Stories and Strategies for Public Relations & Marketing – Details, episodes & analysis

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Afraid of posting on LinkedIn? You’re not alone, and it’s not about time or talent, it’s about confidence.

In this episode we look at why communicators, especially women, struggle to show up confidently on LinkedIn. 

Fear, not time or skill, is the biggest barrier to visibility. PR professionals who are used to writing for others often stumble when the byline is their own. 

From how to post authentically without oversharing, to navigating gendered expectations in professional visibility, to practical LinkedIn content strategies (yes, including algorithm hacks!), we’ve got smart, tactical advice for anyone looking to show up and stand out online. Whether you're battling imposter syndrome or just wondering what to post next, this conversation is your confidence booster and content guide in one.

Listen For

• 4:25 Why don’t communicators post on LinkedIn?
• 6:44 How do you stay authentic without oversharing?
• 9:40 Why is visibility harder for women online?
• 13:25 What’s a simple LinkedIn strategy?
• 16:07 Can you beat the LinkedIn algorithm?
• 17:59 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Tina McCorkindale

Guest: Jo Jamieson

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What do a billionaire climate pivot, AI-fueled layoffs, and a scandalous Italian election have in common? They all got the PR treatment in this episode.  

Farzana Baduel, David Gallagher, and Doug Downs peel back the media layers behind some of the week’s most buzzworthy stories, from Bill Gates’ controversial “climate realism” memo and its impact on corporate sustainability narratives, to Amazon’s AI-framed mass layoffs and what that messaging means for employer branding.  

They also take a wildly entertaining detour into Italian politics where ex-lovers are facing off at the polls, with leaked documents and social media drama in full swing.  

Add in royal baseball cap faux-pas and you’ve got a sharp, witty, and deeply PR-savvy breakdown of the week’s biggest headlines. 

Listen For

:58 Is Bill Gates backtracking? Or just reframing climate change?
7:54 How is Amazon using AI to spin layoffs as progress?
13:43 How does branding tie into an Italian political scandal?
16:05 What if your opponent knows all your political secrets?
19:26 Did Prince Harry’s hat choice betray Canada?

The Week Unspun is a weekly livestream every Friday at 10am ET/3pm BT. Check it out on our YouTube Channel or via this LinkedIn channel

We publish the audio from these livestreams to the Stories and Strategies podcast feed every Friday until Sunday evening when it’s no longer available.

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More women are now leaving the PR industry because of perimenopause and menopause than because of childbirth. 

That’s a staggering, often invisible, that’s shift happening right at the top. It’s not burnout or work-life balance pushing them out, but a phase of life that’s rarely acknowledged and even more rarely supported.

This episode is an unflinching conversation about the real pressures senior women face. 

Why is menopause still a taboo topic at work? 

How misunderstood are its impacts on confidence, performance, and retention? 

And what must organizations and agencies do to support their best talent before they quietly walk away?

 Listen For

4:22 The Invisible Workplace Crisis

7:01 The “Rush Hour” of Women’s Lives

10:01 Emotions, Gender, and Professionalism

13:37 Finding Balance in Psychological Safety

18:53 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Fred Cook

Guest: Heather Blundell, CEO Grayling

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The third edition of the Asia-Pacific study by PRovoke Media flags Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) as a key driver behind rising optimism and budgets for communications leaders. But underneath the top layers, there’s uncertainty.

Listen For
4:21 The Importance of ESG in Asia Pacific
7:50 The Role of Communications Teams and ESG
9:25 Measurement of ESG Efforts
13:32 DEI Challenges

Guest: Arun Sudhaman
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Read the PRovoke Media 2023 Asia-Pacific Communications Index

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Last week we had a look at how to make an apology when you should – and why most apologies are just awful. But there’s another side to that human interaction – forgiveness. Accepting an apology. An apology can be the key that unlocks forgiveness, yet forgiveness can also occur in its absence, driven by personal growth and healing.

In this episode we look at the psychological journeys involved in embracing forgiveness.

Listen For
5:22 Why Apologies are Mandatory but Forgiveness is Not
8:13 Forgiveness Benefits the Forgiver
10:10 The Importance of Acknowledging Apologies
15:09 Self-Forgiveness and its Role in Personal Growth

Guests:
Marjorie Ingall
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Susan McCarthy
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SorryWatch.com

The Meagan Napier Foundation

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There are a lot of apologies out there. And a lot of them only serve to make things worse.

