In conversation with…

In the latest edition of the ‘PR Show’ podcast we take a look at what is in store for the industry this year, whether you work in consumer, health, corporate comms or public affairs. How should different sectors of the industry aid the comms operation supporting the rollout of the vaccine, has the comms function finally come of age, and what questions is the industry failing to ask itself? Our panellists; Hearst Director of PR & Communications Effie Kanyua, Cicero/AMO Executive Chair Iain Anderson, Hope&Glory Co-Founder and chief creative officer James Gordon-Macintosh, Finsbury, Glover, Hering  UK, Middle East & Asia CEO Faeth Birch, and Pretty Green Account Director Sheeraz Gulsher, discuss these issues and more.

A record number of brands are sponsoring athletes and teams at the Tokyo Olympic Games. It proves the 'five rings' are still a major draw – but can sponsorship in such a cluttered environment deliver value? British Olympic Association’s Tim Ellerton, H+K’s Jamie Corr, M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment's Jamie-Wynne Morgan and The Playbook’s Nick Meakin discuss how brands are making the most of the Olympics, and other trends in sports marketing. 

PR professionals from ethnic minority backgrounds are being held back in their careers in what is a largely white industry. A combination of prejudice in the recruitment process, unconscious bias that favours white employees, apathy about the issue, and a lack of understanding is holding back BAME talent. BME PR Pros’ Elizabeth Bananuka, Manifest’s Julian Obubo and WX’s Zoe Stafford discuss the problem, why it exists, some positive programmes and what can be done to improve diversity in the communications industry.

Is it possible for an industry that is known for its 'always on' culture and insane deadlines to work flexibly? The answer is 'yes', but to date there are only a handful of agencies that do flexible working well. Some leading lights in flexible working, Golin's Bib Hilton, The PR Network's George Blizzard, Radioactive PR's Rich Leigh and Sesame's Emily Buckland, share their experiences and have called for a broader cultural shift to allow flexible working to become the norm. They warn the industry is at risk of 'flex washing' and there aren't enough flexible roles to retain young talent, and much more.

Agencies and brands are investing more of their marketing budgets into social cause campaigns, but not all are getting it right. Woke-washing has become a concern and some marketers are reluctant to be called out as hypocrites. Global expert on purpose marketing Sue Garrard used to lead Unilever’s sustainability and comms program. She joins Blurred co-founder Nik Govier and Freuds partner Lotte Jones to discuss whether brands should play in the purpose space, the tension between backing a social cause and being called out as a hypocrite, and how to do purpose marcoms effectively.

Agency leaders and many marketers believe the pitching process isn’t fit for purpose, but is this view shard by new business and procurement consultants? The answer is ‘yes’ and ‘no’. The process is far from perfect and can be improved, but us still a vital mechanism in how clients choose agency partners. That’s the verdict of procurement guru Tina Fegent and new business experts Tony Spong (AAR) and Charlie Carpenter (Creativebrief). They explain the parts of pitching that work well and how highly clients prioritise PR pitches – which may make for uncomfortable listening to some.

From the excitement of finding your dream home to the disappointment when you see the price tag or when something falls through the chain, buying a house is often an emotional rollercoaster.   With so many elements to consider before signing on the dotted line, how do we prioritise the critical ones we need to look out for? How many of us stop to think whether the house is gas safe before taking the plunge and donning overalls? To discuss the highs and lows of the house buying process, as well as the importance of ensuring your future property is gas safe is Homes Under the Hammer presenter, Lucy Alexander and Head of Communications at Gas Safe Register (https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/) , Scott Darroch. 

At this year’s Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, established PR consultancies failed to score the top prize in the PR Lions. Is this a sign that PR agencies are still lagging in the creative stakes or is their cause for optimism? Edelman’s Michelle Hutton, Weber Shandwick’s James Nester and The Romans' Ottilie Ratcliffe join us to discuss creativity in PR.

Pitching has recently been described as “broken” and a “shit show” by prominent agency leaders. In this episode we look at the pitch process and discuss whether it is fit for purpose and what can be done to improve. To unpack pitching, we are joined by James Herring from Taylor Herring, Mandy Sharp from Tin Man and Snapchat’s director of international communications, Tanya Ridd.

