The PRovoke Media Podcast

Truth, Trust & Trickery

Finn Partners’ Gil Bashe joins the PRovoke Media podcast to discuss the perilous spread of false information — and communicators duty to curb it.

The Burson mega-merger: is bigger better?

In this episode of the PRovoke Media podcast, editors Arun Sudhaman and Maja Pawinska Sims have a lively discussion about the merger of BCW and Hill & Knowlton to create the world's biggest PR firm, Burson. The conversation covers bringing the legacy name back to the industry, the talent implications of the merger, whether we'll see more consolidation across other networks, and the potential impact of AI on business decisions within big agencies. The duo also catch up on the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, and the apparent retreat of corporate activism in the wake of geopolitical and social tensions. 

The Lowdown On Analyst Relations

The Guyer Group’s Kevin Whalen joins the PRovoke Media podcast to discuss the evolving practice of analyst relations.

Global Healthcare Campaigns, Myth Or Reality?

In this edition of the PRovoke Media podcast, Paul Holmes is joined by GCI Health global CEO Kristin Cahill and Europe and Middle East president Kath Harrison, along with Aimee Christian, VP and global head of corporate communications and engagement at Jazz Pharmaceuticals, to talk about the success factors for modern global healthcare campaigns. The discussion includes how to translate campaigns from one country to another, drawing a thread through global strategy to local implementation while taking cultural and language differences into account and maintaining consistency of the corporate brand. The guests also talk about engaging internal stakeholders, patients, advocacy groups and healthcare providers across markets, and the importance of finding ‘universal human truths’ that resonate beyond local nuance.

Using AI To Supercharge Success

In October, Unlock Health joined me to discuss the PRovokeGlobal Summit. This month they sat down again to discuss the main lessons learned from a diverse and provocative event.

In a wide-ranging discussion that took in major industry challenges from the growing use of artificial intelligence to the spread of disinformation, from the “pink economy” post-Barbie to the need to address social inequality in all its forms at future events, I sat down with Unlock Health chief executive Brandon Edwards and the agency’s managing director of innovation Kathleen Perley to discuss the main takeaways from the PRovokeGlobal Summit in November.

Among the topics of discussion:

• A discussion of how AI can enable and empower PR professionals rather than threaten to replace them, and how those familiar with the technology can make their colleagues more comfortable about the transformation AI will bring.
• Why corporate interest in ESG is unlikely to dissipate, even if the language we use to discuss a broad commitment to stakeholder capitalism needs to change—and why more relatable language may be needed.
• How the “pink economy” has always been central to healthcare, where women are often the gatekeepers for the entire family, and what consumer brands can learn from that.
• The importance of discussing economic inequality, and why that’s an issue at the root of ESG, DEI and the kind of tribalism that seems to have taken over political discussion in the US and globally.

Unlock Health is a single-source growth partner for healthcare providers, offering a range of marketing communications services, consulting, and technology. It emphasizes the importance of convergence in the industry, bringing together technology solutions and traditional marketing services, brand and performance marketing, and do it all through the lens of their industry-specific healthcare expertise. 

Havas Red On The Maturation of Influencer Marketing

Over the last decade or so, influencer marketing has matured to the point where today being a creator is considered a bona fide career built on rich relationships with agencies, brands and consumers (to say nothing of talent agents).  In this episode of the PRovoke Media podcast, Red Havas’ Kerry Anderson in the UK and Audrey Arbogast in the US discuss the evolution of influencer marketing and how the agency’s new global practice devoted to the craft, Sway, helps clients drive authentic and engaging brand communications through influencers — and the important role best practices, data, social tools and measurement have in accomplishing that.

The critical role of comms in decriminalising suicide

Global suicide prevention and crisis support organisation Lifeline International has launched a new campaign, Decriminalise Suicide Worldwide: the first initiative of its kind to call for legal change in 25 countries around the world where suicide and attempted suicide are still a criminal offence. The charity’s communications and campaign director Nick Stravs, a former leader at BCW and Weber Shandwick, joins the PRovoke Media podcast to talk about the critical role of communications in the campaign’s strategy and potential success, along with Billee Howard, founder and CEO of AI-powered emotional insights software platform Brandthrō, who is working alongside Stravs on the campaign.

HBCU Sports In The Limelight

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Commissioner Sonja Stills joins the PRovoke Media podcast to discuss raising the visibility of HBCU sports.

Cross-Generational Communications: Creating Ageless Connections

In this episode sponsored by Racepoint Global, we discuss how the themes of curiosity and cross-generational collaboration apply to the world of communications. Guests include Marci Alboher of CoGenerate and Scott Shigeoka, author of "SEEK: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World." 

Moderna Chief Brand Officer Kate Cronin

Kate Cronin joins the PRovoke Media podcast to discuss Moderna showing up at large events not typically associated with pharmaceutical companies.