PRWeek’s latest Beyond the Noise podcast looks at the global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market and the big trends comms professionals should know about. Our guests both work in M&A for major consultancies: Oliver Mann, a partner in Kekst CNC’s London office, and Finlay Donaldson, associate partner at H/Advisors Maitland. They join PRWeek journalists Siobhan Holt and John Harrington this week. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Downlo...
Aug 20, 2025•35 min•Ep. 123
How can PR pros work better with journalists? PRWeek’s latest Beyond the Noise podcast episode finds out. Our guest this week is Steph Spyro, deputy political editor and environment editor at the Daily Express, who joins PRWeek’s John Harrington (UK editor) and Evie Barrett (deputy news editor). Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple , Spotify , or listen on your favourite platform. On this week’s podcast, the journali...
Aug 13, 2025•46 min•Season 3Ep. 122
Esteemed entertainment PR figures Alan Edwards and Richard Dawes are the guests on this week’s Beyond the Noise podcast. This week, PRWeek sits down with Alan Edwards, founder of Outside Organisation – who has handled PR for David Bowie, Prince, Michael Jackson and The Spice Girls – as well as Richard Dawes, managing director and co-founder of DawBell, who works with artists such as Oasis, Dua Lipa and Elton John. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and ...
Aug 07, 2025•45 min•Season 3Ep. 121
Sarah Waddington, the new chief executive of the PRCA, discusses her plans for the trade body in the latest episode of PRWeek’s Beyond the Noise podcast. Waddington speaks to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington after moving to the chief executive role earlier this month , following six months as interim CEO. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple , Spotify , or listen on your favourite platform. Waddington talks about the...
Jul 30, 2025•36 min•Season 3Ep. 120
Ahead of the UEFA women’s Euros final between England and Spain, PRWeek speaks to Lisa Parfitt, former managing director of Engine Sport, who is now co-founder of The Space Between, a creative marketing agency specialising in sport and entertainment. Parfitt is also a director at Women in Football, an organisation that is driving gender equality in the game. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple , Spotify , or listen ...
Jul 25, 2025•32 min•Season 3Ep. 119
Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple , Spotify , or listen on your favourite platform. Our guest is Jack Storry, head of corporate at Boldspace and author of the first Reputation Hits and Misses of the Week column – PRWeek’s new series examining who has handled their reputation adeptly or poorly in the past seven days. Speaking to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington and deputy news editor Evie Barrett, Storry looks at h...
Jul 23, 2025•30 min•Season 3Ep. 118
PRWeek’s first Transparency Report has got a lot of people talking this week. The report gives a star rating to every agency in the PRWeek UK Top 150 based on the level of disclosure about parental leave policies, whether they are living wage employers, and also gender and ethnicity pay gaps. Joining the podcast are Katie Eborall, head of north for Grayling, and a member of the Women in PR committee; and Sheeraz Gulsher, co-founder of People Like Us, the networking and campaign group for minorit...
Jul 18, 2025•21 min•Season 3Ep. 117
What’s it like making the move from agency-side to an in-house role? That’s the topic of PRWeek’s latest Beyond the Noise podcast episode. This week, we hear from two leading in-house communications professionals about their experiences moving from agency to in-house roles. Our guests are Alice Jenkins-Bruce, director of communications and content at Sky, and Lindsay Landi, head of PR and communications at Samsung UK. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications ...
Jul 16, 2025•24 min•Season 3Ep. 116
Transparency - around salaries and parental leave policies at PR agencies - is the theme of PRWeek’s latest podcast. PRWeek UK editor John Harrington and deputy editor Siobhan Holt are joined by Elena Lewis, data editor at PRWeek and sister title Campaign, to look at the big trends based on recent research. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comms and PR. Download the podcast via Apple , Spotify , or listen on your favourite platform. The team discusses a new study by...
Jul 09, 2025•18 min•Season 3Ep. 115
What’s it like looking for jobs in PR at the moment? That’s the topic of PRWeek’s latest Beyond the Noise podcast episode. This week we hear from two people with recent experience of the PR job market from the point of view of candidates. Our guests are Deekshima Khanna, who is about to complete an MA in Public Relations at the University of Salford, and is looking for her first job in UK PR having worked in comms in India; and Patricia Mihail, who has worked both agency-side and in-house in com...
