BackLast week, David Yelland and I unpacked the King’s speech to Congress and the careful communications behind it. Thank you to Neil Kerber for the wonderful cartoon.
This Week’s Episode: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
This week on BBC Radio 4’s When It Hits the Fan, David Yelland and I looked at the PR art of knowing when to walk away.
It feels like everyone is talking about resignations this week. Let’s get into it.
“Should I stay or should I go now? If I go there will be trouble; And if I stay it will be double”
– Joe Strummer, The Clash
We looked at:
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The PR art of knowing when to walk away, and when to stay.
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How AI is changing strategic thinking after Pfizer’s CEO openly admitted using AI as part of his advisory process
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The Devil may wear Prada, but the Pope wears Nike. We unpack Pope PR, and how a mundane moment of being stuck in call-centre hell became a global PR moment.
Listen on BBC Radio 4 every Wednesday at 4pm and Thursday at 8pm
👉 Catch the extended version on BBC Sounds, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Please do let me know what landed, what didn’t, and what you’d like to hear more of 🙏
AI, PR and the Future of Judgement
This June, I’ll be speaking at the AI for PR & Comms Conference in London alongside Stephen Waddington, Ben Verinder and a brilliant lineup of speakers from across the industry, many of whom are contributors to the book including Amy Mollett, Anne Gregory, Swati Virmani, Tom Kirkup, Chris Stokel-Walker, Sarah Waddington CBE CDir ChartPR, Andrew Bruce Smith, Jonny Bentwood, Paul Hender, Serena Mitchell, Sam Knowles, Richard Bagnall, Hon FCIPR, FPRCA, FAMEC, and Antony Mayfield.
The conference will also mark the launch of AI for Public Relations: A How-To Guide for Implementation and Management, a book I was proud to contribute to.
I think the future value of communications professionals will not come from producing more content faster. It will come from helping institutions navigate ambiguity with sound judgement.
Ironically, in an age of synthetic content, authentic thinking becomes even more valuable.
👉 Get your tickets for the conference here
🔗 The Book: Amazon | Kogan Page | Hive
Podcasts Are Becoming Communities
The Podcast Show LDN is the place to learn about all things podcasting, and this year friends and industry leaders are flying in from around the world to attend. I will be there next week, speaking on a panel looking at how PR shapes podcast growth and influence.
Podcasts are shifting from audio formats into communities, where audiences want to participate rather than simply consume. I saw it up close at the Uncanny live show in Soho Theatre Walthamstow a few weeks ago. A 990-seat venue packed with fans, merchandise stands, meet and greets. Are podcasters the new authors?
I am, frankly, learning on the job, marrying my PR hat with co-hosting BBC Radio 4’s When It Hits the Fan with David Yelland .
I will be joining Molly DeMellier of Sounds Profitable and Joni Deutsch of The Podglomerate for a deep dive into why PR is becoming the secret sauce behind podcast growth.
If you are attending, do come and say hello.
CIPR, Leadership and Service
Yesterday, I hosted a reception of the Past Presidents of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. The first gathering of its kind in twenty years. Leaders who have each shaped the profession in different ways, in the same room, sharing stories and institutional memory that rarely gets written down anywhere.
It was heartwarming to meet Rosemary Brook Arbiter, Rob Brown, Alison Clarke, Philip Dewhurst FCIPR, Chart PR, Simon Lewis, Paul Mylrea, Sally Sykes, Ian Wright, Lionel Zetter, Peter Walker, Tony Spalding, Alastair McCapra, and Sukhjit Grewal FRSA MPhil (CANTAB)
It reminded me how much unseen voluntary work goes into keeping a profession strong.
Nominations to become the CIPR President, or to serve on our Council and Board, are now open. They close at 5pm on Friday 22 May.
If you care about the direction of our profession, please do consider putting yourself forward. Or nominate someone who should.
👉 Get started with the nominations here
Originally featured in Substack
