The PRovoke Media Podcast

The Holmes Report editors Paul Holmes, Arun Sudhaman and Aarti Shah talk about the 2016 Agency of the Year winners that were unveiled on May 3 at the SABRE Awards North America. The editorial team talks about why M Booth, Cohn & Wolfe, W2O Group, Zeno Group, Method Communications and other winners were standouts in this year's highly-competitive agency of the year competition.

Paul Holmes joins the show to discuss the launch of the first Global Communications Report, which predicts good PR agency sector growth over the next five years, but raises several questions over the industry's ability to adapt to a rapidly shifting landscape, not least when it comes to attracting and retaining the right talent, and for communications directors aiming to expand their influence and budgets. Holmes and Arun Sudhaman also discuss the Holmes Report's 2016 Global Top 250 PR Agency Ranking which reveals that industry growth slowed to 5% last year, raising further concerns about the sector.

In this year's SXSW recap, Aarti Shah talks to a festival veteran and first-time attendee. Kwittken co-founder Jason Schlossberg explains why he might not return to Austin next spring for the first time in many years. Meanwhile, CC Group's managing director Rich Fogg offers his perspective as a first-time attendee.

Show notes: 

Why I Am (Probably) Not Coming Back To SXSW Interactive Next Year 

 SXSW: Does The Festival's Future Include Integration Across Interactive, Film And Music? 

SXSW: Brands & Agencies On Content, Marketing & Interactive

David Tiltman, head of content at WARC, visits the Echo Chamber to discuss the Warc 100 — a ranking of the world’s best marketing campaigns and companies, based on performance in effectiveness and strategy competitions. In conversation with Arun Sudhaman, Tiltman explores the characterisics of effective marketing work, and addresses the increasing importance of public relations thinking. The epsiode also discusses why many campaigns and agencies are still not particularly innovative, and what makes work like 'Penny the Pirate' and #LikeAGirl stand out.

Show notes:
The Warc 100
Penny the Pirate
#LikeAGirl

Ogilvy & Mather UK vice-chairman Rory Sutherland makes a highly-anticipated appearance on the Echo Chamber PR show. In conversation with Arun Sudhaman, Sutherland explores why behavioural economics is of critical importance for companies seeking to understand why people make decisions, and addresses the "fetishization of data". Sutherland also discusses the rise of Donald Trump, the Brexit campaign and why emotional arguments matter more than rational ones.

APCO founder Margery Kraus joins the Echo Chamber to discuss the International Women's Day with Aarti Shah, including how the PR industry's gender representation has evolved over the last three decades. Ogilvy PR's Jen Risi then joins the conversation to talk about the UN Women's HeForShe movement.

Business Insider global advertising editor Lara O'Reilly joins the Echo Chamber to discuss how ad blocking software is forcing digital media companies to rethink their advertising models. In conversation with Arun Sudhaman, O'Reilly also explores the restructuring at Publicis and Omnicom, the 'mediapalooza' agency reviews, and the impact of new social media platforms like Facebook Instant Articles and Snapchat Discover on digital publishers.

Tech analyst — and author of 'What If Twitter Died?' — Bob O'Donnell comes onto the Echo Chamber to talk to Aarti Shah about the future of the struggling social network. The episode explores Twitter's way forward and the role its new VP of communications Natalie Kerris plays in this.

The Echo Chamber podcast is produced by Markettiers4DC. 

Sally Costerton drops by the Echo Chamber to discuss HP's "mystifying" media spat with FT journalist Lucy Kellaway. In conversation with Arun Sudhaman, Costerton chews over the pros and cons of taking on big media from a PR perspective. Also discussed on the show — Pepsico's decision to eliminate marketing procurement, likened by Costerton as a "tour of Helmand", and the M&A fever gripping the PR industry.

Cohn & Wolfe Americas CEO Jim Joseph joins the Echo Chamber for our annual roundup of Super Bowl marketing with Arun Sudhaman. Joseph found this year's ads underwhelming and also noted that brands are, curiously, not making the most of digital marketing to bring their Super Bowl spend to life.

After that, Mats Stigzelius from new influencer marketing platform Takumi discusss the rise of Instagram influencers. Brands are increasingly spending money with 'micro-influencers' on Instagram and YouTube — rather than conventional celebrities — and Takumi was launched to help manage this process. Stigzelius joins Sudhaman to explore the pitfalls involved in this type of marketing activity.

Show notes:
Audi R8 Big Game Commercial - Commander: https://youtu.be/diU_09jb4bI
Doritos Dogs - Crash the Super Bowl 2016: https://youtu.be/MNRAdrB9TSs
Dad-Do #2 by NFL’s Benjamin Watson | Braided Pigtails with Pantene: https://youtu.be/DgdYPllFXes