The PRovoke Media Podcast

Paul Holmes is joined by Alison Dasilva and Penny Kozakos from Zeno Group to discuss what stakeholders expect from corporations when it comes to controversial issues—and how new research can help companies address those expectations smartly in an era of increasing political polarization.

Description

Immerse yourself into an engaging and enlightening discussion about the stakeholder economy, sustainability, and dealing with changing corporate landscapes with the special guest, Lisa Gibby of Nestlé. This episode of Provoke Podcast, produced in conjunction with FGS, sheds light on the role of corporate affairs professionals amidst geopolitical upheaval, rising emphasis on ESG values, and the concept of shared value creation that Nestlé championed.

Gain deep introspection into Nestlé’s approach towards maintaining corporate reputation while handling stakeholder criticism and balancing long-term business vision. Also get unique insights in how shared values and purpose influence corporate culture, impacting business purpose and social responsibility.

The discussion lifts the veil on critical changes in the governance sector and highlights the importance of engaging thoughtfully with stakeholders in an increasingly consumer-centric world. Hear about Nestlé's consumer relationship strategy, importance of purpose-led initiatives, and the paradigm shift in public relations sector in this episode.

The show concludes by discussing the intricate role of authenticity and effective communication in fostering corporate relationships and maintaining a positive corporate reputation. From Nestle's journey of becoming a warmer, authentic organization, to adapting strategies around carbon-neutrality, this episode provides a comprehensive outlook on future challenges in sustainability, human rights, health, and harnessing AI for issue resolution and problem-solving.

In this edition of the PRovoke Media podcast, two senior leaders from one of Europe’s fastest-growing agency groups join Maja Pawinska Sims to talk about the evolving landscape for strategic communications in complex times. Team Farner executive chairman Roman Geiser and Lansons CEO Gordon Tempest-Hay discuss the rapid growth of the consultancy across Europe, its acquisition of Lansons last year, and their ambitions and plans for the future. The duo also look at how creative work and AI are impacting on the remit and impact of reputation management firms, and how clients’ needs from their comms advisors are changing, including during a pivotal election year.

KPMG corporate affairs chief Jane Lawrie joins the PRovoke Media podcast to discuss the intersection of artificial intelligence  and ESG, across such areas as performance evaluation, identifying future trends, and defining the roadmap for ESG reporting.

In conversation with PRovoke Media editor-in-chief Arun Sudhaman, Lawrie also discusses the future of AI as it relates to corporate affairs professionals, in terms of potential opportunities and threats, along with the reputation risks entailed for business.

The role of ESG in the context of ongoing political debates is also examined, alongside the emergence of 'green hushing' and its impact on transparent sustainability reporting. 

 

While some Asia-Pacific countries, such as Japan, have witnessed a strong rise in ESG coverage, investing, and consumer adoption of sustainable products, others have progressed at a slower pace. In partnership with Weber Shandwick, Asia-Pacific corporate affairs head Carolyn Devanayagam joins the PRovoke Media podcast to examine the latest trends in this area, and how corporate communicators can drive progress amid the twin threats of greenwashing and green-hushing.  

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

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

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.

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.