PRmoment Podcast

Welcome to the PRmoment Podcast. On the show today, I’m chatting with Alastair McCapra, chief executive at CIPR about the lobbying register and why the UK has a lobbying register that excludes 96% of lobbyists. Before we start,do take a look at our latest PR Masterclass: PR and AI. All the details can be viewed on the homepage of PRmoment.com. With gentle good-natured irony today, also thanks goes to our PRmoment podcast sponsors, the PRCA. Here’s a summary of what Alastair and PRmoment flounder Ben Smith discussed: 2 mins Alastair talks us through why the lobbying Register is important if you work in public relations. “Lobbying is really important when it comes to the public’s perception (of PR.)” “In the public mind, lobbying and public relations are both forms of influencing.” 4 mins Alastair gives us a brief history lesson on where we are legally with the UK lobbyist register, which was a result of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014. “We’ve got a register that was set up ten years ago that very carefully tries to register a very small part of what goes on.” 5 mins “The great bulk of what goes on is not captured by the register.” Here is a link to the current UK Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists. “Anyone who is an in-house lobbyist can’t go on the register.” 8 mins Why do we have a lobbying register that excludes in-house lobbying? “There are other loopholes…incidental lobbying, for example.” 10 mins What are the advantages of a lobbying register? 14 mins Why do scandals involving corrupt politicians get called lobbying scandals? “In the 10 years since the lobbying register has been set up there hasn’t once been a scandal about any one on the register… It’s everyone else who we need to worry about.” 16 mins Won’t the public just always loathe lobbyists? 17 mins What’s the likely future path for an incoming Labour government’s approach to lobbying legislation? 18 mins Looking around the world, which countries get lobbying more right than the UK? “Canada is the example that is most often cited.” (As an example of better functioning lobbying registers.)

Welcome to the PRmoment Podcast. On the show today, we’re chatting with Michael Murphy and we’re going to talk about Michael’s guide to buying, selling and growing your PR firm. Michael is an advisor and non-executive for a range of PR firms. Notably, he’s helped WE since 2014. He also currently works with Coverdale Barclay, Alfred, and Lodestone, amongst others. Previously, he was CEO of APAC and CEO of International at Weber Shandwick from 1993 – 2000, CEO of Trimedia International from 2004 – 2009 and Global CEO of Grayling from 2009 – 2013. Before we start, a plug for our new subscription training service for senior folks within agencies' PRmoment Leaders. The line-up of speakers for the first semester is now complete. Do take a look - I think you'll be impressed! Also, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Here is a summary of what Michael and I discussed: 2 mins What advice would Michael give to PR agency owners who are thinking of selling their business? “Most business owners believe their business is worth more than it often is…many have inflated ideas of their worth.” “No offence to the trade media, but often the maximum possible price (the earn-out figure) is talked about as the price in the (article) headline.” “I know lots of agency owners who have sold their business and it has been a success. I know others where it has been an unmitigated disaster. You have to remember, you’re giving up your baby. You’re giving up your freedom. “You're likely to only sell your business once in your life, so you better get it right.” 6 mins Why do PR agency owners want to sell their businesses? “The (PR agency) market is littered with small and medium-sized firms.” “You need to build around you people who will challenge you.” “PR is a tough game. If you don’t enjoy it - get out.” 12 mins What are PR firms' owners' exit options? Who are their likely buyers? Michael gives us an insight into the advantages and disadvantages of each. “There’s never been a better time to sell your business. There is so much interest in the sector. So much money.” 13 mins What’s the rough ratio to profit that PR agency owners can expect to get upfront, compared to what they get in an earn out? “The cultural fit of who you sell to is at least as important as the cash.” “Private equity is much more prevalent in the sector than it used to be.” PR owners exit options are: Trade buyers “So many people think about selling, don’t do it and wait until it’s too late…they have something that’s worth a pittance to what it was worth a few years ago.” 23 mins What skills should agency owners look for when they choose an advisor for a sale? 25 mins What do PR agency acquirers look for when purchasing? Or, conversely, how can you prepare your PR agency for sale? 29 mins How do you get to a sensible valuation of your PR firm? 31 mins The likes of W Communications and The Romans are UK PR firms trying to increase their international offer, but Michael remains surprised that more UK firms don’t utilize the UK’s access to finance to more aggressively to scale their businesses globally. “We’re (the UK) is the number two centre for comms and PR and public affairs outside North America - we’re renowned for our scale, our expert

Welcome to our April 2024 Review of PR Pitches and mergers & acquisitions in the UK PR scene with Andrew Bloch, where we will discuss the biggest pitch wins and mergers and acquisitions that the PR sector has seen in April 2024. 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. Andrew launched Andrew Bloch & Associates in 2020. Before we start, a plug for our new subscription training service for senior folks within agencies' PRmoment Leaders. The line-up of speakers for the first semester is now complete, and even if I say it myself - it’s almost perfect! Do take a look at this semester-based career development programme, details are on the homepage of PRmoment. Finally, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Here’s a summary of what Andrew and PRmoment podcast founder Ben Smith discussed: 2 mins April’s PR pitch update: “The volume of briefs has significantly increased in the last month.” “If the tide hasn’t quite turned, it's turning.” Hovis appoints Clarion. Brixton Brewery (Heineken) appoints Fanclub. Brompton Bikes appoints The Romans. 19 Crimes - part of Treasury Wine Estates Portfolio appoints Manifest. Scottish Widows Life Insurance and Pensions provider appoints Team Spirit -and The Agency Partnership. The Macallan appoints Havas Red. William + Grant appoints Exposure. HM Treasury appoints Teneo and Lexington Renault appoints Ready 10 Motorway appoints Fight or Flight - Shark Ninja appoints Burson - Tinder appoints The Academy Carlsberg appoints Hope&Glory “One of the biggest briefs out there in consumer PR.” EA appoints Premier Hootsuite appoints Words + Pixels “A game-changing account for Words+Pixels, potentially,” Cancer Research appoints Shook April’s M&A update Accenture buys Unlimited WPP announced that leading global investment firm KKR has made a growth investment in FGS Global Together Group (owner of Purple) buys Frame Publicity Cavendish - expand into NI and ROI with the acquisition of MCE

