The PRovoke Media Podcast

Amadeus Asia-Pacific corporate marketing VP Karun Budhraja joins the Echo Chamber to discuss how travel marketing is changing rapidly in the region, as explored by the company's recent research study. Budhraja is followed by Weber Shandwick's Tim Sutton, who discusses the tricky issue of ethics in PR, including his firm's refusal to work for tobacco companies. 

Holmes Report editors Arun Sudhaman and Maja Pawinska Sims review a busy summer of news, which has included senior departures at Edelman and Racepoint, developments at Burson Cohn & Wolfe, PRSA tumult, agency mergers, industry transformation and more.

Ogilvy UK CEO Michael Frohlich joins the Echo Chamber to discuss his rise from 'PR person' to leading one of the UK's largest advertising agencies. Frohlich also explores what the PR world can learn from adland and vice versa, and looks at why PR agencies have struggled to build planning departments.

CIPR president Sarah Hall joins the Echo Chamber podcast to discuss opportunities and challenges for the public relations industry. 

H+K CEO Jack Martin joins the Echo Chamber to discuss, not only H+K, but the upheaval at parent company WPP over the last year. In conversation with Paul Holmes, Martin talks about Martin Sorrell's sudden departure, the state of WPP's PR agencies and the future of the holding company. 

The Echo Chamber talks to the USA's Young PR Lions representatives, Gabrielle Low and Kelly Kenny from Ketchum, going inside the selection process and the curious decision to not award a Bronze winner. Low and Kenny also explore how the PR agency industry needs to change, from the perspective of the younger generation. 

WE international president Alan VanderMolen joins the Echo Chamber in Cannes in front of a live audience to discuss industry threats and opportunities, which holding groups are under pressure, and what firms he wants to buy.

Ketchum's chief strategy and creativity officer Karen Strauss and Daggerwing associate principal Elizabeth O’Connor join the Echo Chamber in Cannes to discuss how best to fostering a culture of creative collaboration.

Ketchum's Ruth Yearley and Tera Miller join the Echo Chamber to discuss how the evolution of planning in PR, the tension between data and creativity and why brave clients matter so much.

Holmes Report editors Arun Sudhaman and Maja Pawinska Sims preview the 2018 Cannes Lions Festival which promises to be a more slimmed down affair than usual, thanks in large part to cutbacks from holding groups. The duo explore which sessions and themes stand out, tips to survive Cannes and ponder the 'Sorrell effect'.  

Calvin Soh was firmly ensconced as one of Asia's top creative directors when took a five-year mid-career break in 2012. Now back in the industry as R/GA's Asia-Pacific ECD, Soh talks to Arun Sudhaman about why exponential change forced him to reconsider his career options, for himself and his children. Soh also discusses how education systems can encourage creative thinking and explores the way th...

Weber Shandwick EMEA chairman Tim Sutton rejoins the Echo Chamber to discuss the challenges facing Chinese companies as they seek to conquer foreign markets. Sutton also reviews Iceland's #TooCoolForPlastic campaign after it was named Best in Show at the 2018 SABRE Awards EMEA.

Lenovo chief communications officer Torod Neptune joins the Echo Chamber to discuss his first year with the tech giant, which combines a Chinese background with a truly global footprint. In conversation with Arun Sudhaman, Neptune also explores the state of diversity in the industry after choosing to incorporate such criteria into his high-profile agency search last year. In addition, Neptune disc...

South African PR industry veteran Keri-Ann Stanton joins the Echo Chamber following the Holmes Report's third African Innovation Summit in Johannesburg last week. Stanton discusses her decision to depart Engage Joe Public for the African-owned M&N Brands holding group and, in conversation with Arun Sudhaman, explores how the market is changing, particularly in terms of black economic empowerment....

Holmes Report editors Paul Holmes, Arun Sudhaman & Aarti Shah discuss the 2018 North American Agencies of the Year winners, focusing in particular on Olson Engage, the rise of healthcare agencies and Marina Maher Communications.

  The Holmes Report has partnered with Ogilvy for a multi-part series looking at creativity in PR from a variety of angles. Part 3 explores the evolution of social and digital — and how improv can improve one's PR game — with the agency's managing director of content and social Kathy Baird. Then we look at another angle of creativity with the emergence of microtribes as harbingers — or even suppla...

Richard Edelman joins the Echo Chamber for a brief interview about his firm's disappointing growth in 2017, amid sustained market pressure. He discusses the firm's transformation, the impact of bringing advertising people in to run operations, the continuing benefits of scale, industry ethics and the Burson Cohn & Wolfe merger. Then former H+K Strategies EMEA CEO Sally Costerton joins Arun Sudhama...

In an interview with March Managing Director Cheryl Gale, Laura Tomasetti, CEO and founder of  360PR+ , covers her path to becoming one of PR’s top leaders, from her beginnings in ad copywriting, to her stops at agencies in Washington, D.C., and Boston, to her in-house experience at Hasbro. They also talk about why PR is growing in importance as CEOs because more conscious and concerned about thei...

Holmes Report editors Arun Sudhaman and Paul Holmes explore the dramatic exit from WPP of Sir Martin Sorrell and reflect on the 73-year-old's outsize impact on the industry that he dominated for more than 30 years. Sorrell's distinct style and personality will leave a considerable void at WPP, but his PR firms may yet flourish under new leadership.

March 8 is International’s Women Day, and in recognition, we recorded a fun and insightful roundtable chat between March Director of Digital Services Caroline Black, Managing Director Cheryl Gale and Executive Vice President Jodi Petrie. They talk about navigating their careers in PR, covering the challenge of juggling work and life responsibilities, the journey to find confidence in the workplace...

Weber Shandwick EMEA CEO Tim Sutton joins the Echo Chamber to discuss global PR market growth and the trend toward agency consolidation, while also defending the value of the holding group agency model. 

Paul Holmes and Arun Sudhaman discuss the dramatic takeover of Burson-Marsteller by Cohn & Wolfe, exploring what it means for  both firms, their leadership and the broader industry in general.  Show Notes: 'The Big Prize Is Revitalising Burson': PR Industry Responds To Blockbuster Merger WPP Creates 3rd Largest PR Firm With Burson Cohn & Wolfe

P&G's Alex Malouf joins the Echo Chamber to discuss the talent crisis in the Middle East PR industry, focusing in particular on the challenges posed by localisation and education. Malouf joined the podcast ahead of the Innovation Summit in Dubai last week. Meanwhile at our In2Summit in New York one week earlier, Arun Sudhaman sat down with Angie Schneider to discuss her new startup Spry, and how i...

Omnicom PR Group CEO Karen van Bergen makes her long-awaited Echo Chamber debut, discussing the performance of her PR agencies, challenging market conditions and her plans for 2018. Van Bergen also explores Omnicom's recent funding of startup Spry, and discusses exactly what she looks for from her agency CEOs.

Citizen Relations global CEO Jim Joseph checks into the Echo Chamber to conduct his annual roundup of Super Bowl advertising, finding out that — this year at least — humour appeared to trump politics. Elsewhere, Arun Sudhaman talks to Taylor Bennett Heyman's Sarah Crawshaw about a new research study that charts the evolution of the in-house communications role at Asian MNCs.