and learn how to navigate the complex world of brand activism, this report - and this conversation - are essential listening. What’s great about this report is that it takes its research results from 500 CMOs and 2000 consumers, so you get perspectives on the same issues from both sides. The data was collected in June 2025. Before we start, our PR Masterclass the Agency Growth Forum is now live. Virtual and face to face tickets are now available. Check out PRmasterclasses.com or the homepage of PRmoment for the full speaker lineup. Also, do check out PRmoment’s TikTok content, it’ll keep you up to date with the best creative campaigns in PR, interviews with interesting PR folks and our weekly Good and Bad PR content with Andy Barr. Also, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Here’s a summary of what PRmoment founder Ben Smith and managing director of Censuswide, Nicky Marks discussed on the PRmoment Podcast: Nicky talks us through the current AI challenges CMOs are facing? What do CMOs report are the top 5 benefits of using AI? What concerns do CMOs have about using AI? Is there a disconnect between the extent to which CMOs use Generative AI and how comfortable consumers are with it? Nicky discusses the brand discovery and consumer backlash concerns of CMOs. Why has social media become the most important brand discovery channel for CMOs? 50% of consumers want brands to be proactive around issues of sustainability and purpose but 50% of consumers want brands to be neutral What are the issues that consumers think brands should have a voice on? And do these match the CMO perceptions? Why are customer expectations higher than ever? Ben and Nicky have a discussion on whether this is a symptom of the increasingly angry society we live in, fuelled by keyboard warriors answerable to no-one but the social media algorithms. Budget and Measurement are forever problems for CMOs, but what is different in 2025? What are the top 5 risks for CMOs right now? What are the top five priorities for CMOs at the moment? Are these different for B2B or B2C? What are the most popular KPIs that CMOs use in 2025? What are the 2025 budgetary trends for CMOs? Are PR budgets increasing, decreasing or remaining the same?

Thank you for joining us today! Our guest is here to discuss a topic that is fundamentally changing the role of a PR professional. She’s the Chief Strategy Officer at Golin and a driving force behind their research looking at the intersection of LLMs, GEO and earned media. She's going to talk about Golin’s Modern Communications Effectiveness Study and is here to tell us that some of PRs old approaches simply don't hold up. She'll be talking about why GEO is more important tis so important in PR right now and how we need to rethink what the activation of a public relations campaign looks like in a post GEO world Please give a very warm welcome to Kat Arnoll. Before we start,our PR Masterclass the Agency Growth Forum is now live. Virtual and face to face tickets are now available. This event always sells out so if you do want a face to face ticket, be quick. Genuinely, don’t hang about. Check out PRmasterclasses.com or the homepage of PRmoment for the full speaker lineup. Also, do check out PRmoment’s TikTok content, it’ll keep you up to date with the best creative campaigns in PR, interviews with interesting PR folks and our weekly Good and Bad PR content with Andy Barr. Also, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Here’s a summary of what PRmoment founder Ben Smith and Kat discussed on the show: 3 mins Golin's New Earned Framework for the Post-AI Era focuses on a world where LLMs are a primary content source. Kat elaborates on the most significant shifts she’s observed in a PR professional's job from a pre GEO to a post GEO PR world? What has this change meant in a media relations reality? 9 mins So media relations is back in fashion? Does this impact the type of people PR firms are hiring? 12 mins Does Kat worry about the current over reliance on Reddit when it comes to LLM results? 18 mins Does anyone know what happens next? It’s fairly clear to anyone who takes the time to test it that LLM results are currently OK, but subject to bias and hallucinations and in some cases black hat manipulation… 28 mins How is Kat measuring the impact of PR on LLM results? 33 mins The irony that big tech has developed something in LLMs that potentially destroys the very thing that LLMs rely upon is deliciously ironic. It’s not so much biting the hand that feeds you, as eating it. Beyond a few partnerships with publishers where big tech throws a bit of relative change into the begging bowl of publishers, no one’s really come up with a long term plan to create balance and value in this publisher/LLM ecosystem have they? 34 mins Do you think publishers might bite back? No one’s really admitted it yet but all of a sudden big tech, through its LLMs, need publishers more than publishers need search engines. The game, in theory, might be about to change. Granted digital publishers need to create a membership body and move as one, which they almost certainly won’t get organised to do….