Can communications help bridge the divide between the UK government and UK business community? Today on the PRmoment podcast, I am interviewing Iain Anderson, executive chairman of H/Advisors Cicero. Iain recently wrote a report for the Labour Party titled “A New Partnership: A Long-term Plan for Government Business Relations to Power our Economy and Society,” and I thought it would be interesting to get Iain on the show to discuss how communications might help to change the relationship between government and business. Before we start, a reminder about our new subscription training service for senior folks within agencies: PRmoment Leaders. It features a new educational syllabus that will help develop and retain your senior team members while preparing them to lead your business and drive future growth. Containing 11 learning and networking elements, the PRmoment Leaders subscription package has been designed to flex around busy teams and individual learning styles. Also, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Here is a summary of what Iain and PRmoment founder Ben Smith discussed: 1.30 mins How can we repair the trust of domestic and international business in the UK? “It’s all got a bit mashed up lately. What does the UK stand for? What’s its approach towards business? Does it like business?... Is it interested in long term investment and where it comes from.” “I’ve talked to 350 organisations, large and small…and experts, I quite like talking to experts.” “People are interested in long-term policies and long-term relationships.” 4 mins Do some sections of British society regard business as evil? “Most people regard business as core to long-term economic growth.” 6 mins How does the UK government's approach to business compare to our European neighbours and the US? “Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act has sucked in inward investment (into the US) in the last 3 or 4 years.” “The shorthand description of my report could be: Be more Macron!” “What is mind-bogglingly hard (for business) is trying to invest when (government) policy keeps changing.” 10 mins Iain tells us about the findings of his report on how the relationship between the UK Government and UK business can be improved. More coordination from the heart of government: The key economic actors at the heart of the UK Government are the Treasury, Downing Street, and The Department of Business and Trade. Have long-term policies. The whole VIP lane procurement controversy during the pandemic has done huge damage and undermined confidence in government procurement.”“People are desperate to see a real signal of what the country stands for. But they also want to see the country come together. They want to see the country do well.” 16 mins Why do government policies get changed so frequently when the UK changes governments so infrequently? “Governments start with a lot of energy…” “We need a sense of energy. The country is fatigued.” 21 mins Privately, how are Conservatives reflecting on the Conservative government’s approach to business and in

Welcome to the PRmoment Podcast. On the show today, I’m chatting with Jules Herd. Jules is the founder of PR agency Five in a Boat, which she started six years ago. It’s a tech PR firm with a fee income of about £750K. The business mainly does reputation advisory work, so it is at the more serious end of the PR spectrum. Looking to the future, Five is a Boat is looking to double in size and wants to launch in San Francisco in the short term. Five in a Boat has grown for five years since its launch, but like many tech PR firms worldwide, it has had a tougher last twelve months or so. If you’re wondering, the name Five in a Boat is a nod to Jule’s rowing prowess! On the show today, Jules and I will discuss whether UK PR agency founders have lost their confidence in recent times and no doubt we’ll chat about a bunch of other stuff. Before we start, a plug for our new subscription training service for senior folks within agencies' PRmoment Leaders. The line-up of speakers for the first semester is now complete, and even if I say it myself - it’s almost perfect! Do take a look at our latest PR Masterclass: PR and AI. I’m tremendously excited about it because we've filtered out the snake oil salesmen, the bluffers, and the AI dead ends to create it. It really is an exceptional programme of speakers. It’s only been live for a couple of days but already tickets are going quickly. If you're wondering why you should attend? Well, AI is going to impact all of our businesses. Whether you’ve already begun your professional AI journey or if you're looking for advice on where to start - this Masterclass will help you. At this one event, 12 experts will give 10 Masterclasses on PR & AI. All the details are on the PRmoment.com homepage. Finally, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Here’s a summary of what Julia and PRmoment founder Ben Smith discuss: 2 mins Why does Julia think UK PR firms have lost their entrepreneurial confidence? “There has been a reticence to take risks since COVID, work environments have changed and people have become more reliant on being able to have a better work-life balance, which I’m an advocate of. The downside to that is the sense of ambition has dissipated.” 7 mins Are UK PR firms losing their ambition? “There’s not this drive that there was five years ago on the sector.” “(In the UK) the younger generation…if you come last in a race, you get a medal. If you apply that to the business world, that isn't good. Business is about elite performance.” 9 mins Being aggressive in business is much easier if a) you’ve got lots of money in the back or b) you're spending someone else’s money. Most PR agency founders in the start-up stage don’t have those luxuries, do they? “Failure is not trying at all… Nothing is going to be perfect in life.” “50% our our clients are non UK clients.” “We get most of our new saints through cold calls.” 12 mins The games industry made up 70% of Five in a Boats fee income 12-18 months ago. That sector has cut back on its PR spending heavily. How has Five in a Boat managed that shift from one sector to other areas of work?

