The PR Week

Podcast topics:- Leslie talks about his recently announced plans to step down as chairman at Weber Shandwick after more than two decades at the agency, his early political comms work in the U.S. and abroad, his plans for the future and more;- On narratives, implications, outcomes and strategies of government officials and climate activists during the COP26 climate change summit;- Highlighting the execs and professionals who comprise PRWeek’s Health Influencer 30: Class of 2021, including Merck comms head Cristal Downing and Moderna chief brand officer Kate Cronin;- Recapping the PRWeek 40 Under 40 gala, which was celebrated in-person on October 28, and diving into how the honorees this year might change the industry;- What PR holding companies’ Q3 financials say about where the industry has been and where it’s going, with an eye on Stagwell, WPP and more;   - Rounding up the latest merger and acquisition news in the agency and vendor sectors, including Finn Partners, Amulet Capital Partners, TalkWalker and more;   - How Omnicom is accommodating its New York City employees’ transportation needs with a private bus fleet;- Recapping Tuesday’s off-year election results, which saw Republican victories in Virginia, a hotly contested governor’s race in New Jersey, Boston electing a historic mayoral candidate and more. PRWeek.comTheme music provided by TRIPLE SCOOP MUSICJaymes - First One Follow us: @PRWeekUSReceive the latest industry news, insights, and special reports. Start Your Free 1-Month Trial Subscription To PRWeek Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Podcast topics:- Lund talks about her position at pharmaceutical company Organon, which spun off from Merck in June, how Organon positions itself to address an industry deficit in women-centric healthcare, what’s next for Organon and more;- Discussing longtime Weber Shandwick chairman Jack Leslie’s decision to step down in March 2022 after more than two decades in the role and his history in the industry;- On Facebook’s financial results and the series of scandals that have put the social media giant on its back foot including leaks that indicated its content might contribute to negative health outcomes for women;- Discussing Publicis Groupe’s strong performance results that leapfrogged the holding company ahead of Omnicom and WPP to become the world’s most valuable agency group by stock market value and the future of holding companies in general;- On the consolidation of several Havas PR Global Collective PR functions under the Red Havas network;- Get vaxxed or get out? Why agencies are increasingly likely to require all employees to disclose their vaccination status as a term of employment;- What to expect at COP26, the global climate change summit. PRWeek.comTheme music provided by TRIPLE SCOOP MUSICJaymes - First One Follow us: @PRWeekUSReceive the latest industry news, insights, and special reports. Start Your Free 1-Month Trial Subscription To PRWeek Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Podcast topics:- Garrett talks about the origins of his firm, Redwood Climate Communications — which Garrett created to serve clients in the “climate tech” sector — working with clients communicating on major climate-related issues, emerging technology in the climate tech sector, breaking through the “doom and gloom” of environmental news and more;- Recounting the life and extensive legacy of public relations pioneer David Finn, who passed away on October 18 at 100;- Medtronic’s promotion of Amy Jo Meyer to the newly created role of VP of corporate communications;- Edelman’s announcement that vaccination against COVID-19 will soon be a condition of employment at the world’s largest-by-revenue PR firm;- Starbucks’ hiring of A.J. Jones to the newly created role of SVP of global communications and public affairs. PRWeek.comTheme music provided by TRIPLE SCOOP MUSICJaymes - First One Follow us: @PRWeekUSReceive the latest industry news, insights, and special reports. Start Your Free 1-Month Trial Subscription To PRWeek Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week on the podcast, PRWeek editorial director Steve Barrett interviews Kristal Howard, director of media relations and corporate communications at Kroger and PRWeek's chair of jury for the 2021 Purpose Awards. Podcast topics: - Howard talks about how Kroger, the largest supermarket chain in the country, took steps to protect its employees during the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of frontline essential workers in other industries from airlines to hotels;- Discussing the work of viral