“I’m sorry if you were offended”
“We’re sorry if what we said was misunderstood”
“The situation is regrettable”
“Sorry but we have the right to do it and we reserve the right to do it again”

Sometimes a bad apology is because someone wants to hold on to their pride, or deep in their heart an apology can’t be right because they know they’re the hero of their own story.

In this episode Susan McCarthy and Marjorie Ingall of SorryWatch.com share some of what they see behind the bad apologies and offer good advice for doing better.

Listen For
4:23 Why Apologies are Important to Society
5:54 The Challenges (and Benefits) of Apologizing
9:59 The Key Elements of a Good Apology
13:15 Why Sometimes You Shouldn’t Apologize Right Away

Guests:
Marjorie Ingall
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Susan McCarthy
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SorryWatch.com

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The report shows two-thirds of senior leaders say they would describe their role as both marketing and communications but there’s a clear shift happening toward marketing.

More focus on brand awareness, broader reach, building media relationships, and managing brand reputation.

What does that mean for budgets in 2024? For content strategy?

Muck Rack helps us understand the trends.

Listen For
4:14 The Roles of Marketing and Communications are merging
6:21 How Budget is Being Allocated
10:41 The Focus on B2B or B2C?
12:38 Is Enough Attention Being Paid to Internal Communications? 

Download the Muck Rack State of PR Report

Guest: Linda Zebian, Muck Rack senior director, communications and community
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Historically, our approach to setting objectives and evaluation criteria has been organizational-centric. What is the company trying to achieve? What behavioural changes are needed by our key audiences to accomplish those goals? How do we nudge or persuade the behaviours of our key audiences?

But is that satisfying those audiences? Is it ethical for us to think our job is to influence their behaviour? Are we considering how those audiences are evaluating us?

In this episode Anne Gregory, a past chair with the Global Alliance and CIPR, and a recipient of Lifetime Achievement awards from both the PRSA and CPRS, says a new approach is needed. One that marks a step toward a new direction, emphasizing a more inclusive and responsive evaluation framework that aligns with the dynamic nature of modern communications and stakeholder engagement.

Listen For
5:45 Anne’s Challenge of Traditional Evaluation Methods
8:28 Redefining the Purpose of Public Relations
10:46 Bridging the Gap Between Organizational Goals and Stakeholder Expectations
20:12 Aligning Communication with Your Societal Role and Stakeholder Expectations

Guest: Anne Gregory, Ph.D., BA, FRSA, HonFCIPR, Huddersfield University
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You can download An evaluation u-turn: From narrow organisational objectives to broad accountability by Anne Gregory and Jim MacNamara here

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In March 2021 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle gave an interview to Oprah Winfrey that was absolute gold for fake You Tube body language experts. Some said it was a significant moment when she touched her nose. Others said she revealed all when she showed the tip of her tongue. And another said the tell-all moment was that one particular blink. The top five videos of those “analyses” generated 5.9 million views.

The Royals aren’t alone. A video analyzing the nonverbal communication of family murderer Chris Watts was watched by more than 38 million people. After the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard court case there were numerous body language experts on You Tube giving analysis like “when she licks her lips here, that’s when she’s lying.” Even Dr Phil has done videos analyzing precise body movements he said have definitive meaning.

The problem? It’s all voodoo. There is no acceptable scientific method to decode body language. There is no “language of the body.” It is pseudoscience wrapped in bells and whistles to delight and amaze. And it’s based on our human tendency, in our everyday lives, to make judgements based on what see and interpret which is influenced by our internal prejudices.

In this episode, the truth about nonverbal behaviour, and why misinterpretation can be downright dangerous to society.

Listen For
6:02 Debunking the Famous Myth that 93% of all Communication is Non-Verbal
14:21 How Misconceptions Influence Decision-Making
17:16 Non-Verbal Communication in Credibility Assessment
19:28 Challenges in Applying Non-Verbal Communication

Guest: Vincent Denault, Ph.D. , McGill University Postdoctoral Fellow
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There may be an emerging overreliance on generative AI in marketing and public relations. While artificial intelligence can enhance efficiency and creativity, it shouldn't overshadow fundamental marketing strategies. PR and marketing often focus too much on tactics like AI, neglecting the importance of a coherent, overarching strategy.

Maybe Generative AI is part of a bigger problem.

Listen For
4:47 Strategic Focus Over Tactical Execution
8:27 The Role of Generative AI in Marketing and PR
11:01 The Value of Human Insight in Content Creation
13:27 The Emerging Role of Prompt Engineers

Guest: Joe Zappa, Founder Sharp Pen Media
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