Public Relations Stories and Strategies

Hosted by Stories and Strategies https://storiesandstrategies.ca/

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Episodes

284

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Every organization has a story people believe about it. Most leaders didn't choose that story. They inherited it, stumbled into it, or lost control of it somewhere along the way. Stories and Strategies is the Public Relations podcast that changes that. Host Doug Downs talks with the communicators, executives, and strategists who understand that strategic communications isn't a marketing function. It's a leadership one. Each episode unpacks what actually shapes reputation, trust, and public perception at the highest levels, drawing on behavioral science, media intelligence, and the ethics that keep persuasion honest. This is public relations and strategic communications at the level serious leaders need it. Not tactics and press releases. The thinking behind why some stories win and others disappear. Ranked among the most listened-to public relations podcasts in the world, Stories and Strategies reaches leaders and communicators across six continents every week. If you are responsible for strategic communications for your organization, you cannot afford to guess. Follow Stories and Strategies wherever you listen to your public relations content.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

November 3, 2026Episode 25418 min

AI is Making the Oldest Skill in Public Relations Worth More

Recorded Live at PRSA ICON in Orlando, October 2026. AI is changing the rules of public relations, but is it actually making media relations more valuable than ever? Jennifer Bisbee explores why earned media, human relationships, and third-party credibility are becoming increasingly important in an AI-driven world. Jennifer explains why journalism and an expanded idea of “media” is still a powerful currency of trust, how AI search engines are reshaping brand visibility, and why a well-placed story can carry more weight than anything a company says about itself. Doug and Jennifer dig into AI-generated pitches, shrinking newsrooms, crisis communications, the advantages of boutique versus large PR agencies, and what happens when journalists get the story wrong. Along the way, Jennifer shares why AI can sharpen PR strategy but cannot replace human judgment, authentic storytelling, or the fundamentals of building relationships. Listen For 04:52 Why Does Earned Media Matter More Than Ever in the Age of AI? 07:52 How Can Your Media Pitch Stand Out When AI Agents Are Gatekeepers? 09:37 How Can AI Improve Crisis Communications and Real-Time Reputation Monitoring? 10:56 Should You Hire a Boutique PR Firm or a Large International Agency? 14:28 What Should You Do When a Journalist Gets Your Story Wrong? Guest: Jennifer Bisbee, APR, Fellow PRSA, Bisbee and Company Website | Email | LinkedIn | PRConsultants Group The PRSA article for Jennnifer’s talk Link to Trailer for Jennifer’s Film “What Hugh Knew” Doug Substack | Website | LinkedIn Subscribe to the Stories and Strategies PR podcast newsletter Are you a brand with a podcast that needs support? Book a meeting with Doug Downs to talk about it. Connect with us LinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Pinterest Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Support the show

October 27, 2026Episode 25317 min

In Public Relations, Different is Better than Better

Take Sally’s FREE Fascinate Test Recorded at PRSA ICON 2026 in Orlando, bestselling author Sally Hogshead explains why being different is more valuable than being better, why playing it safe may be the riskiest strategy of all, and why authenticity alone won't make you memorable. Sally shares what she shared in her keynote address at ICON. Surprising examples of brands that turned weaknesses into competitive advantages, along with practical advice for getting bold ideas past cautious decisionmakers. The question isn't whether you're good at what you do. It's whether anyone can tell you apart from everyone else. Listen For 04:55 Can AI Really Make Your Brand Fascinating, or Is Something Human Missing? 05:48 Why Is Being Different More Valuable Than Being Better? 08:06 How Can PR Professionals Sell Bold Ideas to Risk-Averse Decision-Makers? 10:16 Why Isn't Being Authentic Enough to Make Your Brand Stand Out? 11:43 Can Introverts Be Just as Fascinating as Extroverts? Guest: Sally Hogshead Personal web site | How to Fascinate | About Sally | Email | LinkedIn | YouTube Doug Downs Substack | Website | LinkedIn Subscribe to the Stories and Strategies PR podcast newsletter Are you a brand with a podcast that needs support? Book a meeting with Doug Downs to talk about it. Connect with us LinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Pinterest Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Support the show

