Hey, you, remember us? It's Sarah and Stephen Waddington here and we're migrating our #FutureProof podcast over to our Better Business Outcomes podcast and we're hoping that you're gonna join us!  Link to listen below, but here is episode four of our new season!

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In this episode, hosts Sarah and Stephen Waddington cover key industry topics and share insights from recent events in management, public relations and communications.

They discuss:

• Creative challenges in leadership and how to stay motivated as a director, including using practical tools such as the wheel of life.
• The latest Wadds Inc. research report for NewsWhip which explores the digital transformation of the communication function and the use of technology in corporate communications.
• A recent Co-op and DEMOS event that explored how social mobility drives innovation and business growth in the UK. It’s aligned with the vision of Socially Mobile.
• CommsHero in Leeds featuring sessions on internal communications and sustainability and a powerful talk by Socially Mobile graduate Karl Connor.
• UK government research that sets out the impact of late payments on SMEs and potential solutions.
• A new PRCA report called Pitch Forward which concludes that the pitch process is broken and recommends greater transparency in the client-agency relationship and sales process.

Thanks so much for listening to our #FutureProof podcast. Moving forwards,  we're migrating that across to our Better Business Outcomes podcast and we hope you'll join us.
We're gonna be meeting every 2 to 3 weeks and chatting all things management and communication and we'll have the occasional guest.
So, what are you waiting for? Come on over!
Click here to follow!

Hey, you, remember us? It's Sarah and Stephen Waddington here and we're migrating our #FutureProof podcast over to our Better Business Outcomes podcast and we're hoping that you're gonna join us!  Link to listen below, but here is episode three of our new season!

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On this episode of Better Business Outcomes, Sarah Waddington CBE from Wadds Inc. welcomes Nathalie Agnew, Managing Director of Muckle Media. 

They discuss:

- Scotland as a buzzing, competitive PR hub delivering outcomes for global brands

- Acquisitions and the need to consider cultural and values alignment, new capabilities, complementary offers and team footprint according to client need and the ambition for the business

- The challenges and benefits of introducing a four-day week, Muckle’s resulting working patterns and the role of tech

- Imperfection in the journey to growth

- Talent as the engine to a business and the importance of creating a culture of trust and empowerment, with strong communication at the core

- The IoD offering a network of like-minded business owners and as a source of professional development around company direction

Thanks so much for listening to our #FutureProof podcast. Moving forwards,  we're migrating that across to our Better Business Outcomes podcast and we hope you'll join us.
We're gonna be meeting every 2 to 3 weeks and chatting all things management and communication and we'll have the occasional guest.
So, what are you waiting for? Come on over!
Click here to follow!

Hey, you, remember us? It's Sarah and Stephen Waddington here and we're migrating our #FutureProof podcast over to our Better Business Outcomes podcast and we're hoping that you're gonna join us!  Link to listen below, but here is episode two of our new season!

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Sarah and Stephen Waddington talk about the key themes from PRAXIS in Pune, India, and key media stories.

• Public relations practice is not currently part of the debate about AI within society. The PRCA says that needs to change and that it intends to lead the way
• Culture, community and creativity was the topic of PRAXIS, one of the largest public relations conferences that takes place in India each year
• The abuse of power and influence within the creative industries continues to silence victims. Better governance is needed and compromise agreements should have little to no role in practice
• Labour has faced criticism for its lack of vision. It’s also under attack for gifts-in-kind. The optics are poor for a government that promised integrity
• We’ve various projects underway focused on technology within practice, alignment with management, and agency growth and resilience. Give us a shout if you’d like our support and advice too.

Presented by Sarah Waddington and Stephen Waddington

For more information visit https://www.wadds.co.uk/
With thanks to our production partners at What Goes On Media

Thanks so much for listening to our #FutureProof podcast. Moving forwards,  we're migrating that across to our Better Business Outcomes podcast and we hope you'll join us.
We're gonna be meeting every 2 to 3 weeks and chatting all things management and communication and we'll have the occasional guest.
So, what are you waiting for? Come on over!
Click here to follow!

Hey, you, remember us? It's Sarah and Stephen Waddington here and we're migrating our #FutureProof podcast over to our Better Business Outcomes podcast and we're hoping that you're gonna join us!  Link to listen below, but here is episode one of our new season!

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Sarah and Stephen Waddington return with your favourite management communications and public relations podcast.

 ·      Socially Mobile, the not-for-profit PR school aimed at changing the leadership demographic of the industry, has launched a '25 for 2025' fundraising scheme. We’re looking for 25 leaders to donate £750 to help ensure we’re sustainable in 2025.

·      Both Sarah and Stephen spoke at the PRCA conference in London this week. It explored a range of issues facing practitioners from the challenging economy to diversity and from artificial intelligence to changing media consumption.

·      We knew the shift from traditional print and television news sources to digital was well underway, but digital has become the dominant source of news consumption for the first time, according to Ofcom data.

·      According to the CIPR State of the Profession report, practitioners are underpaid and working harder than ever but claim that management increasingly recognises their value. This may be wishful thinking.

·      Sarah is heading to India to speak at PRAXIS about the role of public relations as a force for good and the change practitioners can make to society through activist interventions such as the Asian Communication Network and People Like Us.

Presented by Sarah Waddington and Stephen Waddington

For more information visit https://www.wadds.co.uk/
With thanks to our production partners at What Goes On Media

Thanks so much for listening to our #FutureProof podcast. Moving forwards,  we're migrating that across to our Better Business Outcomes podcast and we hope you'll join us.
We're gonna be meeting every 2 to 3 weeks and chatting all things management and communication and we'll have the occasional guest.
So, what are you waiting for? Come on over!
Click here to follow!

#FuturePRoof podcast: Socially Mobile update

With Stephen and Sarah Waddington

Socially Mobile is a not for profit public relations school that aims to help practitioners achieve their earning potential. It is applying an executive education model to help address socio-economic diversity within the industry.

The project expects to launch its first cohort of students in October. The learning design is complete and content production underway. We're looking for support sharing the story of Socially Mobile with industry networks, candidate recruitment, and assessment and marketing.

We're grateful to the growing Socially Mobile community but especially donors, sponsors and teachers. Our sponsors include Astute.Work, CoverageBook, Curzon PR, Don't Cry Wolf, Porter Novelli, Story Comms and Wadds Inc.

For further information please visit sociallymobile.org.uk

www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

Thanks so much for listening to our #FutureProof podcast. Moving forwards,  we're migrating that across to our Better Business Outcomes podcast and we hope you'll join us.
We're gonna be meeting every 2 to 3 weeks and chatting all things management and communication and we'll have the occasional guest.
So, what are you waiting for? Come on over!
Click here to follow!

#FuturePRoof podcast: Socially Mobile launch

With Stephen and Sarah Waddington

In this latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss:

• Big news as Sarah is awarded a CBE for services to public relations and the voluntary sectors in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
• The launch of Socially Mobile – we’d love your support and will shortly be recruiting assessors – please watch this space and get involved.
• Research from the National Centre for Universities and Business and the University of Cambridge shows the pandemic has caused a hiatus in R&D and innovation. The findings are a matter for concern considering the necessary role of innovation and R&D as the UK moves to strengthen its position as a global science superpower, as set out in the 2021 Queen’s Speech.
• The lockdown boom for agency startups following publication of the latest Wadds Inc. report.
• The federal government in Nigeria has banned Twitter. It has serious implications for democracy and public discourse.
• The Brandwatch Customer Loyalty Report published in conjunction with GWI is worth a look for retailers wanting to know which issues they should be focusing on in 2021.
• Ethics – the good, bad and the ugly of recent corporate behaviour.

www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

Thanks so much for listening to our #FutureProof podcast. Moving forwards,  we're migrating that across to our Better Business Outcomes podcast and we hope you'll join us.
We're gonna be meeting every 2 to 3 weeks and chatting all things management and communication and we'll have the occasional guest.
So, what are you waiting for? Come on over!
Click here to follow!

#FuturePRoof: Rethink and reconnect

With Stephen and Sarah Waddington

The Conservatives had a good local election last week however Labour seems more disconnected than ever. Meanwhile the SNP has extended its lead in Scotland and is demanding a second vote on independence.

Actor, director and writer Noel Clarke was awarded the prize for outstanding British contribution to cinema by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). Two weeks earlier BAFTA was informed about the existence of several allegations of verbal abuse, bullying and sexual harassment.

Income for the top 150 agencies was down 4.3% to £1.36 billion in 2020 compared to £1.42 billion in 2019, according to PRWeek. However more than 50 agencies launched during the COVID-19 pandemic between January 2020 to March 2021.

The PRCA UK National Conference: Communications and influence in the post-pandemic erais planned as an in-person event on 8 July. The CIPR (19 May) and PRFest (14-18 June) have also announced conferences on sustainability. Both are virtual.

ESG is both a label and an organising principle that represents everything about people and the planet. A new report by Stephen and Dr Jon White, published by Vuelio, explores the role of PR in supporting planning, horizon scanning, metrics and reporting.

David Gallagher and John O’Brien’s book Truth Be Told is Stephen’s recommendation of the month. Sarah’s shout out is for Rich Leigh and the team at RadioActive who have organised meetups in London and Manchester on 1 and 22 July respectively.

www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

Thanks so much for listening to our #FutureProof podcast. Moving forwards,  we're migrating that across to our Better Business Outcomes podcast and we hope you'll join us.
We're gonna be meeting every 2 to 3 weeks and chatting all things management and communication and we'll have the occasional guest.
So, what are you waiting for? Come on over!
Click here to follow!

