I want to prove that PR, comms and narrative marketing works in 2025, in (sort of) real-time.

But how?

I've been thinking about this a lot over the past year.

We all know the pressures today:-

“Where’s the ROI on comms?”

Clients want metrics.

Execs want proof.

AI is starting to flood the market with generic content.

You and I know comms and narrative marketing work, but how do we prove that to people who don't get it yet, who could and should be future clients?

Here’s the plan:-

I want to introduce a new element to the podcast.

It's based on an idea I tried last year and thank you to those amazing people who took part in that.

In it we'll do a sort of “business makeover" show focused on comms.

In each special, 30-minute episode:-

1) A real business comes in with a comms challenge. Most likely, they are struggling to stand out as much as they want and need help, but it could be anything a narrative specialist can tackle.

2) Then a guest expert (maybe you?) offers micro-consulting for 15 mins in the show.

3) I then follow up a few weeks later to find out what happened so we can prove the power of comms.

I'm giving you the quick version here. There is more in the video.

To make it happen, we need two things.

1) Comms pros happy to spend a few minutes mentoring in a show. (independent individuals and agencies).

And

2) Case studies - Do you have a client you’d love to reconnect with, or want to showcase your abilities to, that you can bring into an episode for some mentoring with you? If we can focus on promotion rather than reputation problems for now, then many could be ok with a little extra PR. If we have to keep them anonymous, we can, but it just won't be as strong.

As I say, more in the video, but in short....

....I want to find a way that demonstrates these skills in action, rather than trying to explain them.

You and I both know the future is not generic marketing. It's narrative marketing (PR, story-driven campaigns, comms, etc).

It's time we "showed" we showed people that.

#PR #Comms #Podcast #PublicRelations #Marketing #MicroConsulting #AI #Storytelling #MediaStrategy #CommsLedMarketing

In this episode, I unpack a real conversation with a PR freelancer trying to pivot into a new sector — and getting knocked back with that brutal line:

“You don’t seem like you’ve done this before.”

But here’s the twist: in her original industry, she was deeply embedded — known, trusted, and networked. She just couldn’t see the value in what she’d already built.

We talk about:

• Why moving sideways in PR isn’t as easy as it sounds

• The growing importance of specialism in an AI-driven world

• How to tell if your reputation is worth more than your ambition

• And why sometimes the smartest move isn’t reinvention — it’s doubling down on what you already know

This is for anyone who's ever wondered if they’re starting over… when they’re actually standing on gold.

We all know influencers are curating their lives — yet we still buy what they recommend.

Why does that emotional trust stick, even when it’s fake?

In this episode, I unpack a conversation I had with university students about influencer culture, social capital, and what it reveals about how consumers make decisions.

Are you giving people a story worth believing in?

If you would like to discuss any of these ideas, just reach out to me on LinkedIn. Details in the episode.

Are you getting your "goals" wrong?

In the old days of book PR, your goal was to raise awareness in order to sell copies — but not anymore. There’s a new goal. It’s the same in many sectors, where the objective has shifted but people sometimes miss the change.

Kourtney Jason is from Pacific & Court in Brooklyn, USA, an agency that specialises in book PR in 2025.

They realised that books on their own are rarely "news" anymore, so they needed to focus instead on what was newsworthy. The answer was often the author themselves — providing the right angles were found.

There were still book signings to sell the books, but the primary goal and focus had changed.

If you’re someone promoting thought leaders, building a personal brand, or an author (or want to be one), this episode should be useful.

The whole episode (15 mins) is here. 

• Stop defining yourself in generic terms. A "coach" is too generic, even a "wellness coach" — get specific about what you do.

• Don't ignore local media — it's still a springboard to bigger coverage, but find the local angles.

• Books are credibility tools, not sales channels. Use them to open doors through visibility, not through the hard sell.

• Don’t forget to use AI to help find angles.

GUEST

Kourtney Jason - Pacific & Court

LOCATION: Brooklyn, USA

Web: pacificandcourt.com
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If you want the truth about where AI is taking PR — and what it’s already capable of today — this is the episode for you.

In this episode, I talk to Jeroen Bos — a friend, technologist, and the man leading innovation at Pr.co, a well-known platform in the PR space.

We talk about what Jeroen himself is trying with his team, what barriers they are coming up against, what’s working, what’s not, and how you can start preparing now.

In this episode:

• Why AI can't replace PR pros — not from a “save our jobs” angle, but because of the real world technical limits of AI

• How AI can help speed up the boring, painful parts of the job

• How smart platforms will mine your past content to unlock hidden stories

• Why AI won’t be writing perfect press releases anytime soon

• The cultural bias problem in AI no one’s talking about

• What the future looks like if you don’t start adapting now

Forget the LinkedIn hype.
This is the real picture — from inside a company already building the next generation of PR tech.

GUEST

There’s a lot of hype around AI in PR — but what we all really want to know is: what can it actually do, what might it do next, and where are its real limits?SUBSCRIBE
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In a world where AI can run entire campaigns, is there anything left for human PR pros to do?
Yes—but only if you’re willing to operate in the grey zone. In this solo episode, I break down where AI is taking over comms—and where it can’t.

This isn’t about fighting the machines; it’s about focusing on the work AI won’t touch: high-risk decisions, morally complex stories, and trust-based influence that lives off-script.

