Client-agency relationships, acquisitions and how agencies are really using AI – these are among the topics discussed in PRWeek UK’s latest podcast.

This week’s edition of Beyond the Noise features insights from the PRWeek UK Top 150 questionnaire, which asked comms consultancies about a range of issues affecting their businesses. Click here to access the articles published to date.

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

PRWeek journalists Danny Rogers (editor-in-chief), John Harrington (UK editor) and Evie Barrett (senior reporter) analyse the data and pick out salient comments from agencies, taken from the Top 150 questionnaire.

Questions discussed include:

• How many agencies are asking for higher fees – and are they successful?
• Are clients becoming more demanding?
• How are agencies really using AI on a day-to-day basis?
• How many agencies plan to increase their mandatory office days?
• Are agencies still keen on acquisitions, and what does it tell us about the market?
• What are the top locations for new offices?

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How do you handle the communications strategy for a company merger? That’s the topic of PRWeek UK’s latest Beyond the Noise podcast.

Joining UK news editor Siobhan Holt this week are PRWeek reporter Eliza Wiredu and Andi Donovan, head of communications at Vodafone, alongside Mandy Sharp, founder and CEO of Tin Man Communications. 

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.

Last year, it was announced that a £15bn merger between mobile networks Vodafone and Three had been approved by the Competition and Markets Authority, setting the stage for the creation of the UK’s biggest mobile network with about 27 million mobile phone customers. The merger is set to be complete in the first half of 2025. 

In the episode, the two bosses discuss the communications strategy around the imminent merger. Donovan explains how Vodafone is being supported by its agencies, including Tin Man, which has been Vodafone’s consumer PR agency since 2022, and Teneo.

The two leaders chat about their client-agency partnership and campaign work. In light of the recent Netflix drama Adolescence, which raised the issue of toxic masculinity online, the pair discuss Vodafone’s previous award-winning campaign work on harmful algorithms online, and how the mobile network is continuing to highlight the issue.

The pair also chat about AI technology and the current PR and comms recruitment market.

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PRWeek dissects the phenomenon of digitally-generated influencers, and how they’re being used by brands, in the latest Beyond the Noise podcast. Joining the podcast this week are Lewis Davey, founder of Idea Farm and co-founder of AI influencer talent management agency Pixel; and Mark Lowe, co-founder of Third City.

Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify.

Our guests examine the rise of AI influencers – virtual personalities built, managed and controlled by specialist coding teams – and what they mean for the future of influencer marketing.

Speaking to PRWeek UK senior reporter Evie Barrett, Davey and Lowe discuss the benefits of working with an AI influencer over a human, as well as the ethical challenges that arise.

They look at consumer attitudes towards these virtual personas, and offer advice to comms professionals wanting to introduce AI influencers into their brand campaigns.

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How have PR agencies adapted to April’s tax increases and other cost rises? How do they feel about current trading generally? PRWeek UK’s Beyond the Noise podcast takes a look.

PRWeek journalists John Harrington (UK editor), Siobhan Holt (news editor) and Evie Barrett (senior reporter) delve into PRWeek UK’s latest Top 150 Monthly Trading Tracker to see what agency bosses have been saying about recent trading.

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.

As increases to National Insurance Contributions, the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage come into effect, they discuss new research from the Trading Tracker that shows how UK PR agencies have been adapting.

Freezing or scaling back recruitment and staff pay rises, and reducing freelance and other business costs, are among the steps taken by some comms agencies.

We also hear what industry recruitment firm Latte has to say about the impact of April’s cost increases on the PR recruitment market.

On a lighter note, the journalists pick out their favourite April Fools’ PR stunts, and ask: should brands still bother with the annual prankfest?

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What are the benefits and challenges of running a PR agency outside London? That’s the topic of PRWeek UK’s latest Beyond the Noise podcast.

Joining UK news editor Siobhan Holt this week is Charles Tattersall, executive chairman, and Martin Currie, chief executive from Citypress in Manchester; alongside Jane Ainsworth managing director of Birmingham-based PR agency, WPR.  

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

In the episode, the three comms bosses take a closer look at trading outside of London and discuss areas of business growth. 

They debate if PR is too London-centric; and address the biggest misconceptions are about being a regionally-based PR business. 

The three leaders chat about the current PR and comms recruitment market and how they’ve seen a rise in talent searching for agencies in cities such as Manchester and Birmingham.

The comms chiefs also share their views on Omnicom’s acquisition of Interpublic; the impact of COVID-19 on the sector five years on from the first UK lockdown; and how they are using AI technology.   

