The PR Wine Down

In this special episode of the PR Wine Down podcast, April announces a temporary sabbatical as she and Laura take a much-deserved break from the podcast over the holiday season. Don't cry! This isn’t goodbye -- just a temporary break, as they take a breather before diving back into the PR world’s latest trends and challenges in 2025. Happy Holidays! Can't wait to wine down with you again next year...

Welcome back to the annual PR Wine Down Halloween Special!  You know the drill: Pour yourself a brew and get ready for some tricks of the trade from your favorite podcast hosts. This year, we’re unmasking five never-before-heard stories from our anonymous listeners! Tune in as we earth the scariest PR blunders, client challenges and workplace issues  Here’s what these Anonymous PR Horror Stories h...

In this episode of the PR Wine Down, April and Laura welcome special guest Gini Dietrich! Gini is the founder, CEO, and author of Spin Sucks, host of the Spin Sucks podcast, and author of Spin Sucks (the book). She is also the creator of the industry-famous PESO Model.   Together, they dive into Gini's impressive career and discuss the future of PR across an expanding digital landscape, including...

In this week’s episode of the PR Wine Down podcast, April and Laura discuss recent seismic shifts in the practice of the PR profession through the lens of two seasoned media strategists.  First, your favorite hosts discuss an article from The Sword and the Script, about recent changes in print media monitoring and sentiment analysis. In this segment, April and Laura discuss Burrelles’ decision to...

On the podcast this week, our favorite hosts discuss two hot PR industry topics: competitive work environments and the future of local news. First, April and Laura share this week’s Anonymous PR Horror Story, from a listener who has encountered a culture of toxic competition at their first full-time PR agency job. Tune in as April and Laura share their advice to help this listener navigate her cur...

On the podcast this week, April and Laura are catching up for a one-on-one chat about some recent trending topics impacting the PR industry and the future of work. First, your favorite hosts dissect an article from Business Insider, exploring PwC’s decision to cut back on their “Summer Fridays” perk. Tune in as April and Laura discuss the shifting power dynamics between employers and employees, wh...

Eriksen Dickens is an award-winning filmmaker, actor, and co-founder of Platinum Peek. Inc video agency. This week, April and Laura welcome Eriksen to wine down with a discussion about the practical uses of video production for business leaders, including how documentary film can be applied to brand-building and positioning for entrepreneurs. Today’s Anonymous PR Horror Story features a write-in f...

It’s an election year in the United States, and that means it’s also a busy time for PR practitioners in Washington. Here today to take us behind the scenes is Krysten Copeland, founder of KC & Co Communications and author of the PR Girl in D.C . blog. In this episode, Krystem shares her expertise in PR for campaign planning and management, her career journey, and the realities of working in t...

It’s almost time for one of our favorite annual events: The Women|Future Conference, presented by the Stevie Awards! This year, our CEO & Founder, April White, will be hosting a panel session titled "Building a Trusted Brand: Authenticity in a Time of Public Scrutiny and Hot News Cycles." Today’s episode features an exclusive pre-event interview with April’s colleague, friend and exp...

This week on the show, your favorite podcast hosts welcome Barrie Cohen for an interview! Barrie is the owner and founder of BC Public Relations. She’s here to discuss a few must-know tips for brands and PR practitioners in the healthcare and medical industries. Later in this episode, April and Laura also cover the ubiquitous PR tool: the press release! Tune in for a deep dive into some common mis...

Today on the PR Wine Down, hosts April and Laura tackle two key issues in today’s PR industry discourse: trust in journalism and the shaky job economy.  First, in the PR News segment, Laura shares a recap of  “Polarization and the Press” from the blog page at Stanford’s Journalism program. In the post, Janine Zacharia, Carlos Kelly McClatchy lecturer in Stanford’s Department of Communication, and...

In this information-packed episode of the PR Wine Down, hosts April and Laura welcome Allison Ullo back to the virtual recording booth! Allie is our Lifestyle Group Director at Trust Relations, and a seasoned media relations specialist and B2C communications strategist. She’s here to discuss the nitty-gritty details of affiliate PR, including the changes, challenges and opportunities brands can ex...

