Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations

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Every comms professional knows the playbook. A crisis hits, you move fast. Holding statement, talking points, media plan, stakeholder map. You do it well because you've trained for it. You bring the plan to the CEO expecting alignment and instead you get a polite nod and silence. Not pushback. Not disagreement. Just silence. 
And that silence is worse than any argument because it means the CEO has already stopped listening. Not because your plan was bad, but because it was solving a problem they weren't thinking about.
This is the gap that quietly erodes the comms function's credibility in organizations everywhere. Communicators are passionate people. That passion is their greatest asset, until it becomes a bias that pulls them toward issues that feel urgent but aren't connected to the core business. 
And when that happens enough times, the CEO doesn't fire you. They just stop inviting you into the room. 

Listen For
3:09 How Do CEOs vs. Comms Leaders Actually Respond to Global Crises?
4:26 When Should You Speak—and When Are You Giving an Issue Oxygen?
6:28 Do PR Professionals Need Financial and Data Literacy to Be Strategic?
11:44 Why Is Reporting Not Enough? And What Does Real Analysis Look Like?
15:13 Can AI Truly Make Your Communications Strategy More Effective?

Guest: Johna Burke, CEO and Global Managing Director, AMEC (International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication)
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Doug
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Farzana
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Every PR firm knows the drill. Client says here's my budget. Firm divides by twelve. Monthly retainer, same amount, January through December, whether the work demands it or not. 
Need a press release? Flat rate. Need ten? Multiply. 
Need an editor or a videographer? That's by the hour, and one minute is one hour. 
The pricing isn't creative. It isn't strategic. It's arithmetic dressed up as a business model.
And it worked fine, until AI started doing the arithmetic faster. Suddenly teams are twice as productive in half the time, and if you're still selling hours, you're punishing yourself for getting better. Meanwhile, the client's procurement department is happy to keep paying by the hour, because now those hours cost less. So, who's really winning? 
The firms who don't rethink how they price will be replaced. Not by AI, but by hungrier competitors who already have.
Listen For
3:42 Why Are PR Firms the Least Creative in Pricing?
6:34 Are You Losing Money by Defaulting to Retainers?
9:08 How Should Agencies Identify Where They Create the Most Value?
12:19 How Do You Avoid the “Bait and Switch” With Senior Talent?
15:27 Is AI Killing Hourly Pricing Models for Good?
Guest: Blair Enns, Win Without Pitching
Website | LinkedIn | Podcast 2Bobs
David’s books including Pricing Creativity
 
Doug
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Farzana
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Most communicators assume that if people reject a message, they must not understand it. Lord David Evans argues the opposite. Backlash often isn’t confusion. It’s threat. When people feel insecure, unheard, or looked down on, they don’t lean in. They shut down. And in that moment, facts don’t persuade, values don’t inspire, and “better messaging” can make things worse.
In this episode Lord David Evans breaks down what political campaigning can teach PR professionals about trust, psychological safety, and why populist narratives spread so quickly. This isn’t about copying tactics. It’s about understanding what your audience needs before they will even give you permission to listen. 
Listen For
2:22 Who is Lord David Evans and why does his perspective matter right now?
3:54 Why is behaviour change almost never an information problem?
6:36 Why do people get drawn to extreme political movements?
10:36 Are politicians themselves fueling fear and insecurity?
12:48 Is social media pushing people into fight-or-flight mode?

Guest: Lord David Evans
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Doug
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Farzana
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Public relations used to be seen as the function that shaped the message after the decisions were made. That is not enough anymore. In a world shaped by geopolitical shocks, cultural division, AI disruption, and rising reputational risk, communications leaders are being pulled closer to the centre of power. They are no longer just storytellers or spokespersons. They are becoming strategic sensemakers: the people expected to read the moment, interpret the pressure, and help leadership decide what to say, what to do, and sometimes whether to say anything at all. 
Our job is evolving to help brands survive the storm.
If you work in PR, corporate affairs, or communications leadership, this episode will feel familiar fast, because it names the job as it is now, not as it used to be. And if you have not yet felt that shift in your own role, you will soon.  
Listen For
3:00 How Has the PR Professional Evolved into a Strategic Sense-Making Role?
5:58 When Should CEOs Speak Out. And When Should They Stay Silent?
10:23 What Is Strategic Ambiguity, and Why Are Companies Using It Now?
13:09 What Skills Do Future PR Professionals Need to Succeed?
15:01 How Do Communication Leaders Really Feel About AI?
Guest: Tom Fife-Schaw, Uk Managing Director of Corporate Reputation, Ipsos
Email | LinkedIn | Navigating Through Turbulence Report 
Doug
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Farzana
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Stories and Strategies is the Official Podcast Sponsor of IABC World Conference in Toronto June 14-16, 2026
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Communications is often described as a female-led profession, but that label can hide a harder truth. Women may make up much of the industry, yet the balance often shifts when it comes to senior leadership, influence, and decision-making.
So, what’s still standing in the way, and why has progress been slower than it should be? 
Natasha Plowman argues gender equity cannot remain a women-only conversation, yet many men still hold back because they are afraid of saying the wrong thing, unsure how to contribute, or feel the issue is not theirs to address. 
In this episode, why silence protects the status quo. And change usually starts when more than the excluded group speaks up.
Listen For
2:33 Why Does a Female-Powered Industry Still Struggle to Put Women in Leadership?
5:12 Why Are Men Reluctant to Join Gender Equity Conversations?
7:24 What Does Real Allyship from Men in the Workplace Look Like?
11:45 Is the Backlash Against DEI Actually About Performative Policies?
14:21 Would Simply Adding More Women to Leadership Solve the Problem?

Guest: Natasha Plowman
Spinning Red Website | Antiquoted Website | Email Break the Silence | Natasha LinkedIn

Doug
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Farzana
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Are you a brand with a podcast that needs support? Book a meeting with Doug Downs to talk about it.
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Request a transcript of this episode
Stories and Strategies is the Official Podcast Sponsor of IABC World Conference in Toronto June 14-16, 2026
Click here to check it out https://wc.iabc.com 
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