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PR in the Real World

PR in the Real World

Viva PR 63 Episodes Jul 13, 2026

PR in the Real World offers a unique perspective into the world of PR through the lens of a regional PR agency, Viva – recently named the CIPR's UK Small PR Consultancy of the Year. The podcast provides insights into PR, marketing, and communications, shaped by the communities Viva serves both geographically and across key sectors such as healthcare, advanced manufacturing, education, and the public sector. It highlights Viva's ethos that PR should be impact-driven, with guests offering tips on how to gain real-world results without relying on huge budgets or celebrity names.

Episodes

Communicating Complex Ideas Clearly with Alison Ramsay
Communicating Complex Ideas Clearly with Alison Ramsay Jul 13, 2026 48:39 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 employe
How to Shape the Narrative with Autotrader’s Laura Harvey
How to Shape the Narrative with Autotrader’s Laura Harvey Jun 29, 2026 52:26 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 critica
The Leader Who Made Themselves Unnecessary with Sarah Ogden
The Leader Who Made Themselves Unnecessary with Sarah Ogden Jun 17, 2026 42:16 Sarah Ogden, Chief Client Officer Europe at Zeno Group, joins Tony Garner to share 25 years of agency leadership insights for this episode of PR in the Real World. They cover what makes teams thrive, why AI threatens junior PR roles, the behavioural science underpinning great communications, and Zeno's Clarity 2030 research — revealing that 72% of comms leaders expect greater influence by 2030, bu
"It's a Great Time to Have a Brain" with Antony Mayfield
"It's a Great Time to Have a Brain" with Antony Mayfield Jun 1, 2026 59:19 What happens when you stop treating artificial intelligence like a simple tool and start treating it as a "cognitive accelerator"? In this episode of PR in the Real World, host Tony Garner sits down with tech prophet, author and CEO Antony Mayfield to unpack the reality of working alongside frontier AI models.Antony Mayfield, co-founder and CEO of digital change consultancy Brilliant Noise, has sp
From a Welsh Farm to CIPR Agency of the Year with Vicki Spencer-Francis
From a Welsh Farm to CIPR Agency of the Year with Vicki Spencer-Francis May 18, 2026 35:27 How do you build a 36-strong, multi-award-winning agency from scratch with no client contacts and no corporate safety net? In this episode of PR in the Real World, Vicki Spencer-Francis, founder of Cowshed, reveals the triumphs, setbacks and strategic overhauls that led them to become the CIPR UK Agency of the Year.Vicki Spencer-Francis started her career in the bright lights of London television,
The Story Behind 'AI for Public Relations' with Ben Verinder and Stephen Waddington
The Story Behind 'AI for Public Relations' with Ben Verinder and Stephen Waddington May 4, 2026 59:23 Is uncritical AI adoption risking the future of PR? In this episode of PR in the Real World, host Tony Garner sits down with industry leaders Stephen Waddington and Ben Verinder to unpack their book, AI for Public Relations.Stephen and Ben have spent two years examining how machine cognition is rewriting the boundaries of PR. Moving past shallow "techno-optimism," they address structural disruptio
Why Great Storytelling Still Wins with Maria McGeoghan
Why Great Storytelling Still Wins with Maria McGeoghan Apr 27, 2026 45:41 How do you successfully transition from heading a major regional newsroom to orchestrating the internal communication strategy for a global 23,000-strong public broadcasting workforce? In this episode of PR in the Real World, we talk with Maria McGeoghan, former Editor of the Manchester Evening News and internal communications leader at the BBC.Maria McGeoghan’s distinguished career spans the fron
The Career Advice Every PR Professional Needs with Steve Dunne
The Career Advice Every PR Professional Needs with Steve Dunne Apr 13, 2026 56:38 How do you build enough authority to run corporate communications for a major multinational company by your mid-20s? In this episode of PR in the Real World, training expert and PR veteran Steve Dunne shares the exact strategies needed to build a resilient, high-value career in public relations.Steve Dunne’s career started by accident at age 16 when a corporate aptitude test declared him a hazard
The Human Side to Public Sector Communications with Edna Boampong
The Human Side to Public Sector Communications with Edna Boampong Mar 30, 2026 55:22 How do you drive data-led behaviour change when the stakes include public health and human dignity? In this episode of PR in the Real World, Edna Boampong, Director of Communications at Liverpool City Council, breaks down strategic public sector PR.Edna Boampong has navigated an award-winning career from early event promotion at the Ministry of Sound to leadership within the NHS and local governme
How to Influence Government Through Strategic Communications Harry Bradshaw
How to Influence Government Through Strategic Communications Harry Bradshaw Mar 17, 2026 34:41 How do you move a policy idea from a 100-page research report into a live debate in the Houses of Parliament? This episode of PR in the Real World, Harry Bradshaw, Communications Manager at the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), takes us inside the SW1 bubble to reveal how real political influence is won.Harry Bradshaw's career has been deeply embedded in the corridors of power, transitioning from r
Shaping the News for Millions - Inside Reach plc with Chief Content Officer David Higgerson
Shaping the News for Millions - Inside Reach plc with Chief Content Officer David Higgerson Mar 3, 2026 1:00:12 How do you land a story across a network of 130+ media titles reaching millions of people daily? In this episode of PR in the Real World, David Higgerson, Chief Content Officer at Reach plc, pulls back the curtain on the modern newsroom to reveal how the digital transformation has rewritten the PR playbook.David Higgerson oversees the content strategy for some of the UK's most iconic national and
How Language Heals (or Harms) in a Crisis with Professor Lucy Easthope
How Language Heals (or Harms) in a Crisis with Professor Lucy Easthope Feb 17, 2026 54:47 When tragedy strikes, can your words do more harm than the crisis itself? In this episode of PR in the Real World, Professor Lucy Easthope, the UK’s leading voice in disaster recovery, joins Tony Garner to unpack the devastating difference between "PR spin" and genuine, trauma-informed candour.Professor Lucy Easthope has spent her career advising governments, emergency services and global organisa

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