immunologist Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, PRWeek's inaugural Purpose Awards Changemaker of the Year for 2021; - This year's Most Purposeful Activation winners, the Black Coalition Against COVID-19 and Real Chemistry and how they addressed COVID's disproportionate impact on Black communities across the country and vaccine hesitancy in communities of color; - Recounting other timely and important themes from the Purpose Awards, including combating skin cancer, food insecurity, gun violence, environmental protection, vioting rights and more;- The evolution of advertising and the PESO model of communications and how focused comms and drive purposeful change and reputational gains;- Recapping the PRDecoded Conference for 2021, the topic of which is "purpose transformed"; standout panelists including PepsiCo's Steven Williams, Pernod Ricard's Ann Mukherjee, and more.   PRWeek.comTheme music provided by TRIPLE SCOOP MUSICJaymes - First One Follow us: @PRWeekUSReceive the latest industry news, insights, and special reports. Start Your Free 1-Month Trial Subscription To PRWeek Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Every industry was impacted notably by COVID-19, including the home and building sector. While myriad challenges were presented to all entities in the space, many opportunities arose, as well. In either case, though, communicators had to adjust to new realities on a daily basis – and they still must to this day and into the foreseeable future.This conversation, featuring Ben Boyd, VP of comms and community relations, Lowe’s Companies, and Meredith Topalanchik, MD at G&S Business Communications, delved deep into the unique world of communicating in a sector that means just as much – a lot – to the heartstrings of consumers as it does to their purse strings.The home and home renovation market is booming right now, with more than half of consumers preferring to either build a new home or renovate the one they’re in. Some semblance of remote working is very likely here to stay, so the “home office” is a common consideration now. The importance of reputation and brand evangelists is unique in this sector, especially now. These are just some of the topics tackles during Boyd’s and Topalanchik’s conversation with PRWeek managing editor Gideon Fidelzeid. We welcome you to listen in.This podcast was the fourth in the G&S/PRWeek “Reshaping the future” series. We encourage you to check out the previous installments focusing on the financial sector, agribusiness and healthcare. PRWeek.comTheme music provided by TRIPLE SCOOP MUSICJaymes - First One Follow us: @PRWeekUSReceive the latest industry news, insights, and special reports. Start Your Free 1-Month Trial Subscription To PRWeek Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Podcast topics:2:49 - Ponzio talks about her career path from Edelman to the origins of APC Collective, activating authentic DE&I initiatives, working through 2020’s civil rights protests and COVID-19 and more.18:14 - How Facebook responded to two crises this week: whistleblower allegations that it had purposely prioritized “growth over safety” and an hours-long outage on Facebook and Instagram. Plus, how brands reacted to the outage on Twitter.25:21 - Catching up on the ongoing developments around Ozy Media’s decisions to dissolve its board of directors, not to retain its law firm, or its PR firm. 32:14 - Discussing the Pandora Papers leak, the largest-ever look behind the curtain at how wealthy individuals and organizations utilize tax havens around the world.33:43 - How Budweiser co-opted the viral success of Home Depot’s giant skeleton decoration.35:07 - Allison + Partners is expanding into Latin America, opening an office in partnership with Grupo Garnier, an affiliate of Allison + Partners’ parent holding company, Stagwell.37:09 - On former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham’s new book, I'll Take Your Questions Now: What I Saw in the Trump White House. PRWeek.comTheme music provided by TRIPLE SCOOP MUSICJaymes - First One Follow us: @PRWeekUSReceive the latest industry news, insights, and special reports. Start Your Free 1-Month Trial Subscription To PRWeek Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For every brand in every sector, a commitment to purpose is reaching table-stakes level in terms of being a necessity for success. Of course, this manifests itself differently depending on the type of organization you are.The good news, though: Inspiration and education can be gleaned for all brands from any entity in any industry.That is proved in this podcast, featuring Harvey Mason, Jr., CEO of The Recording Academy, and