The PRovoke Media Podcast

Freedom to Marry national campaign director Marc Solomon provided an illuminating overview of his successful 13-year battle for marriage equality, at the 2015 Global PR Summit in Miami. Solomon, in conversation with Cohn & Wolfe Americas CEO Jim Joseph, pointed out that the success was far from assured, particularly after a string of losses in key ballots. However, a focus on communication, data a...

Paul Holmes joins the show to discuss his recent analysis of M&A trends in the PR agency world, which revealed that independent firms are now out-buying their publicly-held counterparts. In a wide-ranging discussion with Arun Sudhaman, Paul explores why the big holding groups are buying fewer PR firms, and looks at the impact of private equity on agency M&A activity. Also discussed are the markets...

Vikki Chowney and Stephen Waddington join Arun Sudhaman to review the biggest PR stories from 2015 including gender inequality, their favourite campaigns, the continued rise of Edelman, and the ongoing fortunes of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and more. Show notes: Sport England — This Girl Can The HIV+ Issue Analysis: Edelman Closes In On Agency Restructuring And $1bn Target 2015 Review

Holmes Report editor Aarti Shah brings back Media Survey founder Sam Whitmore to talk media trends, from dayparting sponsored content to publications rethinking the what 'homepage' means.   Then, Proof CEO Mark Stouse considers the ways the c-suite is increasingly asking PR/communications to demonstrate — not just awareness — but the business value behind its efforts. Show notes:  The Business Val...

The PR industry, particularly in Western markets, remains challenged on the diversity front. In the latest Echo Chamber podcast, Arun Sudhaman talks to Lynn Appelbaum, director of the advertising and PR program at City College New York which, in conjunction with the PRSA, has released a fascinating new study on why minorities still find it difficult to advance within the PR profession. Appelbaum i...

In a session from last month's Global PR Summit, Hillary Clinton campaign advisor Karen Finney and digital strategist Teddy Goff join Burson-Marsteller CEO Don Baer to discuss the candidate's efforts to build a more enduring, authentic connection with the American public. The conversation touches on the 11-hour Benghazi hearing, changes in the news cycle and political discourse, and how the campai...

In a conversation with Holmes Report editor Aarti Shah, Horn founder Sabrina Horn discusses on her decision to sell her tech firm to Finn Partners earlier this year. She also reflects on being in tech PR for nearly three decades and forecasts what's next for the sector.  Then, Finn Partners founder Peter Finn joins to talk about his firm's overall acquisition strategy and how that will evolve as t...

Holmes Report editor Aarti Shah talks to Ketchum's head of Generation Z-offering Angela Fernandez on the rising cohort's influence and how brands and employers can transition their Millennial-focused strategy to Gen Z. Then, Burghardt Tenderich, a professor at University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication, explores how brands create campaigns that people want to engage wit...

In a presentation referencing Russian physicist Andre Geim, Polish psychologist Solomon Asch and American comedian Chris Rock, Harvard professor Sarah Lewis opened the fourth annual Global Public Relations Summit by making the case for failure—or more specifically, for the “near-win” that spurs the best people in a wide range of fields to achieve true mastery. Lewis, assistant professor of history...

In a wide-ranging conversation with Holmes Report editor Arun Sudhaman, Weber Shandwick EMEA and Asia-Pacific chairman Tim Sutton discusses his recent move back to London after eight years in Hong Kong, a period in which he witnessed considerable change in Asia's public relations markets. Sutton explores the the diversity across the region, and assesses how global PR networks are responding to the...

David Wolf joins the Echo Chamber to discuss his excellent new book 'Public Relations in China'. The country's PR market is often viewed as a beacon of growth, but an increasingly tough environment for foreign companies, combined with the decline of guanxi, means that PR  is more complex than ever. Wolf and Holmes Report editor Arun Sudhaman discuss these changes and explore why so few foreign com...

Maitland corporate head Steve Marinker joins the Echo Chamber to discuss new research into corporate values, exploring whether these vague, often ambiguous phrases actually serve any purpose. Ketchum partner Tyler Durham also joins the show, discussing his firm's report into the internal communications challenges posed by 'change fatigue'.

