Public Relations Stories and Strategies

Trust used to flow upward. To experts, institutions, and authority. 

Then it shifted to “people like me.” 

Now even that circle is tightening. 

The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals a growing insularity: smaller tribes, hardened perspectives, and a widening mass-class divide driven by whether people believe the system works for them. 

Persuasion is shifting to trust brokerage, and what communicators, leaders, and businesses can do when trust itself has become the battleground.

Listen For

3:10 Skip the opening story and go right to the interview with Tim Weber

3:47 What does it mean that we’ve moved from echo chambers to “turtle shells”

7:21 Is polarization economic, cultural, technological—or all three?

12:35 How can companies blunt fear and become true trust brokers?

20:13 Will AI reinforce our biases and deepen our personal echo chambers?

Guest: Tim Weber, Managing Director & EMEA Head of Editorial, Edelman

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2026 Edelman Trust Barometer

Doug

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Farzana

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Can a joke really sell a brand? Or save it from sameness?

Most campaigns sound the same because they’re afraid to sound wrong. Safe language, serious faces, purpose-heavy messages that all blur together. 

And yet one of the most successful creative agencies in North America has built its reputation by doing the opposite. Zulu Alpha Kilo lives by a simple motto… Fight Sameness… and they do it with humor, sarcasm, and a willingness to say the quiet part out loud.

Why does that work? Why does making people laugh end up being the fastest way to earn trust? 

Why does honesty often land better as a joke than a lecture. 

Listen For

3:01 Fast-forward to the start of the interview

5:19 Check out an example of a funny (sarcastic) ad by Zulu Alpha Kilo

5:36 Why does ad satire feel so personal to marketers?

9:11 What tiny detail annoyed people in that absurd ad?

Guest: Michael Siegers, Zulu Alpha Kilo 

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Doug

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Farzana

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You can be the same person across every channel. 

Your social media accounts. Your YouTube. Your newsletter. Your blog. The same principles. The same voice. Often even the same message. 

And many of the people following you on LinkedIn are the same people who see you on Instagram, hear you on a podcast, or read your newsletter. Yet those same people can understand you, trust you, and remember you very differently simply because they encounter you in a different place.

Not because you changed.

Because they did.

They arrive with different expectations.

Different attention.

Different patience.

The channel shapes what they notice, what they believe, and what stays with them, even when the words don’t change at all. 

In this episode, we explore how platforms shape perception, why fractured identities are now the norm, and what that means for communicators who already know better but are running out of time and headspace.

Listen For

4:30 How do you tailor one piece of content for different platforms?
6:04 Is it better to master one channel or be on many?
7:49 Can AI help create content that still feels human?
12:21 What’s the right way to use emojis on LinkedIn?
16:35 Are we choosing content or are algorithms choosing for us?

Guest: Molly Demellier, Sounds Profitable

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Doug

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Farzana

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Every Friday at 5 pm UK and noon Eastern we scan the globe and pick the stories that actually shaped the week then apply a public relations lens. This first live edition explains the format, brings the chat into the room, and sets a simple goal: turn a firehose of posts into practical takeaways for communicators. 

We start with breaking UK politics and what a resignation and reshuffle signal about timing, narrative control, and public affairs workload. Then we track a viral rumor about a US president to show how influence and incentives push disinformation. Finally we hit Westminster for a fresh look at soft power and why language, culture, and education still move markets and minds.

Listen For

1:01 David explains the 1,200-person WhatsApp roundup and why this show exists.

2:28 UK cabinet shakeup. Farzana breaks the Angela Rayner resignation and the PR cost of timing

6:02 Charisma vs competence. The panel weighs why likability keeps beating policy.

10:35 Rumor mechanics. Doug and David map how influencers and gaps in information fuel false news

23:35 Soft power strategy. Farzana reports from Westminster on turning culture and education into influence

The Week Unspun is a weekly livestream every Friday at Noon ET/5pm BT. Check it out on our YouTube Channel or via this LinkedIn channel

We publish the audio from these livestreams to the Stories and Strategies podcast feed every Friday until Sunday evening when it’s no longer available.

Folgate Advisors

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In an age where opinions form faster than facts and headlines spark outrage before understanding, how do brands, leaders, and storytellers stay credible? 

Is your opinion truly yours? Or just an echo of your tribe?

In this episode, Suhel Seth unpacks the transformation of communication in the era of attention deficit — from the collapse of nuance to the rise of instant outrage, and why the art of thoughtful messaging might just be the most urgent skill of our time.

Listen For

3:07 The Cult of Immediacy: A Communication Crisis

7:59 The Lost Art of Contextualization

12:26 Social Identity & Tribal Thinking

14:32 Why Modern Society Fears Disruption

19:14 India: A Market or a Civilization?

23:57 Why India Didn’t Create Google or Facebook

24:50 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Andy Coulson 

Guest: Suhel Seth

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Farzana Baduel, David Gallagher, and Doug Downs tackle everything from President Trump’s militarized immigration crackdown to what brands can (and shouldn’t) learn from his relentless communication machine.  

The trio explore how symbolism, messaging velocity, and the "attention economy" are reshaping both politics and brand strategy. They dissect a compelling new report on navigating the “era of compounding crisis,” debate PR’s role in a post-truth landscape, and end with a sharp take on the commercial and reputational mechanics behind Netflix’s Victoria Beckham doc.  

Listen For

2:33 How is Operation Midway Blitz being framed?
5:46 What makes Trump’s communication so effective?
11:15 What is “compounding crisis” leadership?
13:46 Can crisis comms protect the bottom line?
19:03 Is the Beckham doc PR or journalism?