October 24, 202622 min

REPLAY Accreditation vs Certification for Communications Pros

This replay comes from a conversation I had last week at PRSA ICON 26 in Orlando. Which is better accreditation? Or certification? This episode originally aired in October 2024. Sia Papageorgiou challenges the traditional idea of accreditation and argues that certification is the real game-changer for PR professionals. She shares insights on why the Global Communication Certification Council (GCCC) stands out with its internationally recognized standards, and why it’s crucial for communication professionals to continually update their skills to stay relevant in a rapidly changing field. Listen For 2:43 Certification over Accreditation 6:02 Ongoing Education and Accountability 12:55 Mandatory Certification in Some Countries 17:00 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Guest Vince Nero Guest: Sia Papageorgiou, FRSA, FCSCE, SCMP Website | Email | X | LinkedIn CSCE link to training offerings Connect with us LinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads Request a transcript of this episode Support the show Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Support the show

October 20, 2026Episode 25216 min

The Knowing-Doing Gap: AI Ethics in Public Relations

There's a gap between knowing AI ethics and practicing them, and it's where reputations go to die. Research for PRSA's Board of Ethics and Professional Standards mapped it across 10 essential AI ethics competencies, from critical thinking and ethical judgment to privacy, accountability, and governance. The finding that stings most: critical thinking is both the most essential competency and one of the profession's biggest gaps. Communicators know the principles. They still fail to apply them when it counts. Doug caught up with researcher Marlene Neill in Orlando at PRSA ICON 2026 to dig into what that gap looks like inside real organizations, the perfect storm of pressure for speed without the training or guardrails to match. They get into why communicators are weakest at judgment when judgment is the job, what value the practitioner still provides when AI can draft the release in seconds, and the one thing a solo practitioner or small team can do Monday morning to start closing it. If AI touches your comms work, this is the episode about the part no tool can do for you. Listen For :13 The Surgical Safety Checklist: What Atul Gawande Teaches PR Pros About the Knowing-Doing Gap 2:57 AI Ethics in Public Relations: Why Human Judgment Still Matters 4:13 AI Hallucinations in PR: Why You Must Verify Every Output 6:19 How AI Is Changing PR Agency Billing and Value-Based Pricing 12:01 How to Speak Up on Ethics at Work: Giving Voice to Values Guest: Marlene Neill, Professor and Graduate Program Director at Baylor University (Journalism, Public Relations and New Media). Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA Email | PRSA Bio Doug Substack | Website | LinkedIn Subscribe to the Stories and Strategies PR podcast newsletter Are you a brand with a podcast that needs support? Book a meeting with Doug Downs to talk about it. Apply to be a guest on the podcast Connect with us LinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Pinterest Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Support the show

October 13, 2026Episode 25120 min

The Hidden Rules of Workplace Emojis: What Gen Z Wants You to Know

Three out of four office workers now feel like they need to use emojis at work, according to Statista's research on workplace communication. But almost nobody stops to ask what that emoji is actually doing once it lands in an inbox, a Slack thread, or a client email. That's the gap Stacy Jo Dixon from Statista has been studying, and it's the gap this episode sits inside: not whether emojis belong in business, but what they're quietly signalling about generation, culture, gender, and judgment every time someone hits send. In this episode we work through what the data actually shows, and where it gets complicated. Why older professionals default to the thumbs up, while younger ones have developed what Stacy calls emoji literacy. And why the same emoji that reads as friendly in one country can land as an insult in another culture, and what any of this means for a brand's voice once it starts showing up in pixels instead of words. It's a more surprising conversation than the stat sheet suggests. Listen For 03:49 Which emojis should you never use in the workplace? 05:49 What is emoji literacy and why does it matter at work? 08:10 Can the thumbs-up emoji be offensive across cultures? 12:40 When should you use emojis with executives, bosses, or clients? 14:13 Should companies create workplace emoji policies? Guest: Stacy Jo Dixon, Statista LinkedIn | IG | Website | Emoji usage – statistics & facts | Off the Charts Podcast (hosted by Stacy): YouTube | Off the Charts Podcast (hosted by Stacy): Spotify Doug Downs Substack | Website | LinkedIn Subscribe to the Stories and Strategies PR podcast newsletter Are you a brand with a podcast that needs support? Book a meeting with Doug Downs to talk about it. Apply to be a guest on the podcast Connect with us LinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Pinterest Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Support the show

