The Public Relations Podcast

Launching a stealth company and training AI 23.02.2026 14min

Launching a company from stealth sounds exciting. In reality, it’s usually messy, rushed, and full of competing voices.In this episode, Richard Midson is joined by Andrew Healey from Water & Wall (New York) to unpack a real fintech launch that had everything happening at once:a new company reveal, a multi-million dollar seed round, strategic partners, and multiple stakeholders who all needed sign-off.This isn’t theory or “best practice”. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at how an agency actually pulled off a high-stakes launch in a tight window, over Christmas, with limited margin for error.They also get into how AI and GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) are quietly changing media strategy, why some “low-status” sites now matter more than CMOs expect, and why embargo pitching is becoming less optional and more essential.If you work in an SME PR agency or in-house comms role and you’ve ever had to launch something fast, complex, and political, this episode is for you.Practical takeawaysHow to structure a launch when you have multiple announcements and can’t afford for one to bury the othersWhy longer embargo lead times are now helping reporters, not hurting coverageHow to think about stakeholders when there are investors, partners, and comms teams all in the mixWhat GEO actually changes about media targeting, and why some overlooked sites now influence AI search resultsGUESTAndrew Healy - Water and WallLOCATION: New York, USAWEB: waterandwall.comNEW TO PR?- Check out the new podcast 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comSUBSCRIBE- Video and Audio links here - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/listen/Or search for "The Public Relations Podcast" on all good podcast appsCONNECT WITH ME- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/- Website - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/- 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comFUTURE GUESTS- Check out: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/be-a-guest/

AI in 2026: How PR Actually Influences AI Search and Why Earned Media Matters 03.02.2026 13min

Most AI conversations in PR are theoretical. They talk about where things are going and what you might need to prepare for.This conversation is about what is happening in AI today and how to use it today. In this episode of The Public Relations Podcast, I speak with Ben Jacobson from Inbound Junction.Ben talks us through how he is approaching a current B2B tech campaign and explains how PR, SEO, and GEO are overlapping in practice.As someone who has always been focused on inbound techniques, Ben and his team consider the AI landscape crucial. Practical takeawaysIdeas on how to identify the prompt clusters your clients actually need to appear in, starting from audience pain points not keywordsWhy earned media and credible citations influence AI visibility more than owned content aloneHow to test whether your PR coverage is being used as a source by AI tools.GUESTBen Jacobson, Chief Content OfficerLOCATION: Tel Aviv, IsraelWEB: inboundjunction.comNEW TO PR?- Check out the new podcast 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comSUBSCRIBE- Video and Audio links here - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/listen/Or search for "The Public Relations Podcast" on all good podcast appsCONNECT WITH ME- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/- Website - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/- 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comFUTURE GUESTS- Check out: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/be-a-guest/

Insight: Why good PR graduates still struggle to get hired and what actually works 29.01.2026 10min

There is a growing gap between what people think PR jobs need and what agencies and in-house comms teams actually hire for. In this episode, I pause the usual interview format to share some early findings from the research behind our sister show Getting a Job in PR.Based on conversations with agency owners and comms leaders, this episode breaks down the small but decisive things that make candidates stand out or quietly fall away. Not theory. Not motivation. Real behaviours that hiring managers notice.• How to test whether you are actually suited to PR before you apply• Why visible proof beats enthusiasm every time• How agencies really judge curiosity, energy, and initiative• Why being easy to work with matters more than being impressive• What internships are actually for when they work properlyJoin us for more at: GettingAJobInPR.com

It's time to take data more seriously? 20.01.2026 14min

Most PR and comms teams say they are “data-driven” Very few actually are.In this episode, Richard Midon is joined by Komal Lath from Tute Consult in Mumbai to talk through how PR work changes when you stop relying purely on instinct and start using real audience data to shape campaigns.Komal shares details of a recent cosmetics brand refresh campaign she worked on in which one national message was replaced with multiple local campaigns across India, without extra budget or people. The difference was not the outlets, but how they used data to decide what mattered to different audiences.They also talk honestly about where AI genuinely helps PR teams, where it does not, and why long format content is quietly outperforming short form in some unexpected places.This episode is for agency teams and in-house comms pros who are tired of generic advice and want to understand how modern PR is actually working on the ground.GUESTKomal LathLOCATION: Mumbai, IndiaWeb: www.tute.co.inNEW TO PR?- Check out the new podcast 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comSUBSCRIBE- Video and Audio links here - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/listen/Or search for "The Public Relations Podcast" on all good podcast appsCONNECT WITH ME- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/- Website - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/- 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comFUTURE GUESTS- Check out: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/be-a-guest/

