With Cannes Festival of Creativity , PRWeek speaks with a creative director about the value of industry awards, and how the rivalry between PR and advertising has evolved.

This week on Beyond the Noise, we hear from Ottilie Ross, creative director at PR agency Mischief.

Ross – who also has experience at The Romans, Halpern and Milk & Honey – shares her view on whether industry accolades actually matter, and which recent work she thinks is award-worthy.

Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comms and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.

Speaking to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington and journalist Evie Barrett, Ross shares her view on how advertising is evolving to compete with PR, and how the UK’s creativity compares to that of other markets.

She also reveals Mischief’s approach to boosting creativity when it comes to clients issuing mundane briefs, and discusses which PR tropes she’d like to see the back of.

Cannes Lions takes place from 16 to 20 June. Stay tuned to PRWeek for all the news and insights from the festival.

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The recent acceleration in CEO and MD departures and arrivals at major UK PR agencies is examined in PRWeek’s latest Beyond the Noise podcast.

The past few weeks have seen changes at the top of the UK or EMEA operations of big agencies including Edelman, MSL, FTI, Weber Shandwick, FleishmanHillard and Hotwire.

Joining PRWeek’s Siobhan Holt and John Harrington to discuss the trend is Amy Hayer, a partner at Hanson Search, a headhunting consultancy that specialises in recruiting C-suite comms leaders.

Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comms and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.

The trio talk about why the current trading climate may be fuelling the rate of change among senior leadership teams, and what skills and career experience agencies and holding companies want for their UK bosses.

They also look at the extent to which bosses themselves may want to leave to try something different.

The issue of agency leaders being recruited from in-house roles, and the counter-trend of agency chiefs moving client-side, is discussed. So too is the question of whether promotions from within have become less common and why there may be a generational shift.

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This week on Beyond the Noise, we hear from Pitch Marketing Group founder and chief executive Henry Chappell, who discusses why FIFA World Cup 26 looks set to eclipse all previous global sporting events, according to a new report from the sports marketing agency.

Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comms and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or on your favourite platform.

With exactly one year to go until FIFA World Cup 26 kicks off, the Pitch report predicts the tournament will have a global reach of more than five billion people, equivalent to about 63 per cent of the world’s population. A staggering 711 billion combined engagements across all media platforms are also anticipated.

Speaking to PRWeek editor-in-chief Danny Rogers, Chappell – who has topped the PRWeek UK Power Book Sports (Agency) list for the past two years – said the scale of the tournament was unprecedented, with 104 matches across 16 cities converging sport with culture, music and technology.

Sandy Doran, strategy director at Pitch, stated: “Geopolitics and legacy aside, the real winners will be the brands who use the ‘human intelligence’ of content creators the best, or at least bother to check that their AI content isn’t going rogue. And also the brands that represent football fans, first and foremost, and don’t get suckered into the ‘Super Bowl-isation’ of the tournament.”

The podcast also hears why brands will have to be decisive about the role of artificial intelligence in their campaigns, and how the report warns that authentic content from ex-professional footballers could prove more popular than anything produced by traditional broadcasters.

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Two shortlisting jurors for this year's PR category at Cannes Festival of Creativity are the special guests on today's episode of Beyond the Noise.

This week on Beyond the Noise, we hear from Sarah Hargrave, EMEA chief executive of Porter Novelli; and Nina Pickup, former head of creative strategy at Salterbaxter – both of whom are shortlisting jurors for the PR Lions at The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025.

Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comms and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen in the browser above, or on your favourite platform.

And as the industry prepares to take its annual jaunt to the French Riviera, PRWeek journalist Evie Barrett quizzes our guests on some of the big talking points at Cannes in 2025.

They examine whether ‘purpose’ will be a prevalent theme this year, as well as the role that AI is now playing, both behind-the-scenes and taking centre-stage in creative work.

The duo share their experience of the Cannes Lions judging process, revealing how they decide what a 'good idea' looks like when it comes to PR campaigns.

Cannes Lions takes place from 16 to 20 June. Stay tuned to PRWeek for all the news and insights from the festival.

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Speaking to a PRWeek editor-in-chief Danny Rogers at PR360 last week, Simon Lewis and David Yelland discuss their comms careers and the biggest things they’ve learnt about the sector - and about podcasting.

Lewis and Yelland are among the experienced figures in UK comms and media. The former was director of comms for Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Vodafone, British Gas and The Queen; while Yelland, who now runs consultancy Kitchen Table Partners, was previously editor of The Sun and has held senior roles at Weber Shandwick and Brunswick.

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The latest episode of the Beyond the Noise podcast features PRWeek journalists Danny Rogers (editor-in-chief), Siobhan Holt (news editor), Eliza Wiredu (reporter) and Evie Barrett (senior reporter) as they dissect the two-day PR360 event.

Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.

One of the key themes running through PR360 was the evolving role of AI in PR. Compared to last year, Holt observed a noticeable shift toward more practical applications of AI, with several sessions showcasing real-world implementations.