On the show today, I’m chatting with Will Hart, who is the CEO of PRmoment Leaders. Before becoming CEO of PRmoment Leaders, Will was the group MD of Unlimited Group and, before that, the managing director of PR agency Nelson Bostock for over ten years. Will joined PRmoment in January this year to lead its subscription training programme for agency directors - PRmoment Leaders. The first semester of masterclasses has just been released and includes the following themes: How to build and develop your agency business Rachel Bell, founder, Brand Spanking How to improve the diversity, inclusion and retention of PR teams Sheeraz Gulsher, co-founder, People Like Us and Braver How to lead a pitch more effectively Kat McGettigan, founder, Fine Lines The financial controls you need in a modern PR firm Adrian Talbot, CFO, Miroma Group, Formerly Global CEO of Hotwire How do you build a great agency team? Frankie Cory, ex co-CEO, W Communications What is the contribution of comms in the modern corporate world? Bruce McLachlan, director, Consumer Communications, International, Amazon What does a great agency: client partnership look like? Sian O’Keefe, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Mars Wrigley Europe, CIS and Turkey Holly Clarke, regional senior manager - consumer PR, Mars Wrigley Finally, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Here's a summary of what Will and PRmoment founder discussed: 4 mins: In partnership with our friends at Censuswide PRmoment, we recently conducted some quantitative research into the attributes of modern PR leaders. Will talks us through the top 5 trends emerging from that research. PR agency leaders 15 mins Will has worked in the London PR market for 25 years. When agencies have scaled quickly - what have you observed that they are doing right? “PR is a team sport.” 16.30 mins Conversely, when agencies fall off that growth line, are there any common traits in terms of the mistakes they make? “The key to happiness? Make yourself small.” “So often those second generation (PR agency appointments) don’t quite work.” “No one goes to work to make the founder a millionaire.” 20 mins What are the skills and attributes of a modern PR leader? 23 mins PR firms have spent the best part of 10 years playing around with their structure to try and replicate the setup of ad agencies. Does hindsight suggest that was a wrong move for PR? “There’s some magic in the generalist account team-focused PR agency structure.” “PR planners are some of the best planners on the planet.” “There’s a beautiful sweet spot between the old-school PR structure and ad agency world (structure.)” 29 mins Will talks us through what PRmoment Leaders is all about and how you hope it can help the PR leaders of tomorrow. “We’re focussing bespoke training on senior people in PR businesses to prepare them for leadership.”

This week on the PRmoment Podcast, I’m interviewing Mitch Kaye, co-founder and CEO of The Academy, as we look back on ten years since he and Dan Glover launched The Academy. The Academy is an independent PR firm in London with a fee income of approximately £7m. It has 56 employees and was co-founded by Mitch Kaye and Dan Glover in 2014. If you want to join your PR peers, don’t forget to buy your tickets for The PRmoment Awards. The Manchester Awards are on Thursday 11th April and the London Awards are on Thursday 25th April. 3 mins How is the consumer PR market ATM? “We’re in a good moment. 2023 was our best ever year and 2024 has started in the same manner…We’re enjoying where we’re at but I do speak to lots of other people who are having a hard time.” “There’s definitely work out there and there's definitely people winning.“ 5 mins It's ten years since Mitch and Dan Glover founded The Academy. When they launched, what was the plan, and how much did they need to adapt that plan? 7 mins Second time around doesn't happen too often with PR founders; most people seem to have only one start-up in them. Why is that, do you think? “Ambition is the biggest thing for me.” 8 mins What's been easier the second time around? And what has been harder? The second time around, “the highs are not as high, the lows are even lower, but you're braver, you're more experienced, and you have seen problems before…so you can call on that body of work.” 10 mins Where is the PR market now compared to 10 years ago? “PR is in a much better place. It is a brilliant time for consumer PR. As a discipline we take ourselves more seriously and we are taken more seriously.” “Some agencies now, and I would include us in that, have the ear of much more influential people.” “The job is more difficult now but more rewarding too.” 16 mins The Academy has had some impressive client wins and the work coming out of the business is very good at the moment. How does an agency get itself in form? “The hardest thing to do in this business is to win. It’s very, very easy to come second in a pitch.” 19 mins The Academy has a high fee income per head compared to its peers. A PR income ballpark of £100K per head is tough to achieve in consumer PR. And you’ve got a fee income per head of £125K. How have you done that? “We’re not the cheapest agency on the block. We’ve got great people. We’ve never shied away from that, really.” 21 mins Has The Academy been immune from the decreasing number of retainer client relationships towards increased project income? “We’ve probably got a disproportionate amount of retainers versus our competitors.” “We hire ahead of our needs and retainers help you do that…the challenge of retainers is energy.” 23 mins Last year, The Academy had an 80% win rate on 15/20 pitches. When you were at Mischief, you did 70 pitches a year. That's quite a change in strategy. “If you're pitching three times a week, you’re not spending an awful lot of time with your clients.” “The biggest opportunity you have is with your existing clients. They've already hired you, they already trust you.” “Doing three pitches a week is never the answer. Whatever the question is.“