Thank you for joining us today! Our guest is Kunal Mehta. He is here to discuss how changes in B2B communications are fundamentally changing how businesses connect with their customers. Kunal is the global head of marketing, communication, and brand at DSM-Firmenich, a leading company in nutrition, health and beauty. With over two decades of experience navigating the marketing world, from iconic B2C brands like KitKat and Britannia to the complex B2B landscape, he has a unique perspective on what truly works. He is a self-described "collector of experiences" who is known for his passion for storytelling and his strategic, data-driven approach. Today, he will share his insights on the evolving nature of B2B communications, covering everything from the importance of emotional resonance in a corporate context to the power of a finely tuned marketing stack. Kunal leads marketing for animal health and nutrition at DSM-Firmenich which is a business with a 12bn Euros turnover operating in over 100 countries. Before we start, our PR Masterclass the Agency Growth Forum is now live. Virtual and face to face tickets are now available. This event always sells out so if you do want a face to face ticket, be quick. Genuinely, don’t hang about. Check out PRmasterclasses.com or the homepage of PRmoment for the full speaker lineup. Also, do check out PRmoment’s TikTok content, it’ll keep you up to date with the best creative campaigns in PR, interviews with interesting PR folks and our weekly Good and Bad PR content with Andy Barr. Also, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Here's a summary of what Kunal and PRmoment founder Ben Smith discussed: Did B2B marketers and B2B communicators go down a lead generation rabbit hole for about 10 years? Why did lead gen become the priority for many B2B marketers and why did they seem to forget the importance of brand? Kunal spent 8 years at Nestle in consumer markets. He discusses the differences in how B2C and B2B organisations prioritise marketing and brand? Why has B2B marketing now reawakened? What has changed? In B2B markets, comms often reports into marketing, whereas in consumer markets it’s more likely comms is a separate division to marketing. Why is that? What does a modern lead gen sales pipeline look like in a multi channel multi decision maker scenario? In an organisation like DSM where you have hundreds of products, is product marketing even possible? The B2B customer journey for a company like DSM-Firmenich is often long and complex, spanning multiple touchpoints, from digital to in-person. How do you ensure a consistent and effective communication strategy across a varied value chain? What does a global head of marketing like Kunal want from his PR firm? What capabilities does DSM-Firmenich retain in its in-house marketing and communication team and when does it use agency support? As someone with a global role, how does Kunal balance the need for a cohesive brand narrative with the necessity for content that is hyper-relevant to a specific region or market? Kunal manages teams and initiatives across numerous geographies and product lines. What are the key building blocks for a successful marketing team structure?

Following the release of Outrage Inc on BBC iPlayer Mark Borkowski comes onto the PRmoment podcast to talk about the PR Stunt. Mark is also a well-known lecturer and speaker on the art of publicity. He is a frequent media commentator on TV and radio and writes for several nationals. Mark has authored two books on publicity stunts. Outrage Inc is a journey through the archive to rediscover the creative genius, conviction and the DNA of publicity behind protest stunts. From suffragette arson to flour bombs at Miss World, Barbie dolls growling “Vengeance is mine!” to Tommie Smith’s Black Power salute, the Greenham women, Led By Donkeys, and more. Outrage Inc programme asks why we forget these moments, when they so often planted the seeds of profound cultural change. Before we start,our PR Masterclass: The Agency Growth Forum is now live. Virtual and face to face tickets are now available. This event always sells out so if you do want a face to face ticket, be quick. Genuinely, don’t hang about. Check out PRmasterclasses.com or the homepage of PRmoment for the full speaker lineup. Also, do check out PRmoment’s TikTok content, it’ll keep you up to date with the best creative campaigns in PR, interviews with interesting PR folks and our weekly Good and Bad PR content with Andy Barr. Also, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Here’s a summary of what PRmoment founder Ben Smith and Mark discussed: Mark tells us about Outrage Inc… Mark gives us a quick history of the PR Stunt Of the publicity stunts artists Mark interviewed on Outrage Inc, which one is Mark’s favorite? Some argue Mark is the father of the modern PR stunt. But is he now a bit over them? Consumer PR in the UK is in a good place at the moment. And stunts in various forms are playing an important role in creating that virtuous circle of attention for brands. Mark discusses the virtuous circle of algorithms, content and hype… Mark and Ben discuss his conclusions in Outrage Inc about the role publicity stunts have played in various historical moments. Mark talks about how UK’s laws are making it harder and harder to do PR stunts.

