One of the job responsibilities as a public relations professional is to horizon scan — to be aware of news and commentary about the world, the industry and the niche. PR podcasts allow you to catch up on the news and the views without needing to be at your desk.

In the 24×7 news cycle, listening to a couple of PR podcasts help you know the important news you need to know, its implications on the PR industry and your sector, plus know how the world is changing, what is coming up and how to best prepare for the future.

There are different kinds of podcasts, from those that interview one expert at a time, one-person shows that curate the news to those talking about the PR industry as a whole and those covering a specific niche like crisis communications or social media. Each also differs in the length of each episode and the frequency.

Read more: 10 books every communications professional should read

Here are some of our top recommendations based on the popularity and the quality of content.

General PR podcasts

1.PRovoke Podcast

Organised by PRovoke Media, one of the top PR trade publications in the UK, the PRovoke podcast releases one new episode every weekday. In this interview-style podcast, PRovoke editors Arun Sudhaman, Aarti Shah and Maja Pawinska Sims take turns being hosts and interviewing one, sometimes two guests at a time, from the global PR industry about the key issues and trends PR professionals are thinking about.

For example, some of the latest episodes are about the state of the Asia-Pacific industry with PR headhunter Emma Dale, corporate body language in the age of environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns with agency founder Gavin Davis and interview with Raja Rajamannar, marketing and PR officer for Mastercard and author of a book Quantum Marketing that declares that marketing has become obsolete. Each episode is 30-40 minutes long.

2. PRmoment Podcast

Hosted by Ben Smith, editor and publishing director of trade publication PR Moment, the PRmoment podcast is a weekly podcast on the evolution of PR. Smith interviews PR professionals on what it is like to work in the sector and discuss their career journey and key issues.

Some of the latest episodes interviewed Alex Grier, managing partner of Frank PR; two professionals on being gay in the creative industry; and CEO of PR agency Lansons discussing a report on how PR firms can recover fast from the pandemic. Episodes are often 30 minutes long.

3. #FuturePRoof Podcast

It is a monthly 20-minute discussion between two UK-based PR professionals Stephen and Sarah Waddington on what’s hot and what’s not on the internet in the world of PR, marketing and media and their take on the same.

Some of the latest episodes are about ‘Can I go back to the office yet?’, ‘A week is a long time in PR’ and tackling the industry’s lack of diversity.

Read more: Top courses for PR and communications professionals

4. CIPR Engage Podcast

A quarterly podcast organised by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), Engage podcast discusses challenges and opportunities present for PR professionals right now. Each episode has a different host, suitable to the theme of the episode and brings together a couple of guests to share their views on the theme. The themes of the episodes are usually the trending topics talked about in the industry.

Beginning in 2020, Engage has had two episodes until now — the first one being about diversity in the industry with guest host Avril Lee, chair of the  Diversity and Inclusion Network at CIPR. The second episode is about building resilience in 2021, with host Dan Jones. Episodes are about 40 minutes long and listening to an episode earns CIPR members 5 CPD points.

5. PRmoment India Leadership Podcast

Hosted by Paarul Chand, Editor-in-Chief at Indian edition of the PRmoment online magazine, the PRmoment leadership podcast interviews industry leaders on topics in the news often once a month. The interviews are available to be watched on YouTube and are often between 15 to 20 minutes long.

Some of the latest episodes include interviews with Yashika Singh, India country director for Speyside Corporate Relations on the impact of certain aspects of the Union Budget 2021 on the corporate communications industry; Akhila Deshpande, PR and marketing head of early-stage investor Prime Venture Partners on early-stage startup communications; and VP and global head of communications at OYO Hotels & Home Prasidha Menon on the elevated role of corporate communication because of the pandemic.

Read more: Top PR blogs you should be reading

6. The PR Week (US)

A weekly podcast by the US edition of trade publication PRWeek, the PR Week podcast interviews industry leaders on trending issues. Different members of the PRWeek’s editorial team take turns being hosts.

