The Pulse Comms Cast will help you communicate effectively with farmers and rural audiences. It’s a Pinstone podcast exploring how people, brands and organisations can cut through, build trust and land messages, using the latest insight from Pinstone Pulse and our 21 years of PR agency experience. www.pinstone.co.uk
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40 recent
August 3, 2026Episode 128 min
From journalism to comms and communicating with farmers in a changing world
Hosted by Pinstone MD Catherine Linch, former Farmers Guardian editor and publisher Ben Briggs shares his journey from agricultural journalism to PR and comms, exploring how social media and AI have fundamentally changed the way we communicate with farmers and rural communities. Ben and Catherine also discuss the results of a recent Pulse report, which sheds light on how farmers think and feel, and who they trust to communicate on sustainability.
December 18, 2020Episode 1718 min
Communicating the net zero message
The Agri Food Comms-Cast (AFCC) unpicks the marketing and communications stories behind the issues facing the food and farming sector. Episode 17 explores the communications challenge behind the massive global issue of transitioning the livestock sector to net zero. Lynsday Chapman, CEO of the Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock (CIEL) , introduced their new, independent industry report: Net Zero Carbon & UK Livestock . Providing a summary of known research and science on what’s understood about the topic of net zero in livestock systems, it delivers an unbiased baseline position for retailers, processors, governments and NGOs to talk from. Rob Hues, agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries manager at Waitrose joins the discussion having recently been part of the retailer’s roll out to their farms that laid down the gauntlet of reaching net zero on all its UK farms by 2035. He concurred that CIEL’s report is a practical framework that will be invaluable to the industry and support positive dialogue and a change in practices. The pair agree that communicating the practical steps to net zero is a major challenge, but one that shouldn’t be held back by finding a uniform means of measuring the carbon footprint of any one particular farm system. It’s anticipated that sharing progress of the journey to net zero, even where a diversity of carbon footprinting tools are employed, will encourage others to follow. Both Lyndsay and Rob agree that the farming community shouldn’t wait for the perfect tools for measuring net zero progress; far better to choose a system and make positive progress, even if the comparisons cannot yet be accurately compared and contrasted to farms using other measurement criteria. The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk
July 2, 2021Episode 628 min
Influencing consumer habits: the opportunity for responsible marketing in the food industry
In light of the nation’s growing obesity crisis and subsequent pressures on the health service, episode six of season two of the Agri-Food Comms Cast , explores the potential influence that the food industry could initiate by actively marketing healthier food choices. This month, Catherine Linch is joined by food campaigner and crossbench member of the House of Lords, Baroness Rosie Boycott , and marketing guru and host of the US-based Gooder podcast, Diana Fryc . Our guests discuss the challenges faced by natural 'straight from the farm' produce when competing against highly processed, cheaply produced food and drink brands. The episode highlights food inequality, as well as calling for greater honesty and balance in how foods are promoted. This is especially true of many well-known brands that boast sizable marketing budgets to promote their frequently nutritionally poor products. It’s a challenging but important subject with many questions to answer. Do marketing professionals have a responsibility for introducing healthier lifestyle choices through their advertising campaigns? How can we analyse the influence that brands have on Western society’s eating habits and use this to affect change for the better? This episode explores a range of comms strategies that aim to tackle these difficult issues, while supporting public health policies and initiatives. The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk
September 18, 2020Episode 1119 min
Wildlife conservation in agribusiness
The Agri Food Comms-Cast (AFCC) delves into the current issues being faced in the agricultural industry and food supply chain, with a PR and marketing spin. Episode 11 explores wildlife conservation and its relationship with food production and land management. David Hooton, deer officer at the Forestry Commission , explains that although wild deer populations are at an all-time high, the market for venison has significantly dropped in the last 18 months. By heading up the new Venison Working Group and delivering the first Wild Venison Week later this winter, he aims to help equip the venison trade so landowners can continue to meet their business and conservation objectives, while encouraging a wider consumer audience to eat venison all-year-round. Then former editor of the Shooting Times & Country Magazine , Joe Dimbleby from the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) goes on to explain how his journalistic background has helped to secure editorial for the Trust in the mainstream press, as well as in country sports and farming media, to promote case studies of biodiversity success directly from farmers and landowners. And to conclude, he explains how the new Working for Wildlife web portal is hosting a ‘pledge’ that’s appealing to all conservationists – from RSPB to NFU – to sign-up to with a view to uniting on commitments to the British countryside. And with 1,000 signatures in its first week, it’s already gaining traction. The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk
June 13, 2024Episode 632 min
Navigating authentic sustainability programmes with Caroline Mason
