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    Marketing

    Public Relations Stories and Strategies

    Every organization has a story people believe about it. Most leaders didn’t choose that story. They inherited it, stumbled into it, or lost control of it somewhere along the way.

    Stories and Strategies is the Public Relations podcast that changes that.

    Host Doug Downs talks with the communicators, executives, and strategists who understand that narrative isn’t a marketing function. It’s a leadership one. Each episode unpacks what actually shapes reputation, trust, and public perception at the highest levels, drawing on behavioral science, media intelligence, and the ethics that keep persuasion honest.

    This is public relations at the level serious leaders need it. Not tactics and press releases. The thinking behind why some stories win and others disappear.

    Ranked among the most listened-to public relations podcasts in the world, Stories and Strategies reaches leaders and communicators across six continents every week.

    If you are responsible for the story people believe about your organization, you cannot afford to guess. Follow Stories and Strategies wherever you listen to your public relations content.

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    Latest Episodes:
    Winning Trust When the World is Skeptical Dec 09, 2025
    Show notes

    In every corner of the world the public mood is shifting, sometimes quietly and sometimes all at once. Climate anxiety, pandemic fears, economic pressure, geopolitical tension and a surge in concern about data security have all reshaped what people expect from companies.

    For organizations trying to build trust across borders the rules keep changing. What mattered in 2019 did not matter in 2021. What mattered last year may not matter next year. And unless communicators understand these shifts they will miss the signals that determine whether a message lands or falls flat.

    That is why this conversation with Steve Shepperson-Smith is so valuable. Drawing from Vodafone’s 75,000+ annual reputation data points and RepTrak’s million-strong global dataset, Stephen shares compelling insights on the critical 60/40 split between capability and character, and why the latter matters more than ever in polarized, politicized times.

    Listen For

    4:37 What does global data say about what drives reputation today?
    6:52 Have public views on social and environmental issues shifted?
    8:41 Are ESG and DEI labels now hurting more than helping?
    10:57 Why is data security now a top consumer concern?
    16:38 How can brands stay local in a divided global landscape?

    20:40 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Andy West


    Guest: Steve Shepperson-Smith, Vodaphone

    LinkedIn

    Rate this podcast with just one click

    Follow Farzana on Substack

    Follow Doug on Substack

    Curzon Substack

    Stories and Strategies Website

    Curzon Public Relations Website


    Are you a brand with a podcast that needs support? Book a meeting with Doug Downs to talk about it.

    Apply to be a guest on the podcast


    Connect with us

    LinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Pinterest

    Request a transcript of this episode

    Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode

    Support the show


    The Agency Checkup: How Healthy Is Your PR Firm? Dec 02, 2025
    Show notes

    Most agencies can tell you how their clients are doing but ask how they are doing and the room gets quiet. The truth is that even the best run firms skip their own checkups. Margins thin out, teams burn out, and culture drifts while the spotlight stays fixed on the next pitch.

    But what if agencies treated their operations the way a doctor treats a patient, tracking vital signs, diagnosing problems early, and prescribing real solutions before things spiral.

    From hidden symptoms to running a full-scale agency fitness test, in this episode we look at what separates a healthy firm from one that just looks good on paper.

    Listen For

    3:56 What vital signs show if your agency is healthy or just surviving?
    5:25 Are agency leaders really surprised by their own problems?
    8:57 Is AI a threat or a tool for agencies to grow?
    12:25 What four pillars make an agency profitable and strong?
    18:15 What aha moment helped an agency turn things around?

    20:03 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Lionel Zetter


    Guest: Andy West, West of Center

    Website | Email | LinkedIn | X | Substack

    Rate this podcast with just one click


    Follow Farzana on Substack

    Follow Doug on Substack

    Curzon Substack

    Stories and Strategies Website

    Curzon Public Relations Website


    Are you a brand with a podcast that needs support? Book a meeting with Doug Downs to talk about it.

    Apply to be a guest on the podcast


    Connect with us

    LinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Pinterest

    Request a transcript of this episode

    Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode

    Support the show


    Are Leaks Strategic PR Tools or Signs of Corporate Decay? Nov 28, 2025
    Show notes

    This week, we look into the murky ethics of media leaks and their growing role in shaping political, corporate, and cultural narratives. From leaked peace plans that spark international diplomacy to budget details released minutes before parliamentary debate, we dissect whether leaks are ethical whistleblowing or manipulative PR tactics.

    Farzana argues that leaks often reveal broken internal cultures, while Doug, from a journalistic perspective, explores how leaks are used to test narratives and steer public perception.

    Also in this episode, David wonders if written reports are becoming relics in a world obsessed with video and visual storytelling.

    And we ask: Can AI help restore strategic thinking in PR? And should public relations finally be regulated like other professions?

    Watch/Listen For

    1:45 How will AI reshape PR, tactically or strategically?
    5:36 Should PR be regulated like law or finance?
    9:28 Are media leaks ethical, or just PR strategy?
    14:33 Can visual storytelling replace traditional comms?
    22:04 Are algorithms killing media access for everyone?

