Beyond the Noise - the PRWeek podcast

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278

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Oct 2026

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A panel of industry experts discuss the issues the latest news and hot topics you need to know in PR and communications. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

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October 21, 202631 min

Swearing, pocket dialling, wet trousers… ‘Am I the PR a***hole?’ podcast

PRWeek looks at more of your comms confessions in the latest episode of the ‘Am I the PR A***hole?’ (AITPRA) podcast. In each episode of AITPRA, PRWeek will read out your anonymous confessions and our judges – Lynn Advisory founder Shayoni Lynn and Hoffman Agency UK co-MD Richard Fogg – will decide whether an ethical line has been crossed. <a href="https://surveys.haymarket.com/s3/Am-I-the-PR-A-hole-Ask-us-here" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Confessions can be submitted via this link.</a> All the confessions are totally anonymous – PRWeek has no way of identifying the confessor.Download the podcast via <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/beyond-the-noise-the-prweek-podcast/id1513615965" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0onUHcQsn5ITC1lYtW89jZ?si=c965c18c49724d2c&nd=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, or listen on your favourite platform. This week’s confessions include: <ul><li>Swearing about a journalist when the journalist could hear.</li><li>Swearing at a Eurostar employee after missing a train to a press conference – then blaming journalists for the event starting late.</li><li>Not standing up to shake a client’s hand because the confessor was not wearing trousers.</li></ul> The episode is hosted by PRWeek UK editor John Harrington. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

October 15, 202641 min

PR’s ‘depressing’ recruitment market – PRWeek podcast

How do you recruit comms and PR professionals in the AI age? PRWeek’s latest podcast takes a look. On this week’s Beyond the Noise podcast, Don Ferguson, managing director of creative comms agency Hope&Glory (pictured above, left), and Laura Oliphant, founder of comms consultancy Stand (above, right), <a href="https://www.prweek.co.uk/article/1972533/gives-away-ai-written-cv-pr" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">share their insights on the recruitment market</a>. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/beyond-the-noise-the-prweek-podcast/id1513615965" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Apple</a>,<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0onUHcQsn5ITC1lYtW89jZ?si=c965c18c49724d2c&nd=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Spotify</a>, or listen on your favourite platform. In the episode, Ferguson and Oliphant discuss the specialisms and current roles they have been recruiting for. The pair share their overall view of the current recruitment market in comms. In addition, the comms chiefs consider candidate applications and explain how AI technology is impacting the hiring process. They also comment on the rise in AI-created CVs and cover letters, as well as offer advice to candidates on how to approach a job interview in PR. Separately, the best way to proactively reach potential employees is also discussed on this week’s episode. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

October 8, 202633 min

The Romans: how to ‘get big without getting boring’

The Romans’ chief executive, Joe Mackay-Sinclair, discusses the past, present and future of the fast-growing agency on PRWeek’s latest podcast episode. Mackay-Sinclair joins PRWeek UK editor John Harrington as this week’s guest on Beyond the Noise. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform. <a href="https://www.prweek.co.uk/article/1971819/romans-ceo-reveals-potential-new-markets-big-bets-growth" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">As PRWeek previously reported</a>, Mackay-Sinclair discusses potential new overseas markets for The Romans, which currently has offices in London, New York, Dubai, Amsterdam and Berlin. He also reveals his ‘big bets’ for growth at the firm, which is backed by the global ad agency Mother. Other topics covered include:<ul><li>How business is “more hard-fought than it’s ever been”</li><li>How client expectations are shifting (and how they aren’t)</li><li>Recruitment as the agency’s biggest challenge</li><li>What he wants from new hires</li><li>The importance of the corporate offer</li><li>How agencies would be “crazy” not to have a dedicated sports offering</li><li>The Romans’ approach to AI and GEO</li><li>PR firms he admires</li><li>How agencies could get better at articulating what they do</li><li>Running an (arguably) ‘Marmite’ agency</li><li>Running an agency as a “social introvert”</li><li>The importance of face-to-face connections</li><li>Investing in start-up agencies</li><li>Being the “energy bunny” for The Romans</li><li>His personal ambitions.</li></ul> <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

October 2, 202628 min

Tim Peake: "Put a human and our best robot with AI on Mars today... and a human will still do more."