Welcome to our March 2024 Review of PR Pitches and mergers & acquisitions in the UK PR scene with Andrew Bloch, where we will discuss the biggest, most seismic pitch wins and mergers and acquisitions that the PR sector has seen in 2023. 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. Andrew launched Andrew Bloch & Associates in 2020. Before we start, here is a plug for our latest launch: our new subscription training service for senior folks within agencies' PRmoment Leaders. Do take a look and let us know if you like it. And if you fancy joining us at the PRmoment Awards in either London or Manchester you need to get your tickets quick. Thanks also so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. 2.30 mins Andrews updates us on this month's PR Pitch wins Pukka Organic Herbal teas appoint Grayling. Global Brands (who own VK and Hooch) appoint Prohibition. Pepsi appoint Hope & Glory. Taco Bell appoint Earnies Popeyes appoint The Romans. Pizza Express appoint Pretty Green Cook appoint Don’t Cry Wolf. Carlsberg Group appoint Richmond & Towers for a global PR and social media strategy for Brooklyn Brewery brand. National Hockey League appoint Mischief. Casio appoint Kingdom Collective - (Part of Splendid group.) Nobu Hotel appoint W Communications. Franks Hot Sauce appoint Pangolin. 18 mins A discussion of the state of the PR new business market at the moment. “It’s not a bed of roses for everyone, but there is still business out there.” You have to show resilience and dig deep. ..running an agency is always a bit of a roller coaster. It’s often a question of how quickly you come out of the dips. It's not plain sailing. Anyone who runs an agency and tells you it's a piece of cake, I’d call them a liar.” 19 mins A round-up and discussion of March’s M&A activity. 21 mins Ruder Finn acquire Atteline - expanding its Middle East and global footprint. Woodrow has formed a partnership with Paris-based Taddeo to expand both organisations' work across the UK and Europe. Jim Donaldson, the former CEO of Fleishman Hillard, joined Woodrow as non-exec chair in February this year. Stagwell acquire Sidekick. Sidekick launched in 2021 after the merger of experiential agency Kreate and content agency Many Makers. MHP acquired creative content above-the-line agency La Plage. Havas acquires Wilderness in its second acquisition this year already.

Braver co-founders Darain Faraz and Mike Levaggi on the PRmoment podcast Welcome to the PRmoment Podcast. On today's show, I’m chatting with two of Braver's co-founders: Darain Faraz and Mike Levaggi. Previously, Darain spent 11 years in-house at LinkedIn. Mike's career has included roles at Seventy Seven, Hope&Glory and Snap. Alongside Sheeraz Gulsher, they launched Braver in September last year. Braver is a talent consultancy specialising in helping PR employers increase the diversity of their teams. Before we start, here is a plug for our latest launch: our new subscription training service for senior folks within agencies' PRmoment Leaders. Do take a look and let us know if you like it. Thanks also so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Darain and Mike, welcome to the show 3.30 mins Mike talks us through Braver’s approach to trying to help PR with its diversity problem. 6 mins Darain talks us through why he and his brother Sherazz launched People Like Us. “My brother (Sheeraz) was baffled when he landed in the (PR) industry. He asked what’s going on? Why is it quite so homogeneous? We should be doing something about this. He was rightly furious. I’d become a bit apathetic about it.” 10 mins Do we believe employers in the PR sector want to be more diverse? “The reality is that we’re inching along in our progress… The industry is keen to make progress, but it's not sure how to get there.” 12 mins What is PR’s ethnicity pay gap? “PR’s ethnicity pay gap is 22.3 %.” “There is obviously a point when people leave the sector…from the conversations we’ve had, it's because they have felt they weren't given the same opportunities and promotion at the mid to senior levels. Agencies have to do 2 things: hire intentionally so their workforces more accurately represent the audiences they are communicating to 2) make sure that their workplace gives equal opportunity for people to thrive.” 25 mins How are PR employers trying to become more diverse? What are they getting right? What are they getting wrong? 29 mins What does best practice look like when it comes to increasing the diversity of your PR team? “For it to be effective, you need an ongoing dialogue between people across your organisation and senior leadership.” “Public sharing of salary bands is really crucial. so important. We (Braver) refuse to work on roles where we can’t share the salary.” 33 mins Are Rooney Rule shortlists a good idea in PR? 35 mins Many PR firms are doing better at increasing the diversity of their employees, but are they getting the inclusion part wrong. 42 mins To what extent are clients, through procurement policies, only buying PR from agencies with diverse teams? “There is a moral imperative.. but ultimately, it is a commercial imperative.”

On the show today, I’m chatting with Jo Ogunleye, B2B Communications Lead at Google UK and Laura Wheeler, Head of Communications UKI, Middle East, Turkey and Africa, Google Cloud. Both are B2B communicators, and we’re going to talk about what creativity looks like in B2B communications, how it can be used and how it can be integrated across the appropriate B2B channels. Thanks to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors, The PRCA. A quick mention about the relaunch of PRmoment. If you take a look at PRmoment.com, you'll see a brand new design with lots of new features, hopefully, easier navigation and also the launch of our new subscription training service for senior folks within agencies' PRmoment Leaders. Do take a look and let us know if you like it. Thanks also so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Here is a summary of what Jo and Laura and PRmoment founder discussed: 2 mins Jo and Laura talk about what a modern, integrated approach to B2B communications looks like. 6 mins What are the priority channels for most B2B communications? “Your company blog or your website should always be your priority channel.” 14 mins A discussion of the rise of influencers within B2B markets 17 mins Is creativity used less in B2B markets because communicators are more risk averse, or is it because of budget? “Creativity is a critical part of B2B PR…You need to stand out from the crowd. …B2B buyers are usually bombarded with information.” 20 mins Why is creativity important in B2B PR? 21 mins Laura gives some examples of how Google Cloud uses creativity in its B2B campaigns. 28 mins How to craft your B2B campaigns to reach multiple objectives, including impact on sales. 31 mins Does creative content drive more sales in Google’s experience? 38 mins Bearing in mind how specific the target audience is, are B2B campaigns easier to measure? 41 mins As in-house communicators, what is the role of the PR agency in B2B markets? To what extent do you look for creativity in your agency partners in B2B?