April and Laura are back in the virtual recording booth for another 1:1 strategy session! This week, they’re dissecting a media mishap that went viral earlier this spring when Kellogg’s Co-CEO Gary Pilnick suggested that consumers eat cereal for dinner when their funds are tight. Tune in as April and Laura discuss the backlash and boycotts which ensued on social media, analyze how Kellog’s slow re...

On the show this week, we have a double guest interview! Daniel Bisett and Tricia Ulberg are the founders of the We Rock DM agency and co-hosts of the We Rock DM Amplified podcast.  Daniel is an award-winning digital marketing instructor at the McCombs Business School at the University of Texas, with Tricia by his side as teaching assistant. They’re here to discuss branding and website development...

Today’s episode features an article that April wrote for the Forbes Agency Council, “Suffering From Public Relations Skepticism Disorder? Three Tips For Agencies And Brands To Recover.” The unspoken truth is this: The status quo PR agency approach works against employees and clients. Many brands have been burned by PR in the past, with lackluster media results, inexperienced account staff, murky a...

This month, Trust Relations is celebrating five years in business!  In this special episode, April and Laura welcome Fatou B. Barry to the virtual recording booth! If  you're a PR practitioner and you use Instagram, you probably follow PR Girl Manifesto; Fatou is the founder of the nonprofit organization of the same name. She is also the co-founder of the advocacy group Hold The PRess. Fatou i...

Longtime listeners, rejoice! This week, one of our favorite repeat guests is back in the virtual recording booth. In this episode, Ronjini Joshua, Owner & President of The Silver Telegram PR agency, is back for an industry update. Together with hosts April and Laura, Ronjini shares her observations about the PR industry in 2024 so far. They also discuss challenges facing PR practitioners as me...

April and Laura are chatting 1:1 this week about two lesser-known issues a PR practitioner might face: a use case of anti-brand messaging, and how to manage feedback that isn’t constructive. The PR News of the Week features an update on Tesla’s PR strategy, with a critical look at The Dawn Project’s anti-Tesla Superbowl ad back in February. April and Laura also weigh the consequences of Elon Musk’...

In light of the recent and tragic passing of Mikal Reich, our team is taking a walk down memory lane to re-release this interview with Mikal, originally released in January 2021. Mikal's intelligence and exuberance are fondly remembered and appreciated by those who knew him. Episode Description: The PR Wine Down podcast welcomes Michael Reich, Executive Creative Director and Co-Owner at ⁠Dead...

April and Laura are chatting 1:1 this week about two familiar dilemmas for mid-to-senior level PR practitioners: managing junior staff and navigating shrinking marketing budgets.  This week’s Anonymous PR Horror story features an honest write-in from a listener who is struggling to connect with the intern they’re managing — and has run out of ways to share feedback. In PR News of the Week, our hos...

April and Laura are back with another fabulous guest interview! This week, our hosts welcome award-winning PR pro, Rachel Griffin, to the virtual recording booth. Rachel is the co-founder at PlayWise Partners and April's friend and colleague from our favorite industry award event — The Stevie Awards for Women in Business! Rachel has won gold awards two years in a row for her creative PR activa...

Season three of the PR Wine Down is officially here! Today, we’re introducing a new episode format called “April’s Reads.” In these episodes, April will get in front of the mic to slow down and address an important topic impacting the PR industry that could benefit from a deeper dive. Don't worry, your favorite interviews and conversations with Laura Schooler and our wonderful guests from in a...

April and Laura discuss an Anonymous PR Horror Story from a listener who is feeling the pressure of agency ownership. They also offer advice to help the writer reconcile his/her relationship with a manager after a tense moment on an internal call and move forward with a more positive approach to management.  In PR News of the Week, April and Laura analyze a recent report from Northwestern's Me...

Today, April and Laura are ringing in the new year with a one-on-one conversation about the ethical issues facing PR practitioners as we enter 2024.  The conversation covers some familiar challenges that everyone in the PR industry faces  – from new graduates entering the industry to seasoned practitioners with decades of experience. Topics include: navigating the high-pressure realities of the PR...

Today, April and Laura welcome our annual honored guest, Doug Spong, to discuss the defining trends of PR past, present and future. Thank you for joining us!  Pour some nog and tune in for an episode that’s jam-packed with information that’s sure to keep your spirits bright. In this episode, we’ll discuss advice to help PR pros navigate:  the long-term implications of generative AI for the PR indu...