Smart in Public

In this holiday special episode of the Smart in Public podcast, the Katies discuss their top PR campaigns in 2024, like Mastercard's wheelchair ball kid initiative, Dove's Face of Ten campaign, and the rise of women's sports. The conversation also touches on the US election campaigns and notable PR disasters, all while sharing personal anecdotes and insights about the importance of...

This week the Katies welcome Tarla Lambert-Patel, co-founder of Agenda Media, parent company to Women’s Agenda, Women’s Health News, The Crux podcast, and The Keynotes app. In this episode, they discuss the challenges of independent publishing and the importance of addressing women's issues in media. Tarla also shares tips for PR professionals who are looking to pitch and build campaigns arou...

It's a predictions episode, people! In episode 15, the Katies discuss industry trends, predictions for the year ahead, and best practices for 2025 communications program planning.  Episode Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction to the Podcast and Recap of Previous Episode 04:43 - Reflections on Industry Layoffs and Support 13:47 - Best practices for your 2025 communications program planning  32:20 -...

In episode 14 of the Smart in Public podcast, the Katies explore the evolving role of the Chief Communications Officer (CCO) and the importance of succession planning in communications. They discuss the rise of CCOs in the C-suite, the new 'CCO plus' role that encompasses a broader range of responsibilities, and the skills needed to prepare for a CCO position. The conversation also delve...

If you're looking for an episode that feels like you're eavesdropping on some random gals chatting next to you, this hodgepodge of an episode is the one for you. The Katies have had some manic work schedules lately, so we thought we'd use this time to share some items that are top of mind. Do we talk about PR? Sure. Will you laugh more than you learn in this episode? Likely. We&apos...

In this week's episode, the Katies welcome Matt Fairhurst, co-founder and CEO of Skedulo, to the pod to discuss the partnership between a founder and a comms team. Fun fact: this episode isn't just for Comms people. It's also a great one to listen to if you're a founder wanting to explore how and when to bring comms support into your business, and identify the best strategies t...

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the PR team at Intuit as we dive into this all too familiar case study focused on executive training, expectation setting, and article amendments. We'll dive into the various fallouts that can stem from a CEO interview, the importance of context when navigating article amendments, new ways of thinking around executive and journalist preparation, and what we...

We’ve been getting a lot of listener emails – some with episode topic requests and some with quick questions. For this episode, we thought it would be fun to read the quick questions and answer on the fly! Hear our experiences and views on media accountability, navigating a PR career when you move internationally, the definition of comms and the role it plays throughout a business, and some PR hor...

It takes a special leader to lead an agency and do it with heart and soul. In this episode the Katies are joined by Amanda (Mandy) Galmes, Managing Director and Managing Partner ANZ for Sefiani Agency, part of the Clarity Group. Mandy dives into all things agency talent, hiring, helping clients tell their stories - particularly around the growing field of responsible business - and the challenges...

This week the Katies welcome one of Australia's leading technology reporters and editors David Swan. David's currently the Technology Editor for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, and was previously Technology Editor for The Australian newspaper. In 2024 he was awarded Australia's best technology journalist at The Lizzies, Australia's national IT Journalism awards. In this epis...

This week the Katies dive into the complexities of building and managing global communications teams. Doing this well means more than just finding the right people overseas – it’s about understanding the market’s storytelling nuances, cultural differences, identifying key publications and journalists, and building trust within your international team members to let them localize with impact. Episo...

The partnership between comms and execs is critical for success – and can also be complicated. In this episode, the Katies are joined by Pip Marlow, Non Executive Director, former CEO of Salesforce Australia & New Zealand, Suncorp Executive and Managing Director of Microsoft Australia, to discuss the importance of the comms/executive relationship, how to build a strong working relationship bet...

This week the Katies explore the mystical world of paid, owned, and earned content strategies. You'll hear insights around which strategy to leverage and when, what the benefits are for each, and how to strategically educate stakeholders around preferred strategies when presenting your plans. Connect with us on: Instagram TikTok Web Have a topic or a guest idea? Email us at hello@smartinpubli...

The Katies welcome long-time friend and colleague Ashish Patel, former SVP of Communications at Salesforce, to the podcast to discuss how to strategically make career changes that evolve with the changing needs of the PR market. Connect with us on: Instagram TikTok Web Have a topic or a guest idea? Email us at hello@smartinpublicpod.com

In our first Hot Take episode, the Katies discuss comms wins and blunders from the US Presidential Debate and the controversy surrounding Elle Macpherson's cancer treatment.  Connect with us on: Instagram TikTok Web Have a topic or a guest idea? Email us at hello@smartinpublicpod.com

The Katies dive into the world of managing high-functioning PR teams. Topics include how to build a team centered around trust and creativity, managing-up to leadership, and the art of establishing strong executive relationships. Connect with us on: Instagram TikTok Web Have a topic or a guest idea? Email us at hello@smartinpublicpod.com

In this very first episode of Smart in Public, Katie and Katie introduce themselves to the podcasting universe and discuss some of the notable signals, trends and shifts happening across the PR landscape. Connect with us on: Instagram TikTok Web Have a topic or a guest idea? Email us at hello@smartinpublicpod.com