October 6, 2026Episode 25020 min

A “Jolly” Rebranding Case Study

What do you do when the name that built your reputation suddenly makes you look stuck in the past? Jolly SEO was a company founded on solid SEO strategies and infrastructure. But “S E O?” Ugh that’s soooo 2021. So cofounder Greg Heilers had a dilemma. Suddenly he had a name that kinda conveyed old thinking. In this episode he explains the surprisingly complicated journey from Jolly SEO to a brand built for an AI-driven search world. Greg also explains why “SEO” began sending the wrong signal, how the company preserved the valuable “Jolly” identity while embracing a broader definition of search, and why finding the perfect domain helped settle months of debate. Listen For 03:12 Why did Jolly SEO need to change its name in the age of AI search? 05:41 How did Jolly SEO finally land on the name Jolly Search? 09:54 Does your company name affect whether AI and LLMs recommend your brand? 12:06 How do you know whether a rebrand has actually worked? 16:56 What should businesses know before rebranding an established company? Guest: Greg Heilers, Co-Captain | Jolly Search Website | LinkedIn Doug Downs Substack | Website | LinkedIn Are you a brand with a podcast that needs support? Book a meeting with Doug Downs to talk about it. Apply to be a guest on the podcast Connect with us LinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Pinterest Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Support the show

September 29, 2026Episode 24922 min

What it Takes to Sell Your Brand Across the Atlantic

Every brand that crosses the Atlantic faces the same unspoken question, and almost nobody asks it out loud before they've already spent the budget: should we act like ourselves, or should we act like we belong here? Volkswagen bet on staying unmistakably German and won over American drivers. Other brands have made the opposite bet and won too. There's no universal answer, and that's exactly what makes it a hard call to get right. Daisy Pack, managing director of HUNTER's London office, has spent more than two decades sitting inside that decision for American and British brands trying to win over each other's audiences. In this episode, she walks through how she actually makes the call, using a real campaign for Premier Protein that skipped the obvious American fitness playbook entirely, and explains why the right answer for a brand crossing the Atlantic in 2026 might be the opposite of what worked ten years ago. Listen For 4:09 Should American brands emphasize or downplay their identity when entering the UK? 8:13 How did Premier Protein make an American brand culturally relevant in Britain? 14:05 Why do American and British audiences respond differently to brand storytelling? 15:49 When can leaning into Americana actually help a brand connect with British consumers? 19:28 What should an American brand do before launching or expanding in the UK? Guest: Daisy Pack, Managing Director, Hunter PR London IG | Website | Company LinkedIn | LinkedIn | Hunter UK LinkedIn | Email Doug Downs Substack | Website | LinkedIn Subscribe to the Stories and Strategies PR podcast newsletter Are you a brand with a podcast that needs support? Book a meeting with Doug Downs to talk about it. Apply to be a guest on the podcast Connect with us LinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Pinterest Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Support the show

