PRmoment Podcast

Welcome to the News Review on the PRmoment podcast. In this weekly show I’m joined by Mark Borkowski and Angie Moxham. Here's the agenda for PR Masterclass: AI in PR.

In the PR News Review we look at the biggest news stories of the week from a PR perspective and this week we're talking about the UK local elections results.

We discuss the predictably huge gains for Reform and the huge losses for Labour.

We also talk about the likely comms strategies now for Farage & Reform and Starmer & Labour.

The discussion centres on the shifting political landscape and the starkly different PR challenges facing the parties and their leaders.

Podcast Summary Highlights

Keir Starmer and the Labour Party
The panel offers a blunt assessment of Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership. Despite Labour's significant majority, the speakers argue that Starmer suffers from a fundamental "charisma deficit" and a "robotic" communication style that fails to resonate with the electorate. 

Mark Borkowski describes Starmer as having a "barrister mind" better suited for the High Court than the public stage, noting that his messaging has been overwhelmed by poor decisions and controversies, particularly the "Mandelson stain." Angie Moxham predicts a potential leadership challenge, suggesting a "straight-out shooting" between Angela Rayner and Ed Miliband may be on the
horizon. The consensus is that Labour needs a leader who can project authenticity and positivity to maintain public trust in a volatile environment.

Nigel Farage and the Reform Party
The rise of Reform UK is characterized as a significant disruption to the traditional
two-and-a-half-party system. While Farage is praised for his "fearless communication" and ability to connect with his base, the panel identifies a major PR "own goal": the inclusion of "Tory party failures" like Robert Jenrick. 

Borkowski argues that bringing "old circus acts into a new
tent" undermines Reform's image as a fresh alternative. Farage’s strategy is described as headline-driven and opportunistic, effectively exploiting the "malaise" of current politics to gain momentum, even if his long-term viability remains a question of whether the electorate feels genuinely "more affluent" under his influence.

The Changing Face of Leadership
Beyond the main parties, the Borkowski and Moxham speakers touch on the other party leaders.

Kemi Badenoch is highlighted as an increasingly competent and "safe pair of hands," showing improved focus and delivery.

In contrast, Zack Polanski’s leadership is criticised for being "unpicked" by ego and a lack of maturity, particularly following unprofessional social media conduct. 

The overarching theme of the episode is that in the "age of authenticity," leaders have "nowhere to hide."
Success requires not just policy, but the "spiritual quotient" (SQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ) to lead a nation that is increasingly fatigued by "dystopian" news narratives and systemic stress.

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We probably don’t talk about it enough but we’ve all benefited from the increased depth and breadth of public relations which has developed over the past 20 odd years. 

This change has probably been most vividly illustrated in consumer public relations. Which is why it's going to be so interesting to talk to today's guests: Charlotte Brooks MD, Mischief and Dan Deeks-Osbourn, head of strategy, Mischief as we compare consumer PR now, to 20 years ago, when Mischief was born.

Mischief is one of a small band of consumer PR shops in London that have surfed the wave of creative and cultural relevance for the last 20 years. Current clients include Samsung, Just Eat, Eon, Ocado and Coca Cola. Currently 35 people work at Mischief and it is part of the MHP Group. 

On the show this week we talk about the evolution of consumer public relations and strategies for sustained agency success.

Before we start, do check out our next PR Masterclass: AI in PR. Here are the themes:

Is AI making PR more efficient, but less effective?
What are the AI implementation traps
Which media titles control ChatGPT
Why AI is winning the copyright war
What is PR’s Missed AI Opportunity
Why AI means that you will need to redesign your PR team's workflow
How newsrooms are using AI
How are in-house PR and comms teams using AI?

Check out the full speaker line-up on  https://www.prmasterclasses.com/masterclass/pr-masterclasses-ai-in-pr

Here is a summary of what Charlotte, Dan and PRmoment founder Ben Smith discussed on the show:

What was consumer PR like 20 years ago? And how does that compare with consumer PR today?

Is what made a consumer PR firm great 20 years ago, still the same today?

Is consumer PR more powerful now than in 2006?

Why are PR budgets not increasing in line with the increased depth and breadth of work?

Why PR makes marketing distinctive.

Why is most consumer PR bought by CMOs? What happened to the in-house PR managers/directors? 

How has Mischief managed to keep itself relevant as a consumer PR for 20 years?

What's the secret of client retention for PR firms?

What will consumer PR look like in 20 years time?

Evolution of PR landscape
Modern public relations requires integrated multi-channel strategies rather than legacy media coverage focus. Effectiveness is now proven through sales impact rather than outdated metrics.

Strategy in AI era
Algorithms and Large Language Models demand clear messaging and constant, always-on creativity. Teams must balance generalist account management with specialized expertise in content and data analysis.

Agency growth and retention
Long-term client retention relies on consistent impact and transparent partnerships. Agencies must reject complacency to maintain creative standards while expanding influence within broader marketing departments.

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A PRmoment Podcast discussion analysing Sir Keir Starmer's failing leadership.

Starmer's leadership critique
Angie Moxham and Mark Borkowski identify poor messaging and lack of decisiveness as fundamental failures in Starmer's administration. Leadership weakness is exacerbated by Machiavellian advisors and poor personnel choices.

Political succession forecast
Analysts predicted brutal local election losses and a potential leadership contest between Miliband and Rayner. Burnham remains a viable alternative but lacks immediate procedural positioning.

Authenticity and system future
Success requires charisma and accountability, qualities deemed lacking in current political leadership. A likely end to the 2-party system, threatening future governance stability as a hung parliament is predicted for the next general election.

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Today we’re chatting to Zeno’s Sarah Ogden and Thomas Bunn about its Clarity 2030 report. The report identifies a fundamental shift in the PR sector suggesting we are moving from the "Information Age" (where PR focused on distribution and volume) to the "Intelligence Age" (where PR must focus on strategic counsel and business outcomes).

The report suggests PR has a Readiness Gap - in essence it is saying that currently public relations does not possess the skills required for the future this report predicts.

This is a study across N America, Europe and Asia.

Before we start, do check out our next PR Masterclass: AI in PR. When I put together the speaker lineup for PR Masterclass: AI in PR, I make sure we invite speakers who are actually doing it. Not just talking about it.

Check out the full speaker line-up on  https://www.prmasterclasses.com/masterclass/pr-masterclasses-ai-in-pr

Here is a summary of what PRmoment founder Ben Smith discussed with Sarah and Thomas on the PRmoment podcast:

What is PR’s readiness gap?

What are the skills PR people have, and what are the skills the Clarity 3030 report predicts PR people will need? And what are the skills people with therefore no longer need in PR, according to this report?

What are your other top 5 findings of the report?

In the report it predicted 40% of current people working in PR will leave the sector. What was the justification for that prediction?

What were the main geographical differences coming through in the report?

How does Clarity 2030 view the evolving role of agencies in the PR ecosystem?

Likewise, how does the report predict the role of the in-house team will change?

The report suggests AI will automate the tactical 'heavy lifting' by 2030. If the tasks juniors traditionally use to 'cut their teeth' disappear, how does Zeno—and the wider industry—plan to train the next generation of strategic advisors who have never had to do the tactical groundwork?

Top Findings

The Strategic Pivot: By 2030, "Media Relations" will no longer be the primary KPI for top-tier PR. Instead, Strategic Counsel and Reputation Risk Management are cited as the top priorities for business leaders.

The Talent Mismatch: There is a significant lag in "Business Acumen." The report finds that while PR pros are excellent at storytelling, they are often unable to speak the "language of the boardroom" (finance, operations, and data analytics).

Summary

Meeting discussions analyzed the PR sector readiness gap and the necessity for strategic business advisory evolution.

Industry Readiness Gap Challenges
The PR sector faces a significant readiness gap, with 29% of professionals feeling unprepared for the shift toward strategic advisory roles. High-pressure environments and insufficient investment contribute to projected talent departures.

AI Integration and Skills
Communications teams are pivotally involved in AI adoption, yet lack necessary internal tools. Prioritizing emotional intelligence and creativity remains essential for overcoming the deprioritization of traditional tactical skills.

Strategic Evolution of Roles
Agencies must transition to providing deep business intelligence while in-house teams adopt strategic growth advisor positions. Training programs require fundamental restructuring to emphasize critical thinking alongside AI literacy for junior talent.

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Welcome to the PRmoment podcast and on the show today we’re chatting to Jim Donaldson about the news that WPP might sell Burson.

