When It Hits the Fan

There are some crises that flare up and then disappear almost instantly. And then there are those that rumble on and on and on.

Welcome to Manchester City's world.

It is now a month since the devastating verdict against the club - when it was found guilty of breaking Premier League financial rules and using 'sham' contracts to disguise secret funding of more than £800m.

The club continues to deny any wrongdoing and is appealing. But while that process runs and runs, how do you keep the PR wheels moving? When you're in perma-crisis, how do you ignore the external noise and focus on arguably the most important job - keeping everyone inside the organisation onside?

On the extended edition on BBC Sounds - food, bras and pants. The very staples of M&S. But who's doing all the selling? It seems their programme to use 'ordinary' employees as mega-influencers is working a treat. David and Farzana discuss how companies are increasingly trying to use their own shop-floor staff to do the PR heavy lifting, to appear more authentic and relatable.

And if you're reading this surrounded by tinned goods and bottled water, there's a chance you've listened to the Government's Be Ready campaign. In short, we've been giving a list of things we should stockpile in case of emergency - and unsurprisingly, some of those goods are flying off the shelves.

But has the messaging changed? There's been little talk of 'panic buying'. Instead, it feels like people are being commended for taking sensible precautions. Are we now living in such uncertain times that it's becoming easier to persuade the public to change their behaviour without spreading fear?

Producer: Duncan Middleton

When you live life in the fast lane and the wheels come off, the results can be spectacularly bad. Just ask Christian Horner.

He was sacked as boss of F1's Red Bull amid claims of sexual harassment (of which he was cleared by internal investigations) and a slump in the team's form.

This week David Yelland and Lauren Beeching discuss his concerted campaign to drag himself out of the PR pits. Rather than revisit the past scandal, he seems to be seeking to reframe how we see him. His new book is part of that campaign - but the audience he cares about the most may not be the general public.

On the extended edition on BBC Sounds, what happens when your partner becomes a PR liability? It's especially hard if you're both public figures. How do you avoid contagion even if you've done nothing wrong? And how do you discreetly advise a client that their other half is a reputational nightmare?

Also, how many times have we all been told to keep things simple? It's certainly a mantra that seems to be serving the Vatican well. A statement to confirm the Pope 'got up and had breakfast' conveyed more honesty and transparency in one sentence than other press releases manage across acres of print. David and Lauren look at how, when it comes to Pope Leo's health, the Vatican seems to understand that silence doesn't stop speculation.

Producer: Duncan Middleton

Group chats aren't known for holding back. Take a scroll through your own neighbourhood chat and the word 'Evri' probably features quite highly.

This week, David Yelland and Farzana Baduel look at the reputational problem facing the delivery giant. In terms of business, it's a great success story but it has a huge word-of-mouth issue, with people needing little encouragement to vent their fury. Now, the CEO is fighting back - saying because they have so many customers, it only takes a fraction of them to complain to make it feel like there's a problem.

He may be entirely right - but is this one of those times when people aren't interested in the facts? And is he really more interested in appealing to the retailers who use Evri, rather than the public?

On the extended edition on BBC Sounds, a double whammy of reputational management - Tom Watson and Palantir. The former Labour deputy leader has joined the tech company - but can he do anything to change people's perception of this deeply unpopular company? Or is Palantir just laser-guided on landing lucrative contracts rather than public affection?

Also, just how long should you leave it before speaking ill of the dead? In Jeffrey Archer's case, it seemed the gloves came off almost immediately. But, as Farzana and David explain, there is a whole industry around what you could call Legacy PR - with people paying big money to make sure all the right things are said about them, long after they're gone.

Producer: Duncan Middleton

The stakes could not be higher. To the winner, global supremacy. To the loser, irreversible decline.

That is how the battle for building more data centres is being fought by Amazon.

This week, David Yelland and Farzana Baduel look at how the company is fighting back against the "misinformation and outright lies" that surround data centres. The public has apparently got them all wrong. But just how do you shift opinion when it seems everyone has already made up their mind?

On the extended edition on BBC Sounds, a slightly more modern slice of Bayeux brilliance. The Conservatives scored a great PR win with their own 88ft 'tapestry' depicting the last two years in politics. The masterstroke was to include a number of journalists in the artwork - which meant they all posted about it, giving the stunt far more publicity. The very obvious flattery worked a treat - but there are more subtle ways of getting journalists on side which are just as effective.

Also, the risks of making pets political. Labour minister Jenny Riddle-Carpenter found herself in hot water after rather clumsily linking black labradors to some kind of 'Far Right fantasy'. The reaction has been exactly as you can imagine.

Producer: Duncan Middleton

"That's it, I'm leaving." After which, there is often the sound of a door slamming. But in this case, it's more likely to be the sound of a private jet revving its engines.

This week, David Yelland and Farzana Baduel look at why some of the UK's richest people seem so keen to quit the UK. Recent stories includes claims that the country is not just on the slide - but has irreversibly slid. What's really behind the decision to publicly say you're off - or that you're thinking of leaving? Who is the message really aimed at - and what are the risks of sticking your head above the parapet?