Welcome to our review of PR pitches and mergers & acquisitions in the UK PR scene with Andrew Bloch. Here we discuss the biggest pitch wins and mergers & acquisitions that the PR sector has seen in July 2025 Andrew is the lead consultant - PR, Social, Content and Influencer at the new business consultancy firm AAR and a partner at PCB Partners, where he advises on buying and selling marketing services agencies. The Creative Moment Awards have sold out but we have an fascinating webinar on GEO, Misinformation and the News: The Impact of AI on Trust of the Media and a PR Planning event on October 16th. Also, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. PITCHES Cop30 appoints Edelman – Comms activity around Brazil’s hosting of Summit in Nov. Account worth $834,850 from mid-July – mid Feb 26 (according to US Foreign Agent Registration Act). Tokyo appoints Weber Shandwick – $1.7m year long deal with Tokyo Metro Govt. Morocco National Tourist Office appoints Rooster – UK and Ireland brief to promote tourism in Morocco. Ethara Event and Entertainment appoints The Romans – Etihad Airways GP. 2 year b2b and b2c brief. W Hotels appoint The Romans – EMEA PR strategy for global hotel brands across the UK and Middle East. Lidl appoints Brands2Life - corporate and public affairs brief - building and painting reputation in a way that is ‘commensurate with its economic and social impact across the nation’. Media relations, give relations, leadership comms, crisis mitigation. Category defining business. 5th biggest supermarket in UK by food and drink sales. Brands2Life also looks after LinkedIn, TetraPak. Vodafone, Xero Homesense appoints Pretty Green - consumer pr, influencer and social brief. Wasabi Sushi & Bento appoints The Fitting Room - a PR, social and content.consumer comms brief across 41 stores. Itsu grocery appoints Exposure – creative comms for new rice noodle range! Innocent adds Tin Man and Pretty Green –to its roster of agencies. LEGO appoints Smarts – UK and Ireland consumer PR brief. Lego’s first new agency in 8 years. Recent wins Asda and People's Postcode Lottery. Specsavers appoints Firstlight Group as its UK retained communications agency. Have worked on projects since 2021. Firstlight will work alongside Golin and Tangerine. Street Soccer London appoints The Ripple Effect. Police Care UK –appoints PHA Group –a charity for serving and veteran police officers and staff, volunteers, and their families, who have suffered any physical or psychological harm as a result of policing. Shieldpay appoints PHA Group Vinted appoints John Doe Jigsaw appoints Aisle8 Mint Velvet appoint Emerge Hexclad cookware appoints Milk and Honey Stagecoach appoints McCann Birmingham Sodastream appoints Visible This month's round up of M&A activity Real Chemistry acquire Greater Than One GTO will gain access to Real Chemistry’s services in AI driven, creative, influencer engagement, medical comms, integrated comms and market access. Real Chemistry is $665M globally of which circa $616M is in the US pushing it above Edelman as the largest US firm by revenue last year. WE Communications (formerly Wagner Edstrom) and Hopscotch merged. WE acquired Hopscotch 3 years ago. MSQ acquires Precious Media and Wooshi to expand production capabilities. Doubles M3 Labs (MSQ’s production agency) headcount to 130 adding AI powered and commerce focussed production expertis

