The PRovoke Media Podcast

Creativity Series: Why Diversity Matters for Creativity (Ep. 84)

The Holmes Report has partnered with Ogilvy for a multi-part series looking at creativity from a variety of angles. The first in this three-part series looks at the issue of diversity — a critical element for fostering diversity within any workplace. The Holmes Report's Aarti Shah talks to Ogilvy's chief diversity and inclusion officer Donna Pedro on why diversity continues to be a challenge for the industry and its impact on creativity.  

Jo-Ann Robertson on the UK General Election (Ep. 83)

Ketchum London deputy CEO Jo-Ann Robertson joins the Echo Chamber to discuss the state of the UK election race. A former Labour activist, Robertson also explores the rift in the party and the paucity of strong political communicators today. 

In2Summit EMEA 2017: Purpose, fake news & behavioural insights (Ep.82)

A cross-posted episode from the C-Suite Podcast at our 2017 In2Summit EMEA in London earlier this week. Russell Goldsmith spoke with three of the event's speakers: Gareth Hopley, Head of PR and Communications at Pizza Hut Restaurants talked about Purpose Driven Brands; Brad Staples, APCO Worldwide's CEO discussed how corporate communicators can best navigate a fake news world; and Matt Battersby explained the concept of applying the Science of Human Behaviour to the Art of Communications.

Subtle Ways Workplace Inequalities Happen (Ep. 81)

The latest episode of the Echo Chamber explores unexpected ways that workplace inequalities can happen with two guests who are advocates for more gender parity within the agency leadership. InkHouse CEO and co-founder Beth Monaghan talks about salary negioation, after-hour email bans and other practices that might subtly hold women back. Then Ketchum's global president Barri Rafferty joins the podcast to talk about gender equality in the Trump era and lessons from Davos. 

 

 

 

Holding groups vs independents; World's best marketing campaigns (Ep. 80)

Two guests for the latest Echo Chamber episode. WE Communications international president Alan VanderMolen drops by to discuss holding groups vs independent networks, why Amazon's Alexa is 'homicide on brands' and the rise of management consultancies in the marketing communications world. Then WARC head of content David Tiltman visits the show to explore lessons from the WARC100 annual ranking of the world's top marketing campaigns — including the resurgence of TV, moment-based marketing, consumer participation and purpose vs sales, amid a recent spate of high-profile advertising missteps.

Chris Owen on mental health & addiction in the PR industry (Ep. 79)

M&C Saatchi PR director Chris Own joins the Echo Chamber to relate how addiction and mental ill health almost derailed his career. Owen and Arun Sudhaman discuss how the PR industry is addressing findings that more than half of the UK's PR and communications practitioners have suffered from mental ill health, while the vast majority of industry employers do not have a formal mental health policy. In a candid conversation, Owen explores such areas as the always-on agency culture, the pervasive influence of alcohol, and the need to improve training and processes.

For anyone requiring further guidance on any of these issues, Owen and the PRCA have helped to compile the following resources:

NABS - championing mental health in the advertising and media industries

Business in the Community mental health toolkit

Mind, the mental health charity

Mental Health Foundation

Action on Addiction

North American Agencies of the Year 2017 (Ep. 78)

Holmes Report editors Paul Holmes, Arun Sudhaman and Aarti Shah discuss the winners of the North American Agencies of the Year, which were unveiled at the SABRE Awards in New York on 2 May, and look for the industry trends that link the region's best performing PR firms.

 

Show notes:

North American Agencies of the Year 2017

Partner Content: Hacks & Flacks' Let Your Freak Flag Fly

Rica Elysee is a builder. Based on her personal experiences with family and friends, she saw the need for a community for women that care about a natural hair lifestyle, which is why she created BostonNaturals. Now she’s built a business in BeautyLynk, an on-demand marketplace for people to find beauty professionals for at-home appointments.

Through both experiences, she found that staying true to herself and her own personal journey helped her build grassroots communities, whether it was women who want to embrace their own definition of natural beauty, or customers who need someone to help them craft their style.

In this episode of Hacks and Flacks, March’s Marina Askari and I talk to Rica about her journey. We talk about why authenticity is so important to how companies – startups and large enterprises – grow, gain customers, gain media coverage and more. We also ask about the local startup resources – like MassChallenge – that helped her build her business.

LINKS:

• Visit BeautyLynk: BeautyLynk
• Learn more about BostonNaturals: meetup.com/bostonnaturals
• Learn about the MassChallenge application cycle this February masschallenge.org
• Follow Hacks and Flacks on Twitter: @hacksflacks
• Follow Hacks and Flacks on Instagram:@hacksflacks
• Follow our Facebook Fan Page: Hacks and Flacks Podcast
• Follow March Communications on Twitter:@MarchComms
• Visit the M+PR Nonsense blog: MarchComms.com/blog

Subscribe to Hacks and Flacks on iTunes, Stitcher orPodbay today. The show’s music is provided by Job Creators. Check them out at JobCreatorsBand.com!

 

 

 

Sechaba Motsieloa on bridging the in-house/agency divide (Ep. 77)

Former McDonald's South Africa corporate affairs chief Sechaba Motsieloa joins the Echo Chamber to discuss his move to agency side, which sees him now lead Magna Carta, one of the country's biggest PR firms. The new role marks Motsieloa's first experience of agency life and, after a career spent in-house, he has plenty of observations on the divide between client and consultancy.

The fake news phenomenon

Weber Shandwick global editor-in-chief Vivian Schiller joins the Echo Chamber to discuss the explosion in fake news, and the different forms and shapes it can take. Schiller, the former president and CEO of National Public Radio, and ex-head of news and journalism partnerships at Twitter, explores how media platforms like Facebook and Google are addressing the issue, and what fake news means for brands in an environment of 'alternative realities'.