Back“The story isn’t what happened. The story is what people remember.” Frank Rose
Sometimes it feels like we are living in chaotic times. In a noisy world, it’s hard to get messages to land, let alone achieve the holy grail of people actually remembering them.
With so many channels to manage nowadays, the channel mix takes up so much time and headspace that it can sometimes take away from the time and space needed to create a memorable message. I find myself sitting on social media for hours and then struggling to recall anything meaningful.
Plummeting attention spans probably mean that, as PR professionals, we should spend more time on the creative aspect of our work because it’s creativity that cuts through.
Let’s get into this week’s fan-hitters.
BBC Radio 4
The Fan-Hitters We Covered This Week
Me Against the World
Whether you’re a multimillionaire or the son of a King, sometimes it can feel like everyone is out to get you.
And so we turn to Nigel Farage and Prince Harry. Both are dealing with huge PR fallouts on which the dust is nowhere near settling.
This week, David Yelland and I discuss why even the most powerful people claim the whole world is against them. It’s certainly a tried and tested PR tactic: painting yourself as the lone wolf, the outsider, you against the Establishment.
It can help create a useful diversion from what the actual story is. A reframing of the narrative to tell the story you want to tell, rather than the one the media is telling.
It can elicit sympathy. But it can also just look like moaning.
Please do have a listen on BBC Radio 4 every Wednesday at 4pm and Thursday at 8pm.
👉 Catch the extended version on BBC Sounds, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Building Brand Burnham
This week, I joined The Week in Westminster on BBC Radio 4 alongside Rachel Cunliffe to discuss Andy Burnham’s evolving public persona and what happens when a politician’s personal brand meets the demands of high office.
One of the points I made is that reputation works rather like a bank account. Every authentic interaction, every consistent decision and every story people choose to believe about you adds to that balance. When difficult moments arrive, leaders with a reservoir of goodwill are far better placed to withstand them.
I also suggested that Burnham has borrowed a page from Jennifer Lopez’s Jenny from the Block playbook. He leans into his Manchester roots, presenting himself as approachable, grounded and proudly outside the Westminster establishment.
My thanks to Sonia Sodha and the BBC Radio 4 team for having me.
👉 Listen to the full episode here.
Every Picture Tells a Story
David Yelland and I on BBC News at Ten
This week, David Yelland and I also joined BBC News to discuss the PR challenges surrounding Prince Harry’s visit to the UK.
One of the themes we explored was the potent impact of a potential family photograph. On the surface, it may seem like a simple image. In reality, every detail would be scrutinised. Who stands where? Who stands together? Who is included, and who isn’t?
In reputation management, photographs rarely just capture a moment. They communicate relationships, priorities and power, often more effectively than words ever can.
The interview aired across BBC News, including the BBC Breakfast Show and the News at Ten.
PR at the Centre of Governance
With the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Courts and Legal Services
I’m delighted to be chairing the Chartered Institute of Public Relations‘ new working group supporting the Government’s English Law Promotion Panel chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor, David Lammy MP, and Vice-Chaired by Sarah Sackman KC MP.
English and Welsh law underpins around £250 billion of mergers and acquisitions each year and sits at the heart of a legal sector that contributes £42.6 billion annually to the UK economy. Yet reputation matters just as much as legislation. If the UK is to remain the global jurisdiction of choice, we also need to communicate the strengths of English law to international audiences.
I’m looking forward to working alongside colleagues from the legal, corporate, government and communications sectors, including Sam Ellis, Tony Langham, Jon McLeod, Angharad Mountford and Charlotte Sansom to support that ambition.
My thanks to the Ministry of Justice UK and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations for the opportunity. I’m looking forward to contributing to an initiative that brings together law, policy and strategic communications in support of the UK’s global competitiveness.
The Baduel Brief
The inaugural Baduel Brief was the kind of evening I’d hoped it would be: insightful and full of lively conversation. It was encouraging to see so many people from different sectors come together with a shared curiosity and willingness to exchange ideas.
Our next salon will mark South Asian Heritage Month with a Poetry Salon featuring the award-winning poet and novelist Mona Arshi. Together, we’ll explore the relationship between language, identity and storytelling, and the ways words shape how we understand ourselves and one another. Attendance is by invitation only, allowing us to bring together a diverse group of perspectives for each discussion.
Alongside the salon series, we’re also launching The B Club; a curated membership community for people who value thoughtful discussion, fresh perspectives and the opportunity to build connections with fellow leaders from business, politics, media, academia and culture.
If you’d like to find out more, simply email david@curzonpr.com or visit my website for details of upcoming salons.
When Podcasts Become Destinations
With Dante at Crossed Wires in Sheffield
I recently swapped the microphone for a seat in the audience at Crossed Wires Festival in Sheffield, one of the world’s largest podcast festivals.
As someone who has spent the last few months behind the mic on When It Hits the Fan, it was a pleasure to enjoy BBC Radio 4 from the other side, listening to programmes including Top Comment, Nicky Campbell: Don’t Say a Word and Woman’s Hour: A Guide to Life.
Dante, my cockapoo, also came along. I suspect he was more interested in Sheffield’s squirrels than its podcast scene though.
One of the things I enjoyed most was seeing just how many people had travelled to celebrate thoughtful conversation. In a world where attention spans are often said to be shrinking, it was encouraging to see theatres filled with people who had come simply to listen.
It left me with plenty of ideas, and an even longer list of podcasts to catch up on.
Stories shape reputations. Listening helps us understand them.
Originally featured in Substack