Welcome to our H1 Recruitment Year in Review PRmoment Podcast, where we discuss the PR job market with Dean Connolly, founder and PR recruitment director at Latte. We look back at the talent trends in PR for the first half of 2025. The last six months have seen a significant change in the PR recruitment market. Dean tells us the top 3 reasons why PR people leave their jobs and reveals the latest PR salary bands. If you’re interested in keeping an eye on the best jobs that are out there each week, do make sure you subscribe for free to PRmoment’s Top 10 PR Jobs updates each week. Finally, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Here’s a summary of what Dean and PRmoment founder Ben Smith discussed: “39% of the PR sector are in the office 3 days a week and 30% are 2 days a week.”2025 has seen

In the fifth episode of the season, Dean Connelly, founder of Latte Recruitment is joined by Nyree Ambarchian, co-founder at Jack and Grace and Ella McWilliam, co-founder and CEO at Full Fat to discuss the We Show The Salary pledge and the practicalities of making wages transparent in a PR agency. Many thanks to our podcast sponsors the PRCA 1 min: Dean and Elizabeth say hello and introduce the We Show The Salary pledge 4 min: "it's about progression, not perfection" 5 min: Dean introduces of Ella McWilliam, co-founder of Full Fat and Nyree founder of Jack and Grace 6 min: Nyree discusses why salary transparency is important 8 min: Ella descirbes it as a "no brainer" 14 min: "there's this shadiness in dark corners where inequality is flourishing." 20 min: A framework and a scorecard for salary brackets would help eliminate unconscious bias "It would help to eliminate inflated salaries." 24 min: "These things tend to reveal themselves one way or another, you get an inkling that you're not being paid fairly." 27 min: agency leaders need to be "open to feedback" and create a culture when feedback is welcomed. 28 min: What are the steps involved in becoming transparent with salary?

Welcome to our review of PR pitches and mergers & acquisitions in the UK PR scene with Andrew Bloch. Here we discuss the biggest pitch wins and mergers & acquisitions that the PR sector has seen in July 2025 Andrew is the lead consultant - PR, Social, Content and Influencer at the new business consultancy firm AAR and a partner at PCB Partners, where he advises on buying and selling marketing services agencies. The PRmoment podcast will be taking a more relaxed approach over the summer. We won’t be doing weekly shows but as and when pressing PR issues occur that need discussion we’ll hop back on the pod. Also, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. PITCH WINS Mars global snacking and pet care appoints Weber Shandwick Collective. Pladis appoints Headland Tin Man – Double win – Bella and Duke, pet wellness and nutrition, premium raw pet food. Lelo – sexual wellness brand, tasked with shifting the narrative around pleasure without shame. Global Flower Services appoints Finn partners Hisense appoints Ranieri Salesforce appoints Harvard Xplora appoints Brand Nation Anker Innovations appoints Red Consultancy Equinox appoints MHP Glyde appoints Stacked/Munch PR Asda appoints Smarts Fish ‘N’ Chips (Fox’s Burtons savoury snack brand) appoints Frank. Guatemala Tourism appoints PC Agency St Pancras Hotel appoints Palm PR Ordnance Survey appoints Diffusion Global Brands (VK and Hooch) appoints Hatch Just Eat appoints Earnies Prep Kitchen appoints Words + Pixels Royal Ballet and Opera appoints Hope & Glory St Mungo’s homeless charity appoints The Academy Sweaty Betty Foundation appoints Fanclub Debenhams Group appoints Threesixty TK Maxx appoints Burson M&A Activity Inkling merges with Eight&Four Supermetrics (leading marketing intelligence platform) acquires Relay 42 (real time customer data platform) Brave Bison acquire Mark Ritson MiniMBA

Welcome to the latest PRmoment podcast. On this week’s show we chat to Rebecca Cradick who is vice president, Global Communications at Armis and leads a sizable in-house team alongside multiple agency teams. Rebecca gives us an in-house perspective in the state comms as we reach the half way point of 2025. Before we start, it’s your final chance to get your ticket for our PR in AI Masterclass coming up on July 2nd. I’d urge you not to miss this event if you’re interested in the future use of AI in PR. There’s lots of AI insight out there, but speaker wise, this event really does separate the wheat from the chaff. The bluffers from the doers. Check out the microsite PRMasterclasses.com for all the details including the speaker line-up. Here’s a summary of what Ben and Rebecca discussed: What are the responsibilities and objectives as a modern in-house corporate communications leader? Who are the key stakeholders for in-house public relations professionals? How does Rebecca see the in-house communications position changing over the next few years? What is the risk: reward spectrum of the comms environment for brands currently? Have PR budgets become a problem? Are in-house communicators being asked to do more with a similar budget? Does the always on nature of a senior comms role make getting a good work life balance difficult? When Rebecca talks about why WhatsApp has become her most important stakeholder negotiation tool. Rebecca on why she believes: “Covid changed the expectation of employers. They expect their people to work harder.” How does Armis use agency support? Why Rebecca believes the unwritten rules of socialising in a professional environment have changed.