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What’s ahead for ESG in the Trump era, and beyond? That’s the topic of PRWeek UK’s latest Beyond the Noise podcast.

Joining UK editor John Harrington this week is Mo Hussein, president, UK public and government affairs, at Edelman; and Andrew Adie, MD, strategy and corporate communications and head of purpose and sustainability, at SEC Newgate.

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.

Starting with the ‘E’ of ESG, the episode asks how seriously companies are really scaling back their environmental and sustainability commitments in the Trump presidency, how they are communicating it, and whether it’s a genuine global shift.

For the ‘S’, the guests discuss communicating diversity, equity and inclusion policies, given Trump’s high-profile distain for DEI. They discuss communications around the DEI rollback and the phenomenon of ‘DEI-hushing’.

Hussein and Adie give their views on the investment community’s move away from ESG in recent years and put forward their predictions for ESG generally.

Separately, the duo offer comms advice for firms affected by Trump’s round of import tariffs.

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Hugh Taggart talks about his first year as FleishmanHillard’s UK chief executive, plus the latest on the Omnicom-IPG deal, new business opportunities in 2025 and more, in the latest PRWeek podcast.

FleishmanHillard’s UK CEO Hugh Taggart, previously Edelman’s co-CEO for the UK and Ireland is the focus of the latest episode of Beyond the Noise.

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.

In the episode, Taggart discusses his first year at FleishmanHillard with PRWeek UK news editor Siobhan Holt and senior reporter Evie Barrett. 

He speaks about the challenges, including what changes he has made at the agency. He also discusses his time at Edelman and his views on the differences between the two PR firms. 

In December, it was announced that FleishmanHillard’s parent company Omnicom is set to acquire Interpublic, the holding company that owns Weber Shandwick and Golin. Taggart gives an update on the Omnicom-IPG deal and shares his thoughts on the merger.  

New business is also examined, and the UK chief executive discusses agency/client relationships and the market in 2025. 

In addition, Taggart gives his advice to corporate communications professionals on how to handle the current geopolitical situations and roll-backs on DEI. He also shares his views on AI and the opportunities, and industry predictions for 2025. 

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The PRWeek editorial team review the newly launched 2025 Power Book, discussing how big it's become, preparations for the party and some of the (often surprising) answers given by leading comms professionals this year. The Power Book, which lists the most influential people working in UK communications today, went live this week. Click here to access the coverage, including the ‘top 10s’ of PR professionals in different sectors.

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.

This week’s episode features PRWeek’s Danny Rogers (editor-in-chief), Evie Barrett (senior reporter) and Siobhan Holt (news editor).

The three journalists prepare for the party and Rogers discusses the background to the Power Book and how it has evolved since the first iteration back in 2007.

The trio 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 2024 are also discussed. 

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YouTube sensation turned brand marketer Josh Pieters is the special guest on this week’s episode of PRWeek’s Beyond the Noise podcast.

Having amassed 1.5m subscribers on his YouTube channel – by pranking the likes of Katie Hopkins, Carol Baskin, Anne Widdicombe, and Molly Mae Hague – Josh Pieters discusses his formula for internet fame.

Now creating social media content for brands at Goon Squad Productions, Pieters offers tips on launching disruptive campaigns without facing backlash, and shares his view that businesses should invest in long-form video over traditional ads.

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.

The social media star also shares the process behind his recent documentary with OnlyFans star Lily Phillips, including the precautions put in place to minimise the chance of a comms crisis.

He reveals which social media platform he believes to be “the gold standard” for any online strategy, and explains the nuances between Instagram Reels and TikTok.

Joining Pieters on this episode is PRWeek’s senior reporter, Evie Barrett.

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The rollback on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) by big corporations is the subject of PRWeek’s latest Beyond the Noise podcast.

Joining the podcast this week are Avril Lee, head of health and wellness, Europe, at Zeno Group, and chair of the DEI Network at the CIPR; and Zaiba Malik, director of Coppergate Communications and an author, crisis communications consultant, media trainer and ex-journalist.

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

Our guests examine the communications strategies and approaches of different companies that have dropped, or watered-down, their DEI commitments in the wake of the election of Donald Trump to a second presidency. ‘DEI must DEI’ has become the mantra of the Trump government and the President’s new executive orders aim to dismantle nearly all forms of DEI.

Speaking to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington, Lee and Malik discuss the potential impact of these actions on the wider comms and reputation of an organisation, especially in the longer term.

They look at what these policies might mean for the ‘calendar events’ such as Pride and Black History Month.

Lee and Malik offer advice to comms professionals working with companies that are backing away from DEI. And they talk about what, if anything, comms can do to influence these policies in the first place.

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