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

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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Ted Talk Farzana mentioned

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

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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

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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.

Folgate Advisors

Curzon Public Relations Website

Stories and Strategies Website

Request a transcript of this livestream

Support the show

We live in a moment where artificial intelligence can write our emails, plan our meetings, even give us life advice. But here’s the problem: these systems are often too agreeable for our own good. They’re less like truth tellers and more like digital echo chambers. They nod along, validate our choices, and tell us exactly what we want to hear.

To use an outdated term… GenAI is too often like a Yes Man.

In this episode we’re looking at the rise of sycophancy in generative AI, the tendency of machines to flatter us instead of challenging us. What does this mean for employees, for leaders, and especially for communicators who rely on AI as a tool? And how do we make sure our AI mirrors are giving us clarity, not just compliments?

Listen For

3:49 Is ChatGPT too nice for our own good?

6:55 Can AI flattery mislead leaders?

8:52 Do AIs just tell you what you want to hear?

14:36 Is generative AI breaking social unity?

20:45 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Mark Lowe

Guest: Tina McCorkindale, PhD

Website | LinkedIn | Google Scholar Profile

Link to Tina’s LinkedIn article on The Danger of Sycophancy in GenAI

Check out the IPR Video Series In a Car with IPR

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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.

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Can a cyclist-turned (accused) communist New York mayoral candidate teach the PR world a thing or two about emotional storytelling?

This week we unpack the “Mamdani effect” how Zohran Mamdani is rewriting the rules of political communications with cultural fluency, TikTok charm, and unforgettable soundbites.

Other topics, what are the comms implications of the Omnicom-IPG mega-merger, and what is the likely impact on agency identities, client retention, and the war for talent?

From Alberta, Canada… a Teacher’s Stike and the Government is paying parents. Is that to help them manage or is it a PR bribe? Are there ethical implications here?

Listen For

:34 What makes Mamdani a standout communicator?
3:10 Can Mamdani’s social strategy work outside NYC?
10:00 What’s the real impact of the Omnicom-IPG merger?
14:55 Is Alberta’s $30/day tactic good PR or spin?
18:49 Are PR communities key in turbulent times?

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

Support the show

Farzana Baduel and David Gallagher take on everything from Justin Trudeau’s headline-grabbing kiss with Katy Perry to how PR pros can unwittingly become enablers in global corruption scandals.

In this special mailbag edition, the duo responds to smart, sharp questions from their audience, spanning topics from King Charles III’s strategic image evolution to the silent retreat from ESG and DEI in corporate America.

They unpack ageism in the PR industry, dissect Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s contradictory branding, and spotlight how London became the global capital of reputation laundering, all through the lens of real-time feedback from their PR community.

Listen For

00:24 What does a Katy Perry kiss do for Justin Trudeau’s PR?

07:34 How can PR professionals avoid becoming enablers of corruption?

12:32 Is King Charles III succeeding at modern monarchy PR?

17:22 Has Europe followed America’s retreat from ESG and DEI?

21:21 How do we confront ageism in the PR industry?

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

Support the show

Is attention the new currency? Politicians, brands, influencers, even your neighbor’s viral TikTok are all competing for the same scarce resource: your focus.

But attention is slippery. It can make you a household name overnight and it can vanish just as quickly.

In an age where algorithms decide what we see and artificial intelligence rewrites how we discover information, the fight for attention has never been more intense.

What happens when public relations and communications agencies find themselves at the same crossroads media once faced? How do you win attention when the competition is everything else in the feed? How do you turn fleeting visibility into lasting credibility? And how do you build narratives that not only go viral but endure?

Listen For

5:14 What is attention as a commodity in PR?

8:48 How has the attention economy changed branding?

11:22 What can PR learn from politics?

14:05 Are we paying too much for lost attention?

17:51 Are attention spans shorter or content louder?

18:53 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Richard Bagnall

Guest: Mark Lowe, Third City

Website | Email | X | Instagram | YouTube

Rate this podcast with just one click

Stories and Strategies Website

Curzon Public Relations Website

Apply to be a guest on the podcast

Connect with us

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Support the show