Building on Zeno Group’s recent report on “Allies & Advocates,” which provides a new blueprint for civil society engagement in an increasingly polarized world, Paul Holmes sat down with Sarah Ogden, chief client officer for Zeno in London, and Georg Schmitt, former head of stakeholder engagement for the World Economic Forum and now a member of Zeno’s reputation advisory board, to discuss the report’s recommendations.

Looking at corporate engagement with civil society issues on a continuum that starts with mere compliance, progresses through support and advocacy, and culminated in activism, the report found that both consumers and executives feel the “sweet spot” is in the middle: with companies supporting and advocating for social causes. The discussion focused on a strategic approach that can help companies decide when and how to engage.

In the first of a series of interviews with the leaders of agencies around the world, Paul Holmes sat down with Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman.

In a conversation that covered the firm’s history, the reasons it has remained committed to its independence, its Trust Barometer research, and the challenges Richard sees ahead as the competitive landscape evolves.

Future editions of this podcast will feature a wide variety of leaders, from giant multinational agencies to small specialist boutiques, from all of the world's regions as we seek to capture what drives success in a dynamic, fast-changing, hyper-competitive PR business.

Read highlights from the episode here: https://www.provokemedia.com/long-reads/article/richard-edelman-i-like-to-run-the-pirate-ship

Research from UK agency Brands2Life found business-to-business marketers struggling to balance the immediate payoff of lead generation with the long-term imperative of building brand equity.

Moira Gilchrist, chief communications officer at Philip Morris International, joins Paul Holmes to discuss the “Fifth Estate,” and the changing face of activism.

Aaron Kwittken discusses how he sees the PR using AI in the year ahead.

Fine Lines founder Kat McGettigan and Goldbug founder Lara Gould join Maja Pawinska Sims on the PRovoke Podcast to talk about their career journeys and their experiences as female agency founders and leaders. The duo also dive into the Lonely Female Founders Club, which McGettigan recently launched to support women entrepreneurs in the PR industry and beyond. 

In the first of a series of podcasts for and featuring chief communications officers, PRovoke Media founder discussed the various roles that CCOs play in supporting their executive leadership team at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Lenovo's Charlotte West discusses her experience at Davos earlier this year, while former WEF communications chief Adrian Monck drew on his vast experience helping to manage the gathering.

Hunter chief insights & strategy officer Heddy DeMaria joins the PRovoke Media podcast to discuss the findings of the agency’s Influence in America study, which looks at which information sources play the biggest roles in influencing purchase choices.

Cyber breaches – like the recent DDOS attacks on archive.org and 23&Me – are making headlines more frequently, and the way they are handled in comms terms can have a lasting impact on corporate reputation. In this episode of the PRovoke podcast, Maja Pawinska Sims is joined by Flora Haslam, European technology practice leader at Finn Partners, Richard Hummel, director of threat intelligence at cybersecurity firm Netscout, and Kevin Curren, professor of cyber security at Ulster University, to explore how companies can navigate cybersecurity breaches and incidents to minimise their impact on corporate reputation and trust.

In the wake of our PRovokeGlobal Summit, Paul Holmes got together with Drew Warren and Rachel Caggiano from Ogilvy to discuss the dominant themes of the event, from the future of purpose in a politicized environment to the impact of AI on newsrooms and PR agencies—as well as Ogilvy’s big night at the Global SABRE Awards, where it was crowned Global Creative Agency of the Year