On the extended edition on BBC Sounds, AI seems to have a PR problem. Literally. OpenAI is still looking to fill its head of comms role after almost a year's search. When PR becomes the story, it's never good. And is there any real chance of one person being able to change the reputation of AI - given the catastrophic predictions for it ending humanity?

Also, there are times when it doesn't hit the fan. But it's not because of PR brilliance. This week, Ed Sheeran was saved from a potentially huge crisis when his controversial gigs at a stadium in the US had to be cancelled because of the weather. His problems over his stance on the conflict in Gaza have not gone away for good - but David and Farzana look at times from their own careers when a good old slice of luck has saved the day. And then ask, should you ever take the credit it for it?

Producer: Duncan Middleton

'Never complain, never explain.' Until recently, that could've been the unofficial motto for the Royal Family.

Not anymore.

David Yelland and Farzana Baduel discuss whether it was wise for Buckingham Palace to issue a statement in response to bombshell claims made in Earl Spencer's new book. Advisors closest to the King must have known it would pour rocket fuel on an already incendiary story - but would it have been even worse not to respond?

And sticking with statements, on the extended episode on BBC Sounds, Ed Sheeran. The singer is right in the middle of an enormous PR storm, over where he stands on the situation in Gaza. He's now said he's 'made mistakes and is so, so sorry', but as David and Farzana explain, whatever he does now won't be enough to appease everyone. So what is he supposed to do next?

Producer: Duncan Middleton

When an interviewer's first question is whether your product could kill all humans, you know it's serious.

This week, David Yelland and Lauren Beeching look at how the boss of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, handled himself following insider claims that AI could indeed wipe us all out.

As Amodei outlined the risks - and benefits - the vital thing to look at is the timing. With Anthropic preparingto sell its shares on the Nasdaq stock exchange, he needed to appeal to investors more than the general public. And explaining just how incredibly powerful your product is, is not necessarily a bad thing. Even if it could lead to the end of the world.

Also - the secret game being played behind-the-scenes when your client is given a right to reply. David and Lauren discuss what options you have - including how quickly to respond and how much or how little detail to give. And they explain how these days, you can be given as little as an hour to put your side, as publications try to stop people going on social media to control the narrative.

And it's never a good idea to get on the wrong side of a National Treasure. Sir Tom Jones has made it very clear he's not happy at being offered a reduced role on The Voice. He says ITV told him it was due to a 'financial difficulty with insurance'. With producers looking to 'refresh' the show, is everything as it seems?

Producer: Duncan Middleton

It's a feeling, it's something you can't quite put your finger on - but you know it when you see it.

This week, David Yelland and Farzana Baduel are all about the vibes. The good ones. Whether it's at Downing Street or M&S, vibes have been one of the stories of the summer.

But good vibes aren't easy to manufacture, they often need intricate planning. And they also require risk, being bold and authenticity.

Plus, on the extended edition on BBC Sounds, excuses. Nigel Farage says he 'wasn't listening' during a conversation with his former chief of staff and an undercover reporter discussing what appears to have been a scheme to funnel money to Reform UK.

As a defence, it may sound simple - but as David and Farzana explain, they're often the hardest ones to disprove. See also, 'I didn't read the email', 'my phone was hacked' and 'the dog ate it'. Whether you choose to believe someone's defence will rest on their 'residual reputation'.

And, following one of the most spectacular PR coups of the summer, who are the real winners after Meghan was rumoured to be starring in The Gentlemen? Was there a calculated plan to allow the story to snowball - and was Meghan's team wrong to allow a vacuum to build around the actual facts?

Producer: Duncan Middleton

If PR is all about weaving great stories, then the Bayeux Tapestry might just be the perfect example.

This week, David Yelland and Farzana Baduel celebrate the comms coup that was 1000 years in the making. The tapestry's arrival back in the UK was covered and celebrated in minute detail - with hype being generated from the most mundane details. The British Museum seems to have pulled off a public relations masterclass. But it comes as the museum is still battling to recover its reputation after a series of fan hitters.

On the extended edition on BBC Sounds, the resignation bombshell that's gone global. A Chinese project manager at Alibaba has quit - and she didn't just hand in a brief note explaining she'd serve her notice period. She wrote a 100 page tome that tore into her entire industry. Farzana and David discuss the reputational risks to both employer and employee.

Also, the noble art of dressing up and poking fun at someone. Count Binface has garnered coverage across the world as he prepares to stand in the Clacton by-election. He's just the latest in a long line of people who've used the absurd as a very effective - not to mention cheap - way of landing their point. And the tricky thing is, it's often very hard to counter.

Producer: Duncan Middleton

Whether you're a multimillionaire or the son of a King, sometimes it can still feel like everyone is out to get you.

And so we turn to Nigel Farage and Prince Harry. Both are dealing with huge PR fallouts on which the dust is nowhere near settling.

This week, David Yelland and Farzana Baduel discuss why even the most powerful people claim the whole world is against them. It's certainly a tried and tested PR tactic - painting yourself as the lone wolf, the outsider, you against the Establishment.

It can help create a useful diversion to what the actual story is - a reframing of the narrative to tell the story you want to tell, as opposed to the media.

It can illicit sympathy - but it can also just look like moaning.

Producer: Duncan Middleton