Gaining 500 more media placements by going wider - Amanda Proscia, LightspeedPR 13.01.2026 14min

Most PR teams have faced this problem. You have a smart client, they know their audience, they want to target that audience directly and rightly so, but the trades just aren't biting at the moment, distracted by other things. What do you do?In this episode, Amanda Proscia from Lightspeed PR explains how her team broke that deadlock and turned a niche brief into hundreds of national and global placements by identifying one news hook, reshaping the pitch for consumer press, and keeping political noise out of the story.If you have ever struggled to scale coverage for a niche client or tried to convince leadership to trust a wider media approach, this will feel very familiar and immediately useful.TakeawaysWhy this B2B client resist wider visibility rightly and also why they should look beyond that too. The hook and how it unlocks national pressHow to build fresh angles once the obvious one is goneKeeping subject matter experts out of political trapsThe new shift toward micro and nano influencersGUESTAMANDA PROSCIA - lightspeedpr.comLOCATION: New Jersey,USAWeb: lightspeedpr.comNEW TO PR?- Check out the new podcast 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comSUBSCRIBE- Video and Audio links here - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/listen/Or search for "The Public Relations Podcast" on all good podcast appsCONNECT WITH ME- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/- Website https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/- 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comFUTURE GUESTS- Check out: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/be-a-guest/

PR is changing: Pay attention to the news 18.12.2025 9min

PR is changing, and you can see it in the news stories.Cut through the staggering amount of noise in the marketing and PR space and you start to spot a few items that show a genuine shift in the way things are happening. Things that will impact PR and strategic communications in the future.I read a lot of newsletters, and as I say, there is a lot of noise. But I picked out four stories that seem at first glance to be nothing special until you look into them. I explain why they matter for how PR and communications.I look at:- What the erosion in trust in traditional media means, according to Reuters, and why it is more nuanced than it first appears.- How tool makers are using AI to analyse whether campaigns will work, and more importantly, whether you can do something similar for free on your own computer.- The quiet return of experiential PR as an answer to digital and AI fatigue and slop. Will this continue to grow?and- Why one podcast industry newsletter shows that, without getting the product right, no amount of marketing will work.I also talk briefly about a new research project I am working on.This episode is an experiment. I wanted to try looking at a small number of news stories that genuinely stood out from the noise. As usual, I will look at the data, and if people find this episode useful, I will do more like it. If not, enjoy this one off.

AI Insight: How PR teams actually use AI without breaking trust or quality 17.12.2025 14min

NOTE: This was recorded in late October 2025AI is already inside the tools you use. Waiting it out is no longer an option.In this episode, I speak with Karen Sutherland, author of Artificial Intelligence for Strategic Communication, who, at the time of the recording, was fresh from a Marketing AI Conference in the US.We cut through the noise and talk about how PR and comms teams are actually using AI day to day, what works, what breaks, and where people are getting it wrong.This is not about replacing people or chasing shiny tools. It is about saving time on the work you hate, protecting quality, and building skills your team will still need in five years.If you run an agency or work in-house and feel stuck between curiosity and fear around AI, this episode gives you a clear place to start.We coverWhy AI agents change how work gets done, not just how fastThe real risk for junior staff and how to avoid hollow skillsHow teams are using custom GPTs to speed up reporting without sounding genericA simple framework for integrating AI safely and sensibly into comms workMap your tasks before touching tools. Start with repetitive work that drains time, not creative judgment.Use AI as a first draft assistant, then edit like a professional. Quality control becomes a real job, not an afterthought.Train AI on your own writing and reports so outputs sound like you, not the internet.Regularly check whether AI is saving time and protecting standards, not just pushing content out faster.DescriptionPractical takeawaysGUESTKaren Sutherland - Senior Lecturer, Public Relations, University of the Sunshine CoastLOCATION: Sunshine Coast, AustraliaBook: Artificial Intelligence for Strategic Communication by Karen E. SutherlandNEW TO PR?- Check out the new podcast 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comSUBSCRIBE- Video and Audio links here - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/listen/Or search for "The Public Relations Podcast" on all good podcast appsCONNECT WITH ME- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/- Website and newsletter - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/- 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comFUTURE GUESTS- Check out: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/one-sheet/