Welcome to the latest PRmoment podcast. On the show today we’re talking to PR creative don Mark Perkins. Mark now runs his own PR creativity training scheme called Pop Creative. He’s worked for a raft of PR’s most creative firms including Cow, W, Frank, The Red Consultancy and MHP. Infamously his work includes the Christmas Tinner and Missing Type campaigns. Before we start, two pieces of good news at PRmoment this week. The first is that the programme for PR Masterclass: AI in PR is now complete. The PR Masterclass series are hybrid events so you can attend either in person or virtually. The event is on July 3rd and themes include: How to Integrate AI into your PR Workflow The impact of AI on Journalism AI as a content production tool Is LLM optimisation PR's biggest opportunity of our lifetimes? Check out the microsite PRMasterclasses.com for all the details including the speaker line-up. The other vital bit of information is that The Creative Moment Awards are now open for entries. You can see all the categories for 2025 at the microsite creativemomentawards.co. The final entry deadline is Friday 20th June. Here's a summary of what Mark and PRmoment founder Ben Smith discussed: Mark tells us how his Pop Creative methodology works. “My focus has always been about having the right idea, rather than 5 or 10 good ideas.” Are there 2 types of creative directors in PR - those who come up with ideas and those who facilitate others to have ideas? What are Mark’s top 3 most favourite creative campaigns he’s ever worked on? Did Missing Type and Christmas Tinner make the cut? Will Mark ever return to PR as a creative director? “Having been a PR creative lead for over 20 years, I kind of felt that’s a mountain I’ve climbed enough times.” Mark on why PR creativity has not changed in the last 20 years: “Our job, in a world of noise, is to grab people's attention.” “Great creative listens, it doesn't demand attention.” Mark on why don't we see more creative double acts in PR, in the way we tend to see creative partners in advertising? “Advertising is a different discipline…PR is story first.” Mark tells us which PR firm he enjoyed working for the most… Of the new crop of PR creatives, who is Mark a bit jealous of? Which firms' work does he like the most at the moment? Mark and Ben discuss whether earned creative is about to become the dominant creative channel.

Welcome to our review of PR pitches and mergers & acquisitions in the UK PR scene with Andrew Bloch. Here we discuss the biggest pitch wins and mergers & acquisitions that the PR sector has seen in April 2025 Andrew is the lead consultant - PR, Social, Content and Influencer at the new business consultancy firm AAR and a partner at PCB Partners, where he advises on buying and selling marketing services agencies. Don’t miss PR Masterclass: AI in PR on July 2nd Check out the microsite PRMasterclasses.com for all the details including the speaker line-up. The other vital bit of information is that The Creative Moment Awards final entry deadline is Friday 20th June, You can see all the categories for 2025 at the microsite creativemomentawards.co. Thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Here is this month’s run down of the biggest PR pitch wins in May 2025: International Wine & Spirits Competition appoints Clarion British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) appoints Kindred LastMinute.com appoints Sunny Side Up Peoples Postcode Lottery appoints Smarts Truffle Burger appoints Chomp Gousto appoints The Romans BAM UK appoints Four Agency Worldwide Samsung appoints Mischief Western Digital appoints Harvard Burson appoints Cellnex IP Office appoints Lansons Team Farner Waitrose appoints The Heard Wenzels appoints W Sky TV appoints Blurred Contura Orthopedics appoints Match Fit And this month’s run down of M&A activity in the PR sector: Stakked acquires Radioactive Mission Group merges Mongoose PR with Populate Social and Alive Experiential to form Mongoose Sport& Entertainment Intinctif sells MENA operations to Excella Advisory Publicis acquires Capitv8 M+C Saatchi acquires Dune 23 Together Group acquires OBO