Welcome to the PRmoment Podcast. On today's show, I’m chatting with Charlotte West, executive director of corporate communications at Lenovo, and Jo Patterson, UK MD at Zeno. Today, we’re discussing the findings of the Global Women in PR Annual Index, a research programme that aims to measure the status of women working in PR and communications worldwide. Before we start, we should pay tribute to GWPR co-founder Angela Oakes. Angela sadly passed away after a brief illness last year but her legacy of helping to change the landscape for women working in our industry will go on. Here are some topline findings from the report: But before we start, a quick plug for our latest webinar launch. The topic is “How to track the success of an earned media campaign." Tickets are free, and we’re putting this one on in partnership with our good friends at Carma. T Also a quick mention about the relaunch of PRmoment. If you take a look at PRmoment.com, you'll see a brand new design with lots of new features, hopefully easier navigation and also the launch of our new subscription training service for senior folks within agencies' PRmoment Leaders. Do take a look and let us know if you like it. Thanks also so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Here is a summary of what Charlotte, Jo and PRmoment founder Ben Smith discussed: 3 mins The report reckons PR professionals expect to be working remotely for an average of 2.5 days a week, a slight drop in comparison to 2022 (3 days.) What remote working policies have Charlotte and Jo established at Lenovo and Zeno, respectively? “At Lenovo, the corporate guide is in the office three days a week.” 6 mins A discussion of how remote working changes the culture of work - for better and for worse. “At the moment, the 2-day working week in the office is working well for us (Zeno).” 9 mins Jo talks about the impact of flexible working for women working in PR. 11 mins How has flexible working changed the culture at Zeno? 20 mins “Most people in PR don’t have a work-life balance. What we can’t lose is work-life flexibility.” Some stats from the Global Women in PR Annual Index “The benefits of working flexibly continue to be regarded positively amongst PR professionals. With regard to well-being, seven in ten (75%) feel it helps employees maintain their mental well-being and four-fifths (82%) feel it helps maintain a healthy work-life balance, up from 77% in 2022. “75% believe flexible working allows women to have a family or take on caring responsibilities and still progress in their careers; up slightly from 71% last year. Whilst 74% agree that it helps retain female talent (increasing from 68% in 2022). A third (32%) believe that flexible working helps women progress into the boardroom.” 23 mins Does flexible working slow down or speed up the PR careers of women? 27 mins What does the next generation want from work? Is the generational divide amongst work-based teams becoming more pronounced?

Welcome to our February Creativity Review. Here, we are talking about the best bits of PR creativity we’ve seen this month. On the show today are: James Gordon-MacIntosh, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer at Hope&Glory Leila Mountford, Partner, Creative Director at Portland Kim Allain, Creative Lead, MSL UK To remind the listeners of the only rule of our global creativity review, our creatives are not allowed to choose their own work! This is part of our regular series of creativity reviews, so if you like what you hear, look back at the PRmoment Podcast archive on iTunes or Spotify to listen to more creative ideas. This special PRmoment Podcast about creativity is, naturally enough, bought to you in partnership with Creative Moment. You can subscribe to Creative Moment here. A quick mention about the relaunch of PRmoment. If you take a look at PRmoment.com, you'll see a brand new design with lots of new features, hopefully easier navigation and also the launch of our new subscription training service for senior folks within agencies' PRmoment Leaders. Do take a look and let us know if you like it. Also, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Here is a summary of what Kim, James, Leila and your host PRmoment founder Ben Smith discussed: 4 mins Lush Saltburn Bathbomb You can read more insight on what made this campaign a creative bit here. 6 mins Michael Cera and CeraVe You can read more insight on what made this campaign a creative bit here. 12 mins Uncommon’s Ratboot You can read more insight on what made this campaign a creative bit here. 15 mins Taylor Swift mania in Australia sees the release of ‘Tay Tams’ to celebrate 60 years of the iconic treat 19 mins MSCHF’s Global Supply Chain Handbag You can read more about this campaign here. 23 mins Kitchen roll supplier Plenty gives couples a chance to win a wedding. Does kitchen roll need a purpose? 27 mins Hello Down There: Martin Scorsese directs Squarespace Super Bowl ad You can read more about this campaign here. 32 mins PETA’s Dangerous Leather Warning to the public You can read more about this campaign here. 35 mins Dove’s “It’s Hard Knocks Life” campaign. 39 mins Changing Narratives' Campaign Challenges Racial Stereotypes 41 mins An Ordinary bottle floats down the Thames. You can read more about this campaign here. 45 mins Aldi’s Rogue Vogue

Welcome to our February 2024 Review of PR Pitches and mergers & acquisitions in the UK PR scene with Andrew Bloch, where we will discuss the biggest, most seismic pitch wins and mergers and acquisitions that the PR sector has seen in 2023. 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. Andrew was also co-founder and managing partner at PR agency Frank, before stepping back in 2020 to found Andrew Bloch & Associates. A quick mention about the relaunch of PRmoment. If you take a look at PRmoment.com, you'll see a brand new design with lots of new features, hopefully, easier navigation and also the launch of our new subscription training service for senior folks within agencies' PRmoment Leaders. Do take a look and let us know if you like it. Thanks also so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. 2 mins Andrew talks us through this month's biggest PR pitch wins in the UK: Tortilla, the Mexican fast food restaurant, appoints PR agency Houston. Orlebar Brown - a luxury swimwear brand owned by Chanel - appoints PR agency W. Bolt appoints PR agency Boldspace Burger King appoints PR agency The Academy Versuni (Philips brand owner) appoints PR agency Smoking Gun. (Ketchum continues to partner with Philips. Tin Man continues to handle global comms.) Heineken’s trade PR goes to food and drink PR specialist Fleet Street Ballantines Whisky appoints Pangolin on a global brief. M&C Sport and Ents retain the global music brand strategy brief and Firstlight Group handle corporate comms. Four Seasons appoints Red - replaces PRCO after a 30-year client-agency relationship. Greggs appoint That Lot for a social media brief. Santander appoints two agencies - Lansons Team Farner for its consumer PR and MHP for its public affairs work. eToro appoints Lansons/Team Farner on a combined corp and brand brief. British Gas appoints Smarts for a consumer PR brief. (Working alongside BCW) “If there is a lack of long-term client commitment you have to adjust your cost base accordingly. The great agencies do that.” “We don’t do this for fun. There is no point running an agency that doesn't make any money.” 16 mins Andrew talks us through February's M&A activity: Faith Brand Communications is acquired by Fantastic Media SEC Newgate acquires a 70% stake (over five years) in Athens HQ V+O Group. Real Chemistry acquires Avant Healthcare. Havas acquires b2b marketing specialist Ledger Bennett Cognito, an independent global PR agency, has completed the majority acquisition of its German operation Cognito DACH.