AI Insight: How to use it in PR without destroying trust 08.12.2025 10min

AI is already inside every corner of PR and comms, but very few teams have real safeguards in place. In this episode, I sit down with Dr Lukasz Swiatek from UNSW (The University of New South Wales) to talk through the real risks facing agencies and in-house teams.Luk researches the impact of AI on communication and education and he lays out the pitfalls that PR teams keep tripping over. Accuracy problems. Deep fakes. Reputational slipups. Ethical blind spots. The slow erosion of trust.If you are trying to use AI while still protecting your organisation or your clients, this episode gives you a straightforward way to think about boundaries and guardrails that actually work.What you will hearLuk on the big AI concerns people are ignoringThe accuracy trap and why comms teams keep falling for itHow to build real boundaries around AI in your organisationWhat AI means for trust and authenticityThe future of PR roles and whether humans still matterPractical takeawaysCreate a simple yes or no list of what AI is allowed to do in your organisation, then make staff sign off so there is shared responsibility.Treat all AI output as unverified until checked against a real source. Never publish raw content.Build a rule that any AI assisted content must be reviewed by a human who understands tone, risk and context.Set expectations with clients or leadership about what AI can and cannot reliably do. This reduces pressure to use it in unsafe situations.GUESTLukasz Swiatek - School of the Arts and Media, University of New South WalesNEW TO PR?- Check out the new podcast 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comSUBSCRIBE- Video and Audio links here - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/listen/Or search for "The Public Relations Podcast" on all good podcast appsCONNECT WITH ME- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/- Website and newsletter - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/- 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comFUTURE GUESTS- Check out: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/one-sheet/

How do you get a comms job (or a better job) in 2025? 04.11.2025 16min

I’ve been getting a lot of messages lately from people asking the same thing: “How do I get a job or a better job?"So far in the podcast, I've tended to focus on campaigns people are running, but I also want to do some episodes featuring interviews with agencies and recruiters around the world to find out what they're looking for.My first guest is Brooke Kruger, Partner at KC Partners in San Francisco (USA). In this quick episode, we cover a lot of stuff about what is really happening in hiring right now and why so many good people are still struggling to get noticed.Here are three insights that stood out to me, but there are a lot more in the episode:🤖 AI isn’t a headline skill anymore — it’s assumed.As Brooke put it, you wouldn’t write “proficient in Excel” on your CV. Same with ChatGPT. The difference now is whether you can show how you’re using AI to improve speed, clarity, and results.🎯 Storytelling is everything.It’s not enough to do the job. You have to be able to tell the story of why you want to do it. Ask yourself why and then explain what drives you, how you think, and how that helps a company tell their story better.⚙️ You have to be both strategic and hands-on.Companies want people who can think at the top level and still roll up their sleeves. The days of “I only do strategy” are gone.If you are in comms recruitment or recruit people and think applicants need to do better, then let me know and let's get you on an episode. Guest: Brooke Kruger, KC PartnersWeb: https://kc-partners.com/Podcast: www.ThePublicRelationsPodcast.com

Is "AVE" dead in PR? 12.10.2025 12min

"Advertising Value Equivalents" are supposed to be dead, yet CFOs keep asking for them. Meanwhile, clients want backlinks, CMOs want digital metrics, and AI is rewriting the measurement rulebook daily. So how do PR and comms teams actually prove value in 2025?In this episode, I talk with Neha Bahri (Bconnect Communications) and Tarunjeet Gujral (Nucleus PR / PRPOI) about what’s really happening on the ground in India’s PR scene — and why it matters globally.We cover:- Why some CFOs still cling to AVEs- What else clients are demanding- How AI is reshaping measurement and what comms pros need to track now Some of the takeaways1) AI rewards earned media — the more credible your coverage, the more likely it is to be surfaced by tools like ChatGPT.2) Educate CMOs early — if they don’t understand how PR differs from digital marketing, they’ll pass the wrong expectations up the chain.3) CFOs will still demand AVEs until educated otherwise — you may have to provide them as a “translation” alongside more modern measures.4) Backlinks remain a visibility metric — clients see them as proof of quality and traffic, even if they oversimplify PR’s role.This episode is for anyone stuck between old-school AVEs and new-school metrics who needs to show results without losing their sanity.GUESTSTarunjeet Rattan - Nucleus PR - www.nucleuspr.in andNeha Bahri Bconnect Communications - bconnect.co.inSUBSCRIBE- Video and Audio links here - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/listen/Or search for "The Public Relations Podcast" on all good podcast appsCONNECT WITH ME- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/- Website and newsletter - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/

