The PRovoke Media Podcast

David Wolf on China's rapidly changing PR market

David Wolf joins the Echo Chamber to discuss his excellent new book 'Public Relations in China'. The country's PR market is often viewed as a beacon of growth, but an increasingly tough environment for foreign companies, combined with the decline of guanxi, means that PR  is more complex than ever. Wolf and Holmes Report editor Arun Sudhaman discuss these changes and explore why so few foreign companies are alive to the pitfalls.

Internal comms: Corporate values & 'change fatigue'

Maitland corporate head Steve Marinker joins the Echo Chamber to discuss new research into corporate values, exploring whether these vague, often ambiguous phrases actually serve any purpose. Ketchum partner Tyler Durham also joins the show, discussing his firm's report into the internal communications challenges posed by 'change fatigue'.

The Future of Tech + Brand Content

In the latest Echo Chamber podcast, Aarti Shah explores the future of technology and branded content. In the first half of the episode, Ruder Finn's chief digital officer Scott Schneider talks driverless cars, emojis, the future of Twitter, Snapchat and more. Then, the Wonder Factory's co-founder and creative director Joe McCambley joins the program to talk about bringing "wonder" back to branded content and the creative firepower brands need to make an impact.  

DePaul University's Matt Ragas On Business Essentials For PR

The Holmes Report's Aarti Shah talks to DePaul University's Matt Ragas about ways the PR industry has evolved to become a true partner to the C-suite. The talk also touches on what today's rising stars must master to — not only become valuable C-suite counselors — but also to run their own businesses and P&Ls.

Cannes Special with Richard Edelman and Vikki Chowney

The Holmes Report's Arun Sudhaman catches up with Richard Edelman at the 2015 Cannes Lions Festival, to discuss the PR industry's presence at the event. Edelman also responds to his agency's heightened media profile over the past year, and comments on the ongoing investigation into the firm's China operation. 

Separately, Sudhaman sits down with H+K Strategies content and publishing head Vikki Chowney to discuss the highs and lows from this year's Cannes festival, and the marketing trends worth watching.

Trends On Media & Innovation

Media watcher Sam Whitmore visits the Echo Chamber to discuss media and pitching trends: the science of headline writing, Re/Code's sale to Vox, multichannel storytelling and the lost art of "real-time persuasion." Also on the agenda, Ketchum's global tech lead Susan Butenhoff talks about how to use the word "innovation" in a way that's not overused and tired — and why, when and where consumers are willing to pay a premium for "innovation."

Stephen Waddington on the 'modernisation' of public relations

Ketchum chief engagement officer Stephen Waddington visits the Echo Chamber to discuss the modernisation of PR in a wide-ranging interview with Holmes Report editor Arun Sudhaman. Waddington believes that technology is reshaping public relations practice for the better, but that many firms face irrelevance if they do not embrace new models and methods. Also on the agenda are Waddington's views on Robert Phillips' book 'Trust Me, PR Is Dead' and his thoughts on why senior PR executives are still so wary of social media.

Ukraine's 'information war' with Russia

Natalia Popovych is head of PR firm PRP and one of the founders of the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center (UCMC), which launched last year after Russia invaded Ukraine. She talks to the Holmes Report about the UCMC's efforts to bring balance to media coverage of the conflict, and the importance of rebutting propaganda. 

Fifa in crisis; Rise of the midsize PR firm; Independent PR networks.

The latest Echo Chamber episode sees editors Arun Sudhaman and Paul Holmes discuss Fifa's crisis, after a dramatic week for football's governing body. The duo also explore the rise of the midsize PR firm following the release of the 2015 World PR Report's agency rankings. And they wonder whether independent affiliate PR firm networks really make that much sense.

Women in PR leadership; The rise of W2O Group.

Latest Echo Chamber episode sees Holmes Report senior editor Aarti Shah explore her groundbreaking feature on why there aren't more female CEOs in the PR industry, in an interview with Ketchum president Barri Rafferty.

Shah and Holmes Report editor-in-chief Arun Sudhaman then discuss the rise of W2O Group, which has retained a low profile despite its emergence as one of the fastest-growing and more innovative PR firms worldwide.