The Public Relations Podcast

AI has helped the rapid growth of misinformation online and the ability of less sophisticated groups to target organisations with devastating effects. But just how serious a threat is this? 

In this episode, we look at the capabilities this new technology is bringing and some ideas on how to prepare for it. 

I chat to Rafi Mendelsohn from Cyabra to.... 

*THE PROJECT*

* www.PRBreak.com - turning the best ideas in the show into actionable tutorials

*GUEST*

Rafi Mendelsohn

Cyabra - https://cyabra.com/

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A special episode announcing a new newsletter for The Public Relations Podcast called "PRBites".

But as part of that, I'm releasing a video/audio version of the newsletter which is normally for members-only.

Within the video and newsletter, we're talking about Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds and his unexpected journey into sports management. We'll look at three strategies Reynolds used that can be applied across any industry to engage a community and drive success.

So, you want to sell Swedish tea to a country that is synonymous with making tea? That was the challenge Komal Lath of Tute Consult had as she took on a brief from Swedish tea maker "Life by Follis". Find out how she did some of it in this bite-sized episode.

We talked about why she organised a "high tea" event and how she worked with niche influencers to target specific segments within the Indian market.

Komal is also one of those people who just beams with positive energy so I asked her tips on how she does it. She had 3 really good ideas.

Usual place to subscribe if you want to follow along or come on the show as a guest.

hashtag#pr hashtag#publicrelations hashtag#pressrelations hashtag#pragency

I haven't looked at #PRrequest and #JournoRequest on Twitter/X for a long time, but after chatting to a friend recently and hearing they had secured some TV coverage through it, I thought I'd take another look.

It's been a few years since I last looked, so I was curious to see what had changed and what stood out as things you needed to do to get noticed

I found about 8 things which I've put in this episode of The Public Relations Podcast (available on all good podcast apps too!), but here are a few...

1) The requests tend to have a heavy lifestyle focus.

2) The requests can be quite niche as reporters look for more unique and interesting angles.

3) You need to have credibility to get used.

4) There are quite a few general requests which raise a few questions as to what they are really about.

Have you had any success with reaching out to requests like this?

#publicrelations #pr #communications

Dive into the compelling world of storytelling and its profound impact on public perception in this insightful episode of The Public Relations Podcast.

We look at the fascinating case of the UK post office worker scandal—a story that lingered in the shadows of journalism for years, only to be thrust into the national spotlight through the emotive power of television drama.

We'll examine why certain narratives capture the public's imagination, turning a once-ignored issue into a cause that demands government action.

I look back at my discussion with Helen Barnett, a seasoned content strategist and former national website editor for the Express newspaper.

This episode is not just an analysis; it's full of practical insights for PR professionals looking to harness the true power of storytelling in their campaigns. From the emotional journey of individual post office workers to the broader implications for effective communication, we explore how to craft messages that not only inform but also emotionally engage and connect with audiences.

Whether you're a seasoned PR expert or just passionate about the art of storytelling, this episode offers valuable lessons on turning cold facts into compelling narratives that can sway public opinion and prompt action. Tune in for an enriching journey through the landscapes of empathy, engagement, and the transformative power of well-told stories.

As you know, I'm always interested in the reality of the world of communications, not just what we might wish to believe.

That's why I was so pleased when April White from Trust Relations reached out recently to discuss their observations.

They've noticed that when pitching consumer products to outlets of nearly any size, including some sort of incentive has become essential.

Note, she specified consumer products. This focus is due to the challenge these products face in developing narratives that transcend blatant advertising.

Unless there's truly something innovative, or you can engage a select group of key outlets in an 'immersive experience,' the primary aim of consumer products PR is usually to drive sales for that new toy or fridge, and the media outlets are well aware of this.

So, whether the idea of 'pay to play' appeals to you or not, April wanted to share her insights on why in-house communications professionals and PR agencies might want to consider offering affiliate link services to their clients, or setting up such links for their own organizations.

Do you agree or disagree? It might be worth listening to what April had to say first."

* GUEST *

April White - https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilnicollewhite/

Trust Relations - https://trustrelations.agency/

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A couple of weeks ago a TV drama hit the headlines in the UK. It changed government policy.

It told the true story of how post office workers had been wrongly convicted of fraud by a faulty computer system. But the story wasn't new. Journalists had been trying to report on it for years.

So, why did it suddenly gain national attention now and more importantly what can professional communicators learn from this?

Helen Barnett was a national newspaper website editor for the Express Newspaper in the UK and saw both sides. She's now a content strategist.

She recently wrote a short article about this case and so I invited her on The Public Relations Podcast to discuss it.

*GUEST*

Helen Barnett - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenbarnett/

Helen Barnett Media - helenbarnettmedia.co.uk

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The team representing a Bollywood model and actress in India announced she had passed away from cervical cancer a week ago. Newspapers ran tributes, colleagues paid their respects.

But 24 hours later she announced she wasn't dead but had just been trying to raise awareness of the terrible disease.

Did she go to far?

The backlash has been enormous but was it worth it from a PR perspective?

To discuss this and look at what PR people in any discipline can learn from this case, I reached out to Jaideep Shergill this week from Pitchfork Partners in Mumbai, India.

We also talk about two other recent PR stories Jaideep has been talking about on LinkedIn. Firstly, how music bands are taking on the environmental message and winning when they take their band on global tours, and the impact of globalisation on PR.

Find Jaideep at https://www.pitchforkpartners.com/

Send a pitch to the media with 50-100 words in it and you have approx 7 times more chance of getting a response than sending 1000+ words.

Obvious?

The data is in from Propel PRM Media Barometer Q1 2024 which came out today.

The data is collected from email pitches and also shows that while the average response rate to pitches is 3.15%, pitches with an email subject line with 5 or fewer get responded to the most at 3.88%.

I grabbed a chat with CEO Zach Cutler today to run through these figures and more to find out what else the data is showing.

#communications #pragency #pitching

PR and its study human nature is of course global and so it was such a delight to finally welcome a true legend of PR in India, Komal Lath from Tute Consulting on the show.

Komal is someone with huge energy and tons of experience. We discussed her campaign with Minimalist, a skincare brand, and how they got influencers to tell the story of the brand.

We talk about whether 2024 is the year that organizations should be keeping quiet and avoiding speaking up. Spoiler - they shouldn't.

We look at internal PR and how influencing internal comms will impact what happens on the outside, and finally, we head to the need to integrate communications more and more for comms teams mixing paid, earned, PR, and marketing techniques.

*GUEST*

Komall Lath - https://www.linkedin.com/in/komallath/

Tute Consult - https://tute.co.in/

*THE PROJECT*

* www.PR-ology.com

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* Video and Audio links here - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/listen/

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* Connect with me - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/

* Website and weekly newsletter - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/

* Join the show as a co-host - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/one-sheet/