What really happened when Jimmy Kimmel was axed? 26.09.2025 7min

Do you think they ever really cancelled Jimmy Kimmel?Or was it a smart PR move to kill a firestorm?Put the politics aside for a second.Here’s what happened:- - Jimmy Kimmel made comments about Charlie Kirk.- Backlash exploded.- His show was pulled “indefinitely”.- The funeral went ahead.- Kimmel returned.The moment his show was axed, a good chunk of the fire just blew out. - No protests during the funeral.- No attention on the network over that weekend.Why? Because there was nothing left to argue about.Kimmel was “gone”... at least publicly.It defused the heat.It kept attention off the network.And it avoided the funeral becoming a flashpoint of increased attention. Then, after the funeral, the narrative moved on.We heard how people were calling for his return. That was reinforced with interviews and Kimmel himself listing a huge list of celebrities who wanted him back. So, do you think it was clever planning of the narrative or simple luck with events?While not everyone needs to think about US politics, it's a good example of how some organisations read the room in a crisis situation and how, by being aware of where the flashpoints can be, they can douse the fire, at least to an extent.

Case Study: Keeping the media interested 22.09.2025 12min

“I never planned to become a campaigner…”That’s what George told me.He’s a sports reporter. A good one.But then he tragically lost six-week-old baby.And suddenly, George found himself in the national media pushing for change.Today I sat down with him — to not only learn his story but also to help him shout louder in future. We talked about a huge number of things. How to keep the media interested after the initial headlines fade?How to be the best spokesperson for an organisation?How to utilise modern PR (which goes far beyond just press relations today). And, we agreed a next step to try. We'll be following George to see what happens.In the edited episode, you’ll hear real strategies anyone can use (even without a budget).If you have a story that should be heard and you want to discuss it on a show, reach out to me by DM or search for The Public Relations Podcast. #PR #Comms #Storytelling #ThePublicRelationsPodcast #MediaStrategy #Campaigning

Set clear goals - A campaign without them could go anywhere. 01.09.2025 7min

Season 9 of The Public Relations Podcast is underway.Soft launch this time. No big fanfare. Just notes from the front line of comms.People I’m helping. Conversations I’m having with other comms pros. Tools I’m testing. AI experiments, too.And, the podcast keeps opening doors, and I'm getting to help people this time, which will allow me to share what I'm seeing myself on the frontline too, not just gathering other people's voices.It may be a bit sporadic at first. The bigger ideas for Season 9 will come later. But this is where it starts.First up? A story from a room I was in the other day, where I was explaining to a group why I believe clear, laser-focused goals beat a perfect list of action steps every single time.Maybe I'm wrong, but people in comms talk so much about process, but is that grand process actually achieving the goals you were brought on for?

Report: How to write Press Releases with AI 03.08.2025 40min

Here is the full version.Helen Barnett (a former UK national news editor) and myself recently tried to use AI to turn a corproate story into something the mass media would use. It wasn't always easy but it did show some of the powerful strengths of AI as well as some of it's weaknesses.We decided to not just give our opinions but to test it.Apart from some editing to remove gaps, this is every part of our conversation and tests. Guest: https://www.helenbarnettmedia.co.uk/

Use AI to write a press release 28.07.2025 14min

(The short version - The long version will be in Episode 23)Join me and Helen Barnett, a former editor at a national UK newspaper (https://www.helenbarnettmedia.co.uk/), in this special episode of the podcast.Helen and I (I'm a former radio news editor) try to find the best way to use AI to write a press release.We don't quite get there...BUT.....We do uncover a lot of pitfalls along the way and discuss how to fix them.By the way this is the 14-minute version. I'll be releasing the full-length episode soon on the podcast where we cover almost double the number of points.If you're struggling with AI press releases or learning to pitch for the first time, it's worth a watch.#PR #AIinComms #MediaPitching #CommsStrategy #ThePRPodcast

Would you like to take part? 02.07.2025 5min

I want to prove that PR, comms and narrative marketing works in 2025, in (sort of) real-time. But how? I've been thinking about this a lot over the past year. We all know the pressures today:- “Where’s the ROI on comms?” Clients want metrics. Execs want proof. AI is starting to flood the market with generic content. You and I know comms and narrative marketing work, but how do we prove that to people who don't get it yet, who could and should be future clients?Here’s the plan:-I want to introduce a new element to the podcast.It's based on an idea I tried last year and thank you to those amazing people who took part in that.In it we'll do a sort of “business makeover" show focused on comms.In each special, 30-minute episode:-1) A real business comes in with a comms challenge. Most likely, they are struggling to stand out as much as they want and need help, but it could be anything a narrative specialist can tackle.2) Then a guest expert (maybe you?) offers micro-consulting for 15 mins in the show.3) I then follow up a few weeks later to find out what happened so we can prove the power of comms.I'm giving you the quick version here. There is more in the video. To make it happen, we need two things. 1) Comms pros happy to spend a few minutes mentoring in a show. (independent individuals and agencies).And 2) Case studies - Do you have a client you’d love to reconnect with, or want to showcase your abilities to, that you can bring into an episode for some mentoring with you? If we can focus on promotion rather than reputation problems for now, then many could be ok with a little extra PR. If we have to keep them anonymous, we can, but it just won't be as strong. As I say, more in the video, but in short........I want to find a way that demonstrates these skills in action, rather than trying to explain them.You and I both know the future is not generic marketing. It's narrative marketing (PR, story-driven campaigns, comms, etc). It's time we "showed" we showed people that.#PR #Comms #Podcast #PublicRelations #Marketing #MicroConsulting #AI #Storytelling #MediaStrategy #CommsLedMarketing