Previously Jim was CEO UK and Middle East at Fleishman and held senior roles at both Weber Shandwick and Hill & Knowlton. He is now a non-exec to a raft of independent PR firms including Woodrow, Schon&Co and Matlin PR.

Before we start, don't miss our new PR Masterclass: AI in PR.

Check out the full speaker line-up at  https://www.prmasterclasses.com/masterclass/pr-masterclasses-ai-in-pr

At PRmoment we usually let these industry navel gazing moments go, as most of the time, the news has been widely covered elsewhere but I’ve found the level of paranoid PR commentary linking PR's future to the Burson deal pretty nauseating.

I get the need for self appointed PR thought leaders to feed the algorithms but much of the analysis of this potential deal seems ill informed.

PRmoment founder Ben Smith put this alternative scenario to ex WPP and Omnicom executive Jim Donaldson about the reasons behind WPP’s plans to sell Burson:

1. WPP needs to grow.
2. It still has quite a bit of debt (total net debt £2.17 billion) and its revenue has decreased in recent years. Sources: https://www.spglobal.com/ratings/en/regulatory/article/-/view/type/HTML/id/3530066 and https://www.fidelity.co.uk/factsheet-data/factsheet/JE00B8KF9B49-wpp-plc/financials
3. Circa 84% of WWP's revenue comes from ad agencies, which it now calls its Global Integrated Agencies. PR is 9%. (including Ogilvy PR and Burson.) https://markets.ft.com/data/announce/detail?dockey=1323-17477290-1Q8TEVR2NNFQVT91FOUCPOQ2BF
4. Ad agencies' market has been decimated by the social media owners and they are petrified about what AI is likely to do to their business models.
5. None of the WPP board have any PR experience, and frankly, they've got bigger problems right now. https://www.wpp.com/en/about/our-leadership/the-wpp-board
6. Burson is a potentially salable asset and WPP can then use those funds to invest in the renewal of its main source of revenue - advertsing agencies.

Here’s a summary of what Jim Donaldson and PRmoment founder Ben Smith discussed:

• Does Jim agree with our alternative hypothesis to the reasons WPP might sell Burson?
• Jim identifies the "huge market shifts" impacting the marketing holding groups currently.
• Was WPP always a reluctant PR firm owner? Many of the deals where Sorrell acquired a PR firm, included a larger ad agency and the PR firm was a much smaller part of the deal.
• How salable is Burson as an asset? Does it have growing or declining revenues?
• Jim describes the holding groups as “a side show” to the most important, mainly positive trends happening in PR at the moment.

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This week's PR News review covered Donald Trump's foreign policy, the resulting and global chaos before moving on to disucss NASA's Artemis mission for its public relations.

Trump's foreign policy rhetoric
Mark Borkowski and Ben Smith centered on whether Donald Trump's actions were aimed at selling war or peace?

Borkowski argued that Trump failed in the propaganda war with Iran by not achieving a clean exit.

Global vulnerability, the Axis of chaos and increased defense spending
Participants discussed the global chaos caused by single figures and the growing vulnerability to modern warfare. Governments need to communicate the necessity of a stronger defense, possibly through increased taxation or fund reallocation away from welfare and health.

NASA's Artemis mission PR masterclass
NASA’s Artemis mission to the moon was praised as a PR masterclass due to its precise choreography and positive global impact. The mission served as a strong beacon of positive human ingenuity and counter-narrative to political chaos.

It also served as a "reminder to us all of when America used to have a more positive role in the world."

Melania denies Epstein rumours

Borkowski and Smith discuss why Melania Trump felt the need to make a statement denying rumours she had any connection with Epstein, when there were no rumours she had any connection with Epstein!

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Summary

This PRmoment Podcast discussion with James Thomlinson centered on the theme of agency paralysis within the PR industry due to economic pressures and the increasing complexity - of both the PR market and the PR agency business model.

Agency paralysis discussed
James Thomlinson argues that agency paralysis is a trend within the Public Relations industry caused by increased simultaneous pressures and the extensive number of required leadership decisions. These decisions cover flexible working policies, AI platform adoption, strategic sector choices, and new offerings for the business.

AI and decision-making frameworks
Your profit and loss statement is the critical starting point for agency decision-making, covering revenue and cost sides, with workplace culture and client management following. Agencies should analyse all business functions to determine where AI is applicable, selecting tools that improve efficiencies and free up time for strategic or creative tasks.

