Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations

Stories and Strategies
  • 5.0 (13)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations

Welcome to Stories and Strategies, the world’s most listened to Public Relations podcast according to Podchaser, Goodpods, and data from Rephonic on public relations, communications, and marketing. Hosted by award-winning PR professionals Doug Downs in Canada and Farzana Baduel in the UK, this weekly podcast offers you bold ideas, sharp insights, and honest conversations about the future of public relations, strategic communications, and marketing. Every Tuesday, we release a new 20-minute episode packed with practical takeaways for PR professionals, communication strategists, and marketing leaders around the world. Whether it’s earned media, brand storytelling, digital communications, or navigating AI and behavioral science, we go beyond the surface and ask the questions that matter. Stories and Strategies doesn’t do puff pieces or profiles,  we dive into the real issues facing the global PR, marketing and comms industry with guests who are actively shaping it. Our episodes are trusted by listeners in over 100 countries. Follow now and join a worldwide community of public relations, marketing, and communications professionals driving the industry forward — one story at a time, every Tuesday.                              

  1. Selling our Value – Not our Time

    4D AGO

    Selling our Value – Not our Time

    What if everything you’ve been taught about pricing your work—tracking time, logging hours, justifying effort—was wrong? What if the real value of what you do isn't how long it takes, but what impact it has?  In a world where generative AI can draft press releases in seconds and churn out strategy decks before your coffee cools, PR professionals face a crossroads: race to the bottom by charging less for faster work—or redefine what clients are actually paying for. In this episode, Graham Goodkind, founder and chairman of Frank, one of the UK’s most creatively disruptive PR agencies challenges how we think about pricing, pitching, and protecting our creative value—because if you’re still selling time, you’re selling yourself short. Listen For 3:25 Why Time Is Not Your Currency in PR  4:49 Building Frank PR on Selling Ideas Not Hours 7:57 Frank PR Revenue and Profitability Stats 10:37 AI’s Role in Creativity and Workflow 17:42 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Lauren Passell 21:17 Graham’s Best Advice for Starting in PR  Guest: Graham Goodkind, Frank PR Website | Email | LinkedIn    Rate this podcast with just one click  Stories and Strategies Website Curzon Public Relations Website 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 Support the show

    25 min
  2. Authenticity Isn’t a Buzzword, It’s a Business Model

    JUL 8

    Authenticity Isn’t a Buzzword, It’s a Business Model

    What if the smartest pitch you ever sent didn’t sound smart at all—but sounded real?  In a world where inboxes are flooded with AI-polished messages, Lauren Passell makes a strong case for going the other way: writing like a human, listening like a fan, and leading with a story—not a sales hook. This episode unpacks how to stand out by showing up differently, not louder. Listen For 6:44 Authenticity: Real or Just a Buzzword? 9:43 The Empathy Wake-Up Call for PR Pros” 10:59 Pitching as Love Letters, Not Spam 12:00 Tink’s Radical No-AI Policy 18:34 Why PR Has a Reputation Problem 21:53 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Bradley Davis    Guest: Lauren Passell, Tink Media Website | Email | X | LinkedIn | Instagram | You Tube | Substack Podcast the Newsletter   Stories and Strategies Website Curzon Public Relations Website Apply to be a guest on the podcast Connect with us LinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Pinterest Request a transcript of this episode Support the show

    30 min
  3. Name, Blame, and Damage Control

    JUL 1

    Name, Blame, and Damage Control

    Your reputation is your most valuable asset — but also the most fragile.  In today’s world, a single tweet, leaked email, or bad headline can trigger a crisis faster than you can hit "refresh." But reputation isn’t just about avoiding scandal — it’s about building trust, culture, and resilience before anything goes wrong.  In this episode, we speak with Emma Woollcott, one of the UK’s top legal experts in reputation protection, about what organizations need to know now to prepare for the headlines they hope they never make.  Listen For 4:42 Reputation Redefined: It's About Feeling, Not Thinking 7:54 Avoidable Crises: Most Disasters Don’t Come Out of Nowhere 9:38 Simulate the Storm: Why Crisis Drills Are Gamechangers 12:56 Crisis Command: Cutting Through Chaos and Ego 17:19 Rise of the Newsfluencers: The New Media Landscape 20:23 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Mark Burey    Guest: Emma Woollcott Website | Email | LinkedIn    Rate this podcast with just one click  Stories and Strategies Website Curzon Public Relations Website 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 Request a transcript of this episode Support the show

    28 min
  4. Media Literacy in the Age of Misinformation

    JUN 24

    Media Literacy in the Age of Misinformation

    Is your media diet making you smarter? Or just more stubborn?  In this episode, we sit down with senior communicator and former journalist Mark Burey to explore how the collapse of shared truth is reshaping public relations. From the erosion of local journalism to the rise of AI-generated content. What does media literacy really looks like today? And what role do PR professionals play in rebuilding trust?  Listen For 7:33 What media literacy means in 2025 10:13 The decline of local journalism and its ripple effects 11:08 How PR has absorbed the watchdog role 13:39 What to do when misinformation feels like fact 15:43 Appreciative inquiry: changing minds without confrontation 21:23 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Bradley Davis   Guest: Mark Burey Website | Email | LinkedIn    Rate this podcast with just one click  Stories and Strategies Website Curzon Public Relations Website Apply to be a guest on the podcast Connect with us LinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Pinterest Request a transcript of this episode Support the show

    28 min
  5. Public Relations: Independent Function or Marketing Tool?

    JUN 17

    Public Relations: Independent Function or Marketing Tool?