0:04:25 - Discussion of changing mood of businesses thinking about sustainability 0:10:40 - Example given of complexity in supply chains using deforestation 0:17:12 - Discussion of greenwashing fears from companies investing in sustainability 0:23:16 - Discussion of what could prevent confidence in sustainability programs 0:27:31 - Importance of authenticity and transparency in sustainability claims 0:32:46 - Emphasis on importance of collaboration at all levels 0:36:15 - Bringing discussion to importance of culture and people within workplaces 0:39:41 - Final discussion on examples that have made big impacts The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk
August 7, 2020Episode 834 min
Brand crisis comms and social strategies
The Agri Food Comms-Cast, coined the ‘AFCC’, delves into the ‘story behind the story’ of PR and marketing campaigns surrounding the UK food and farming industry. In episode eight, freelance writer and former managing editor at The Grocer, Julia Glotz provides insight into how the top consumer facing brands in the food sector handled their external communications in the early stages of the Coronavirus pandemic. Then Karl Pendlebury, senior manager at the AHDB Beef and Lamb, describes how the strategy behind the #MakeItBeef and #MakeItLamb campaigns involving football stadiums, chefs and consumers came to fruition and how results from Twitter exceeded all expectations. And finally, NFU combinable crops board chair, Matt Culley, describes how with the help of UK farmers, this year’s video-based #YourHarvest social media campaign aims to show policy makers and consumers just what goes into producing our nation’s food after such a challenging year. The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk
May 29, 2020Episode 323 min
From crisis to creative solutions in retail, processing and in delivering National BBQ Week
The story behind the story A bite-size take and insight into the communications surrounding the biggest news stories in the agricultural and food sectors. From a crisis reaction, to the sparking of creative new marketing tactics; in this week’s episode, we hear from Sophie Throup, on how Morrisons has adapted its offer since the start of lockdown. We then go on to hear from Claire Donoghue, of food solutions provider OSI, who talks about how their beef processing operation took up the challenge of diverting supplies from food service to retail and how, despite the current pressure, they remain focused on the pre-Covid industry issue of climate change and how they won’t be ducking the issue, despite an apparent recent reprieve. Finally, with the UK celebrating National Barbecue Week, we caught up with the founder, Brian George, to find out how the campaign has been running in the face of current restrictions – and how you can get involved! The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk
May 27, 2022Episode 429 min
Top tips for podcasting
In this month’s episode of the Agri Food Comms-Cast , we’re delving into the audio channel of podcasting; two years on from launching the Agri-Food Comms Cast. Host Catherine Linch welcomes Johann Tasker , chief reporter at Farmers Weekly and co-host of the Farmers Weekly Podcast . Johann joins us to discuss how their podcast is structured and its range of focus, format, and frequency. Alongside them is marketing director at The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and sustainable marketer Gemma Butler who is also host of the ‘Can Marketing Save the Planet?’ podcast, who explains the role for podcasting within a wider content strategy. They also explore the techniques for captivating an audience and we even get an insight into some of their favourite podcasts. Definitely worth a listen for anyone considering producing their own podcast. The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk
June 26, 2020Episode 438 min
Food assurance and farming awards
The Agri Food Comms-Cast delves into the ‘story behind the story’ of the biggest news reports and campaigns in the agricultural and food sectors. In this episode, we explore what's behind the Red Tractor logo facelift, before moving on to hearing about the challenges and opportunities for the British Farming Awards as they embark on a digital format for the ceremony this year. We feature Red Tractor's head of communications, Rebecca Miller; John Kirkpatrick, Tesco's agriculture manager for poultry and eggs; and Ben Briggs, the editor of Farmers Guardian. The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk
May 28, 2021Episode 522 min
#FarmingCAN: Connecting the public to the facts about farming
Episode five of season two of the Agri Food Comms-Cast welcomes Farmers Guardian and Morrisons to delve into the new, consumer facing #FarmingCAN , a year-long marketing campaign. Creating conversations and strengthening the messages about what British farming can, and does, do for the public beyond producing food for the nation is the bold ambition. Farmers Guardian’s marketing manager, Hannah Carrick , and head of news and business, Olivia Midgley , join Catherine Linch to discuss how they are structuring the campaign and leveraging the public’s appetite for farm stories that was demonstrated by their annual 24-hour social media blitz #Farm24 . Seeking to reach out to farmers and policy makers, as well as the general public, each month is themed to promote what farming delivers to society, such as tackling climate change; the career opportunities; and the positive impact on our countryside. Celebrity endorsement is promising to dramatically extend the reach. The campaign is backed by some big names in the agri-food industry and countryside sector who are engaging their audiences and networks. This includes retailer Morrisons. To round up this month’s episode of the AFCC, Sophie Throup, head of agriculture at Morrisons, explains how they are getting involved and supporting the cementing relationships between consumers and farmers. The Bees' Knees Comms-Cast is brought to you by Pinstone, a B Corp award-winning PR and marketing agency specialising in food, farming and the environment. Speak to us if you want to engage your audience authentically on your sustainability story. www.pinstone.co.uk
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