September 22, 2026Episode 24821 min

World PR Forum Wants Your Say on Public Relations Rules

Take the Global Alliance Survey before October 2, 2026 Who actually makes up the rules for public relations? Who decided what counts as good measurement, how you're supposed to structure a comms team, what you tell an executive when they ask "why does this function even exist"? Your local or national association has a voice in that, but the actual standards, the ones you're governed by and quoted to and inspired by, came out of delegate rooms in Madrid, Melbourne, and Stockholm. The US sends delegates to those rooms. You don't get a personal say in what they bring back. Well, NOW you do. You… personally!! The Global Alliance has opened 15 questions to the entire profession, not just the delegates, asking what society actually has the right to expect from a communication professional. This episode looks at what's being asked, why regions like Africa and Asia are answering in force while North America stays quiet, and what happens to the next set of rules if you skip your turn to answer. Listen For 5:02 Why Should Communication Professionals Care About the Abuja Declaration? 7:30 Should Public Relations Professionals Be Licensed or Regulated? 9:44 What Should Society Expect From a Professional Communicator? 14:29 How Will the Abuja Research Prevent Regional Bias From Shaping the Results? 17:20 What Happens After the Abuja Declaration Is Created? Guest: Adrian Cropley, Centre for Strategic Communications Excellence, Website | LinkedIn | Adrian’s Podcast A View from the Top | CSCE Website Doug Downs Substack | Website | LinkedIn Subscribe to the Stories and Strategies PR podcast newsletter Are you a brand with a podcast that needs support? Book a meeting with Doug Downs to talk about it. Apply to be a guest on the podcast Connect with us LinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Pinterest Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Support the show

September 15, 2026Episode 24720 min

Cognitive Surrender and What it Means to Public Relations

For decades, PR professionals have tried to influence what people think or how they think it. AI may be changing something even more fundamental: whether people do much of that thinking themselves. Researchers call it “Cognitive Surrender.” The tendency to accept an AI-generated answer without really scrutinizing it. And if AI increasingly sits between your message and your audience, or starts doing the thinking for communicators themselves, the implications for trust, persuasion and professional judgment could be enormous. Listen For 4:30 What Is Cognitive Surrender and How Did Researchers Test It? 7:44 Why Did People Accept Wrong AI Answers 80% of the Time? 9:53 Can Cognitive Surrender Weaken Critical Thinking Skills? 12:47 What Happens When AI Sits Between PR Pros and the Public? 15:14 Why Should Communicators Think First and Prompt Second? Guest: Dr Steven Shaw, PhD, King’s College London and Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania Website | LinkedIn | Google Scholar page Doug Substack | Website | LinkedIn Subscribe to the Stories and Strategies PR podcast newsletter Are you a brand with a podcast that needs support? Book a meeting with Doug Downs to talk about it. Apply to be a guest on the podcast Connect with us LinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Pinterest Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Support the show

September 8, 2026Episode 24622 min

Turn Small Talk Over Drinks into Your Best Public Relations Tool

Every PR person knows the moment: you're holding a coffee or a glass of wine at a networking event, the small talk has dried up, and the person standing next to you outranks you by a lot. Shawn Spitaleri has spent years collecting the kind of beverage trivia that fixes exactly that problem, real, verifiable stories about why your coffee tastes the way it does, why tea sparked a geopolitical crisis, and why every champagne bottle opens with the same number of twists no matter who made it. This episode is a toolkit, not a lecture. Shawn walks through coffee, tea, champagne, wine, and beer, pulling out the one fact from each that's actually worth repeating out loud, the kind that gets a genuine reaction instead of a polite nod. If you've ever needed something better than "so, how about this weather" to say to a stranger holding the same drink as you, this one's for you. Listen For 4:17 Why Did Governments Try to Ban Coffee? 6:08 How Did Britain’s Love of Tea Fuel the Opium Trade and Corporate Espionage? 9:41 Did Dom Pérignon Really Invent Champagne? 12:16 What Does the World’s Oldest Beer Recipe Reveal About Ancient Drinking Culture? 17:29 How Did Franklin Roosevelt Help Popularize the Dirty Martini? Guest: Shawn Spitaleri, The Architect, Obscura Meridian Co Distillate Podcast | Website Doug Substack | Website | LinkedIn Subscribe to the Stories and Strategies PR podcast newsletter Are you a brand with a podcast that needs support? Book a meeting with Doug Downs to talk about it. Apply to be a guest on the podcast Connect with us LinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Pinterest Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode Support the show