The PRovoke Media Podcast

Holmes Report editor Aarti Shah talks to H+K Strategies' new US CEO Beth Balsam about her vision for H+K's US revival, the agency's groundbreaking parental leave policy and why female empowerment has become such a popular marketing theme.

Show notes:

Always #LikeAGirl

Imagine The Possibilities: Barbie

Touch The Pickle 

Freedom to Marry national campaign director Marc Solomon provided an illuminating overview of his successful 13-year battle for marriage equality, at the 2015 Global PR Summit in Miami.

Solomon, in conversation with Cohn & Wolfe Americas CEO Jim Joseph, pointed out that the success was far from assured, particularly after a string of losses in key ballots. However, a focus on communication, data and influencer marketing ultimately paved the way for the pivotal Supreme Court decision that declared gay marriage legal.

Show notes:
PR Summit: How The Marriage Equality Campaign Won

Paul Holmes joins the show to discuss his recent analysis of M&A trends in the PR agency world, which revealed that independent firms are now out-buying their publicly-held counterparts. In a wide-ranging discussion with Arun Sudhaman, Paul explores why the big holding groups are buying fewer PR firms, and looks at the impact of private equity on agency M&A activity. Also discussed are the markets and services attracting most interest, APCO's search for a new investment partner, and whether 2016 will prove as active, in M&A terms, as 2015.

Show notes:
2015 Review: Independent Firms Drive PR M&A Activity

Vikki Chowney and Stephen Waddington join Arun Sudhaman to review the biggest PR stories from 2015 including gender inequality, their favourite campaigns, the continued rise of Edelman, and the ongoing fortunes of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and more.

Show notes:
Sport England — This Girl Can
The HIV+ Issue
Analysis: Edelman Closes In On Agency Restructuring And $1bn Target
2015 Review

Holmes Report editor Aarti Shah brings back Media Survey founder Sam Whitmore to talk media trends, from dayparting sponsored content to publications rethinking the what 'homepage' means.  

Then, Proof CEO Mark Stouse considers the ways the c-suite is increasingly asking PR/communications to demonstrate — not just awareness — but the business value behind its efforts.

Show notes: 
The Business Value Awards Deadline Extended to January 11

The PR industry, particularly in Western markets, remains challenged on the diversity front. In the latest Echo Chamber podcast, Arun Sudhaman talks to Lynn Appelbaum, director of the advertising and PR program at City College New York which, in conjunction with the PRSA, has released a fascinating new study on why minorities still find it difficult to advance within the PR profession.

Appelbaum is encouraged by the progress the industry has made when it comes to recruitment, but notes that there are still major challenges in terms of retention and cultural understanding, particularly when it comes to the day-to-day workplace experiences of young minority and multicultural PR pros.

In a session from last month's Global PR Summit, Hillary Clinton campaign advisor Karen Finney and digital strategist Teddy Goff join Burson-Marsteller CEO Don Baer to discuss the candidate's efforts to build a more enduring, authentic connection with the American public. The conversation touches on the 11-hour Benghazi hearing, changes in the news cycle and political discourse, and how the campaign is responding to Republican attempts to undermine Clinton's record as Secretary of State.

Show notes:
PRSummit: Hillary Clinton's 11-Hour 'Piece Of Content'

In a conversation with Holmes Report editor Aarti Shah, Horn founder Sabrina Horn discusses on her decision to sell her tech firm to Finn Partners earlier this year. She also reflects on being in tech PR for nearly three decades and forecasts what's next for the sector. 

Then, Finn Partners founder Peter Finn joins to talk about his firm's overall acquisition strategy and how that will evolve as the agency hits $70m this year.

Show notes:
Finn Partners Expands Tech Capabilities With Horn Acquisition 
2015 North America Midsize PR Agency of the Year - Finn Partners 

Holmes Report editor Aarti Shah talks to Ketchum's head of Generation Z-offering 
Angela Fernandez on the rising cohort's influence and how brands and employers can transition their Millennial-focused strategy to Gen Z. 

Then, Burghardt Tenderich, a professor at University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication, explores how brands create campaigns that people want to engage with and share with others based on his latest book on Transmedia Branding.

 

Show notes: 
The New York Times: Move Over, Millennials, Here Comes Generation Z 
Transmedia Branding: Engage Your Audience

In a presentation referencing Russian physicist Andre Geim, Polish psychologist Solomon Asch and American comedian Chris Rock, Harvard professor Sarah Lewis opened the fourth annual Global Public Relations Summit by making the case for failure—or more specifically, for the “near-win” that spurs the best people in a wide range of fields to achieve true mastery.

Lewis, assistant professor of history of art and architecture and African and African American studies at Harvard University and author of The Rise: Creativity, the Gift of Failure, and the Search for Mastery, was speaking at a plenary session sponsored by Ketchum, during which she urged the PR people in the room to use their failures as an incentive to creative triumph.