PRactically, a Podcast

Artemis II is not the first crew to launch into space with lunar aspirations, but it is the first to successfully complete a 10-day flyby, seeing previously unexplored parts of the moon. While what they accomplished was new, some of the public excitement was rooted in Earth-bound concepts that didn’t exist during the first Space Race. With the crew safely Earth-side and several viral moments tucked into their space suits, we sat down to draw a few PR conclusions that apply to our work.

It’s officially mid-April, and everyone is ready to get out and go! Events are back in session, and if you’re planning to host one before the weather turns, there are a few things you need to know. We talk through events, expectations and how to make the most of your soiree.

The music, the lush fairways, the ball-cap clad spectators – there are few things more iconic in sports than The Masters. Rich in tradition and guarded by exclusivity, the event is the curation of some of the wealthiest people in the world. The event is a PR masterpiece, from the coveted jacket to the winner’s opening dinner, drawing eyes and envy of many. We’ll discuss why the Masters just wins and what you can learn from it.

If you’ve felt an undeniable need to consume more protein or find yourself wanting to introduce mushroom oil into your coffee routine, then you might be impacted by subliminal food trends. Like fashion or music, food goes through trends, with products and restaurant concepts ebbing and flowing through the public consciousness. As PR people, trend monitoring is part of our work – so we chat about food trends and how they impact our work and everyday lives.

As the tulips bloom and the pollen falls, we enter a time of year when it’s more likely you’ll hear bells chime and the faint sound of rice hitting the cement outside the local church. That’s right, it’s wedding season, and if you thought the act of holy matrimony was devoid of PR lessons, well, you couldn’t be more wrong. Today on the pod, we discuss some wedding PR lessons and the pop culture connected to them.

We’ve all been there – you’re deep in conversation when you say something that doesn’t land. OOPS. In the path toward damage control, there are a few directions you can take: dodge and avoid; own up and apologize; lean into the comedy of it; among others. So, how do you manage these moments for a brand? And how do you manage them in your personal lives? We discuss on the pod.

Sarah J. Maas (affectionately known as SJM around this office) chose Call Her Daddy as the vehicle for announcing her highly anticipated next installments of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series on the heels of Taylor Swift announcing The Life of A Showgirl on New Heights. Is the podcast announcement a growing trend? We discuss the merits of this storytelling strategy, aptly, on our podcast.

The itty-bitty IKEA-stuffy-dragging monkey named Punch captured the hearts of internet empaths around the globe. His harrowing journey to reintegrate with a troop of monkeys at a Japanese zoo hit home with TikTok users and went globally viral over the last week. With daily updates on his progress toward making friends, Punch’s journey has gone from run-of-the-mill zoo work to an international day care progress report. But what makes breakout social stars like Punch? And can you aspire to create content that hits like this, or is serendipity the only driver of virality?

PR campaigns require planning – emails, social posts, events and advertisements are set in motion long before they reach consumers. But what happens if something changes between the time content’s developed and messages reach the airwaves? In unfortunate cases, it creates an uncomfortable dissonance that can negatively impact brands. We discuss the importance of balancing planning with real-time adjustments on the pod.

The earliest mention in our work chats of the “Wuthering Heights” promotional circus is dated June 2025. Our collective team has spent months analyzing, discussing and debating the merits of its prolonged promotional cycle – from the beauty and the grandeur to the *interesting* choices made along the way. The long-awaited debut of the newest interpretation of a more than 175-year-old story has come and gone, and we’re going to talk through the merits and shortcomings of an eternally long press cycle.