    Are public relations and marketing two distinct disciplines—or is PR simply one piece of the broader marketing puzzle? It’s a question that stirs up strong opinions in boardrooms, agencies, and comms teams alike.  Some argue PR is strategic storytelling aimed at building relationships, while marketing is focused on driving sales. Others say that in today’s world of integrated messaging, the separation is outdated. In this episode, we take on the debate head-on, exploring how the roles overlap, where they diverge, and whether the modern media landscape has blurred the lines beyond repair. Is PR still its own function—or has it become just another lane on marketing’s highway? Listen For: :10 Fyre Festival The Luxury Mirage  4:02 Influence vs Image Showdown  6:25 PR Is the Pie  10:14 The Sad Fate of Local Media  13:02 Metrics KPIs and the Dashboard Wars  18:54 Who Owns the Message  25:10 The Final Prediction Marketers Report to PR Rate this podcast with just one click  Stories and Strategies Website Curzon Public Relations Website 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 Request a transcript of this episode Support the show

    29 min
  6. The Missing Channel in Your PR Strategy

    JUN 10

    The Missing Channel in Your PR Strategy

    Most PR strategies still focus on the big three: social, legacy media, and search. But while everyone’s watching the headlines, the real conversations—the ones shaping trust, behavior, and brand reputation—are happening in people’s ears. Podcasts aren’t just a trend or another content format. They’re a strategic intelligence channel, and if you’re not monitoring them, you’re missing critical signals.  In this episode of Stories and Strategies, we talk to Bradley Davis, co-founder and CEO of Podchaser, the platform often called the “IMDb of podcasts.” From how global brands like Starbucks and Amazon use podcast data to shape campaigns, to why the most valuable audience insights aren’t public-facing at all,  PR pros need to know what they can no longer afford to ignore. Listen For 1:29 The Crackle That Started It All 3:33 Podchaser: IMDb for Podcasts 5:25 Podcasting as a Third Dimension of Analytics 8:20 Guest Pitching vs. Starting a Podcast 10:32 How Rogan, Newsom & Trump Changed the Game 13:05 Key Messages Out. Vibe Is In. 21:09 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Guest Irene Lungu Guest: Bradley Davis, Co-Founder & CEO, Podchaser  Podchaser | LinkedIn | Instagram | X | About Bradley Rate this podcast with just one click  Stories and Strategies Website Curzon Public Relations Website 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 Support the show

    29 min
  7. Zambia’s Public Relations Revolution

    JUN 2

    Zambia’s Public Relations Revolution

    What does public relations look like in a country where radio is still growing, social media still exploding, and communication reaches from rural villages to global platforms?   In this episode, we take a closer look at Zambia — a nation with a vibrant, evolving PR landscape shaped by both tradition and innovation.   Irene Lungu is one of Zambia’s leading voices in public relations and a board member of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management. She joins us to talk about ethics, communication trends, and the responsibilities that come with influence in today’s media environment.   We explore how Zambian practitioners are navigating rapid change, and what global conversations they're helping to shape.  Listen For 3:50 Why Zambia Regulated Its PR Industry 6:14 Resistance and Discomfort: Who Pushed Back 8:00 Is PR Regulation a Threat to Free Speech? 14:36 Global Standards, Local Contexts 16:14 The World’s #1 Risk: Misinformation 18:52. Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Guest Olivia Fajardo Guest: Irene Lungu LinkedIn | Global Alliance Board Profile    Rate this podcast with just one click  Stories and Strategies Website Curzon Public Relations Website 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 Request a transcript of this episode Support the show

    24 min
  8. Employee Engagement Inside PR: What the Research Reveals

    MAY 27

    Employee Engagement Inside PR: What the Research Reveals

    Employee engagement is evolving — and the old assumptions no longer hold. Today, workers want more than a paycheck. They want growth, flexibility, and to feel like their voices matter. In this episode, we unpack surprising new research on what really drives engagement, retention, and belonging inside organizations. Olivia Fajardo joins us to explain why internal communications has become mission critical — and how companies can move from simply talking to truly connecting. If you care about building teams that stay and thrive, this conversation is for you.  Listen For 4:14 PR: As Stressful as Firefighting 5:05 Why Communicators Feel More Purpose 6:34 Career Stagnation: The Hidden Threat 9:27 The Hybrid Challenge for Internal Comms 12:05 The Listening-Action Gap 12:10 Olivia’s Strategies to Build Trust and Accountability 20:05 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Guest Helena Humphrey Guest: Oliva Fajardo, Director of Research, Institute for Public Relations LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook Link to IPR Study Employee Engagement in the Communications Industry   Rate this podcast with just one click  Stories and Strategies Website Curzon Public Relations Website 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 Request a transcript of this episode Support the show

    26 min
See All (196)

Trailer

5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Welcome to Stories and Strategies, the world’s most listened to Public Relations podcast according to Podchaser, Goodpods, and data from Rephonic on public relations, communications, and marketing. Hosted by award-winning PR professionals Doug Downs in Canada and Farzana Baduel in the UK, this weekly podcast offers you bold ideas, sharp insights, and honest conversations about the future of public relations, strategic communications, and marketing. Every Tuesday, we release a new 20-minute episode packed with practical takeaways for PR professionals, communication strategists, and marketing leaders around the world. Whether it’s earned media, brand storytelling, digital communications, or navigating AI and behavioral science, we go beyond the surface and ask the questions that matter. Stories and Strategies doesn’t do puff pieces or profiles,  we dive into the real issues facing the global PR, marketing and comms industry with guests who are actively shaping it. Our episodes are trusted by listeners in over 100 countries. Follow now and join a worldwide community of public relations, marketing, and communications professionals driving the industry forward — one story at a time, every Tuesday.                              

Information

More From Stories and Strategies

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada