When It Hits the Fan

These are busy days in the world of crisis comms. Keeping calm is vital - keeping the public calm is even more vital.
David Yelland and Farzana Baduel explain what's going on behind-the-scenes everywhere - from supermarkets and airlines to energy companies - as concern rises that the war in Iran could affect supply lines.
They discuss the importance of being like a meerkat - horizon scanning - for potential public flashpoints. And why PRs have to come up with calming strategies to avoid dreaded words like 'rationing' causing chaos in the aisles and at the pumps.
On the extended edition on BBC Sounds, this isn't just any work/life balance, this is a Marks & Spencer work/life balance. CEO Stuart Machin says he doesn't think leaders should switch off while on holiday.
That might be the only way for those at the very top - but what message does it send out to those lower down the chain? David and Farzana discuss how part of the job as a PR is making bosses understand that not everyone thinks like they do.
Also, life is full of disappointments but how you handle them is what matters. As Wales saw their World Cup dreams vanish in penalty shootout heartache, manager Craig Bellamy elevated the post-match press conference by saying: "Tomorrow the sun will rise and I'm going to watch that sunrise."
Getting the message right in the heat of the moment is no easy thing, but he seemed to nail it.
Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: Eve Streeter
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4

What happens when you cross enemy lines and join the other side?
As King Charles hires a Sky Royal correspondent for a top comms job at the Palace, David Yelland and Farzana Baduel discuss what happens when journalists switch to PR.
Crucially, they need to learn how to go from broadcast to mute. No more fabulously indiscreet anecdotes involving the rich and powerful over dinner - they're now your clients and your job is to protect their reputation.
And that's just for starters. There are a whole load of different rules and shifts in power dynamics that can take years to fully understand.
Also, on the extended edition on BBC Sounds, why Harry and Meghan have a window of golden PR opportunity - that could slam shut if they don't get their timing spot on. As David and Farzana explain, it's all to do with something called 'brand adjacency'.
Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: Eve Streeter
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4

In the good old days, if you wanted some favourable PR for a client, you could call up a journalist and take them out for a jolly good lunch. It's not so easy when the thing you're trying to influence is a bot. So is it possible to spin the likes of ChatGPT?
This week David Yelland is joined by Lauren Beeching - a crisis management expert with clients that count their followers in millions.
They discuss how AI is changing so much of the nuts and bolts of the PR reputation game - from having to become a tech wizard to work out if 'evidence' is real, to understanding how to influence what AI chatbots say.
And on the extended edition on BBC Sounds, the Fan Hitter that almost broke the internet is back. The woman at the centre of the Coldplay KissCam scandal, Kristin Cabot, has done a big interview with Oprah - and discusses the PR advice she was given.
She claims she was told, "Stay quiet, everything will blow over in three days."
Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: Eve Streeter
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4

When your country's PR plan relies on the projection of safety and security, how do you keep that image alive when you're under attack?
This week, David Yelland is joined by global PR expert Farzana Baduel to examine how countries in the Gulf have managed their comms since the start of the war in Iran.
In Dubai especially, social media influencers have been used as foot soldiers in the reputation battle. But has the relentlessly on-brand, 'we feel safe' messaging been successful? David and Farzana explain why it depends which end of the PR telescope you're looking through.
Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: Eve Streeter
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4

Getting your message out is obviously a cornerstone of PR. But where you put that message is becoming even more important.
This week, David Yelland is joined by Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty from the BBC podcast Fame Under Fire. Together they look at the challenge for big institutions - especially the Royal Family - of cutting through.
You may think you've been successful if your story gets pick up in all the traditional places - but has anyone under-35 even seen it? They discuss the need to populate the places beyond your traditional base, to get beyond your echo chamber - and the need to interact rather than just pumping out one-way comms.
As Anoushka says, 'Do the boring thing in the most interesting way possible.'
Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: Eve Streeter
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4