Today on the show we’re talking to media lawyer legend Jonathan Coad about what PR folks need to know about the law. Jonathan Coad graduated from Jesus College Cambridge with an MA in law and is one of the UK’s highest profile media lawyers. His practice areas are copyright, defamation and privacy. His media clients have included Disney, ITV, Sky, Viacom, MTV, Channel 4, Sony, Huffington Post and Newsweek. He has undertaken reputation management work for corporate clients such as Amazon, Procter & Gamble, Gucci, GlaxoSmithKline and Cambridge University. He has also acted for high-profile business moguls, senior politicians, music, TV, film and sports stars and members of the Royal Family. He’s had 30 years experience at the intersection of media and law and today he’s going to talk about PR practitioners should know about dealing with the media Before we start, two pieces of good news at PRmoment this week. The first is that the programme for PR Masterclass: AI in PR is now complete. The PR Masterclass series are hybrid events so you can attend either in person or virtually. The event is on July 2nd. Check out the microsite PRMasterclasses.com for all the details including the speaker line-up. Also, the final entry deadline for The Creative Moment Awards is 20th June. You can see all the categories for 2025 at the microsite creativemomentawards.co. Here’s a summary of what Jonathan Coad and PRmoment founder Ben Smith discussed: What does the client want when a media crisis kicks off? What is the role of the corporate PR firm and what is the role of a media lawyer in a PR crisis situation? “The key tools for any PR crisis practitioner (in the UK) are The Independent Press Standards Organisation Code and Ofcom. And less important but none the less as (essential) background the law of data protection, defamation and privacy. Those are my work tools.” Why does media regulation play a vital part in crisis response in the UK? Who makes editorial decisions where contentious issues arise? What are the criteria on which editorial decisions are made? “99 times out of 100 the editor will take the advice of the in-house lawyer.” What are the sources of perceived risk for media owners? The applicable regulation (press/IPSO, broadcast/Ofcom) or the law (privacy/defamation/date protection)? Who creates perceived risk for the media owners? Is the appetite for risk the same across the media? Should PR folks treat broadcast and press the same? How should PR folks treat social media crises for their clients? Where can PR folks learn more about PR, journalism and the law, including Jonathan’s book, Reputation Matters.

Today on the show we’re looking back at 3 of the winning campaigns from The PRmoment Awards to dive a bit deeper into what they were all about and why they won. We’re looking at 3 campaigns from V&A, Greggs and Calm with Aarti Bulsara, director, Hope & Glory PR and DonFerguson, deputy MD, Hope & Glory PR We’ll be looking at the objective, strategy, creative, activation and results of the work. There is a video version of this podcast on PRmoment Youtube channel and we will be using video to bring the campaigns to live, so it may be worth checking out our Youtube channel if you're interested. Before we start, two pieces of good news at PRmoment this week. The first is that the programme for PR Masterclass: AI in PR is now complete. The PR Masterclass series are hybrid events so you can attend either in person or virtually. Check out the microsite PRMasterclasses.com for all the details including the speaker line-up. The other vital bit of information is that The Creative Moment Awards are now open for entries. You can see all the categories for 2025 at the microsite creativemomentawards.co. The final entry deadline is Friday 20th June. Here's a summary of Aarti, Don and Ben's discussion: Winning Campaign Case Study Hope&Glory, CALM & adam&eveDDB - Missed Birthdays CALM's “Missed Birthdays” was a spectacular installation designed to raise awareness of suicide. Each of the 6,292 balloons marked the birthday a young person missed because they died by suicide. It drove 220 pieces of coverage, delivering over 350 million Opportunities to See through editorial coverage. 23,000 people shared the installation on their social channels. Most of all, the installation prompted 29,500 visits to the CALM C.A.R.E. Kit microsite delivering vital prevention information and advice. The PRmoment Award judges said: “Crisp and clear articulation of what you did, why you did it and what your campaign generated - both in terms of coverage but also in behaviour shift.” Winning Campaign Case Study Nigella meets Greggs Greggs is known for its playful tone of voice and position within British culture. Its biggest challenge at Christmas is to launch its festive menu in a disruptive way (when media is saturated with high-budget launches). Step forward culinary queen Nigella. The resulting campaign generated over 1,520 pieces of coverage from start-to-finish. The “ad” was hailed a triumph and Greggs reported that Q4 like-for-like sales rose 2.5%. The PRmoment Award judges said: “A strong, unexpected idea and execution with great post-campaign data, showing the true impact of PR when done well.” Winning Campaign Case Study: The V&A - If You're Into It, It's In the V&A The V&A has over 2.27m objects in its collection. There’s something for everybody so “if you’re into it, it’s in the V&A”. Hope&Glory offered nine people the opportunity to advise the V&A about its collections – enhancing its understanding of modern culture. The campaign reached 87% of the core audience and, of those exposed to the campaign, 76% said the activity made them think more positively about the V&A brand. Amongst non-V&A visitors, 40% said the activity made them think it was more relevant to them. The PRmoment Award judges said: “Huge results for a modest budget. Tapped into culture. This is gold standard”

