The PR Wine Down

Welcome back for our annual PR Wine Down Halloween Special! Hosts April and Laura are getting into the spirit of the season this week, with a spooky twist on your favorite PR topics. They’re discussing some industry news that’s sure to send a shiver down any crisis publicist’s spine, with an analysis of the latest round of public backlash against Netflix. They also chat through some advice for overcoming the experiences that might scare you at work, from public speaking, to intimidating bosses, to media pitching and more. As always, they’re also delivering a full lineup of our ghastliest anonymous PR Horror Stories from this year so far — featuring a special guest appearance from Hamish Anderson, co-host of Trust Relations: The Podcast.

Learn more about Hamish here: https://trustrelations.agency/meet-your-dream-team/hamish-anderson/

Listen to Trust Relations: The Podcast here: https://trustrelations.agency/trust-relations-podcast/

Read the PR News of the Week here:

Netflix’s Jeffrey Dahmer series sparks backlash: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/a41384671/netflix-jeffrey-dahmer-story-backlash/

Things I Should Have Been Trained On:

How to face your professional fears and succeed in your PR career.

Connect with Trust Relations:

Have an anonymous PR horror story to share or questions you want to be answered on the show? Email us at [email protected].

You can stream the show live at 2:00 pm ET every Saturday, on ElectroMagnetic Radio:  https://www.em-radio.com/

You can also connect with Trust Relations on our website: https://www.trustrelations.agency/ or on social media:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/trustrelations/

https://twitter.com/trustPRelations

https://www.facebook.com/trustrelations

https://www.instagram.com/trustrelations/

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com.

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/prwinedown/message

Hosts April and Laura welcome Andy Lutzky, an influencer marketer and professor at the University of Southern California. He joins the show this week to discuss his article, “Why Public Relations Professionals Feel Powerlessness, and What to Do About It.” April and Laura also analyze the factors at play in the recent stabbing death of Las Vegas journalist Jeff German and the indictment of a local politician in connection to the murder. They also share advice for PR professionals to stay focused on quality results, despite PR’s negative reputation in movies and media. Today’s Anonymous PR Horror Story comes from a listener who is struggling to convince a consumer client to share product samples with the press.

Learn more about Heather’s work:

Read Andy’s article on powerlessness in PR: https://www.andylutzky.com/blog/the-powerlessness-black-hole

Learn more about Andy’s work: https://www.andylutzky.com/about

Read the PR News of the Week here:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/07/us/journalist-stabbing-las-vegas.html

Things I Should Have Been Trained On:

How to keep your head help high in the face of PR’s bad rap.

Read the article here: https://www.prdaily.com/its-time-for-the-pr-industry-to-stop-with-self-loathing-and-demand-better/

Connect with Trust Relations:

Have an anonymous PR horror story to share or questions you want to be answered on the show? Email us at [email protected].

You can stream the show live at 2:00 pm ET every Saturday, on ElectroMagnetic Radio:  https://www.em-radio.com/

You can also connect with Trust Relations on our website: https://www.trustrelations.agency/ or on social media:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/trustrelations/

https://twitter.com/trustPRelations

https://www.facebook.com/trustrelations

https://www.instagram.com/trustrelations/

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com.

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/prwinedown/message

Hosts April and Laura welcome Heather Willett to the show this week. Heather is the founder of Willet PR, here to analyze the state of the media landscape today and share her best tips for helping clients to navigate the murky waters of public opinion. April and Laura also chat through the evolution of PR as an industry, with a look into the New York Times’ recent feature story on special “Lower Manhattan’s most infamous publicist, Kaitlin Phillips.” Today’s Anonymous PR Horror Story comes from a listener whose new entry-level job came with more personal drama than she’d anticipated.

Learn more about Heather’s work:

https://www.willettpr.com/

Read the PR News of the Week here:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/25/style/bright-lights-big-city-niche-fame.html?smid=url-share

Connect with Trust Relations:

Have an anonymous PR horror story to share or questions you want to be answered on the show? Email us at [email protected].