Welcome to the PRmoment Podcast. Today, we’re talking PR Ethics, basically because Mary Beth West, who is a senior strategist at Fletcher Marketing PR in the US, has funded research by the Institute of Business Ethics (IBE), which compares and contrasts 24 global ethics codes of PR. On the show today, Mary Beth is going to talk through some of the themes of this research. Today’s podcast also sees the return of the finest voice radio voice in PR - Trevor Morris, who I suspect will bring some practical thoughts on the real-world implementation of PR ethics codes. Trevor and his co-author Simon Goldsworthy wrote the book Public Relations Ethics. A quick mention about the relaunch of PRmoment. If you take a look at PRmoment.com, you'll see a brand new design with lots of new features, hopefully easier navigation and also the launch of our new subscription training service for senior folks within agencies' PRmoment Leaders. Do take a look and let us know if you like it. Thanks also to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Here is a summary of what Trevor, Mary Beth and PRmoment founder Ben Smith discussed: 2 mins Do published ethics codes serve a critical role in public relations? “Of all the ethics codes in PR…accuracy and honesty were the values that were universal.” “There are other elements of codes that are not universal, such as guarding of conflict of interests. “ “AI is another one that is not dealt with in codes.” “PR ethics codes are an important benchmark. You have to have them… But the reality is that very few people have read them.” “When they do get used it’s often after the event. When something has gone wrong.” “For the codes to be effective, they need to be memorable. Shot, sharp and memorable.” 6 mins Mary Beth talks us though the differences in PR ethics codes globally. “Another element of this white paper was to determine how old some of these codes are. There is a prominent code here in the US, which is a very good code. But it hasn’t been updated in nearly 25 years.” 9 mins What are the compliance gaps in global PR ethics currently? “Of the 24 ethics codes we evaluated, 20 of them had an order to comply with the code to be a member. Only 13 of the codes, however, say that they are enforced.” “Only 6 of the codes made it easy to submit an (ethics) complaint.” “Only 2 of the 24 codes offered whistleblower protection mechanism.” 11 mins “Very few PR people have ever been prosecuted for anything related to their work. There are far more lawyers and accountants that run into those kinds of problems.” 13 mins “Trust is fundamental to the career of a PR person. If you lose that trust, it is potentially career-ending.” 14 mins To what extent does PR have an ethics problem? “I think we have a lot of ethics problems in this industry. When you look across the full scale of all of the different acres in which communication can be manipulated to mislead.” “There is a danger that the codes start to behave like a priest, that you must never say anything that is not 100% transparent. And I don’t think that is possible.” “Ethics codes are not a silver bullet. If a public relations profess&

On the show today, I’m chatting with Delphi co-founder Ellie Thompson and ZOE’s communications director, Danielle Restivo, about how to find your organisation's reputation North Star. Ellie was previously CEO at Harvard. She launched Delphi alongside Louie St Clare and Pete Marcus in May last year. Danielle has had in-house experience in senior roles at the likes of Linkedin, SAP, Google and Vodafone. She joined ZOE as its communications and PR director in 2023. The central premise behind the subject for today’s show is that if reputation were prioritised where it should be within organisations - communications directors would be the CEO’s best friend. And currently, in the main, they are not. So today, we’re going to chat about the reasons for this - who’s at fault, and hopefully, we’ll touch on some suggested solutions for any comms directors out there who can empathise with this issue. Before we start a plug for our latest webinar launch. The topic for this one is “How to track the success of an earned media campaign." tickets are free, and we’re putting this one on in partnership with our good friends at Carma. The event is promoted on the homepage of PRmoment. A quick mention about the relaunch of PRmoment. If you take a look at PRmoment.com, you'll see a brand new design with lots of new features, hopefully easier navigation and also the launch of our new subscription training service for senior folks within agencies' PRmoment Leaders. Do take a look and let us know if you like it. Thanks also so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Here is a summary of what Ellie, Danielle and PRmoment founder Ben Smith discussed: 2 mins Why do organisations need a reputational North Star? “A reputation north star gives you your reputational requirement…It gives you absolute clarity. …It’s a living shifting thing.” “It’s about what reputation we need if that’s what we want to achieve as a business.” 4 mins What is the difference between a Reputational North Star and your comms team’s objectives? 6 mins Do many companies try to define their reputational North Star? 7 mins How should companies define their reputation North Star? 10 mins Your North Star Gap: How far away is your organisation’s reputation from your reputation, North Star? 12 mins Do you think too many in-house comms teams get beaten down by the day-to-day? 15 mins How have we got to a place where, for some organisations, comms doesn’t play a leading role in an organisation's reputational management? 20 mins To what extent is the in-house comms role a process of internal stakeholder management? 24 mins Danielle explains ZOE’s reputational North Star. 28 mins How can communicators make the shift from brand awareness amongst their target audiences to a good reputation? 32 mins For some comms teams, there is an increasing emphasis on impact on sales. To what extent is this a product of reputation, and to what extent should a comms team take a shorter-term lead generation approach? 39 mins Ellie’s theory of Reputational Capital: Your reputation is like a bank account. You will have to make deposits into it and withdrawals from it. But don’t go into your overdraft! 46 mins What are the attributes of a successful in-house comms team?