#FuturePRoof podcast: lockdown eases in England

With Stephen and Sarah Waddington

Report backlash: A commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report claims that the UK "no longer" has a system rigged against people from ethnic minorities. Denial doesn’t help anyone

Hybrid workplace: Employers reporting increased productivity benefits from homeworking compared to last summer according to the CIPD. We’ve found our home working rhythm

Shocking social: Amazon has gone on the offensive last week replying directly to critical tweets. 'Fake' Twitter users have rushed to Amazon's defense over unions and working conditions

Audio copycat: Clubhouse launched as a social audio platform in April 2020. Then Facebook and Twitter created live audio meeting rooms. Now startup Ping Pong allows audio and video messages to be shared in messaging channels

Silencing social: Facebook has followed Twitter in allowing users to limit who can respond to posts. The goal is the make social media a safe space but could limit public discourse

Volkswagen fools: April Fools was cancelled this year apart from Volkswagen which rebranded as Voltswagen. The results were predictable

Round-up: Elizabeth Bananuka has launched the #TheXec leadership scheme for Black, Asian, Mixed Race & Ethnic Minority PR & comms. New books published from John O'Brien and David Gallagher on purpose, and Jenni Field on internal communications

www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

Thanks so much for listening to our #FutureProof podcast. Moving forwards,  we're migrating that across to our Better Business Outcomes podcast and we hope you'll join us.
We're gonna be meeting every 2 to 3 weeks and chatting all things management and communication and we'll have the occasional guest.
So, what are you waiting for? Come on over!
Click here to follow!

#FuturePRoof podcast: can I go back to the office yet?

With Stephen and Sarah Waddington

When is a PR disaster not a PR disaster? – Ryanair on UK government support for airlines, Allen vs Farrow, and Gordon Beattie’s resignation

Royal protocol – statements from both Buckingham Palace and Meghan Markle are an extraordinary breach of traditional protocol

Future of the office - we should listen to the voice of the future workforce as we make plans for the future

Blowing smoke - British American Tobacco’s use of influencers and emerging forms of media raises ethical issues for the marketing and public relations professions

Budget highlights – corporation tax ladder rising from 19% to 25% in 2023, levelling up agenda, furlough extended, and VAT freeze for the hospitality and tourism

Leader Like Me Conference - learn from these industry experts who will share stories, strategies and their own learnings on 23 March

WaddsCon – up next on 26 March: search listening, the PR post COVID-19, qualitative research using bots, and PR’s opportunity to win back SEO budgets

www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

Thanks so much for listening to our #FutureProof podcast. Moving forwards,  we're migrating that across to our Better Business Outcomes podcast and we hope you'll join us.
We're gonna be meeting every 2 to 3 weeks and chatting all things management and communication and we'll have the occasional guest.
So, what are you waiting for? Come on over!
Click here to follow!

#FuturePRoof podcast: We are all Jackie Weaver

With Stephen and Sarah Waddington

Democracy is alive and well – Clerk Jackie Weaver bring orders to a chaotic and bad tempered Handforth Parish Council

Share of search - The IPA is promoting share of search as a metric for advertising effectiveness. There’s limited evidence of its validity outside large FMCG markets

Charity Commission - Charities that support contentious causes should expect scrutiny if they campaign on those issues according to the outgoing chair of the Charity Commission Tina Stowell

PR industry bounce back - Recruitment is a leading indicator of an economic recovery. In PR and digital marketing it has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels but several sectors remain challenged

Exit from lockdown – While we await the publication of the Government’s plan to exit lockdown, organisations are planning a move to a hybrid working environment. It’s unlikely we see the end of the office

Free market economies are damaging the natural environment by failing to place a value on natural assets according to The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review

Talking to Strangers – Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book explores the biases that we bring to meeting new people

Lockdown Unconference – You’re invited to join a new Unconference learning and development event on 26 February

www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

Thanks so much for listening to our #FutureProof podcast. Moving forwards,  we're migrating that across to our Better Business Outcomes podcast and we hope you'll join us.
We're gonna be meeting every 2 to 3 weeks and chatting all things management and communication and we'll have the occasional guest.
So, what are you waiting for? Come on over!
Click here to follow!

#FuturePRoof podcast: An end of year thank you letter

With Stephen and Sarah Waddington

·       Communicators:  Marcus Rashford, Burger King, and Unilever’s Alan Jope

·       Media: BBC’s Hugh Pym, Sky’s Kay Burley, Manchester Evening News’ Jennifer Williams and editorial teams at CNN, The New York Times and Tortoise

·       Writing we’ve admired: Marina Hyde, Nafisa Ali Shafiq, Katrina Marshall, and Sharon O’Dea

Thanks so much for listening to our #FutureProof podcast. Moving forwards,  we're migrating that across to our Better Business Outcomes podcast and we hope you'll join us.
We're gonna be meeting every 2 to 3 weeks and chatting all things management and communication and we'll have the occasional guest.
So, what are you waiting for? Come on over!
Click here to follow!