The latest episode has editorial director Steve Barrett and reporter Aleda Stam interviewing VP of global communications at Twitter, Brandon Borrman, on Twitter’s core principles for reacting to disinformation, banning former President Donald Trump and more. Another episode is an interview with Peter Land, chief communications and sustainability officer at Dick’s Sporting Goods, on how the retail chain has manoeuvred business during the COVID-19 pandemic. The episodes are between 30 to 50 minutes long.

7. PR Insider Podcast

Last but not least in our list of top podcasts for PR and communications professionals to get a broad understanding of the industry is our very own podcast, hosted by founder and CEO Farzana Baduel. It is a monthly interview podcast discussing one trending topic in the news and current affairs that has an intersection with communications.

Episodes are between 20-50 minutes long and invite one expert guest to share their insight. The latest episodes includejournalist Michael Bociurkiw discussing what awaits us in 2021 and financial journalist Shruti Advani talking about her personal experience with cancel culture.

Niche PR podcasts

While general PR podcasts keep you up to date on the industry, niche podcasts about your service specialisms dig deeper into your area of expertise and help you be in the know of conversations around the specific service, from crisis communications to social media or marketing. Here are our recommendations.

Crisis communications

Crisis communications is about communicating during a crisis but also managing a crisis throughout the crisis lifecycle, from before, during and after. The below podcast on crisis has interviews with people who have gone through and bounced back from personal and professional tragedies.

• Crisis What Crisis

The podcast is hosted by Andy Coulson, a journalist and political strategist who has also worked as director of communications for Prime Minister David Cameron. Coulson went to jail for five months in 2014 for conspiracy to hack phones. He now interviews other people who have faced and survived a crisis on his podcast hoping they can share valuable lessons they learned from their experience, at a time when crisis has become the new normal. The common theme running through these interviews is resilience and looking at the positives and the lessons learnt during hard times.

Each episode is 1-hour long and is released weekly. Some of the latest guests include former cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill on handling the COVID crisis, broadcaster and writer Dame Jenni Murray on fat-shaming, cancer and a call to the Samaritans, and chef Hemant Oberoi on his experience dealing with the terrorist attack at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai in 2008 that killed hundreds of Indians, including seven members of his staff.

Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is a fast-changing industry because of the changing social, tech and business climate. If you are specialising in influencer marketing, the below podcast would keep you updated on the latest trends and experts’ views on them.

• The Influencer Marketing Lab Podcast

Hosted by influencer marketing expert Scott Guthrie, it is a weekly interview podcast with industry experts on business, tech, key themes and media coverage.

Each episode is between 30 to 40 minutes long. Some of the latest episodes include: talking TikTok music with Emma Harman, EMEA president of influencer agency Whaler that recently became a badged partner of TikTok; interview of Mark Dandy, founder and managing director of Captivate Influence, on reality TV stars versus social media influencers; and a conversation with Chris Godfrey and Alissa Khan-Whelan of Happy Yolk, an integrated agency, on their Instagram post of a stock image of an egg that became the most liked picture of Instagram ever in 2019, beating Kylie Jenner.

Marketing

Marketing is deeply integrated with PR in today’s world. Knowing how some of the fastest-growing companies do their marketing will make you indispensable as a PR professional in today’s economic environment where PR goals are often tied to marketing and business goals.

• Growth with Matt Bilotti

Hosted by Matt Bilotti, product lead at conversational marketing platform Drift, this podcast often includes interviews with marketing, product or engineering leaders who have achieved explosive growth for their companies. The conversations have a practical focus with guests discussing what tactics and strategies they followed to achieve success for their companies.

It usually releases two 30-minute episodes a month. Some of the latest guests include leaders from companies like Headspace, Disney+ and Airtable.

Conclusion

Listening to industry podcasts are one of the common ways of professional development in today’s world. Listening to different industry experts for their take on the trends and issues facing the PR and communications industry would put you ahead of the curve, helping you pivot as needed for yourself and your company.

Curzon PR is a London-based PR firm working with clients globally. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Business Development Team [email protected]