In the latest Echo Chamber podcast, Aarti Shah explores the future of technology and branded content. In the first half of the episode, Ruder Finn's chief digital officer Scott Schneider talks driverless cars, emojis, the future of Twitter, Snapchat and more. Then, the Wonder Factory's co-founder and creative director Joe McCambley joins the program to talk about bringing "wonder" back to branded...

The Holmes Report's Aarti Shah talks to DePaul University's Matt Ragas about ways the PR industry has evolved to become a true partner to the C-suite. The talk also touches on what today's rising stars must master to — not only become valuable C-suite counselors — but also to run their own businesses and P&Ls.

The Holmes Report's Arun Sudhaman catches up with Richard Edelman at the 2015 Cannes Lions Festival, to discuss the PR industry's presence at the event. Edelman also responds to his agency's heightened media profile over the past year, and comments on the ongoing investigation into the firm's China operation.  Separately, Sudhaman sits down with H+K Strategies content and publishing head Vikki Cho...

Media watcher Sam Whitmore visits the Echo Chamber to discuss media and pitching trends: the science of headline writing, Re/Code's sale to Vox, multichannel storytelling and the lost art of "real-time persuasion." Also on the agenda, Ketchum's global tech lead Susan Butenhoff talks about how to use the word "innovation" in a way that's not overused and tired — and why, when and where consumers ar...

Ketchum chief engagement officer Stephen Waddington visits the Echo Chamber to discuss the modernisation of PR in a wide-ranging interview with Holmes Report editor Arun Sudhaman. Waddington believes that technology is reshaping public relations practice for the better, but that many firms face irrelevance if they do not embrace new models and methods. Also on the agenda are Waddington's views on...

Natalia Popovych is head of PR firm PRP and one of the founders of the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center (UCMC), which launched last year after Russia invaded Ukraine. She talks to the Holmes Report about the UCMC's efforts to bring balance to media coverage of the conflict, and the importance of rebutting propaganda. 

The latest Echo Chamber episode sees editors Arun Sudhaman and Paul Holmes discuss Fifa's crisis, after a dramatic week for football's governing body. The duo also explore the rise of the midsize PR firm following the release of the  2015 World PR Report 's agency rankings. And they wonder whether independent affiliate PR firm networks really make that much sense.

Latest Echo Chamber episode sees Holmes Report senior editor Aarti Shah explore her groundbreaking feature on why there aren't more female CEOs in the PR industry, in an interview with Ketchum president Barri Rafferty. Shah and Holmes Report editor-in-chief Arun Sudhaman then discuss the rise of W2O Group, which has retained a low profile despite its emergence as one of the fastest-growing and mor...

The latest Echo Chamber episode sees Vikki Chowney drop by to discuss the relative merits of Meerkat and Periscope, and their prospects for success. Then Paul Holmes visits to analyse the Russia/Ketchum fallout and Huntsworth's results. Paul also spends a lot of time complaining about the way SABRE Awards entries are formatted, and offers his tips for success.

Starbucks recent #RaceTogether initiative sparked a considerable backlash when it launched. Yet, when Starbucks communications chief Corey DuBrowa  revealed the initiative  at our San Francisco Innovation Summit in February, it struck a much more positive note. Holmes Report editors Aarti Shah and Arun Sudhaman discuss the fallout and PR lessons. 

Vikki Chowney joins the Echo Chamber podcast  to discuss her first SXSW experience, the technology trends that are changing marketing, and whether robots are going to take over the PR profession. Also in the "spotlight" — Oreo's newsjacking of the solar eclipse, and Jaffa Cakes missing out.

The latest episode of the Echo Chamber podcast looks at how changing family dynamics are forcing brands to rethink their traditional marketing strategies. Zeno MD of global strategy and insights Therese Caruso joins the show to discuss the group's 'Human Project', a research study that explores how brands can become more like people's "best friends".

Holmes Report editors Arun Sudhaman and Paul Holmes break down the new rules of crisis PR following their annual Crisis Review.