Each year PRWeek analyses the top 150 consultancies in the UK and some of the key trends in the market. In this special podcast, Ketchum's Jo-ann Robertson, Golin's Bibi Hilton and W's Warren Johnson joins PRWeek's John Harrington to debate the major findings, including opportunities and challenges, talent and diversity, pitching, and the service areas that agencies are increasingly investing in.

The future is bionic – but will we ever trust robots with wealth management? Despite the rise of artificial intelligence, chat-bot helplines and automated systems, the majority of savers and investors draw the line at using them for advice and money management. The rise in computer automated technology is making our lives easier in many ways, reducing mundane tasks at home and at work but the rise of the machines has its limits according to research commissioned by Octopus Investments. To discuss the rise in robots vs face to face services is Octopus Investments’ CEO - Ruth Handcock and Hannah Lewis, Behavioural Specialist.

Billed as Coachella of the Caribbean, last year’s Fyre Festival ended up more like the Hunger Games leaving thousands of rich millennials stranded on a tropical island. An army of influencers, including Kendall Jenner, helped sell out the festival, but few apologised for misleading their fans. Billions are being spent on influencer marketing each year, but are brands being ripped off? We’re joined by Karmarama’s Katie Hunter, The Romans’ Joe Mackay-Sinclair and YouTube star Joshua Pieters to discuss the ethics and effectiveness of influencer marketing.

MEPRA Chair, Jonty Summers speaks to H+K Strategies MD Lisa Welsh and Tabreed VP Souad Alserkal to discuss their challenges & opportunities as women leaders in PR. Award winning academic Dr Payyazhi Jayashree also weighs in as an expert in gender parity to explore how we can achieve a gender-balanced boardroom.

 Ever asked the following questions -  Why does talking among money make people uncomfortable? Why do people find discussing inheritance difficult? How do I bring up the subject of inheritance with my parents or children? Who do I speak to when a loved one dies? What happens if a family member hasn’t written a will when they pass away?  How do I make sure plans are in place for my children?  It's not always easy talking about death, especially with loved ones. But what happens if a family member passes away and plans are not in place? Ben Charrington, Head of Estates and Probate at Octopus Investments and Psychologist Corinne Sweet lead an open conversation around the importance of tackling the inheritance taboo and the necessary steps to take to plan for your loved ones.

Mindful eating expert and Nutritionist Jenna Hope talks about why most of us are eating mindlessly and explains the health and weight management benefits of mindful eating and intermittent fasting. Brought to you by LighterLife Fast, this podcast provides an excellent and highly accessible introduction to the concept of mindful eating, featuring the latest research and some simple to introduce techniques to start eating more mindfully. For more information visit http://www.lighterlifefast.com/

The latest SME Health Check Index from CYBG, owners of Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank, has suggested the uncertainty and falling confidence has brought the Index score to its lowest point since it began in 2014. With the meaningful vote in the House of Commons on the Brexit deal delayed, CYBG offer insight, advice and reassurance to Britain’s small business owners.

We’re in the Age of Television. Viewers have never had it so good, with more choice and control than ever before. Here, Thinkbox CEO Lindsey Clay discusses how TV is changing, why it remains so popular and where it lives in the wider video world.

What is life after cricket? The Professional Cricketers’ Association recently hosted their annual Transition Conference, a focal part of Transition Week as the PCA highlight the importance of preparing for life after cricket. St. George’s Park played host to the conference with current and former players attending the event. The first ever PCA Podcast will talk you through the Transition Conference and give an understanding of the experiences and discussions that take place over the two-day event. The average age a professional cricketers career ends is just 26 so therefore helping players transition into a second career is a key element of the PCA Personal Development and Welfare Programme. PCA Personal Development Manager Lynsey Williams discusses the importance of transition for the Personal Development Programme and how the PCA can support individuals. Former professional cricketers, Jeremy Snape, David Paynter and Stephen Moore take us through their journey away from the game whilst offering advice to the next generation of retirees. While current professionals, Graham Onions, Chris Nash and Will Porterfield are joined by the recently retired Jack Shantry to discuss their worries regarding transition and how the conference has aided their education. PCA Chairman Daryl Mitchell sums up his thoughts on the conference and explains how it is integral to the PCA’s support of players throughout a PCA members life.