Barrett breaks down a compelling panel on the client-agency relationship. One of the standout insights came from Scott Colvin, group director of public affairs at Aviva, who criticised current pitching models and procurement practices.

Holt also recaps a b2b communications panel that tackled the balance between creativity and commercial value. She highlights Sodexo’s b2b campaign as a prime example of prioritising real business solutions over superficial creative flair.

Rogers reflects on a session examining the shifting news media landscape, with contributions from representatives of Meta, News Movement and Ocado. The conversation centred on how PR professionals can adapt to the evolving ways people consume news.

Wiredu offers insights from a panel on AI innovation, including a standout presentation by Virgin Media O2’s head of corporate comms, Luke Stallard. He introduced the company’s lauded “AI Granny Daisy” campaign and shared advice on staying ahead of potential media interest when launching unconventional initiatives.

Other key discussions focused on the integration of social media within communications teams and how brands can more effectively reach Gen-Z audiences.

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What is the PR recruitment market like at the moment – and what do comms employers want from candidates? PRWeek UK’s latest podcast takes a look.

This week’s episode of the Beyond the Noise podcast features Mary Harding, joint chief executive of Tangerine Comms, and Jenny Pape, head of talent and development at Blurred. Pape also helps recruit on behalf of clients and provides insights into the in-house PR recruitment market.

Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.

Speaking to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington, the duo discuss the volume of applications they are getting and how the quantity – and quality – of candidates has changed in a “saturated” market.

They talk about the key things that can help candidates stand out – and reveal their ‘red flags’.

The conversation covers the interview process, the importance (or otherwise) of academic qualifications, the use of AI in recruitment, and ensuring a diverse candidate pool.

Salary expectations and employee requests for flexible working and other workplace policies are also examined.

PRWeek is looking for current PR jobseekers, or those who have recently experienced the PR job market as a candidate, to appear in an upcoming episode of Beyond the Noise. Email [email protected] if you would like to take part.

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What's the best way to handle comms when a cyber attack hits? PRWeek UK's latest podcast takes a look.

With recent attacks on well-known UK retailers Marks & Spencer, the Co-op and Harrods, the Beyond the Noise podcast delves into the issue with two expert guests.

Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.

Our guests this week include someone with first hand experience of a cyber attack at their organisation. Jack Richards is global head of integrated & field marketing at Onclusive, the media monitoring company that encountered a cyber-security incident in February 2024.

Our other guest is Charlotte McGill from Burson UK’s Crisis Team, who has advised clients on cyber attacks.

Speaking to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington, Richards discusses how Onclusive reacted when the cyber attack hit, how the company's approach changed over time, and what, in hindsight, Onclusive should have done differently.

"We were running on instinct rather than data a lot of the time," he states, and explains how Onclusive changed its crisis comms plan after the incident.

McGill and Richards talk more broadly about the importance of being prepared for a cyber attack, and getting buy-in from the senior leadership about the vital role played by comms.

They emphasise the need to keep stakeholders informed while not being too hasty with announcements. The issue of who at an organisation is the best to 'front' the response is also discussed.

The duo end by offering their top tips for handling comms during a cyber attack.

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With the Top 150 now live, PRWeek journalists Danny Rogers (editor-in-chief) and Siobhan Holt (news editor) discuss the big themes from the project, which includes the annual ranking of the UK’s 150 biggest comms consultancies by revenue.

Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.

Rogers and Holt look at the top-line data on the Top 150, which showed a slowing of growth in the 2024 calendar year amid a number of challenges.

The duo discuss which parts of the industry have had a more difficult period of trading, and which have benefitted from the political and economic upheaval, or otherwise managed to grow their revenue.

Trends in consumer, corporate, healthcare and tech comms, among other areas, are examined.

Elsewhere, the journalists also look at margins and profitability – and ask whether agencies are making enough on the bottom line.

They scrutinise research around business confidence, looking at what proportion of agencies are hopeful that 2025 will be a better year of trading for them than 2024. Rogers and Holt also give their own marks out of 10 for how hopeful they are for the sector in 2025.

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A "swing away from Trump" may be beginning, former White House communications director Ben La Bolt tells PRWeek's Beyond the Noise podcast. What are the lessons for comms?

As Trump completes his first 100 days in office, PRWeek catches up with La Bolt, who was director of comms under President Biden from 2023 until last year.

Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.

La Bolt (pictured below) - currently president of the policy and strategic comms agency Bully Pulpit International - discusses his experience working in White House comms and how it changed from his time as an aide in the Obama administration to his tenure under Biden.

He contrasts this to the current approach of White House communications under Trump.

La Bolt reflects on signs of a mood shift among the public, businesses and institutions away from Trump and his controversial policies, and examines the lessons for communicators.

In particular, he emphasises the importance of brands reaffirming their values in these changing times.

On AI, he fears the technology will "greatly accelerate" dis- and mis-information - especially ahead of the next US Presidential Election in 2028 - while also recognising AI's benefits.

In addition, La Bolt discusses what's ahead for Bully Pulpit International, including possible new acquisitions - last November the firm announced it had bought UK-based comms agency Seven Hills alongside market research business Message House.

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