Beyond the Noise - the PRWeek podcast PRWeek

PR consultant Mark Borkovski discusses culture wars in the latest episode of PRWeek’s Beyond the Noise podcast.
Beyond the Noise, which is published on alternate weeks, looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comms and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
Joining the podcast this week is PR consultant, author and popular public speaker Mark Borkowski.
A regular in PRWeek’s Power Book, he is the founder of his eponymous PR agency Borkowski, which has successfully delivered publicity, communications and crisis management campaigns for over 30 years.
Speaking to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington and news editor Siobhan Holt, Borkowski discusses how to navigate ‘culture wars’.
There has been a spate of high-profile incidents by brands recently, from Bud Light’s missteps in handling the aftermath of its partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney last year to Nike’s England men’s football kit featuring what the brand described as a ‘playful’ version of the St George’s Cross on the collar.
In this episode, Borkowski talks about the challenges associated with ‘culture wars’ and considers the recent examples in the news. He reflects on how the changing media landscape is affecting the situation.
We also hear his insight on avoiding controversy and backlash.


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Is trading on the up? That’s just one of the topics examined in PRWeek’s latest Noise in Brief podcast.
Noise in Brief – a shorter offshoot of PRWeek’s Beyond the Noise podcast – is released fortnightly and features PRWeek UK journalists discussing major issues from the previous seven days or so.
Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
This week’s edition is hosted by PRWeek UK news editor Siobhan Holt and features UK editor John Harrington and reporter Evie Barrett.
In the podcast, the team discuss the most recent PRWeek UK Top 150 Monthly Trading Tracker, which surveys UK PR agencies on trading in the past month. 
Elsewhere, the trio chat about the recent news that Scottish Labour has criticised the Scottish Government for its comms bill for health and social care, and explore how the PR and comms industry can justify its value to the general public. 
And the journalist also discuss Brazen PR’s ‘Mind the Gap’ report, which asks if it’s time for brand marketers to burst the London PR bubble.


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AI experts from Hill & Knowlton and MSL reveal what their agencies have been doing to keep on top of AI in the latest episode of PRWeek's Beyond the Noise podcast.
Beyond the Noise, which is published on alternate weeks, looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comms and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
Joining the podcast this week are Allison Spray, global head of intel and tech innovation at Hill & Knowlton; and Natasha Torres-Coote, account manager at MSL and one of the driving forces behind the agency’s AI strategy.
Spray, a leading AI expert at H&K and parent company WPP, appeared on Beyond the Noise almost one year ago to talk about trends in AI at that point. On this week's episode, she and Torres-Coote discuss what has been done in the intervening months and how AI is being adopted at the agencies.
The role of the technology in countering mis- and disinformation for clients, and its use in creative campaigns and PR measurement, are among the topics discussed.
Speaking to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington, Spray and Torres-Coote reveal the most common questions from employees on AI, what kind of training is being provided, and whether staff are really concerned about their jobs.
We also hear what clients are saying about AI.
Finally, the duo give their view of what may lie ahead for the technology and how it may affect comms.

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What explains the recent exodus of agency bosses? That's one topic examined in PRWeek's latest Noise in Brief podcast.
Noise in Brief – a shorter offshoot of PRWeek’s Beyond the Noise podcast – is released fortnightly and features PRWeek UK journalists discussing major issues from the previous seven days or so.
Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or on your favourite platform.
This week’s edition is hosted by PRWeek UK news editor Siobhan Holt and features UK editor John Harrington and reporter Evie Barrett.
Recent weeks have brought news of a number of senior agency figures announce their departures, a trend examined in a recent PRWeek article.
The PRWeek team discuss why it may happening now, looking at issues such as the challenging trading conditions, burnout and the desire to try something new.
Elsewhere, the recent controversy around Nike's new England shirt featuring a differently-coloured cross of St George is explored in the context of brands operating in the 'culture war' era.
And the trio pick out some of their highlights from last week's PRWeek PharmaComms conference.


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Big themes and lessons from the 2024 PRWeek UK Power Book are examined in the latest episode of the Beyond the Noise podcast.
The Power Book, which lists the most influential people working in UK communications today, went live earlier this month. Click here to access the coverage, including the 'top 10s' of PR professionals in different sectors.
Beyond the Noise, which is published on alternate weeks, looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comms and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.
This week's episode features PRWeek's Danny Rogers (editor-in-chief), John Harrington (UK editor) and Siobhan Holt (news editor).
The trio discuss the background to the Power Book and how it has evolved since the first iteration back in 2007.
They offer views on the individuals and organisations judged by Power Book members to be the best and worst comms performers over the past 12 months. PR leaders' favourite creative campaigns from 2023 are also discussed and we examine how prepared they feel for the AI era.
Finally, the journalists discuss the selection process behind the Power Book and what it takes to be included each year.

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The royal photo sage, agency acquisitions and 'floating it down the Thames' - these topics are put under the microscope in the latest edition of PRWeek's Noise in Brief podcast.
Noise in Brief – a shorter offshoot of PRWeek’s Beyond the Noise podcast – is released fortnightly and features PRWeek UK journalists discussing major issues from the previous seven days or so.
Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen in the browser above or on your favourite platform.
This week’s edition is hosted by PRWeek UK editor John Harrington and features reporters Eliza Wiredu and Evie Barrett.
The saga over the Princess of Wales' doctored Mother's Day photograph, and the subsequent statement from Kate following the backlash, continues to make headlines. As conspiracy theories and the rumour mill go into over-drive, the trio scrutinise how the crisis has been handled from a comms perspective and look at the wider lessons for the PR industry.
With MHP Group's intriguing acquisition of creative agency Studio La Plage last week, PRWeek journalists ask why this kind of investment is proving popular for PR agencies.
They also ask why the often-maligned 'float it down the Thames' PR stunt continues to be a campaign of choice for some brands and agencies, and debate the rights and wrongs of the trope in the AI age.


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