You can stream the show live at 2:00 pm ET every Saturday, on ElectroMagnetic Radio:  https://www.em-radio.com/

You can also connect with Trust Relations on our website: https://www.trustrelations.agency/ or on social media:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/trustrelations/

https://twitter.com/trustPRelations

https://www.facebook.com/trustrelations

https://www.instagram.com/trustrelations/

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com.

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/prwinedown/message

This week on the show, hosts April and Laura welcome Brenden Kumarasamy, founder of MasterTalk. He’s here to share tips, tricks and strategies that any executive can adopt to become a better presenter, speaker and interviewee. They also analyze the recent social media controversy over Cracker Barrel’s new plant-based meat menu offering, with advice for companies seeking to expand their markets without alienating existing customers. Next, they share advice for keeping your inbox organized—even as a busy PR professional. Today’s Anonymous PR Horror Story comes from one unfortunate listener, who mistakenly said, “I love you,” on a client call.

Learn more about Brenden’s work: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBYFP4mZLQovr7W6Si6sueA

Read the PR News of the Week here:

Cracker Barrel’s Plant-Based Sausage Announcement: https://www.newsweek.com/cracker-barrel-causes-stir-plant-based-sausage-menu-announcement-1730662

Things I Should Have Been Trained On:

How to follow up with a reporter (without annoying them into despair.)

NEWS:

How to keep your inbox organized as a PR professional.

Connect with Trust Relations:

Have an anonymous PR horror story to share or questions you want to be answered on the show? Email us at [email protected].

You can stream the show live at 2:00 pm ET every Saturday, on ElectroMagnetic Radio:  https://www.em-radio.com/

You can also connect with Trust Relations on our website: https://www.trustrelations.agency/ or on social media:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/trustrelations/

https://twitter.com/trustPRelations

https://www.facebook.com/trustrelations

https://www.instagram.com/trustrelations/

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com.

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/prwinedown/message

Our guest on today’s episode comes from behind the scenes! April and Laura are pleased to welcome our very own podcast producer, Veronica Yip. She’s the integrated marketing and communications manager at Trust Relations, here to share a behind-the-scenes look at the concepts and development behind our three agency podcasts — including this one! April and Laura also share their favorite memories and lessons learned from co-hosting this show together. Today’s news segment covers the rise in pay-for-play podcast interviews, as some shows have begun to advertise prices upwards of $50,000. April and Laura also share advice to help PR practitioners develop effective follow-up messages for any media pitch. The Anonymous PR Horror Story of the day comes from a listener whose new agency boss has an affinity for extreme workplace pranks and antics.

Learn more about Veronica here: https://trustrelations.agency/meet-your-dream-team/veronica-yip/

Read the PR News of the Week here:

Pay-for-play podcasts: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-03/podcast-guests-can-pay-big-money-t[…]tm_campaign=mb&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=morning_brew

Things I Should Have Been Trained On:

How to follow up with a reporter (without annoying them into despair.)

Have an anonymous PR horror story to share or questions you want to be answered on the show? Email us at [email protected].

You can stream the show live at 2:00 pm ET every Saturday, on ElectroMagnetic Radio:  https://www.em-radio.com/

You can also connect with Trust Relations on our website: https://www.trustrelations.agency/ or on social media:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/trustrelations/

https://twitter.com/trustPRelations

https://www.facebook.com/trustrelations

https://www.instagram.com/trustrelations/

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com.

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/prwinedown/message

On this show this week, April and Laura welcome crisis PR expert David Oates. He’s the founder of PR Security Service and has served as an officer in the US Navy, with over 25 years of experience in the field. He’s here to break down the most essential considerations for companies and executives to emphasize during a crisis situation, including immediate action and long-term reputation management. April and Laura also chat through their tried-and-true advice for managing remote working relationships. They also share an anonymous listener story from a PR person whose boss lashed out at the team due to burnout. Your favorite hosts also cover some top headlines from the PR industry this week, including Glassdoor’s lawsuit over freedom of speech and defamation issues and a breakdown of Cision’s top-ranking press releases of 2022. 