    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

    Folgate Advisors

    Curzon Public Relations Website

    Stories and Strategies Website

    Request a transcript of this livestream

    Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode

    Support the show


    The Old Fashioned Deal: Trust and Influence in a Digital Age Nov 25, 2025
    Show notes

    Trust isn’t built in boardrooms or over Zoom. It’s built in the quiet moments. A conversation that lingers, a promise kept, a drink shared between people who still believe words matter.

    In this episode, we explore how the foundations of influence have shifted from handshakes to hyperlinks, and what that means for anyone trying to shape opinion or policy in a world that’s forgotten how to connect.

    You’ll hear stories from inside the world of public affairs, where relationships once forged in the late hours of party conferences now play out on screens and social feeds. We unpack why the human side of persuasion still decides who gets heard, who gets trusted, and who gets left behind. Because in the end, every message, every movement, and every bit of influence still comes down to people.


    Listen For

    6:42 Can you build real relationships online?
    9:13 Is polarization killing cross-party lobbying?
    12:52 Are autocrats on the rise?
    15:00 How is public affairs different from stakeholder work?

    16:05 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Guest Nick Usborne


    Guest: Lionel Zetter

    Website | X | LinkedIn

    Lionel’s new book The Lobbyist

    Rate this podcast with just one click


    Follow Farzana on Substack

    Follow Doug on Substack

    Curzon Substack

    Stories and Strategies Website

    Curzon Public Relations Website


    Are you a brand with a podcast that needs support? Book a meeting with Doug Downs to talk about it.


    Apply to be a guest on the podcast


    Connect with us

    LinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Pinterest

    Request a transcript of this episode

    Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode

    Support the show


    Releasing the Epstein Files and is LinkedIn Gender Biased? Nov 21, 2025
    Show notes

    What happens when PR meets scandal, tech chaos, and gender bias?

    This episode of The Week UnSpun is a whirlwind of explosive headlines. The trio of David Gallagher, Doug Downs, and guest host Miranda Mitchell look into the renewed Epstein files controversy and its potential to dominate headlines well into 2025.

    They unravel Cloudflare’s swift crisis response and debate the alleged gender bias in LinkedIn’s algorithm.

    Add a healthy dose of Cracker Barrel branding blunders and viral live-TV moments, and you’ve got a jam-packed show.

    Listen For

    2:03 What’s coming with the Epstein files and who could be impacted?
    6:57 How could media coverage of the Epstein case harm innocent people?

    10:46 How did Cloudflare’s apology turn disaster into a win?
    13:27 Does LinkedIn’s algorithm favor male voices?
    18:47 Is AI helping or hurting your brand voice?

    Watch For

    2:10 What will the release of the Epstein files reveal, and who gets hurt?
    6:00 Should we worry about innocent people in raw investigative data dumps?
    13:21 Is LinkedIn’s algorithm biased against women, and how do we know?
    20:02 Will AI kill or save PR agencies in the era of LLMs and brand drift?
    26:09 Did Cracker Barrel’s rebrand backfire, and what’s the PR lesson?

    Guest Host Miranda Mitchell, Pretail
    Website | LinkedIn | Contact

    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.

    Folgate Advisors

    Curzon Public Relations Website

    Stories and Strategies Website

    Request a transcript of this livestream

    Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode

    Support the show


    Is AI Quietly Rewriting Your Brand? Nov 18, 2025
    Show notes

    AI can imitate your voice, your words, even your face, but it can’t steal your story.

    What happens when companies hand their storytelling to machines that don’t understand who they are?

    As businesses race to automate, they risk losing the very thing that makes them distinct: the human truth that built their brand.

    Listen For

    3:15 How are story, narrative, and voice different?
    7:00 What is brand drift and how does AI cause it?
    10:04 Why do people distrust AI-generated content?
    11:33 How does story protect brand identity?
    14:54 How can you fight disinformation about your brand?

    15:25 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Guest Jessica Hope

    Guest: Nick Usborne

    Website | Email | LinkedIn | Instagram | Link to Nick’s Courses


    Follow Farzana on Substack

    Follow Doug on Substack

    Curzon Substack

    Stories and Strategies Website

    Curzon Public Relations Website


    Are you a brand with a podcast that needs support? Book a meeting with Doug Downs to talk about it.

    Apply to be a guest on the podcast


    Connect with us

    LinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Pinterest


    Request a transcript of this episode

    Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode

    Support the show


    BBC’s Trump Edit – Mistake or Malice? Nov 14, 2025
    Show notes

    Is the BBC losing its grip on journalistic credibility? Or is it being pushed?

    This episode of The Week Unspun unpacks a chaotic week in media and politics with sharp insight from PR veterans Farzana Baduel, David Gallagher, Doug Downs, and special guest Adrian Monck. The BBC’s controversial editing of a Donald Trump speech for Panorama sparks a fierce debate on ethics, institutional accountability, and media governance. From internal BBC politics to the broader implications for press freedom, the team dissects why this incident led to resignations at the highest levels.