Welcome to the PRmoment Podcast. This is a bonus podcast where we chat about RAJAR results for Q4 2023 with Alex Blakemore, newsroom producer at Markettiers. For those of you who aren’t aware of RAJAR - it was established in 1992 and operates the single audience measurement system for the radio industry in the United Kingdom. Each quarter, it publishes the listenership figures for UK radio. This offers a really interesting insight for PR people on how the UK public engages with this important channel. Before we start, a quick mention about the relaunch of PRmoment. If you take a look at PRmoment.com, you'll see a brand new design with lots of new features, hopefully, easier navigation and also the launch of our new subscription training service for senior folks within agencies' PRmoment Leaders. Do take a look and let us know if you like it. Thanks to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors, The PRCA. Highlights for this bonus pod include: 2 mins “88.5% of the UK population listen to the radio each week- that’s around 49.5m adults.” “20.5 hours a week is the average listening time for live listening.” “Commercial ration is on the rise.” “13% of people are using catch-up radio.” 4 mins The BBC has lost share in these most recent Rajar results. The BBC share is now 43%, down from 47% in Q3 2023. 7 mins This is the first set of Rajar results since the BBC started using more syndicated programs across its radio stations in the afternoons. 9 mins Alex talks us through some highlights of radio stations that have seen big increases in listenership in the last quarter. 10 mins The continuing growth of podcast as a channel. 11 mins Alex looks ahead to the Olympics and the Euros and the broadcast opportunities for PR people. 12 mins Finally, Alex talks about potential interviews and story opportunities trends around the UK election later in the year, including the period of purdah.

Welcome to the PRmoment Podcast. On the show today, we've got Matt Neale, Golin's global CEO. I first met Matt just after we launched PRmoment in around 2008 when he was co-CEO of Golin in London. Since then, Matt's moved to New York, been promoted goodness how many times and now runs Golin globally. It's great to see a Brit in a global role at a big global agency. Matt joined Golin in 2005 from its then sister agency Weber Shandwick - he was appointed joint MD of the London office alongside Jon Hughes. It worked out, and Golin London started to fly. Matt was promoted to President International in 2011 and was appointed global CEO in 2019. It’s been widely reported that Golin had revenues of approximately $300 m in 2022. Golin works predominantly in the consumer and healthcare sectors. Thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Here is a summary of what Matt and PRmoment founder Ben Smith discussed: 2 mins Matt predicts whether Trump is going to win. 6 mins Matt reflects on the news that BCW and Hill & Knowlton are going to merge to form Burson. 11 mins Matt talks about the Group CEO role and how it's different from the CEO role. 16 mins Matt reveals how the move to America came about. 19.30 mins Will Matt be the last Brit to make it to hold one of America’s big PR jobs? 20 mins What does America think of the UK now? “8 times out of 10 - when the UK makes it onto mainstream news - it’s about the Royal Family.” 25 mins How much bigger are PR budgets in the US than in the UK? “A good rule of thumb is that the US PR budget is 10x the UK budget.” 27 mins Matt explains the reason behind the higher salaries in the US. 29 mins Matt gives his advice to anyone who's at the start of their PR agency CEO journey. 35 mins Matt talks about how three people have mentored him: Fred Cook, David Brain and Andy Polansky. 40 mins How has the PR agency model changed in recent years? 43 mins Does Matt reckon he’ll ever live in the UK again?

Welcome to our January 2024 Review of PR Pitches and mergers & acquisitions in the UK PR scene with Andrew Bloch, where we will discuss the biggest, most seismic pitch wins and mergers and acquisitions that the PR sector has seen in 2023. 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. Andrew was also co-founder and managing partner at PR agency Frank, before stepping back in 2020 to found Andrew Bloch & Associates. Before we start, a plug for our latest webinar launch; the topic for this one is “How to track the success of an earned media campaign." tickets are free and we’re putting this one on in partnership with our good friends at Carma. The event is promoted on the homepage of PRmoment. Thanks also so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. 2 mins We kick off with some thoughts from Andrew and I on WPP’s merger of BCW and Hill&Knowlton “It’s really nice that they are honouring Harold Burson.” “It’s potentially going to be the biggest PR agency in the UK… taking them ahead of Brunswick.” “You rarely merge two firms together because they are doing so well.” “It's been reported that both of these firms had a tougher time in America; they’ve had a better time of it in the UK.” “It just makes sense. You don’t need that many agencies in one group, especially when they have that much overlap.” 7 mins A discussion of January’s biggest PR pitch wins: The Dept for Science, Innovation and Tech appoint Unlimited and Pablo as lead creative and strategic partners, with Nelson Bostock Unlimited providing the PR support. Andrew pays tribute to Nelson Bostock co-founder Roger Nelson, who passed away recently. Iceland appoints Tangerine for creative consumer, corporate, sustainability, crisis and social. “A massive win for Tangerine.” The Savoy hires the PR agency Fox Communications to handle media relations, digital media, and influencers. “A lot of specialist agencies have done extremely well in the last few years.” Sudocrem appoints Brazen. Kidney Cancer and UK Reflo, the sustainable performance wear brand, appoint PR agency PHA Oatley appointed Blurred for consumer, corporate and public affairs work following a 6-way pitch. Nest - Britain's largest pension scheme backed by govt - also hire Blurred. Henkel appoints BCW (soon to be Burson!) The Ministry of Justice appoint Kindred on £1.3m Luke “The Nuke” Littner -the teenage dart sensation who reached the final of the world championships, has appointed Soapbox London. Airbnb appoints The Romans. Previously, Hope&Glory has held the Airbnb account for nine years, and Andrew and Ben pay tribute to that body of work. Giff Gaff appoint Splendid for a strategic and creative comms brief. Stonegate Group - Pitch. The UK's largest pub company, operating nearly 5,000 pubs, includes brands like Slug & Lettuce and Walkabout. “It’s busy and this time of year is always busy. We’re still facing some of the challenges we saw last year...which is delaying decisions.” "Whenever there is a lack of confidence in the economy, there is a lack of confidence in making appointment decisions.” 30 mins A round-up of PR’s January’s M&A activity “2024