Welcome to the latest PRmoment podcast. On the show today we’re talking to the 3 co-founders of Fight or Flight: Joe Walton, Charlie Meredith-Hardy and David Woodward. It’s Fight or Flights 5 anniversary this year so we’re going to chat about how this independent has gone from a start up with zero income 5 years ago to a business that now has a fee income of over £8m globally, with revenues in the US of approximately £3.7m. Clients include Oracle, Motorway and Expedia. Before we start, two pieces of good news at PRmoment this week. The first is that the programme for PR Masterclass: AI in PR is now complete. The PR Masterclass series are hybrid events so you can attend either in person or virtually. The event is on July 3rd and themes include: Check out the microsite PRMasterclasses.com for all the details including the speaker line-up. The other vital bit of information is that The Creative Moment Awards are now open for entries. Do check out all the categories for 2025 at the microsite creativemomentawards.co. The early bird entry deadline is Friday 16th May. Here’s a flavour of what Joe, David and Charlie discussed with PRmoment founder Ben Smith. Joe, David and Charlie reflect on how the UK B2B PR market is at the moment. Why the UK B2B market has had a challenging last 12 months. What size of budget do Fight or Flight’s target currently, in the UK and US? Why did Fight or Flight launch in the US so early in its life cycle? The reasons for a B2B tech PR firm to launch in the US are obvious but how have Fight or Flight managed to get £3.7m revenues in about 3 years? Why has Fight or Flight succeeded where others have failed? “We made some very big senior hires (in the US) out of the gate” “We hired the right people, we went in hard, we went in senior and it's paid off.” In the early years the positioning of Fight or Flight centred around the opportunity for creativity in B2B communications. David reflects on whether that has worked, or whether the growth of the business quickly outgrew the positioning? “If you look at the points of difference in the agency world. Quite few of them are not defendable” “A little bit less than 5% of the B2B market is doing truly brave creative work. The work that takes you out of your comfort zone and builds fame.” For B2B PR firms, is one of the challenges the relative low seniority of some in-house B2B communicators? “We are seeing quite a few consumer PR folks coming into B2B.” Fight or Flight have grown quickly? Everyone wants to grow quickly but it’s a difficult thing to do. Joe, David and Charlie tell us how they did it. “People often ask us, ‘Do you wish you did it earlier?’ My answer is: that we did it at exactly the right time.” What were the challenges of such fast growth for a PR firm? Are Joe, David and Charlie optimistic or pessimistic about the state of UK tech at the moment? Where is Fight or Flight likely to launch next? “People tend to forget the danger of doing nothing.” As “three, white, straight founders from the home counties” how did Joe, David and Charlie approach the need for Fight or Flight to have strong DE&I credentials? The implications of AI for the media, PR firms and in-house teams are significant. Where is Fight or Flight on the opportunity: threat spectrum?