Communicating Complex Ideas Clearly with Alison Ramsay

Can you run a profitable PR agency without timesheets? In our first ever PR in the Real World debate for AMEC Measurement Month, Darryl Sparey of Hard Numbers takes on agency adviser Andy West from West of Center. Darryl calls timesheets a “confection”, whilst Andy argues they are essential management data for spotting over-servicing, planning capacity and knowing when to hire. Expect Plato, Baudrillard, surprising agreement and a question every agency owner should ask: are you growing, or just getting busier? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carl Hudspith moved from a 19,000-circulation Lancashire paper to press officer at the National Farmers Union, and now runs media relations for the University of Lancashire (formerly UCLan). He talks to Tony Garner about why farmers became better storytellers than the institutions representing them, how local papers and social media now reach readers a press release can’t, and why Clarkson’s Farm succeeded where years of NFU campaigning on bovine TB could not. A conversation on journalism, local news and reputation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Victoria Tomlinson, founder of Next-Up and former founder of Northern Lights PR, joins Tony Garner on PR in the Real World to explain why PR has never managed its own PR, after thirty years running her own agency. They cover why "we want awareness" is the wrong brief, what owning a target really means for a boardroom seat, how AI is making credibility harder to prove, and the case for rethinking retirement in her new book, Expiry Date Never. Essential listening for PR and comms professionals.Expiry Date Never: Age is the New Superpower - https://expirydatenever.co.uk/ Next-Up - https://www.next-up.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stuart Bruce, self-styled PR futurist and joint CEO of Purposeful Relations, joins Tony Garner on PR in the Real World to explain why AI has become the world's biggest reputation management engine. They unpack generative engine optimisation, the three factors shaping AI answers – recency, relevance and reputation – why crisis plans must treat AI as a stakeholder, and the story of helping now-PM Andy Burnham find his social media voice. Essential listening for PR and comms professionals. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why are organisations with talented PR teams still ending up in reputational crisis? Farzana Baduel has the answer, and she sees it play out every week on BBC Radio 4.Farzana - founder of Curzon PR, CIPR president, Oxford Saïd Business School resident PR expert, and co-host of BBC Radio 4's When It Hits the Fan - joins PR in the Real World to explore why this is the most consequential moment in PR's history.She unpacks AI's real impact on the profession, why PR professionals are 'diagonal thinkers' who belong in the boardroom, and why the crises organisations find themselves in are so often avoidable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of PR in the Real World, Tony Garner talks to Nik Pearson, who leads corporate communications and external affairs across Europe for Honda, about earning a seat at the table in PR. They discuss sharing downside risk, using the AMEC framework and judgement over data in measurement, and building trust across multinational comms teams. Nik also reflects on his move from Toyota dealerships into leadership, and what makes an inclusive, high‑trust culture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Behavioural science is one of the most talked-about, and least understood, areas in PR. Shayoni Lynn, founder of behavioural science consultancy Lynn, joins Tony Garner on PR in the Real World to separate evidence from hype. She explains why diagnosis must come before intervention, how her team's research and randomised control trials shaped Welsh Government's 20mph campaign, and why protecting behaviours matters as much as creating them. Practical advice for teams of any size on building behavioural capability. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Richard Slater, founder of Lancashire Business View and the Red Rose Awards, joins Tony Garner on PR in the Real World to reveal what makes journalists bin a PR pitch, why AI-written press releases are instantly spotted, and how to craft a story worth printing. From newsroom instincts to judging a 1,000-strong awards night, Richard shares practical tips on pitching, storytelling, media relations and award entries that PR and marketing professionals can use today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you communicate complexity without losing clarity? In this episode of PR in the Real World, Alison Ramsay, Corporate Communications & Employee Experience Director at AWE, shares lessons from her career in defence communications. Discover why simplifying isn't "dumbing down", how data and employee experience are reshaping internal communications, and why great communicators treat employees like adults, not audiences. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you build a multi-disciplinary corporate affairs function completely from scratch while navigating a high-stakes stock market flotation?In this episode of PR in the Real World, host Tony Garner sits down with Laura Harvey, Director of Corporate Affairs at Auto Trader, to map out the mechanics of leading a modern in-house communications department.Laura Harvey joined Auto Trader at a critical turning point in its corporate history, just as the legacy brand completed its massive print-to-digital transformation and prepared to float on the London Stock Exchange as a newly minted PLC. Laura shares her journey of constructing a comprehensive, in-house team responsible for an incredibly broad remit that spans financial reporting, crisis management, internal culture alignment, consumer PR  and regulatory public affairs.The conversation digs deep into how structural industry crises (specifically the 2015 "Dieselgate" emissions scandal) served as the unexpected catalyst for Auto Trader’s highly successful data-driven public affairs strategy. Laura reveals how providing objective consumer behaviour analytics transformed the business into an indispensable advisory partner for government bodies like the Department for Transport and the Treasury. From managing internal stakeholder networks across a 1,000-strong hybrid workforce to shifting your mindset from agency pace to deep institutional curiosity, this episode delivers an essential guide for corporate affairs leaders.From an operational and corporate governance perspective, this episode covers:The Architecture of an IPO Comms Function: Establishing mandatory reporting workflows, processes and investor relations frameworks from a blank sheet of paper.Data-Led Public Affairs Engineering: Leveraging proprietary commercial marketplace analytics to act as an authoritative information barometer for civil service policymakers.The Velocity Trap of Reactive PR: Moving beyond a perpetual, post-pandemic crisis footing by deliberately blocking out structural planning time to reset institutional strategies.The "Helicopter View" of Corporate Operations: Training internal communications teams to connect functional dots across siloed business units to unearth narrative synergies.Building a Tech-First Employee Culture: Transforming organisational values from a legacy, decentralised print operation into a unified, collaborative digital brand.The Agency-to-In-House Mindset Shift: Navigating the corporate transition by swapping multi-client rotation routines for deep, programmatic stakeholder management.Laura shares a behind-the-scenes look at Auto Trader's advanced collaborative workplace design within Manchester's Circle Square innovation district. She reflects on her early career roots executing consumer commodity indexing reports for Tilda Rice, launching digital television networks and navigating a surreal marine conservation media junket through Mexico and Guatemala.This discussion is required listening for:Corporate Affairs & Investor Relations Directors: Tasked with listed PLC compliance, macroeconomic tracking and multi-disciplinary department building.In-House Communications Managers: Seeking to expand their tactical remits into strategic public affairs, executive positioning and policy lobbying.PR Agency Account Directors & Founders: Looking to optimise their advisory services by truly understanding the internal regulatory and stakeholder pressures faced by corporate clients.Public Relations & Business Management Students: Analysing legacy brand transformations, marketplace dynamics and financial communication design. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.