The Week Unspun is a weekly livestream every Friday at 10am ET/3pm BT. Check it out on our YouTube Channel or via this LinkedIn channel

We publish the audio from these livestreams to the Stories and Strategies podcast feed every Friday until Sunday evening when it’s no longer available.

Folgate Advisors

Curzon Public Relations Website

Stories and Strategies Website

Request a transcript of this livestream

Support the show

Every Friday at 3pm UK and 10 am Eastern we scan the PR Mega Chat and pick the stories that actually shaped the week.  

This week’s episode is a fiery, globe-spanning dive into the uncomfortable truths of modern communication. From protests on the streets of London to censorship in North America, we break down what’s really going on behind the headlines.  

Farzana delivers a powerful personal reflection on racism and PR spin around far-right movements in the UK, while Doug unpacks Jimmy Kimmel’s removal from airwaves and the free speech debate in the U.S.  

We also dive into AI’s growing role in reshaping communication strategy, the rising cost of silence in the PR industry, and the intricate dance between the UK and US in global affairs.  

Listen For

4:26 The Flag and the Trauma: A Personal Protest Reflection
13:09 Racism, Silence, and the PR Industry’s Reckoning
15:02 Jimmy Kimmel, MAGA, and the Censorship Crisis
21:33 AI Bots Are Your Audience Now
26:25 When Strategic Silence Becomes Ethical Evasion

The Week Unspun is a weekly livestream every Friday at 10am ET/3pm BT. Check it out on our YouTube Channel or via this LinkedIn channel

We publish the audio from these livestreams to the Stories and Strategies podcast feed every Friday until Sunday evening when it’s no longer available.

Folgate Advisors

Curzon Public Relations Website

Stories and Strategies Website

Request a transcript of this livestream

Support the show

Every Friday we scan the PR Mega Chat and pick the stories that actually shaped the week. 

What happens when narrative control collides with tragedy, misinformation, and an unfiltered digital age?

In the second episode of The Week Unspun, hosts Farzana Baduel, David Gallagher, and Doug Downs dive into the breaking news of political commentator Charlie Kirk’s shocking shooting and the volatile aftermath, both online and off. 

From exploring how disinformation spreads faster than facts to how leadership (or lack thereof) shapes national reaction, the trio offer PR-savvy analysis of crisis communication, media ethics, and the real-world consequences of social media. 

They also explore surprising connections between gender inclusion, menopause in the workplace, and how ageism and AI are reshaping the public relations industry.  

Listen For

4:07 The Vacuum of Information and Divisive Reactions

7:58 Unfiltered Violence: Children, Social Media, and Emotional Fallout

18:53 Menopause in PR: The Silent Career Killer?

24:33 The Great Unbundling of PR Talent

30:15 Are Reputations Still Vulnerable in the Teflon Age?

The Week Unspun is a weekly livestream every Friday at 10am ET/3pm BT. Check it out on our YouTube Channel or via this LinkedIn channel

We publish the audio from these livestreams to the Stories and Strategies podcast feed every Friday until Sunday evening when it’s no longer available. 

Folgate Advisors

Curzon Public Relations Website

Stories and Strategies Website

Request a transcript of this livestream

Support the show

Farzana Baduel and David Gallagher take on everything from Justin Trudeau’s headline-grabbing kiss with Katy Perry to how PR pros can unwittingly become enablers in global corruption scandals.

In this special mailbag edition, the duo responds to smart, sharp questions from their audience, spanning topics from King Charles III’s strategic image evolution to the silent retreat from ESG and DEI in corporate America. 

They unpack ageism in the PR industry, dissect Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s contradictory branding, and spotlight how London became the global capital of reputation laundering, all through the lens of real-time feedback from their PR community.

Listen For

00:24 What does a Katy Perry kiss do for Justin Trudeau’s PR?

07:34 How can PR professionals avoid becoming enablers of corruption?

12:32 Is King Charles III succeeding at modern monarchy PR?

17:22 Has Europe followed America’s retreat from ESG and DEI?

21:21 How do we confront ageism in the PR industry?
 
 

The Week Unspun is a weekly livestream every Friday at 10am ET/3pm BT. Check it out on our YouTube Channel or via this LinkedIn channel

We publish the audio from these livestreams to the Stories and Strategies podcast feed every Friday until Sunday evening when it’s no longer available.

Folgate Advisors

Curzon Public Relations Website

Stories and Strategies Website

Request a transcript of this livestream

Support the show

What do Tylenol, Jimmy Kimmel, and Disney all have in common? 

They’re all caught in the crosshairs of public opinion this week. 

On this episode hosts David Gallagher and Doug Downs are joined by B2B PR powerhouse Michelle Garrett to dissect a week of PR minefields. From President Trump’s dangerous misinformation about Tylenol and pregnancy, to the backlash and brand gymnastics following Jimmy Kimmel’s controversial monologue.  

The trio also touches on the shifting global perception of American brands and how companies can (and must) navigate reputational risk in polarized times.  

Listen For

5:42 What did President Trump say about Tylenol? And how should PR teams respond to misinformation?
14:52 Why did Jimmy Kimmel get pulled off the air, and what does it say about Disney’s PR strategy?
26:33 How can political polarization affect brand trust and corporate reputation?

Special Guest Michelle Garrett

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The Week Unspun is a weekly livestream every Friday at 10am ET/3pm BT. Check it out on our YouTube Channel or via this LinkedIn channel

We publish the audio from these livestreams to the Stories and Strategies podcast feed every Friday until Sunday evening when it’s no longer available. 

Folgate Advisors

Curzon Public Relations Website

Stories and Strategies Website

Request a transcript of this livestream

Support the show