Learn more about David’s work: https://publicrelationssecurity.com/ 

Read the PR News of the Week here:

Highest Performing Press Releases of 2022: https://www.cision.com/2022/07/the-highest-performing-press-releases-of-2022-so-far/

Glassdoor: https://www.morningbrew.com/daily/stories/glassdoor-reveal-identities-negative-reviews-new-zealand-toy-company

Things I Should Have Been Trained On:

How to manage remote work relationships.

Connect with Trust Relations:

Have an anonymous PR horror story to share or questions you want to be answered on the show? Email us at [email protected].

You can stream the show live at 2:00 pm ET every Saturday, on ElectroMagnetic Radio:  https://www.em-radio.com/

You can also connect with Trust Relations on our website: https://www.trustrelations.agency/ or on social media:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/trustrelations/

https://twitter.com/trustPRelations

https://www.facebook.com/trustrelations

https://www.instagram.com/trustrelations/

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com.

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/prwinedown/message

On this show this week, April and Laura are chatting one-on-one about the latest news and trends impacting PR. Tune in as they discuss the role of alcohol in agency culture as Americans reduce their alcohol consumption. They also analyze the latest public backlash against Victoria’s Secret as the brand faces accusations of performative tactics in their rebranding efforts. For this week’s “Thing I Should Have Been Trained On,” our hosts discuss some best practices on how to deliver bad news to a client. This week’s Anonymous PR Horror Story comes from a listener who faced an uncomfortable situation an an offsite client meeting—and decided to step back from the account as a result.

Read the PR News of the Week here:

Victoria’s Secret: https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/victorias-secret-misses-the-mark-by-pursuing-inclusivity-as-a-tactic-not-a-culture/?utm_source=postup&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Adweek_Daily_220705054632&recip_id=1417196&lyt_id=1417196#

Agencies & Alcohol: https://www.adweek.com/agencies/non-drinkers-are-struggling-in-an-agency-world-that-relies-on-alcohol/?utm_content=position_1&utm_source=postup&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Agencies_Newsletter_220627153928&recip_id=1417196&lyt_id=1417196

Things I Should Have Been Trained On:

How to deliver bad news to a client or how to keep executives from going rogue during a crisis.

Sponsor Us!

Just Not Sorry: https://justnotsorry.com/phrases.html

Have an anonymous PR horror story to share or questions you want to be answered on the show? Email us at [email protected].

You can stream the show live at 2:00 pm ET every Saturday, on ElectroMagnetic Radio:  https://www.em-radio.com/

You can also connect with Trust Relations on our website: https://www.trustrelations.agency/ or on social media:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/trustrelations/

https://twitter.com/trustPRelations

https://www.facebook.com/trustrelations

https://www.instagram.com/trustrelations/

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com.

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/prwinedown/message

On this show this week, your favorite co-hosts welcome Senior Vice President of Podcast Strategy & Product Operations at Triton Digital, Sharon Taylor. With her, April and Laura discuss the rising popularity of audio ads and how brands can get the most out of their in-house podcast operations, attract advertisers and reach niche industry audiences. They also cover some recent research on polarization in the public perception of brands with political affiliations. They also discuss the role of authenticity in PR through the lens of Tom Hanks’ recent statements about whether he would choose again to star in the film Philadelphia today. This week’s Anonymous PR Horror Story comes from  a listener whose boss is notorious for weekend emails, and how to maintain work-life balance boundaries while still addressing his requests.

