Smart in Public – Détails, épisodes et analyse

The Katies dive into the world of managing high-functioning PR teams. Topics include how to build a team centered around trust and creativity, managing-up to leadership, and the art of establishing strong executive relationships.

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In this very first episode of Smart in Public, Katie and Katie introduce themselves to the podcasting universe and discuss some of the notable signals, trends and shifts happening across the PR landscape.

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In our first Hot Take episode, the Katies discuss comms wins and blunders from the US Presidential Debate and the controversy surrounding Elle Macpherson's cancer treatment. 

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The partnership between comms and execs is critical for success – and can also be complicated. In this episode, the Katies are joined by Pip Marlow, Non Executive Director, former CEO of Salesforce Australia & New Zealand, Suncorp Executive and Managing Director of Microsoft Australia, to discuss the importance of the comms/executive relationship, how to build a strong working relationship between comms and the c-suite, whether comms people make good board members, and inevitably we will discuss the latest and greatest in skincare!

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This week the Katies explore the mystical world of paid, owned, and earned content strategies. You'll hear insights around which strategy to leverage and when, what the benefits are for each, and how to strategically educate stakeholders around preferred strategies when presenting your plans.

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The Katies welcome long-time friend and colleague Ashish Patel, former SVP of Communications at Salesforce, to the podcast to discuss how to strategically make career changes that evolve with the changing needs of the PR market.

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In episode 21 of the Smart in Public podcast, Burson CEO Corey duBrowa shares insights as to how world of communications has transformed over the years and his predictions on where it's headed. Whether you're a comms leader (or any leader, really) that's building a team, working with an executive or founder, interested in transitioning from agency to in-house (or visa versa), trying to switch to a different PR field, or want to understand how to become a better storyteller, this is your chance to learn from one of the most decorated and influential PR pros out there.

Key insights include:

• Navigating PR Career Transitions
• AI's Impact on Communications
• Storytelling and Influence Strategies
• Executive Communication Best Practices
• Talent Development in Organizations
• 2025 Communications Trends and Predictions

Chapters

11:49 - Career Journey and Insights
21:54 - Navigating Change in Communications
28:51 - The Role of AI in Communications
33:42 - Advice for Executive Communications
35:11 - Navigating Talent Acquisition and Team Dynamics
39:36 - Developing Future Leaders and Succession Planning
42:55 - The Intersection of Passion and Professionalism
50:08 - Exploring the Creative Process in Communication

About Corey

Corey duBrowa is the global CEO of Burson, the global communications leader purpose-built to create value for clients through reputation. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of Burson’s parent company WPP plc, the creative transformation company.

Corey brings a 30-year career at brands, technology companies and agencies to his role leading the flagship Burson and Burson Group of companies, which includes Axicom, earned-first global communications agency for tech brands and brands with a tech story; Burson Buchanan, the financial communications and capital markets advisory firm; GCI Health, the global healthcare specialty communications agency inspired by people; and Hill & Knowlton, the full-service global firm and proven partner for business and brand transformation, providing strategic communication, marketing and corporate affairs solutions

Before Burson, Corey was Global CEO of BCW and the BCW Group of companies. He came to BCW after spending five years as Vice President of Global Communications and Public Affairs at Google and parent company Alphabet. Before his tenure at Google, Corey was Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer at Salesforce, and spent seven years at Starbucks as Senior Vice President of Global Communications. He has extensive agency experience from his time at Waggener Edstrom and Ketchum Public Relations, having begun his career in employee communications at Nike.

His multiple industry awards over the past 25 years include six SABREs, four PRWeek Global Awards and three PRSA Silver Anvils, and he has been inducted into the PR News Hall of Fame. He currently serves on the University of Oregon Foundation’s Board of Trustees and the PR Museum’s Board of Trustees. He was a trustee of the Arthur W. Page Society for five years and a founding member of the USC Annenberg School’s Board of Advisors. Corey was a music journalist for two decades, with more than a thousand bylines in publications ranging from Rolling Stone to GQ. In 2024, he published his first book, “An Ideal for Living: A Celebration of the E.P. – Extended Play.”

Corey earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Oregon.

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Looking for a job in comms? Well it's your lucky day. This week, the Katies welcome Brooke Kruger, founder of KC Partners, to discuss the current hiring landscape in the communications field through the eyes of one of the industry's best comms recruiters. The conversation covers a broad range of job hunting, hiring, and interview tips including the importance of skills and education, career advice for newcomers in communications, preparing for interviews, and the impact of AI on hiring. They also explore common mistakes made by companies during the hiring process, the dynamics of returning to the office, and advice for international candidates looking to work in the U.S.

Key Topics

• An overview of the 'go direct' approach in communications and its impact on roles.
• How AI is increasingly used in the hiring process.
• How to build a network that can help you break into the industry.
• How to prepare specific examples of their work for interviews.
• Company hiring best practices that can fix a broke recruitment process.
• The return to office trend and where employers should consider flexibility in order to attract top talent.
• Tips for international candidates to get jobs that take them overseas.

You can get in touch with KC Partners via their website here: https://kc-partners.com/

Time Stamps:
05:07 - Current Hiring Landscape in Communications
08:29 - The Importance of Education in PR
10:29 - Skills and Trends in Junior to Mid-Level Roles
12:53 - Transferable Skills Across Industries
14:27 - The Interview Process and AI's Role
17:16 - Advice for Newcomers in Communications
19:02 - Preparing for Interviews
20:46 - Navigating the Hiring Process
24:11 - The Ghosting Dilemma in Recruitment
27:54 - Return to Office: Balancing Flexibility and Structure
30:21 - International Candidates: Pathways to the U.S.

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Our thoughts and prayers go out to the PR team at Intuit as we dive into this all too familiar case study focused on executive training, expectation setting, and article amendments. We'll dive into the various fallouts that can stem from a CEO interview, the importance of context when navigating article amendments, new ways of thinking around executive and journalist preparation, and what we would have done differently in the situation. It's a tough but critical topic for any PR person who manages the C-suite.

Episode time stamps:

1:14 - Case Study: Intuit and The Verge Interview
4:35 - Analysis of Intuit's PR Response
9:43 - The Importance of Executive Preparation
14:40 - Navigating Media Relationships and Expectations
20:57 - Preparing for Executive Interviews
24:12 - Handling Unexpected Questions
26:54 - Understanding the Journalist's Perspective
28:17 - The Role of PR in Interview Outcomes

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We’ve been getting a lot of listener emails – some with episode topic requests and some with quick questions. For this episode, we thought it would be fun to read the quick questions and answer on the fly! Hear our experiences and views on media accountability, navigating a PR career when you move internationally, the definition of comms and the role it plays throughout a business, and some PR horror stories that won't get us fired.

Episode Timestamps:

• 2:51 - Media accountability and journalism
• 5:36 - Navigating career transitions when moving internationally
• 8:37 - The definition of Communications and PR
• 11:26 - PR horror stories and industry challenges

We'd love to hear from you. Email us with topic requests, questions, or feedback at hello@smartinpublicpod.com.

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