Sean Smith, EVP and head of corporate counsel practice, Porter Novelli.The pair of leaders share some examples of how the Academy uses its powerful platform to advance DE&I and help broader society. They discuss how younger staffers at both organizations are leading the charge on purpose initiatives. The strength the Academy and Porter Novelli draw from their partnership is also on full display.All this and more are revealed in Mason’s and Smith’s conversation with PRWeek managing editor Gideon Fidelzeid. We welcome you to listen in. PRWeek.comTheme music provided by TRIPLE SCOOP MUSICJaymes - First One Follow us: @PRWeekUSReceive the latest industry news, insights, and special reports. Start Your Free 1-Month Trial Subscription To PRWeek Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Podcast topics:1:57: Ford talks about how companies and organizations can go beyond just words on DEI initiatives, the legacy of Black public relations pioneer and social justice advocate Ofield Dukes and more.16:01: Edelman has named Taj Reid as its first global chief experience officer, tasking Reid with driving creative technology prototyping and innovative experience design across the Edelman network.17:17: In a $11.4 billion joint venture, Ford and South Korean battery cell supplier SK Innovation will create three BlueOvalSK battery factories.19:42: Next 15 has reported a 69% rise in pre-tax profit in the six months to July 31, naming PR agencies Archetype and MBooth among its strong performers.22:08: Dating platform OkCupid is taking “an even bigger stand on inclusion” in response to viral videos of a woman tearing down its inclusive Every Single Person ads on a New York City subway.26:18: Looking to refresh your brand’s logo? Why not hire TikTok star Emily Zugay for the job. Zugay has gone viral after redesigning brand logos including the Detroit Lions and McDonald’s.29:31: Where are they now? PRWeek catches up with ordinary people brands made famous on YouTube and social media. PRWeek.comTheme music provided by TRIPLE SCOOP MUSICJaymes - First One Follow us: @PRWeekUSReceive the latest industry news, insights, and special reports. Start Your Free 1-Month Trial Subscription To PRWeek Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Podcast topics:0:54 - Ellis talks about her work at foundation with Prosek Partners, how to attract students and retain them, diversifying the PR industry and more.   27:22 - Omnicom Group has won Mercedes-Benz’s global agency consolidation, edging out incumbent Publicis Groupe.29:51 - Weber Shandwick has launched a media security center in partnership with threat-intelligence company Blackbird.AI to advise clients on potential information risks. 33:57 - Robinhood has hired Okcoin’s Will McCormick as crypto communications lead as the financial services company plans to launch a cryptocurrency wallet offering later this year.35:20 - Real-estate technology company Compass has hired Adam Sohn as its first chief communications officer.  PRWeek.comTheme music provided by TRIPLE SCOOP MUSICJaymes - First One Follow us: @PRWeekUSReceive the latest industry news, insights, and special reports. Start Your Free 1-Month Trial Subscription To PRWeek Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Podcast topics:2:57 - Valdes-Fauli talks about his Hispanic-American-focused agency, Pinta, the intricacies of targeting the very diverse Hispanic-American market, the pros and cons of remaining an independent agency versus joining a holding company and more.   16:13 - Running down the insights and findings of the fourth-annual PRWeek/Boston University Communications Bellwether Survey after the unprecedented industry disruptions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.  22:57 - Recognizing the six latest inductees into the PRWeek Hall of Fame: Jano Cabrera from General Mills, Golin’s Fred Cook, Joe Evangelisti from JPMorgan Chase, Flowers Communications’ Michelle Flowers Welch, Karen Kahn from HP and Zeno’s Barby Siegel.26:15 - Hispanic Heritage Month is observed every year from September 15 to October 15. How are agencies and brands responding — and are they hitting the mark? 30:58 - Recapping the in-depth interviews with GM comms head Craig Buchholz and Subway CMO Carrie Walsh. 36:22 - McDonald's social listening tools struggled to keep up with a wildly popular activation with K-pop super group BTS.  PRWeek.comTheme music provided by TRIPLE SCOOP MUSICJaymes - First One Follow us: @PRWeekUSReceive the latest industry news, insights, and special reports. Start Your Free 1-Month Trial Subscription To PRWeek Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.