"Is there a formula for fame?" "Definitely." "Can you tell me?" "No."

PR legend Mark Borkowski has spent four decades bending media to his will: from circus stunts to celebrity crisis management, Alcopop scandals to political warfare.

Mark opens with the greatest dilemma of his career , chasing the Holy Grail or pitching Bisto gravy granules, before unravelling how spectacle, nerve, and story have driven his work from the PT Barnum era to the age of TikTok.

He explains why "idea pornography" gets people fired, how fame has collapsed from 15 minutes to 15 seconds, and why the young generation's return to lo-fi, intimate culture gives him hope.

The conversation turns sharply political: Mark dissects Trump's genius as a communicator, Starmer's inability to connect, and makes the case for Citizens Assemblies as democracy's best remaining tool. He closes with a raw reflection on losing his father at 17 and why he's never stopped looking for the next adventure.

Topics covered:

— The Holy Grail vs. Bisto: choosing adventures over accounts

— PT Barnum, elephants, and the birth of experiential PR

— Celebrity + controversy = ignition: Kanye to Bonnie Blue

— The formula for fame — and its 15-second shelf life

— Idea pornography: the stunt that wiped out an entire department

— Soul not scroll: QR codes on lampposts and lo-fi rebellion

— Social media as tobacco: addiction, doom scrolling, and regulation

— Trump vs. Starmer: a masterclass in political communication failure

— The Holocaust memorial stunt that silenced a far-right politician

— Crisis management: why every crisis is unique

— Ricky Jay, dead cats, and the magic of misdirection

— Adventure capitalism: 40 years of fierce independence

StoryCo is a podcast about the business of story and storytelling, hosted by James Kirkham.

Produced by Telltale Industries.

Recorded at TYX Studios, London.

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