The PR Hotline

Thea Chippendale

The PR and marketing world is tough - we’re here to talk about it. The PR Hotline is hosted by Thea, Grace and Maja, who dive into real listener dilemmas from the world of PR, comms, and social. From nightmare clients to creative burnout, no topic is off-limits. Each week, we’re joined by a guest who helps us unpack the issue and share their own honest take. In the second half, they bring a campaign that caught their eye, and together, we explore what made it work and why.

Episodes

  1. The PR Hotline: How to Spot Toxic Culture in PR and Create Safer, Healthier Workplaces with Amelia Evans

    05/27/2025

    The PR Hotline: How to Spot Toxic Culture in PR and Create Safer, Healthier Workplaces with Amelia Evans

    ⚠️ Trigger warning: This episode includes discussion of bullying, harassment, and sexual harassment in the workplace. Please listen with care. Toxic behaviour in agency life is still far too common, and when it comes from someone in a position of power, it often goes unchecked. In this episode, Thea and Maja are joined by PR expert and freelancer Amelia Evans to have an open, honest conversation about the realities of bullying, harassment, and power dynamics in the workplace. Together, we discuss why PR culture can sometimes enable harmful behaviour, how fast-paced environments contribute to pressure and burnout, and why it can feel so difficult to speak up, especially when there’s no HR team to turn to. Amelia also shares her own experience of calling out inappropriate behaviour from a senior figure, what gave her the confidence to do it, and the protections that are available for those who might feel powerless. We also talk about what real people-first culture looks like (beyond pizza Fridays and fruit bowls), the red flags you should look out for when joining a new agency, and how we can all play a part in making the industry safer and more supportive. Links to resources we talked about in this episode ⁠ACAS⁠ https://www.acas.org.uk/advice ⁠Nugget⁠ https://www.nuggetsavings.com/ ⁠Rights of Women⁠ https://www.rightsofwomen.org.uk/get-advice/sexual-harassment-at-work-information/ ⁠Lauren Spearman https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenspearman/

    29 min
  2. The PR Hotline: How to Master Switching Between Sectors Without Burning Out in PR with Charlotte McManus

    05/20/2025

    The PR Hotline: How to Master Switching Between Sectors Without Burning Out in PR with Charlotte McManus

    Struggling to juggle multiple PR clients at once? In this episode of The PR Hotline, we’re joined by Charlotte McManus, Digital PR Strategist at Digital Loft, to explore how to balance several clients across completely different sectors - without sacrificing creativity, strategy, or your sanity. Charlotte shares expert tips on: - How to switch between industries without losing momentum - Daily habits and tools for better time management in PR - How to handle “needy” clients without neglecting others - Avoiding campaign fatigue and keeping ideas fresh - What junior PRs should do when they’re new to a sector We also deep-dive into a standout digital PR campaign: Harley Street Skin Clinic’s How Much Is Your Job Ageing You? calculator. Charlotte explains why it’s so successful, how it drives coverage and SEO value, and what you can learn from it to improve your own PR strategy. Whether you’re an exec, manager or freelancer, this episode is packed with real talk and practical advice for anyone working in digital PR or agency life. 00:00 Introduction to Digital PR and Agency Life 04:59 Navigating Multiple Clients and Industries 10:03 Client Management and Communication Strategies 14:52 Time Management and Team Collaboration 20:09 Creativity in Campaign Development 24:53 Client Management Systems and Habits 26:02 Strengthening Skills Across Industries 31:02 Analysing the Harley Street Skin Clinic Campaign 40:16 Key Takeaways from the Campaign

    34 min

About

The PR and marketing world is tough - we’re here to talk about it. The PR Hotline is hosted by Thea, Grace and Maja, who dive into real listener dilemmas from the world of PR, comms, and social. From nightmare clients to creative burnout, no topic is off-limits. Each week, we’re joined by a guest who helps us unpack the issue and share their own honest take. In the second half, they bring a campaign that caught their eye, and together, we explore what made it work and why.