What is the true balance between human spaceflight and robotic exploration when it comes to science, inspiration, and decision-making capabilities? How is space transitioning from a niche frontier to an everyday commercial workplace? What role do regulatory frameworks, such as the United Nations, the Artemis Accords, and the Astra Carta, play in keeping orbit and the lunar surface safe and sustainable? And how can the UK Government act as an "anchor customer" to bridge the commercial "valley of death" for domestic space startups? Join Alice and Jonners in this special episode recorded in Chichester Marina with British astronaut Tim Peake as he shares insights on space adaptation syndrome, commercial space stations, lunar research bases, global space traffic management, and the future of human exploration to Mars. Contributors:Alice Bunn, President of UKspace<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-alice-bunn-obe-fimeche-fraes-ceng-3b5141/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng | LinkedIn</a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/ukspace/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">UKspace: Overview | LinkedIn</a> Jonathan Davies, The Karman Line<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-davies-174673170/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jonathan Davies | LinkedIn</a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-k%C3%A1rm%C3%A1n-line/?viewAsMember=true" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Karman Line | LinkedIn</a> Tim Peake, Astronaut<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-peake-cmg-5641a4216/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tim Peake | LinkedIn</a> Key topics covered:<ul><li>Human spaceflight vs. robotic exploration</li><li>Space Adaptation Syndrome (nausea & gravity adjustment)</li><li>Normalising space as a commercial workplace</li><li>Transition from space stations to commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO)</li><li>Artemis programme & sustainable lunar research bases</li><li>Astronaut selection mindsets, psychological profiles, and stress testing</li><li>International space cooperation & soft power (ISS legacy)</li><li>Governance, leaseholds, and regulatory frameworks on the Moon</li><li>The Astra Carta & space sustainability</li><li>Human exploration of Mars</li><li>Government as “anchor customers</li></ul> <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

October 1, 202639 min

How to pitch to clients: Ministry of Justice

What do clients really want, and not want, from agencies? That’s the focus of the latest PRWeek podcast, featuring Emily Vickers, strategic comms lead at the Ministry of Justice. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/beyond-the-noise-the-prweek-podcast/id1513615965" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0onUHcQsn5ITC1lYtW89jZ?si=c965c18c49724d2c&nd=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, or listen on your favourite platform. Speaking to PRWeek deputy editor Siobhan Holt, Vickers offers some dos and don’ts of client/agency partnerships and discusses the role of procurement. She chats about the skills she values the most from agency execs and offers advice on working with public sector organisations. Elsewhere, the comms professional discusses regional communications and shares top tips for professionals considering a role in government or public sector comms. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

September 23, 202632 min

‘I lied about a car crash after a client bailed on a press briefing - am I the PR a***hole?’

PRWeek looks at more of your comms confessions in the latest episode of the ‘Am I the PR A***hole?’ (AITPRA) podcast. In each episode of AITPRA, PRWeek will read out your anonymous confessions and our judges – Lynn Advisory founder Shayoni Lynn and Hoffman Agency UK co-MD Richard Fogg – will decide whether an ethical line has been crossed. <a href="https://surveys.haymarket.com/s3/Am-I-the-PR-A-hole-Ask-us-here" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Confessions can be submitted via this link.</a> Download the podcast via <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/beyond-the-noise-the-prweek-podcast/id1513615965" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0onUHcQsn5ITC1lYtW89jZ?si=c965c18c49724d2c&nd=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, or listen in the browser above or on your favourite platform. This week’s confessions include:<ul><li>Inventing a story about a car crash to cover for a client pulling out of a media briefing.</li><li>Resigning an account after the client behaved appallingly - but without the authority to do so.</li><li>Messing with colleagues in a team bonding session of ‘guess who from the baby photo'.</li></ul> The episode is hosted by PRWeek UK editor John Harrington. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

