The PRovoke Media Podcast

PRovoke editor Arun Sudhaman sits down with Asia-Pacific correspondent David Blecken, who recently authored a two-part series on the communications challenges facing corporates and governments from the coronavirus crisis. The duo discuss the balance of internal and external comms as workplaces, supply chains and earnings are significantly disrupted, while also exploring the misinformation and opportunism that continue to bedevil responses. Blecken, who is based in Japan, also examines the marketing implications of cancelling the Tokyo Olympics. 

Independent influencer marketing specialist Scott Guthrie joins the PRovoke Podcast to talk about a new report, We're All Influencers Now, which covers governance and best practice for communications professionals working with influencers from Instagram celebrity endorsement to B2B, and why the influencer ecosystem – or "word-of-mouth at scale" – has become so important to brands.

Tori Cowley is the group chief communications officer at Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx), and was also head of comms at the London Stock Exchange. She joins Arun Sudhaman on the PRovoke Podcast to talk about the challenges of stock exchange communications, and the reputation, brand, culture and values of the Hong Kong stock exchange and Hong Kong itself, including comms around the coronavirus outbreak. Cowley also shares her thoughts on why diversity of background is so important when it comes to building in-house teams. 

Public relations practitioner Colm Woods is only 28 but has already worked on corporate comms projects across Europe and the Middle East and written his first book on PR, Tailored Thinkers. He joins Maja Pawinska Sims on the PRovoke Podcast to talk about the book – which covers possible solutions to comms problems from areas as varied as military strategy, Greek philosophy and behavioural science – as well as his experiences of being a young practitioner in the industry. 

Matt Peacock is a sustainable business expert and former group director of corporate affairs at Vodafone, and the newest partner at PR agency Blurred, which has pledged to only work with clients who are making progress towards the UN's global goals. Post-Davos, he joins Maja Pawinska Sims on the PRovoke Podcast to talk about the business and communications challenges of conscious capitalism and the new focus on environmental social governance (ESG). 

This episode of the PRovoke Podcast features Ketchum's Melissa Kinch and Lisa Sullivan to talk about the emerging "Techruptor" demographic — considered to be young, digital native consumers who are at the same time the earliest adopters and also tech’s biggest critics. The conversation also explores a study that reveals consumers’ feelings on data privacy and cyber security — and the actions they are taking as a result of their distrust.

Ruder Finn CEO Kathy Bloomgarden joins the Echo Chamber to discuss her learnings from this year's World Economic Forum. After attending the event for two decades, Bloomgarden is a genuine WEF veteran, and has plenty of advice for the public relations industry. 

Ketchum CEO Barri Rafferty joins us in Davos to discuss the mood at this year's World Economic Forum, how the event has changed over the years, how she survives such an intense week, and why more PR people should attend. 

To mark the 200^th Echo Chamber podcast (and the 20^th anniversary of the Holmes Report) Arun Sudhaman and Paul Holmes talk about the remarkable professional legacy and personal impact of Burson-Marsteller founder Harold Burson – coincidentally, the first ever interviewee on the Echo Chamber – who died last week, aged 98.

Jenny Scott is one of the founding partners of Apella Advisors, the strategic communications consultancy launched in London in April this year. Scott, who was executive director of communications at the Bank of England and a previous BBC Politics Show presenter, joins Maja Pawinska Sims in the Echo Chamber to talk about the agency's first report on how brands can prepare for the impact of "the swing of the corporate pendulum" towards purpose after years of focus on short-term maximisation of profits.