Learn more about Sharon’s work: https://au.linkedin.com/in/sharontaylorau

Omny Studio Blog: https://blog.omnystudio.com/

Read the PR News of the Week here:

Gift Cards: https://news.wsu.edu/press-release/2022/06/27/gift-cards-from-politicalized-brands-dampen-recipients-gratitude/

Tom Hanks: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/tom-hanks-philadelphia-straight-actors-gay-roles-1235166448/

Things I Should Have Been Trained On:

What to do when your work style just doesn't jive with a colleague's.

Have an anonymous PR horror story to share or questions you want to be answered on the show? Email us at [email protected].

You can stream the show live at 2:00 pm ET every Saturday, on ElectroMagnetic Radio:  https://www.em-radio.com/

You can also connect with Trust Relations on our website: https://www.trustrelations.agency/ or on social media:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/trustrelations/

https://twitter.com/trustPRelations

https://www.facebook.com/trustrelations

https://www.instagram.com/trustrelations/

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com.

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/prwinedown/message

Our special guest on the PR Wine Down today is Greg Galant. He's the CEO at everyone's favorite PR platform, Muck Rack! Tune in as Greg chats with our hosts about podcast pitching, subscription newsletters and the latest updates to the Muck Rack platform. They also cover some interesting data from Muck Rack's State of Podcasting report. Next, our hosts dive into some industry news discussing the challenges rookie PR pros are facing today, as they enter the post-pandemic workforce. They also chat about some broader issues in agency culture, with advice for professional mentorship and management skills. In this week's Anonymous PR Horror Story, a listener faces backlash from a client when their colleague's sick day conflicts with a regularly-scheduled PR call. 

Learn more about Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/ 

Follow Greg Galant on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregory?lang=en 

Read the PR News of the Week here: 

Recent PR Grads: https://www.prdaily.com/how-future-pr-pros-are-weighing-careers-amid-the-great-resignation/ 

State of PR Report 2022: https://muckrack.com/blog/2022/06/02/state-of-pr-2022#:~:text=In%20the%20State%20of%20Journalism,thought%20leadership%20(47%25) 

Have an anonymous PR horror story to share or questions you want to be answered on the show? Email us at [email protected].

You can stream the show live at 2:00 pm ET every Saturday, on ElectroMagnetic Radio:  https://www.em-radio.com/

You can also connect with Trust Relations on our website: https://www.trustrelations.agency/ or on social media:

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com.

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/prwinedown/message

On this show this week, hosts April and Laura welcome Rai Cornell, founder and CEO of Cornell Content Marketing, to discuss PR best practices for brands in the digital era. Together, they discuss why Rai believes it can be beneficial to be “polarizing” as a brand and how companies can determine whether to take a stand on social issues. Next, our hosts discuss Major League Baseball’s handling of the racism allegations against Josh Donaldson and analyze a recent announcement from The Guardian urging employees to delete old social media posts. April and Laura also share press release strategies, including the media benefits and SEO value that come with putting an announcement on the wire. For this week’s Anonymous PR Horror Story, they read a submission from one listener whose new freelance client has unrealistic expectations for his marketing webinar.

Read the PR News of the Week here:

Yankees Controversy: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34085683/report-new-york-yankees-josh-donaldson-1-game-ban-upheld-mlb-fine-cut-5000

The Guardian’s Twitter guidelines: https://www.niemanlab.org/2022/05/think-carefully-before-you-quote-tweet-the-guardian-releases-new-social-media-guidelines-for-staff/

Learn more about Rai’s work here: https://www.cornellcontentmarketing.com/

Have an anonymous PR horror story to share or questions you want to be answered on the show? Email us at [email protected].

You can stream the show live at 2:00 pm ET every Saturday, on ElectroMagnetic Radio:  https://www.em-radio.com/

You can also connect with Trust Relations on our website: https://www.trustrelations.agency/ or on social media:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/trustrelations/

https://twitter.com/trustPRelations

https://www.facebook.com/trustrelations

https://www.instagram.com/trustrelations/

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com.

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/prwinedown/message