PR CAREER: Focus on your skills 30.06.2025 5min

In this episode, I unpack a real conversation with a PR freelancer trying to pivot into a new sector — and getting knocked back with that brutal line:“You don’t seem like you’ve done this before.”But here’s the twist: in her original industry, she was deeply embedded — known, trusted, and networked. She just couldn’t see the value in what she’d already built.We talk about:Why moving sideways in PR isn’t as easy as it soundsThe growing importance of specialism in an AI-driven worldHow to tell if your reputation is worth more than your ambitionAnd why sometimes the smartest move isn’t reinvention — it’s doubling down on what you already knowThis is for anyone who's ever wondered if they’re starting over… when they’re actually standing on gold.

What we can learn from "fake" influencers 16.06.2025 6min

We all know influencers are curating their lives — yet we still buy what they recommend. Why does that emotional trust stick, even when it’s fake? In this episode, I unpack a conversation I had with university students about influencer culture, social capital, and what it reveals about how consumers make decisions. Are you giving people a story worth believing in?If you would like to discuss any of these ideas, just reach out to me on LinkedIn. Details in the episode.

Guest: PR for personal branding in books 05.05.2025 14min

Are you getting your "goals" wrong?In the old days of book PR, your goal was to raise awareness in order to sell copies — but not anymore. There’s a new goal. It’s the same in many sectors, where the objective has shifted but people sometimes miss the change.Kourtney Jason is from Pacific & Court in Brooklyn, USA, an agency that specialises in book PR in 2025.They realised that books on their own are rarely "news" anymore, so they needed to focus instead on what was newsworthy. The answer was often the author themselves — providing the right angles were found.There were still book signings to sell the books, but the primary goal and focus had changed.If you’re someone promoting thought leaders, building a personal brand, or an author (or want to be one), this episode should be useful.The whole episode (15 mins) is here. Stop defining yourself in generic terms. A "coach" is too generic, even a "wellness coach" — get specific about what you do.Don't ignore local media — it's still a springboard to bigger coverage, but find the local angles.Books are credibility tools, not sales channels. Use them to open doors through visibility, not through the hard sell.Don’t forget to use AI to help find angles.GUESTKourtney Jason - Pacific & CourtLOCATION: Brooklyn, USAWeb: pacificandcourt.comSUBSCRIBE- Video and Audio links here - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/listen/Or search for "The Public Relations Podcast" on all good podcast appsCONNECT WITH ME- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/- Website and newsletter - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/GUESTS- Check out: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/one-sheet/

AI: The reality of AI in Public Relations – from someone building it 29.04.2025 13min

If you want the truth about where AI is taking PR — and what it’s already capable of today — this is the episode for you.In this episode, I talk to Jeroen Bos — a friend, technologist, and the man leading innovation at Pr.co, a well-known platform in the PR space.We talk about what Jeroen himself is trying with his team, what barriers they are coming up against, what’s working, what’s not, and how you can start preparing now.In this episode:Why AI can't replace PR pros — not from a “save our jobs” angle, but because of the real world technical limits of AIHow AI can help speed up the boring, painful parts of the jobHow smart platforms will mine your past content to unlock hidden storiesWhy AI won’t be writing perfect press releases anytime soonThe cultural bias problem in AI no one’s talking aboutWhat the future looks like if you don’t start adapting nowForget the LinkedIn hype.This is the real picture — from inside a company already building the next generation of PR tech.GUESTThere’s a lot of hype around AI in PR — but what we all really want to know is: what can it actually do, what might it do next, and where are its real limits?SUBSCRIBE- Video and Audio links here - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/listen/Or search for "The Public Relations Podcast" on all good podcast appsCONNECT WITH ME- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/- Website and newsletter - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/GUESTS- Check out: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/one-sheet/

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