Entrepreneur and business expert Matt Haycox joins us to discuss the highs and lows of his own business journey, as well as offer advice to budding entrepreneurs and existing organisations to help them follow their business dreams.

We’re joined In Conversation With British Rally driver Elfyn Evans. As we come to the end of the 2018 World Rally Championship season, Elfyn Evans is chatting about the season so far and his aspirations for the rest of the season, including some of his personal favourite courses. Pulsar changed the world’s perception of “time” when it unveiled the world’s first electronic digital watch in New York in 1972, resulting in even Roger Moore fashioning its LED digital watch in his debut Bond film Live and Let Die. Since then, Pulsar has grown and evolved becoming official watch partner of the M-Sport World Rally Team in 2009.

The PRCA MENA Regional Awards celebrate the best of the best PR and communications campaigns, teams and individuals across the Middle East and North Africa. The awards are open to all parties involved in the use of PR and communications; PR consultancies, freelancers, in-house communications departments, digital agencies and media owners. The awards are entering their 3rd year and in this podcast we interview Lauren Brush, our Rising Star winner from 2018, to discuss her experience and how the win has affected her both personally and professionally.

Join Graeme Sands (Head of Business Banking at CYBG) and Pablo Shah (Economist at Cebr) for this episode of ‘In Conversation With’ as they discuss the latest findings of the quarterly SME Health Check Index. Could the UK economy be start to show signs of recovery following a slow start to the year? You can check out the report for yourself here https://www.cybg.com/resources/b827cace-92ba-4903-b124-55e7395fe8c7/CYBG+SME+Q2+2018+p5.pdf

The Local Shop Report is a comprehensive look at the 46,262 stores in the convenience sector, the people running those stores and the customers that use them every day. In this podcast, Chris Noice and James Lowman sit down with Jill Livesey from HIM to discuss the findings of the report, what they mean for the sector and what retailers should be looking out for in the future. The full report is available free to download on the ACS website. www.acs.org.uk www.acs.org.uk/research/local-shop-report

Keeping up with the Influencers: Influencer impulse outweighing savvy saving? 15-24yr olds check their social media feeds on average 30 times a day, parting with £3bn a year.

We’re joined In Conversation With comedian and social commentator, Jenny Éclair to discuss how British-isms could be causing us more stress than they’re worth. Our quirks as British people may be part of what binds us a nation, but being constantly uptight, overly-polite and queueing for hours on end can have a very detrimental effect on our postures and general stress-related health.

Britain still has a long way to go to break the perceived taboo of grief and death despite high‐profile cases of opening up and talking freely, suggests the largest national survey of its kind. The past year or so has seen the likes of ex‐England and Manchester United footballer, Rio Ferdinand and Sky Sports presenter, Simon Thomas speaking from the heart about the loss of their wives. They expressed clearly how they dealt with their grief process through the likes of counselling, yet despite this only one in 50 Brits have sought external help following a bereavement. The survey, conducted by Co‐op Funeralcare, asked 30,000 Brits about their thoughts, feelings and concerns around dying, grief and losing loved ones and found that seven in ten (70%) of us had lost someone close in the past five years. To discuss the nation’s attitudes towards death, grief and sharing their concerns are TV presenter and cancer survivor, Carol McGiffin, who also lost her sister to cancer in 2017 alongside David Collingwood from Co‐op Funeralcare.

It's A-Level day and students across the country will be waking today recognising it as one of the most significant in their young lives, it is the completion of another part of their journey in life and will provide the trigger for the next chapter. With the arrival of each key milestone there is another factor which students may not be entirely aware of, which is the incredible impact of the hard work and determination through their education on their parents. Victoria Stakelum, Deputy CEO at Arden University is in conversation to offer advice to people who think they could be doing more with their lives – but don’t know how.  Victoria also provides insight into how current students can shape their future and what their next steps might be.