Agency Model Polarization Predicted
The PR industry is predicted to polarise into 2 main types of agencies due to AI influence: agencies providing platform access and agencies focused on superior culture and original strategic thinking. James Thomlinson believes a 15% profit margin for PR firms is now considered good, and 10% revenue growth is the target for top-performing agencies.

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Welcome to this special podcast to celebrate the shortlists for the PRmoment Awards.

In this show we're going to be talking in detail about the shortlist for the PRmoment Awards in London and we'll be talking about the shortlist for the North next week.

On the show today we're going to be discussing the shortlist, talking about which firms were shortlisted the most and revealing some new data highlighting some of the extraordinarily high cumulative average category score for this year's PRmoment Awards.

Don't miss out on your charts to attend the PRmoment Awards in either Manchester or London or even both if you fancy. 

Will and I were the chairs for two of the five streams for the PRmoment Awards judging day,  so we get a great insight into the work that's happening in UK PR and we're hopefully in a decent position to offer a behind the scenes view on that judging day and what we saw and how competitive it was in many of the categories.

Important to note that host Ben Smith or Will Hart get a vote in the PRmoment Awards judging process. Who wins is entirely down to our wonderful judges.

London Awards Ceremony , Park Plaza Westminster - Thursday 16 April
Manchester Awards Ceremony, Manchester Hall - Thursday 30 April

Most Shortlisted Agencies
Analysis of the London event shortlists showed W Communications, Hope&Glory, and The Romans topping the list, indicating breadth of high-standard work across these agencies. Being shortlisted is considered a significant achievement given the intense competition and high judging standards for all campaigns submitted.

Judging Process Review
The judging process involves individual prescoring, followed by group discussion across 5 streams, which determines the final winners. Criteria are weighted across 6 areas, including objectives, strategy, creativity, implementation, results, and evaluation, ensuring a consistent and transparent evaluation.

Emerging Award Categories
New categories introduced this year include Generative Engine Optimization Campaign of the Year and Pro Bono Campaign of the Year, reflecting the evolving PR sector and acknowledging previously unacknowledged work. 

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Welcome to the News Review on the PRmoment podcast. In this weekly show I’m joined by Angie Moxham and Mark Borkowski.

In the PR News Review we look at the biggest news stories of the week from a PR perspective. This week, we're talking about Huw Edwards' publicist Barry Tomes leaving GMB hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls speechless, what to expect from Meta and Google as social media gets its Big Tobacco moment and whether new BBC director general Matt Brittin has the hardest job in media.

Tickets for The PRmoment Awards are now available for both London and Manchester, go to PRmomentAwards.com to grab your tickets.

Huw Edwards' Publicist Backlash
The panel expressed disbelief over Barry Tomes' appearance on Good Morning Britain. Mark Borkowski called the attempt to resurrect Edwards’ career equivalent to trying to float the Titanic.

Big Tech Accountability Forecast
Discussion covered the potential 'big tobacco moment' for Meta and Google, which was considered long overdue, having been predicted 10 years prior. Mark Borkowski anticipates Big Tech will employ a 'responsible product defense' strategy rather than using the exact big tobacco playbook.

New BBC Director General
The panel agreed that leading the BBC is the hardest job in media, with Angie Moxham confirming that Matt Brittin is a sensible choice. Brittin’s background from Google is expected to apply a different, necessary lens to the organization, which is currently often viewed as being in a 'slow motion crisis'.

Our March review highlighted a resilient M&A market and increased pitch activity with specialist agencies dominating wins.

Pitch and M&A Market Health
The PR pitch market is good with high agency confidence, but client decision-making timelines are lengthening, creating a sustained grind. The M&A market is robust, demonstrating strong resilience with high demand for specialist, technology-driven agencies, particularly from US buyers.

Major PR Wins Secured
Multiple high-profile pitch wins were announced, including Edelman securing Vista Global and Mischief winning Schweppes' global creative strategy. Hope&Glory's Wagamama win reflects a trend of PR firms successfully competing for social and influencer mandates against specialist social agencies.

Strategic Agency Acquisitions
Several major acquisitions reinforced the demand for specialised capabilities, with Parity acquiring One Strategy Group to enter the US corporate advisory space. Publicis acquired AdgeAI, an AI-powered analytics platform, reinforcing the industry's focus on technology and predictive performance insights.

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