👉 Why this matters to you if you work in a small agency or in-house comms? Because the safe, scalable, fast-turnaround work is going to be swallowed by machines. But the nuanced, uncomfortable, high-trust work? That’s yours—if you’re brave enough to own it.

Timecodes:

• (03:12) What the “execution economy” means for comms

• (06:45) Real-world use of tools like Magnus for campaign planning

• (11:08) Why AI fails in high-risk spaces

• (15:00) The hidden edge humans still have over AI

• (20:42) Two tracks of future comms—only one leads to long-term relevance

Guest next week: Jeroen Bos, technologist behind PR.co.

"BUT! We can just get AI to do our PR and comms? We can automate it?"

It's an argument being put forward by a growing number of organisations — even if no one quite knows how to do that yet. And that’s the rub. Is it actually possible?

Can you get AI — or perhaps a junior plus AI — replace experienced comms pros?

That was one of the big questions I discussed with Komal Lath (founder of Tute Consult) and Tarunjeet Rattan (of Nucleus PR).

I think we found 5 reasons why it’s not over yet for comms people.

This is part two of a wide-ranging chat looking at the latest agency research from the new PR Agency Insight Survey 2025, with two people on the frontline of PR and comms today.

We also talk about the economic reality of running a comms business, why storytelling still wins (but only if you adapt), why single-channel agencies are going to struggle — and why now is the time to own the stack.

Whether you work in-house or in a boutique agency, this episode has practical ideas you can try right away.

If you’re worried about proving your value, losing your best people, or watching briefs shift towards performance marketing — this one’s for you.

GUESTS
👤 Komal Lath – https://tute.co.in/ | Mumbai, India
👤 Tarunjeet Rattan – https://nucleuspr.in/ | Bangalore, India

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Why is PR still being treated like it's 1985 – and how do you fix it?

If your clients or organisation still thinks PR is just about "media coverage”, then you are not alone.

It's backed up by the new PR Agency Insight Survey 2025.

In this full episode below (15 mins), I'm chatting with two PR leaders from India’s independent agency scene – Komal Lath (Tute Consult) and Tarunjeet Rattan (Nucleus PR).

We talk about how they explain PR is more than press releases, we discuss ways of proving ROI to stakeholders who don’t get it. We also discuss where PR should fit in an organisation (in-house or agency) and of course, we talk about AI and what they are doing with it.

As always, I'm not interested in just theory but solutions, and Komal and Tarunjeet have some fascinating ideas.

This episode is for you if:

• You’re tired of explaining that PR is more than press releases.

• You’re struggling to prove ROI to stakeholders who don’t get it.

Timecodes:

[00:01:30] – The outdated perception problem: PR is still seen as "just media"
[00:04:53] – The real reason ROI is broken in PR – and how to shift it
[00:05:58] – Why PR should report to the CEO, not marketing
[00:08:23] – How to explain “modern PR” in one sentence
[00:09:32] – Using integrated PR+ads for ROI clarity
[00:11:21] – AI: What the data says, and why human input still matters

GUEST

Komal Lath - https://tute.co.in/
LOCATION: Mumbai, India
Tarunjeet Rattan - https://nucleuspr.in/

LOCATION: Bangalore, India
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"We need a quote in 30 minutes, or we're dropping the story."

The problem you have is that your client is in back-to-back meetings today.

Do you tell the journalist you can't help and potentially lose a contact and possibly your client, or find another way? 

In this episode, award-winning former entertainment journalist turned PR agency founder Kayley Hamilton has been trying to find a solution and has discovered one. 

Kayley reveals not just the fact she's using AI, but how she does it. 

She also explains how to avoid generating fluff or inaccurate quotes. 

This is not another vague AI chat. This is practical, real-world PR execution for boutique and SME agencies that actually solves one of the most stressful pain points in comms today.

What you'll learn:

• [03:30] How to avoid generic “AI-sounding” quotes

• [07:15] The onboarding system that captures client tone perfectly

• [11:50] Teaching AI to sound like your client (not a bot)

• [17:00] How to stay fast without crossing the line into fluff

• [21:10] How to keep journalists happy and your client off the phone

GUEST
Kayley Hamilton - CEO/Founder UPLVL Agency
LOCATION: LA, USA
Web: uplvlagency.com
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Every PR pro knows the struggle—proving ROI.

You know your work has impact, but when your boss or client asks for hard numbers, the conversation gets awkward. In this episode, we challenge the idea that PR can't demonstrate return on investment.

I talk to Liz Riley from NextPR, who says they have the answer.

We break down:
📊 The real way to track PR-driven traffic and leads (beyond vanity metrics)
🎙️ Why podcasts might be a goldmine for credibility and client conversion
📣 The mistake PR pros make when shifting between social media platforms
💰 What investors actually want to see from PR reports

Would this prove ROI to your boss or client, or are there other ways? 

Listen and decide for yourself.

🎧 Timestamps:
0:00 – The PR ROI debate: Why it still matters
5:42 – The Google Analytics trick that proves PR value
14:10 – Do podcasts actually drive leads?
21:30 – Why leaving a platform without notice kills credibility
27:45 – The future of ROI measurement: What’s missing?

GUEST

Liz Reilly - www.nextpr.com
LOCATION: Denver, Colorado
Web: nextpr.com
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GUESTS
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