The PR Week

It’s the first podcast of the new year and with a guest worthy of the occasion: Sean Garrett: founder and convener at Mixing Board. 

The tech-sector veteran talks about everything from Mixing Board’s unique structure to founding Pramana Collective with other tech comms heavyweights to what the future will hold for Twitter. 

Plus the biggest news of the week, including: 

- Southwest Airlines’ holiday disaster; 

- The NFL’s response to Damar Hamlin’s collapse; 

- Away’s interesting social media campaign.

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The PR Week takes a look back at its best interviews of the year with this compilation podcast that includes chats with Tim Dyson, Chris Foster, Margot Edelman and more.

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Featuring:
-Jacob Moon, cofounder and GM, Salt Lake City, Method Communications

“It starts at the top. David has been very transparent about sharing personal things [and his lead has set a great tone for us].” Those words are shared by Method Communications cofounder Jacob Moon about his agency’s CEO and other cofounder David Parkinson.The Salt Lake City, Utah-headquartered firm’s selection as a Best Place to Work in PR is notably based on not only the level of transparency from leadership exemplified by Parkinson, but an impressive and easily recognizable commitment to the holistic well-being of all team members.As Moon continues his chat with Gideon Fidelzeid, PRWeek editorial director of custom, it becomes clear that Method is an agency that prioritizes its employees above all else.

Based on staff responses to the PRWeek survey upon which the honorees were determined, programs such as Method Matters More and Method Anywhere really make a difference. The latter, in particular, helps explain why the firm scored so well for “being flexible to the point of allowing each employee to have an individualized work arrangement that works best for them (as opposed to mandating one policy for all)”.

Another area in which Method scored very well was its mentoring programs. Moon explains how his firm focuses on this – and he does so with great pride. That is a sentiment his team clearly shares about the agency that employs them.

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Featuring:
-Jamie Cooper, VP, global brand PR and influence, Bacardi
-Jessica Merz, VP, global corporate comms, Bacardi 

Perhaps unsurprising, but still gratifying is the fact that the word “team” was used so consistently and often by both Jamie Cooper and Jessica Merz, Bacardi’s VP of global brand PR and influence and VP of global corporate comms, respectively, during this podcast.

So many of the things that stand out about Bacardi and its selection as a Best Place to Work in PR come back to that concept of teamwork.

As Merz explains to Gideon Fidelzeid, PRWeek editorial director of custom, the desire to contribute to the greater good of the team, as opposed to being a solo star, is one of the key things Bacardi looks for upon hiring anyone. And that collaborative spirit is just as evident, notes Cooper, not only among the two teams, but among Cooper and Merz themselves.

The brand got very high marks from its comms team for “recognizing employees for doing a good job.” Cooper notes how leadership really prioritizes this not only as an emotional boost to staffers, but as a key to their constant evolution as professionals.

Even with that emphasis on team, the staff also rate Bacardi strongly for its “entrepreneurial” culture. Merz is particularly pleased by this because it is indicative of the creative atmosphere she is helping to build, one in which every single employee feels as if they can contribute meaningfully.

Putting the team first, but still allowing individuals to shine. That certainly sounds like a best place to work.

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Perhaps no acronym is considered and uttered more by brands and their communicators today than ESG. Still, many questions abound. Armed with data and vast experience in the area, leaders from Kivvit answer them in this podcast.

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When it comes to the home-improvement retail giant’s culture, an inverted pyramid structure, says The Home Depot’s CCO Stephen Holmes, is a major factor that could explain this honor.

Customers are at the top of that pyramid. So are employees. Leadership is at the bottom. And every leader, including CEO Edward Decker and Holmes himself, truly feels their main priority is creating an environment where their associates (the preferred word to “employees” at The Home Depot) can thrive.

In fact, main headquarters are not even called “corporate” at The Home Depot, adds Holmes. It’s the “store-support center.”

As the conversation continues with PRWeek editorial director of custom Gideon Fidelzeid, Holmes drills deep into explaining how creative storytelling helps tell the employee story and the level the comms team goes to in order to empower in-store staffers to be the best brand ambassadors they can be. After all, happy employees make happy customers.

