The PRovoke Media Podcast

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

In this episode of the PRovoke Media podcast, Maja Pawinska Sims is joined by Richard Smith, co-founder and CEO of fintech Payen, and MikeWorldWide director Conrad Arnavutian, to talk about humanising B2B technology, purpose- and values-driven B2B communications, and how brands and communicators in this sector can navigate the future of sustainability and ESG.

Christina Kim, a former Freuds exec and now corporate PR manager at travel technology firm Yanolja, joins Maja Pawinska Sims on the PRovoke Media podcast to talk about how a blend of speed, quality, and trust has helped Korean brands rise on the global stage. As a Korean who now lives and works in New York, Kim shares how this cultural identity has shaped not just her career in PR but also the global success of Korean brands such as Samsung, Hyundai, LG and K-beauty products.

Burson’s Asia Pacific CEO HS Chung joins Arun Sudhaman on his final PRovoke Media podcast, to discuss the rise of Asian companies on the global stage. Chung describes why she believes the latest wave of Asian brands going global is very different from previous generations, and discusses the unique PR and communications challenges that these companies are aiming to address as they look to succeed beyond their home markets.

In this episode of the PRovoke Media podcast, Avoq strategic planning leader Dianne Riddle Mikeska takes a wide-ranging look at how the comms industry, with a particular focus on public affairs, is leveraging data in its decision-making process. The far-reaching conversation with PRovoke Media founder Paul Holmes covers topics from the key role tools and technology play in strategic planning to the importance of maintaining people — by way of polling, focus groups and the like — as a central part of the process.

APCO founder Margery Kraus joins the PRovoke Media podcast to discuss the pioneering consultancy's journey as it marks its 40th anniversary of operations. In conversation with Arun Sudhaman, Kraus discusses the lessons she has learned along the way, the benefits of independence and perils of private equity, and the crucial intersection between politics and business. Kraus also addresses recent protests at the firm's London office, and the broader scrutiny that PR firms now attract in the mainstream media. 

The Young Changemaker Awards were launched by PRovoke Media and WE Communications in 2022 to celebrate young female communicators from underrepresented groups across North America, UK/Europe and APAC/MEA. In this podcast, the third class of recipients gather with WE founder/CEO Melissa Waggener Zorkin and PRovoke Media editor-in-chief Arun Sudhaman to discuss their the program's importance, the lessons they are hoping to learn, and their advice for PR industry leaders.  This show features the 2024 Young Changemakers: Adina James (UK/Europe), account director, Allison Mei Lee (APAC/MEA), senior designer, Retroviral  Paula Chirinos (North America), SAE, Ketchum  

Former AIA brand and communications head Stephen Thomas joins the PRovoke Media podcast to discuss his new book, entitled 'Reputations of Value: Winning with Corporate Reputations in an Unpredictable World.' In conversation with Arun Sudhaman, Thomas discusses why and how he wrote the book, which features insights from numerous communications leaders from across the globe. He also explores whether brands can be 'outrage-proofed' in today's febrile environment, where many may choose to remain silent rather than risk a backlash.

PRovoke Media founder Paul Holmes sat down with principals from 2024 Agencies of the Year Chandler Chicco, Day One and The Sway Effect to find out what they did last year — in terms of employee culture, agency marketing, and client relationships — to create success in a challenging environment. https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/podcast/article/podcast-how-did-our-agency-of-the-year-winners-stand-out-in-a-tough-year-for-pr

In this episode of the PRovoke Media podcast, Maja Pawinska Sims is joined by Tom Berry, UK managing director of global agency MikeWorldWide, in a lively and personal discussion ranging from the challenges, opportunities and changes facing the PR industry, to agency leadership, to AI, to people and purpose.

Sherlock's Patrick O'Neill discusses companies turning off Latin American consumers by not using language properly.

This episode of the PRovoke Media podcast is the audio of a provocative webinar with this year’s cohort of The Xec – the UK leadership scheme for the next generation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic leaders in the UK public relations industry. The panel talk to Maja Pawinska Sims about the complexities of diversity hiring, exploring issues of tokenism, whether people of colour are bearing the burden of responsibility for ensuring workplaces are representative and inclusive, the role of employee resource groups (ERGs), and their suggestions for how agencies and in-house teams can move forward towards a truly inclusive industry.   The panel: Priscillia Chun, Campaign Director, Diffusion PR Myriam Khan, Head of Communications, UK, Hitachi Rail Arun Lloyd, Associate Director, Hope&Glory Mammy Maguire, Head of Student Communications & Social Media, Manchester Metropolitan University Anita Rathod, Communications & Engagement Lead, Rolls-Royce

Day One Agency’s Erin Amend and Rita Onyx, creator and founder of the Onyx Family Brands,  discuss Gen Alpha and what the kids who are part of it want from creators.

In this episode of the PRovoke Media podcast, crisis and issues specialist Rod Cartwright talks to Maja Pawinska Sims about the findings of his recent ‘Reputation, Risk and Resilience’ report, an analysis of eight major global reports whose findings impact corporate communicators around the world. The conversation covers the 10 themes of the report, as well as crucial questions for communications leaders to consider, and his conclusion that risk management, crisis preparedness and resilience-building can be seen as sources of huge positive value, rather than being feared or seen as mere insurance policies.