Jul 02, 2025•38 min•Season 3Ep. 114
With campaigns by PR agencies picking up fewer awards at the International Festival of Creativity than last year , PRWeek journalists Danny Rogers, John Harrington and Siobhan Holt look at why that might be. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comms and PR. Download the podcast via Apple , Spotify , or listen on your favourite platform. The PRWeek team pick out some of their favourite Lions-winning campaigns and discuss what made them a hit, and what it says about the ...
Jun 24, 2025•20 min•Season 3Ep. 113
With Cannes Festival of Creativity , PRWeek speaks with a creative director about the value of industry awards, and how the rivalry between PR and advertising has evolved. This week on Beyond the Noise, we hear from Ottilie Ross, creative director at PR agency Mischief. Ross – who also has experience at The Romans, Halpern and Milk & Honey – shares her view on whether industry accolades actually matter, and which recent work she thinks is award-worthy. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the b...
Jun 18, 2025•35 min•Season 3Ep. 112
The recent acceleration in CEO and MD departures and arrivals at major UK PR agencies is examined in PRWeek’s latest Beyond the Noise podcast. The past few weeks have seen changes at the top of the UK or EMEA operations of big agencies including Edelman, MSL, FTI, Weber Shandwick, FleishmanHillard and Hotwire. Joining PRWeek’s Siobhan Holt and John Harrington to discuss the trend is Amy Hayer, a partner at Hanson Search, a headhunting consultancy that specialises in recruiting C-suite comms lead...
Jun 13, 2025•21 min•Season 3Ep. 111
This week on Beyond the Noise, we hear from Pitch Marketing Group founder and chief executive Henry Chappell, who discusses why FIFA World Cup 26 looks set to eclipse all previous global sporting events, according to a new report from the sports marketing agency. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comms and PR. Download the podcast via Apple , Spotify , or on your favourite platform. With exactly one year to go until FIFA World Cup 26 kicks off, the Pitch report predi...
Jun 11, 2025•34 min•Season 3Ep. 110
Two shortlisting jurors for this year's PR category at Cannes Festival of Creativity are the special guests on today's episode of Beyond the Noise. This week on Beyond the Noise, we hear from Sarah Hargrave, EMEA chief executive of Porter Novelli; and Nina Pickup, former head of creative strategy at Salterbaxter – both of whom are shortlisting jurors for the PR Lions at The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comm...
Jun 04, 2025•28 min•Season 3Ep. 109
Speaking to a PRWeek editor-in-chief Danny Rogers at PR360 last week, Simon Lewis and David Yelland discuss their comms careers and the biggest things they’ve learnt about the sector - and about podcasting. Lewis and Yelland are among the experienced figures in UK comms and media. The former was director of comms for Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Vodafone, British Gas and The Queen; while Yelland, who now runs consultancy Kitchen Table Partners, was previously editor of The Sun and has held senio...
May 28, 2025•33 min•Season 3Ep. 108
The latest episode of the Beyond the Noise podcast features PRWeek journalists Danny Rogers (editor-in-chief), Siobhan Holt (news editor), Eliza Wiredu (reporter) and Evie Barrett (senior reporter) as they dissect the two-day PR360 event. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple , Spotify , or listen on your favourite platform. One of the key themes running through PR360 was the evolving role of AI in PR. Compared to las...
May 22, 2025•21 min•Season 3Ep. 107
What is the PR recruitment market like at the moment – and what do comms employers want from candidates? PRWeek UK’s latest podcast takes a look. This week’s episode of the Beyond the Noise podcast features Mary Harding, joint chief executive of Tangerine Comms, and Jenny Pape, head of talent and development at Blurred. Pape also helps recruit on behalf of clients and provides insights into the in-house PR recruitment market. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communi...
May 21, 2025•43 min•Season 3Ep. 106
What's the best way to handle comms when a cyber attack hits? PRWeek UK's latest podcast takes a look. With recent attacks on well-known UK retailers Marks & Spencer, the Co-op and Harrods, the Beyond the Noise podcast delves into the issue with two expert guests. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple , Spotify , or listen on your favourite platform. Our guests this week include someone with first hand experience ...
May 14, 2025•38 min•Season 3Ep. 105
With the Top 150 now live , PRWeek journalists Danny Rogers (editor-in-chief) and Siobhan Holt (news editor) discuss the big themes from the project, which includes the annual ranking of the UK’s 150 biggest comms consultancies by revenue. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple , Spotify , or listen on your favourite platform. Rogers and Holt look at the top-line data on the Top 150, which showed a slowing of growth in...