All Best Places to Work selections were based solely on feedback from staffers provided via responses to a survey PRWeek distributed. As such, it is noteworthy that The Home Depot got very high marks on two somewhat disparate characteristics – comms being involved in all major business decisions and being a fun place to work.

Amid numerous entrants, though, many of which were also quite strong, excelling on both of those particular fronts (and much more) seems apropos for an entity chosen as a Best Place to Work in PR.

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Ketchum CEO Mike Doyle is the latest guest on the PR Week, as his firm brings to a close what he describes as an outstanding year. He discusses the state of the agency business and the biggest marketing and communications news of the week, including: 

-PRWeek’s Best Places to Work 2022; 

-The Liver King scandal; 

-Client payment terms;

-Volkswagen moves its account; 

-A round of big people moves.

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Featuring:
-Katie Scott, senior director, head of global communications, Iron Mountain

In just 20 or so minutes, Iron Mountain’s top communicator makes it very clear why her organization is worthy of this recognition.

In her conversation with Gideon Fidelzeid, editorial director, custom, PRWeek, much attention is paid to certain attributes at which the brand scored particularly well. (It’s important to note that all decisions were made based solely on feedback from staffers provided via responses to a survey PRWeek distributed.)

For example, while respondents reveal that many organizations have annual performance reviews, Iron Mountain’s team gives it a perfect score in terms of the usefulness of those reviews as a mechanism to help in their professional evolution. Perfect scores are also achieved in “treats employees well” and “communicating clearly and consistently to ensure the entire team is always informed and up-to-date on all decisions impacting them.”

Scott goes on to explain why terms such as “Why not?” and “Spirit of Mountaineers” are so important to the brand, as well as the role CEO William Meaney plays in making Iron Mountain a Best Place to Work in PR.

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When it comes to influencer marketing, every brand’s goal is – or at least should be – to grow it in an authentic way and make sure it reaches everyone. This podcast is a great step in that direction as it introduces The Citizen Inclusive Influencer Index, a research study that reveals four cornerstones of creating trust-centered, authentic, inclusive influencer marketing.

Featuring:
-Shilpa Tiwari, EVP, Sustainability & Social Impact, Citizen Relations

“It’s fascinating how we don’t put more time into recognizing our demographics.” This thought overtook Shilpa Tiwari, EVP, sustainability and social impact at Citizen Relations, when she was recently searching for data about various ethnic groups in Canada, where she is based (Toronto, to be exact). Tiwari couldn’t find much – and the same issue arose when searching in the U.S.

As the U.S. (and Canada) become more and more diverse, brands have to realize that “it’s not about consumers,” she says, “but consumer segments.” And the data – or lack thereof – available is an obstacle to truly being able to influence the audiences you need to impact.

During this conversation with Gideon Fidelzeid, editorial director, custom, PRWeek, Tiwari discusses her agency’s research study. In the process, she offers notable insights on ethnic groups’ use of social channels, co-content creation, how the lack of diversity in the boardroom is directly causing a lack of diversity or understanding of diversity when it comes to influencer marketing, and more.

*At about the 13-minute mark of the podcast, Tiwari lists a few countries from which many people are coming to Canada. She says, “India, Canada and the Philippines.” The second country was meant to be China.

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Beth Foley, VP of corporate communications and philanthropy at Edison International and Southern California Edison, joins the latest edition of The PR Week to talk about her role at one of the nation’s largest electric utilities. 

Foley oversees charitable giving of about $20 million annually and leads the company’s communications activities with a focus on employees, customers and communities. 

Also on the agenda: the biggest marketing and communications news of the week, including

-The 2022 PRWeek Hall of Fame; 

-Edelman’s workforce strategic review;

-How companies should prepare for the new Congress; 

-The launch of Weber Shandwick’s Business & Society Futures group; 

-Publicis Groupe’s holiday video; 

-And much more. 

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