Why Everybody Hates You

Usually on this podcast we talk a lot about the problems to avoid and examples to learn from. We help each other avoid beartraps in order to speed up learning. This episode is a bit different… Daisy speaks to Ariane Vickman, Head of Public Affairs at Starling Bank about the novel experience of working for an organisation with very few detractors.Key takeaways include:- how to use purpose to make practical change- why simplicity matters, in so many ways- and why Starling wants to carry other b...

Daisy talks to Tim Coombes, a carbon markets expert, about why carbon markets matter for reaching net zero and how to use them while protecting your corporate reputation.Together they cover:What we mean when we talk about carbon marketsWhy the markets had a bad year in 2023How to use carbon markets effectively to augment your net zero strategyWhat the reputation risks are and how to mitigate them, andThe big changes to expect in the next few years.Find all of our episodes - and full transcrip...

Colin Walker from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), talks to Daisy about mis- and disinformation in the world of electric vehicles and how to defend an entire industry from attack.Key takeaways include:The reputational opportunities and challenges inherent in the energy transitionThe seismic impact that the energy transition may have upon brand loyaltyHow important it is to amplify external advocates, and in an echo of last episode:How much political mood music and regulatory d...

Daisy interviews Helen Thomas, CEO and founder of Blonde Money - a risk monitoring consultancy that brings together years of experience in the worlds of Westminster and Wall Street to advise clients on political risk and how it affects financial markets.Key takeaways include:That companies need to be much broader in the types of risks that they monitor, model, and prepare for. The importance of developing a framework for understanding how the very human beating heart of politics ma...

To kick off series five, Alex Vail - Chief Executive at the Data Strategy Alliance, talks to Daisy about starting a new non-profit trade association to help businesses with digital transformation. Expect some sobering statistics on how (un)prepared many businesses are for big data as well as plenty of tips about how to manage major change programs.Key takeaways include: Data remains a massive challenge. It's a big technical challenge. It's a big hiring challenge. It's a big change challe...

Celia Richardson, Director Of Communications and Audience Insight at the National Trust, talks to Daisy about navigating through political strife, putting audience at the heart of a comms plan, and tips for a successful career in communications.Key takeaways include: Being a big name, a national institution, isn't all roses and rainbows: yes, the press might take your call but they love to take a big name down a peg. It's also harder to please a niche group than everyone.Keep a close eye...

Richard Maughan, Senior Director, UK Policy and Public Affairs at Pfizer, talks to Daisy about keeping teams sane during a crisis and how to use the lessons from the pandemic to embed positive change.Key takeaways include: Collaboration and flexibility are key to progress. If we want to reap the benefits, we need to apply these tools with enthusiasm and experiment with bringing them into areas where they have previously been taboo.More exposure to your stakeholders isn't a guaranteed win...

A double-length episode with double the reputation geek fun: Reputation coach Daisy Powell-Chandler in conversation with Ed Coke, founder of Repute Associates about how brands can or should respond to the cost of living crisis in a way that builds their reputation.They look at examples of companies taking action to help consumers and distil some advice for brands thinking about how to communicate in tough times.In summary, we agree that:Context is key - and right now it's the economy, s...

Daisy speaks to Mark Geoghegan, Editor of The Voice of Insurance, about why everybody hates insurers, how to survive after a meteorite strike, and how insurance both requires and feeds a good reputation.We dig into why economies - and countries - need and want insurers and how insurance can speed up the journey to net zero. And then we discuss if you can insure against reputation damage.Find all of our episodes - and full transcripts for each one - at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1121639

Daisy talks to Imogen Hitchcock, owner of communications agency Beaumont. Imogen helps companies to tell better stories and has a particular expertise in employee advocacy programs and in this episode the conversation is all about why and how organisations should better articulate their work on sustainability. This episode brings us to the end of our season focused on sustainability and reputation. It was actually the first interview recorded but we deliberately pushed it to the end beca...