May 07, 2025•18 min•Season 3Ep. 104
A "swing away from Trump" may be beginning, former White House communications director Ben La Bolt tells PRWeek's Beyond the Noise podcast. What are the lessons for comms? As Trump completes his first 100 days in office, PRWeek catches up with La Bolt, who was director of comms under President Biden from 2023 until last year. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple , Spotify , or listen on your favourite platform. La Bo...
Apr 30, 2025•33 min•Season 3Ep. 103
Client-agency relationships, acquisitions and how agencies are really using AI – these are among the topics discussed in PRWeek UK’s latest podcast. This week’s edition of Beyond the Noise features insights from the PRWeek UK Top 150 questionnaire, which asked comms consultancies about a range of issues affecting their businesses. Click here to access the articles published to date. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via App...
Apr 23, 2025•25 min•Season 3Ep. 102
How do you handle the communications strategy for a company merger? That’s the topic of PRWeek UK’s latest Beyond the Noise podcast. Joining UK news editor Siobhan Holt this week are PRWeek reporter Eliza Wiredu and Andi Donovan, head of communications at Vodafone, alongside Mandy Sharp, founder and CEO of Tin Man Communications. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple , Spotify , or listen on your favourite platform. L...
Apr 16, 2025•30 min•Season 3Ep. 101
PRWeek dissects the phenomenon of digitally-generated influencers, and how they’re being used by brands, in the latest Beyond the Noise podcast. Joining the podcast this week are Lewis Davey, founder of Idea Farm and co-founder of AI influencer talent management agency Pixel; and Mark Lowe, co-founder of Third City. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple , Spotify . Our guests examine the rise of AI influencers – virtu...
Apr 09, 2025•37 min•Season 3Ep. 100
How have PR agencies adapted to April’s tax increases and other cost rises? How do they feel about current trading generally? PRWeek UK’s Beyond the Noise podcast takes a look. PRWeek journalists John Harrington (UK editor), Siobhan Holt (news editor) and Evie Barrett (senior reporter) delve into PRWeek UK’s latest Top 150 Monthly Trading Tracker to see what agency bosses have been saying about recent trading. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. ...
Apr 02, 2025•23 min•Season 3Ep. 99
What are the benefits and challenges of running a PR agency outside London? That’s the topic of PRWeek UK’s latest Beyond the Noise podcast. Joining UK news editor Siobhan Holt this week is Charles Tattersall, executive chairman, and Martin Currie, chief executive from Citypress in Manchester; alongside Jane Ainsworth managing director of Birmingham-based PR agency, WPR. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple , Spotify...
Mar 26, 2025•44 min•Season 3Ep. 98
What’s ahead for ESG in the Trump era, and beyond? That’s the topic of PRWeek UK’s latest Beyond the Noise podcast. Joining UK editor John Harrington this week is Mo Hussein, president, UK public and government affairs, at Edelman; and Andrew Adie, MD, strategy and corporate communications and head of purpose and sustainability, at SEC Newgate. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple , Spotify , or listen on your favour...
Mar 19, 2025•33 min•Season 3Ep. 97
Hugh Taggart talks about his first year as FleishmanHillard’s UK chief executive, plus the latest on the Omnicom-IPG deal, new business opportunities in 2025 and more, in the latest PRWeek podcast. FleishmanHillard’s UK CEO Hugh Taggart, previously Edelman’s co-CEO for the UK and Ireland is the focus of the latest episode of Beyond the Noise. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple , Spotify , or listen on your favourit...
Mar 13, 2025•43 min•Season 3Ep. 96
The PRWeek editorial team review the newly launched 2025 Power Book, discussing how big it's become, preparations for the party and some of the (often surprising) answers given by leading comms professionals this year. The Power Book, which lists the most influential people working in UK communications today, went live this week. Click here to access the coverage, including the ‘top 10s’ of PR professionals in different sectors. Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comm...
Mar 06, 2025•28 min•Season 3Ep. 95
YouTube sensation turned brand marketer Josh Pieters is the special guest on this week’s episode of PRWeek’s Beyond the Noise podcast. Having amassed 1.5m subscribers on his YouTube channel – by pranking the likes of Katie Hopkins, Carol Baskin, Anne Widdicombe, and Molly Mae Hague – Josh Pieters discusses his formula for internet fame. Now creating social media content for brands at Goon Squad Productions, Pieters offers tips on launching disruptive campaigns without facing backlash, and shares...
Feb 26, 2025•33 min•Season 3Ep. 94