Description: Conversation around eating habits in the family home from all different family members, encouraging Brits to use Bosch appliances as they cater to all different types of cooking. Bosch understands have a busy day and a busy lifestyle, and it is there to help you uncomplicate your cooking in a complicated world and they want to let listeners know that they provide the solutions to this modern-day cooking challenge.

Jamie Douglas Hamilton founded Actiph Water after setting two world records rowing 4,200 miles from Australia to Africa across the Indian Ocean. The gruelling journey which saw team members burn 8-10,000 calories and drink 13 litres of water a day - suffering hallucinations and passing out as a result -  was Jamie’s inspiration for creating Actiph Water. The eureka moment came when a team member mixed fresh water with sea water. The effect was so profound the crew started to mix every second bottle of drinking water with one third sea water, replacing essential minerals. This had a dramatic effect, producing less hallucinations and leaving the crew feeling energised after rebalancing their bodies. Realising the vital role hydration plays in performance and wellbeing has led Jamie to create the first alkaline ionised bottled water made in Great Britain. It is made by purifying spring water from Shropshire, adding electrolytes, then supercharged by ionisation to remove all the acidic ions, leaving a smooth tasting, alkaline water that is refreshing and easy to drink. In this podcast we talk to Jamie about his journey from bedroom to boardroom and what his plans are for the future. www.actiphwater.com

Gumtree is launching the ‘Etiquette of Buying and Selling Online’ guide to help us manage our awkwardness and steer us into becoming experts when buying and selling online. Whether you are selling your old car or purchasing something for your new home, Gumtree want to help boost your confidence and enable you to buy and sell successfully on online marketplaces. In this podcast, we listen to Gavin Presman, expert negotiator and author of the guide, working alongside Gumtree to offer advice on how to best conduct a transaction from first post to final transaction. Gumtree’s free guide can be downloaded from their site now.

Handbags, backpacks, satchels, totes… bags are an absolute essential in the modern world as we carry more and more things with us on a day-to-day basis. With people carrying more technology, bank cards, keys and extra work items than ever before, the risk and cost of having your bag stolen is much graver. Jon Craven Chief Executive from UIA Mutual Insurance talks about the findings from the research and shares his views.

Nearly one in three UK bosses admit they have or would reject a female job applicant because they suspect she “might start a family soon”. Although this form of employment discrimination is unlawful, 15% anonymously admitted that they had broken sex discrimination laws. Remziye Azcan Employment Lawyer from Slater and Gordon talks about the findings from the report and shares her views.

I Shall Say Zis Only Once: “No Talking Politics in the Pub”. Much loved actress Vicki Michelle discusses her career, her memories from her time spent acting as a waitress in ‘Rene’s Café’ as well as looking into some new research that has found out what annoys the Great British public the most when they visit their favourite local.

Britain’s biggest water supplier Thames Water says the extra 450 million litres of water being used every day during the ongoing heatwave is putting severe strain on supplies. Water Efficiency Manager, Andrew Tucker shares his top tips on how to enjoy water this summer, whilst preserving it.

Forensic Psychologist, Kerry Daynes discusses murderers, detectives and true crime series leading to future career prospects.

It’s safe to say that the way we are watching and consuming entertainment is changing, we now have more flexibility in what we watch and choice available to us than ever before. Almost exactly 92 years ago, when John Logie Baird demonstrated the television for the first time, people were sceptical and found it hard to believe it would ever catch on. Max Beesley is currently halfway through the fourth decade of his televisual career that has taken him from playing bit-parts in ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ to lead roles in ‘Mad Dogs’ and appearing alongside soon to be Princess Meghan Markle in the popular US hit ‘Suits’. He joined us in studio to talk about how TV has changed during his time appearing on screen; from how it’s shot to how we watch it.

In conversation with, Gautam Sashittal, CEO of DMCC, about the launch of second major report identifies key factors affecting future of global trade. We examine how global trade will change over the next decade and how digital will drive the global economy into the next phase of growth. To receive a complimentary copy of the report please visit [www.futureoftrade.ae](http://futureoftrade.ae) or Twitter [@DMCCAuthority](https://twitter.com/DMCCAuthority) #futureoftrade