Welcome to the PRmoment Podcast. On the show today, I’m chatting with Sharon Bange, joint managing director at Kindred. Sharon has been at Kindred for an extraordinary 20 years. In that time, the business has seen huge change, including nearly going out of business when the then-new Conservative government came into power in 2010. It’s one of those firms that has consistently punched above its weight when it comes to creative, award-winning work. Kindred is a consumer PR firm that has a fee income of £3 million and 35 employees. Before we start, we’ve got some huge news - you need to enter The PRmoment Awards 2024 quickly. There are some exciting changes this year; we’ve tweaked the categories, refined the entry form and with no additional entry fee, we’ve launched a regional champions scheme so we can reach the work right across the UK. The final entry deadline is 26th January. Thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. 2 mins Sharon talks about why she originally wanted to be a social worker, rather than work in PR? 4 mins Sharon talks about why she’s currently undertaking a Psychology Master's. 7.30 mins Has an increased knowledge of psychology made Sharon view PR campaigns differently? 8.30 mins Sharon has spent 20 years at Kindred. How come? “It’s not been one job. There have been many different guises over the years.” “When you’ve been somewhere that long, you help shape the values of the place.” “It’s not that I’ve never had a reason to leave…it’s that there’s always been lots of reasons to stay.” 13 mins. We covered it in 2019 when Sharon previously came on the show, but briefly, she talks us through how and why Kindred, with a fee income of approximately £8/9 million at the time, lost 90% of its clients in a couple of months back in 2010. “90% of the clients were in the public sector…by the summer, the business had been completely decimated.” 18 mins Sharon reveals her in hindsight lessons of her career 1. Don’t be a clone “20 years ago, I felt the pressure to conform to how I thought PR people should be…it was still trouser suits back then.” 2. Question everything “At Kindred, we want and expect people to have more of a voice; it’s their agency, too.” 3. Know your role as an employer “We’re a business, an employer. Not a family.” 4. People are specialists, not generalists, and that’s fine “We don’t have generalists any more. We have multi-specialists.” 29 mins How has PR changed? “There are more people with deep expertise that make PR more sophisticated.” 31 mins Does Sharon worry about the current state of the media? 33 mins How has Kindred kept its creative edge after all these years? 34 mins. How tough was the process of becoming a B Corp for Kindred?

Welcome to the PRmoment Podcast. On the show today, I’m chatting with Ashwani Singla, founding managing partner of Astrum - Reputation Advisory. Astrum is an Indian PR firm which specialises in reputation management and corporate communications. It employs 30 people in India and one in America! Ashwani set up Astrum in 2015, previously he worked for the likes of Genesis Burson Marsteller and Penn Schoen Berland. Most of the listeners of this podcast are in Europe, so I thought it would be good to get an Indian perspective on how technology is likely to change PR. The scale of India’s technology sector is obviously huge, and it’s interesting to get a perspective from a country whose GDP is growing at over 7%, compared to the UK’s at about 0.5%. Before we start, we’ve got some huge news - The PRmoment Awards 2024 are OPEN! The final entry deadline is on January 26th. There are some exciting changes this year; we’ve tweaked the categories, refined the entry form and with no additional entry fee, we’ve launched a regional champions scheme so we can reach the work right across the UK. Do check out the PRmoment Awards microsite. Also, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA. Here is a summary of what Ashwani and PRmoment founder Ben Smith discussed: 2 mins Astrum recently published a report on how communicators can navigate the digital disruption we’re seeing currently. Ashwani talks us through the three conclusions coming out of that report. 3 mins The report was titled “Technology Reshaping Communicators?” What were the lessons from the report about how AI is likely to change the framework for effective reputation management? 9 mins How are consumers responding to AI-produced content in India? “Content consumption is going to become more personalised, experiential, and immersive.” 11 mins Does AI mean that reputation management as a business function requires a reboot? “Social science, data science: to be able to assimilate information and patterns quickly to be able to create content.” “You must be proficient at making videos…visual storytelling is the next skill you must acquire.” 14 mins Ashwani talks about the example of Prime Minister Modi as a 360-degree communicator. 16mins “Largely our consumption of content is going to go through the mobile phone.” 18 mins What are the dominant channels on mobile in India? 19 mins Where does India see itself from a global economic and political influence perspective? “India sees itself as the voice of the global South.” “India is not dependent on exports like China, it is largely a domestic economy. That makes it unique and a robust, stable economy.” 25 mins Are we seeing a change in how consumers use social media? Closed digital channels such as WhatsApp are ever more popular. That has huge implications for how brands use social media. 27 mins Aswani talks about how deepfake content has already become an industry and how it was used in the Bangladesh elections. "Big tech has become a big risk for governments…so compliance is going to play a very big role in the reputation (of big tech firms.)” 34 mins Do we have enough good senior in-house corporate comms decision-makers to lead the PR sector through this period of huge change? “I see a FOMO factor in the (PR) industry.”