September 18, 202633 min

VCCP Roar bosses: how to manage a PR agency merger

How do you merge PR and communications agencies? PRWeek’s latest podcast takes a look. On this week’s Beyond the Noise podcast, VCCP Roar chief executive Stephanie Brimacombe (pictured above, left) and VCCP founding partner and group chairman Charles Vallance (above, right) share their strategies on merging PR agencies. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/beyond-the-noise-the-prweek-podcast/id1513615965" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0onUHcQsn5ITC1lYtW89jZ?si=c965c18c49724d2c&nd=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, or listen on your favourite platform. Nine months after the <a href="https://www.prweek.co.uk/article/1940851/exclusive-vccp-scraps-good-relations-harvard-brands-create-22m-integrated-pr-agency" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">launch of VCCP Roar</a>, the product of the merger of sister PR agencies Good Relations, Harvard and Teamspirit, the duo sit down with PRWeek reporter Elizabeth Wiredu to discuss the process.  Together, Brimacombe and Vallance explain how they united three specialised agencies spanning consumer, corporate, tech and financial PR services.  They discuss the reasons behind the merger, what the biggest challenges were in the process and how they overcame them, and how to maintain agency culture at VCCP Roar. They also chat about the agency’s recent <a href="https://www.prweek.co.uk/article/1967223/exclusive-starbucks-picks-uk-pr-agency" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Starbucks account win</a>.  Elsewhere in the episode, legendary adman Vallance discusses the rivalry between the advertising and PR sectors and argues that the <a href="https://www.prweek.co.uk/article/1970307/adland-legend-charles-vallance-pr-box-seat" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PR sector is in a strong position in the current market</a> compared to other disciplines, such as advertising. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

September 10, 202633 min

TUI and The Remarkables: ‘Don’t overcomplicate GEO’

TUI’s comms boss, and the chief of the agency handling the travel firm’s GEO, are the guests on this week’s Beyond the Noise podcast. Amy Dowling, head of communications at TUI; and Kerry Parkin, founder and CEO of The Remarkables, discuss the latest on GEO and how it continues to disrupt the comms world. It comes as brands continue to appoint PR agencies for AI discovery briefs; Nationwide and Dishoom have done so in recent weeks. One of the first announcements of this kind came in July, when travel brand TUI enlisted The Remarkables to help boost its AI visibility. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/beyond-the-noise-the-prweek-podcast/id1513615965" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0onUHcQsn5ITC1lYtW89jZ?si=c965c18c49724d2c&nd=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, or listen on your favourite platform. Dowling discusses why TUI partnered with The Remarkables, and what pitfalls other agencies may be falling into when offering GEO services to brands. Meanwhile, Parkin gives tips for businesses looking to implement a GEO strategy, explaining why she believes PR should take full ownership of the discipline. The pair share their view that it is not necessary to “buy into the technicalities” of AI in order to increase your visibility, warning PR teams to “try not to get bamboozled”. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

September 3, 202641 min

Ents PR is ‘moving away from coverage’

Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest communications and PR issues. Download the podcast via <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/beyond-the-noise-the-prweek-podcast/id1513615965" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0onUHcQsn5ITC1lYtW89jZ?si=c965c18c49724d2c&nd=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, or listen in the browser above or on your favourite platform. This week we hear how entertainment PR is evolving, with mainstream press coverage no longer being the top priority in many cases. Gaby Jerrard, who runs entertainment and comedy specialist firm Gaby Jerrard PR, recounts working on campaigns for satirical political candidate Count Binface and controversial figure Amanda Knox within the span of a few weeks. Meanwhile, Lawrence Francis discusses the impact of streaming on the work of Premier, which handles global PR and brand partnerships for some of the biggest film, TV and entertainment franchises in the world. Our guests discuss how to reach fandoms in unconventional ways, particularly on social media – where niches such as ‘BookTok’ are now flourishing.Elsewhere, the pair speak on ‘cancel culture’, and how public figures can best avoid ‘culture war’ narratives while promoting their work. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

August 26, 202656 min

Good Housekeeping: ‘We’re not turning our journalists into influencers’

PRWeek gets the lowdown on changes at Good Housekeeping in the latest instalment of the Future of the Media series. Recorded in July and available now on PRWeek’s podcast feed, the episode sees PRWeek UK editor John Harrington speak to Jane Bruton (Good Housekeeping UK editor-in-chief) and Liz Settle (MD of Good Housekeeping and the Good Housekeeping Institute). The guests discuss structural overhaul in editorial and how the department works with commercial. The shift to “75 per cent digital, 25 per cent print” is explained, as is the greater use of video. Our guests talk about how communications is getting “more sophisticated”, and how they like to work with PR professionals. Speaking from the Good Housekeeping Kitchen in Hearst’s central London office, other topics covered include ‘wising up’ to clickbait; membership models; target demographics; the downside of AI; and imbuing a “culture of impatience”. The guests predict what might lie ahead for Good Housekeeping, and for publishing in general. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

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