Public Relations Stories and Strategies

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Is the BBC losing its grip on journalistic credibility? Or is it being pushed?   This episode of The Week Unspun unpacks a chaotic week in media and politics with sharp insight from PR veterans Farzana Baduel, David Gallagher, Doug Downs, and special guest Adrian Monck. The BBC’s controversial editing of a Donald...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode In public relations, success often depends on one quiet skill: knowing how to adapt. The best communicators read the room, sense the temperature, and adjust their tone without losing their message.  In this episode, we explore what it really means to be a PR chameleon – someone who can blend into the cultural land...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode In this audience-driven “mailroom” episode of The Week Spun , the conversation opens with a provocative idea from the PRovoke Summit: AI is now being discussed in full-time equivalent (FTE) terms, signaling a shift in how agencies and organizations think about synthetic labor. Guest host Kim Sample, President of t...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Afraid of posting on LinkedIn? You’re not alone, and it’s not about time or talent, it’s about confidence. In this episode we look at why communicators, especially women, struggle to show up confidently on LinkedIn.  Fear, not time or skill, is the biggest barrier to visibility. PR professionals who are used to wr...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode What do a billionaire climate pivot, AI-fueled layoffs, and a scandalous Italian election have in common? They all got the PR treatment in this episode.   Farzana Baduel, David Gallagher, and Doug Downs peel back the media layers behind some of the week’s most buzzworthy stories, from Bill Gates’ controversial “cl...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode We live in a moment where artificial intelligence can write our emails, plan our meetings, even give us life advice. But here’s the problem: these systems are often too agreeable for our own good. They’re less like truth tellers and more like digital echo chambers. They nod along, validate our choices, and tell us...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Can a cyclist-turned (accused) communist New York mayoral candidate teach the PR world a thing or two about emotional storytelling?   This week we unpack the “Mamdani effect” how Zohran Mamdani is rewriting the rules of political communications with cultural fluency, TikTok charm, and unforgettable soundbites.   O...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Is attention the new currency? Politicians, brands, influencers, even your neighbor’s viral TikTok are all competing for the same scarce resource: your focus.  But attention is slippery. It can make you a household name overnight and it can vanish just as quickly.  In an age where algorithms decide what we see and...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode The call for better measurement in public relations is not new. For decades, leaders in the field have warned that counting impressions, likes, and advertising value equivalents is not enough. Yet here we are, still leaning on the same empty numbers while the C-suite is asking for proof of outcomes that matter.  ...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Search is changing faster than most PR professionals realize. For years, SEO was about keywords and backlinks. Now, with AI-driven tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity shaping how people find information, the game is shifting to AEO (Answer Engine Optimization). Instead of tricking algorithms, brands need to...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Getting Hispanic communications wrong is not just a slip. It can cost brands credibility, trust, and millions in wasted campaigns. Too often, companies think a simple translation is enough, only to find their carefully crafted message falls flat or even offends the very audience they are trying to reach. With more...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode What happens when your newsfeed becomes a battlefield? In the US and UK, political leaders trade accusations, social media thrives on outrage, and communities are left simmering in distrust. What used to be disagreements over policy now look more like open hostility, with violence creeping closer to the center of...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Google Search still holds about 90% of global search volume as of mid‑2025, but change is underway as more users begin turning to AI.  AI search is rewriting the rules of discovery, and PR needs to adapt. With ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity each scraping different corners of the web, the old focus on big-name pub...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode More women are now leaving the PR industry because of perimenopause and menopause than because of childbirth.  That’s a staggering, often invisible, that’s shift happening right at the top. It’s not burnout or work-life balance pushing them out, but a phase of life that’s rarely acknowledged and even more rarely s...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode PR really is at a crossroads… we’ve got old playbooks and new players coming in who want to change the rules.  In its report Mind the Gap , USC’s Center for Public Relations reveals sharp divides between Gen Z and older professionals on everything from AI and hybrid work to media influence and corporate purpose.  ...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Ayeni Adekunle Samuel argues that Africa is often misunderstood or reduced to oversimplified stereotypes by global brands, agencies, and even tech platforms.   Despite Africa’s complexity, diversity, and economic importance, key decisions — including PR, marketing, and tech strategies — are still shaped in places...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Why is the PR industry still having the same tired conversation? Year after year, event after event… while the world moves on without us?  We talk about getting a seat at the table, then sit quietly when we do.  We debate metrics like we haven’t had decades to solve them.  We celebrate awards for campaigns that of...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode What does it take to rebrand an entire nation? Not just a logo or slogan—but the name itself. Gökhan Yücel helped lead the campaign to officially shift the international name from Turkey to Türkiye .   It’s a move that goes far beyond semantics—touching diplomacy, identity, and global perception. Gökhan pulls back...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode What if the most powerful tool in public relations isn’t a pitch deck or media list, but your own story? In this episode, we’re joined by technologist-turned-storytelling-evangelist William Welser IV, founder of Lotic , a platform that uses artificial intelligence to help people uncover the data hidden inside thei...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode What if the expert quote you just read in a news article wasn’t written by a human — but by AI?  That’s already happening.   A PR tool called Synapse is selling agencies the ability to fire off automated expert pitches to journalists, complete with research, personal-sounding anecdotes, and polished email copy — a...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode In today’s media landscape, journalists are drowning in pitches while PR professionals scramble for attention—often missing the mark entirely. But what if the problem isn’t the story, but the way it’s being told—and the tools we’re using to tell it?  In this episode, we sit down with Brett Farmiloe, the revivalist...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode What if everything you’ve been taught about pricing your work—tracking time, logging hours, justifying effort—was wrong? What if the real value of what you do isn't how long it takes, but what impact it has?  In a world where generative AI can draft press releases in seconds and churn out strategy decks befor...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode What if the smartest pitch you ever sent didn’t sound smart at all—but sounded real ?  In a world where inboxes are flooded with AI-polished messages, Lauren Passell makes a strong case for going the other way: writing like a human, listening like a fan, and leading with a story—not a sales hook. This episode unpa...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Your reputation is your most valuable asset — but also the most fragile.  In today’s world, a single tweet, leaked email, or bad headline can trigger a crisis faster than you can hit "refresh." But reputation isn’t just about avoiding scandal — it’s about building trust, culture, and resilience before an...

Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Is your media diet making you smarter? Or just more stubborn?  In this episode, we sit down with senior communicator and former journalist Mark Burey to explore how the collapse of shared truth is reshaping public relations. From the erosion of local journalism to the rise of AI-generated content. What does media...