    The conversation then pivots to the political circus of the U.S. government shutdown and the erosion of trust in public institutions, before exploring the branding brilliance behind Dubai’s appeal to wealthy expatriates fleeing taxation and uncertainty in the UK.

    Audio Chapters

    4:06 Should One Edit lead to Top BBC resignations?
    13:49 Are Governments Held to the Same PR Standards as Corporations?
    17:45 Why are UK Tech Billionaires Fleeing to Dubai?
    20:58 Is the UAE Winning the Global Nation Branding Game?

    Video Chapters

    2:02 What did the BBC really edit out of Trump’s speech, and why does it matter?
    4:06 Should one error lead to top BBC resignations?
    13:49 Are governments held to the same PR standards as corporations?
    17:45 Why are UK tech billionaires fleeing to Dubai?
    20:58 Is the UAE winning the global nation branding game?

    Guest: Adrian Monck

    Wikipedia | Website

    The Week Unspun is a weekly livestream every Friday at Noon ET/5pm 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.

    Folgate Advisors

    Curzon Public Relations Website

    Stories and Strategies Website

    Request a transcript of this livestream

    Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode

    Support the show


    How Cultural Intelligence Shapes Great Public Relations Nov 11, 2025
    Show notes

    In public relations, success often depends on one quiet skill: knowing how to adapt. The best communicators read the room, sense the temperature, and adjust their tone without losing their message.

    In this episode, we explore what it really means to be a PR chameleon – someone who can blend into the cultural landscape enough to connect, yet still stand out enough to be remembered.

    Jessica Hope, founder of Wimbart, has built one of Africa’s most respected tech PR agencies by mastering that balance. From WhatsApp-based storytelling to navigating privilege, identity, and power across 54 distinct markets, Jessica reveals how empathy, adaptability, and emotional intelligence have become the true currencies of influence in global communications.

    Listen For

    4:36 How Do You Break the “One Africa” Myth in PR?
    7:40 What Is Emotional Intelligence in African Business?
    9:22 How Do Comms Channels Differ in Africa?
    12:06 Should Brands Adjust Their Values in Africa?
    16:26 What’s Africa’s Media Landscape Really Like?

    18:30 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Jo Jamieson


    Guest: Jessica Hope, Wimbart

    Website | Contact Page | Email | LinkedIn | X | Instagram


    Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Ted Talk Farzana mentioned

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg

    Rate this podcast with just one click


    Follow Farzana on Substack

    Follow Doug on Substack

    Curzon Substack


    Stories and Strategies Website

    Curzon Public Relations Website


    Are you a brand with a podcast that needs support? Book a meeting with Doug Downs to talk about it.


    Apply to be a guest on the podcast


    Connect with us

    LinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Pinterest


    Request a transcript of this episode

    Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode

    Support the show


    Is AI the Newest Entry on Your Public Relations Org Chart? Nov 07, 2025
    Show notes

    In this audience-driven “mailroom” episode of The Week Spun, the conversation opens with a provocative idea from the PRovoke Summit: AI is now being discussed in full-time equivalent (FTE) terms, signaling a shift in how agencies and organizations think about synthetic labor. Guest host Kim Sample, President of the PR Council, joins Doug Downs and David Gallagher to explore what this means for the future of work in PR.

    From there, the trio digs into listener-submitted questions on everything from Apple’s conspicuous silence in the podcasting space, to why PR professionals struggle with personal branding, how fairness is driving consumer outrage, gender representation in politics, and the surprising TikTok-fueled backlash to a Halloween ad campaign from Hatch Sleep.

    Audio Episode Chapters

    1:51 What is a “synthetic FTE” and how is AI reshaping PR teams
    4:29 Are brands finally taking owned content like blogs and podcasts seriously
    8:11 Does Apple still care about podcasts or is their silence a statement
    13:05 Why do PR pros struggle with confidence and self promotion
    21:03 Does visibility for women in politics actually equal shared power

    Video Episode Chapters

    1:54 What is a “Synthetic FTE” and How Will AI Change PR Teams?
    5:16 Are Brands Finally Getting Serious About Owned Media and Podcasts?
    10:51 Does Apple Still Care About Podcast? Or Are They Quietly Quitting?
    13:15 Why Do PR Pros Struggle With Their Own Personal Branding?
    26:14 Does Representation Equal Power in Politic? Or Just PR Optics?

    Guest Kim Sample, PR Council

    Website | Email | LinkedIn

    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.

    Folgate Advisors

    Curzon Public Relations Website

    Stories and Strategies Website

    Request a transcript of this livestream

    Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode

    Support the show


    The LinkedIn Confidence Gap for Public Relations Pros Nov 04, 2025
    Show notes

    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

    Email | X | LinkedIn | Website

    Rate this podcast with just one click


    Follow Farzana on Substack

    Follow Doug on Substack

    Curzon Substack

    Stories and Strategies Website

    Curzon Public Relations Website


    Apply to be a guest on the podcast


    Connect with us

    LinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Pinterest

    Request a transcript of this episode

    Send us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episode

    Support the show


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