IT’S A PR THING

Episode 55 - Podcasting: Trust, Relationship and the Long Game

Podcasting: Trust, Relationship, and the Long Game Podcasting is a long game — and this episode makes the case for why that's actually a good thing. While most voices in the digital space are chasing the next algorithm, there's a quieter, more powerful force at work in the world of podcasting: trust. And trust, built over time, is the foundation for relationship. This episode explores what happens when a podcast stops being about reach and starts being about relationships — with listeners who span continents, career stages, and areas of expertise. From communications veterans and international professionals to eager students just entering the field, each one a testament to what long-form conversation can build over time. If you've ever wondered what sustains a podcast beyond downloads and metrics — or what it really means to play the long game — this one is worth your time. Tune in.   JOIN THE MOVEMENT  Struggle no more to tell your leadership what your value is to the organization.  Join the movement to help change the conversation inside our organizations about public relations (a.k.a - communications, corporate comm, marcom, public-information office, etc.). We've heard you, seen your frustration on LinkedIn -- being disregarded, left out, treated like an afterthought. But we sometimes are creating our own headaches by how we talk about our profession. So we've designed some items we think you'll like -- and these "tools" will start the conversation for you. Check them out here [https://its-a-pr-thing-products.myshopify.com/?country=US]!  NEW RESOURCE PAGE (a.k.a FREE STUFF)  Visit our new resource landing page to check out free downloads and tools to help you lead, manage and implement top-notch PR in your organization. Click here [https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/cu/1CnSKpc/PRTHING] GOT TOPIC IDEAS? WE WANT TO HEAR THEM!  Send topic ideas and mailbag questions for a future episode to podcast@prthing.com [podcast@prthing.com] We would love to hear from you!  HOST BIO (a.k.a. Who is this crazy woman who can't stop talking about PR?)  https://www.audible.com/author/Stephanie-McFarland/B00YNFH16E [https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00YNFH16E/about]

Episode 54 - AI Is Exposing PR's Real Problem — And It's Not What You Think

AI Is Exposing PR's Real Problem And It's Not What You Think If you've been in a room full of PR professionals lately when AI comes up, you already know the conversation is charged. The discussion about AI and PR is full of fear, defensiveness, resistance, and honestly, a lot of misplaced angst. And that's because the real threat isn't what most people think it is. In this episode, we're getting into what AI actually exposes about the state of PR today, why it's driving the profession to a critical crossroads — and why the clock is ticking on a decades-old problem that the field can no longer afford to ignore. How we respond right now will either define us or defeat us. The AI storm is coming. Is your PR team ready? JOIN THE MOVEMENT  Struggle no more to tell your leadership what your value is to the organization.  Join the movement to help change the conversation inside our organizations about public relations (a.k.a - communications, corporate comm, marcom, public-information office, etc.). We've heard you, seen your frustration on LinkedIn -- being disregarded, left out, treated like an afterthought. But we sometimes are creating our own headaches by how we talk about our profession. So we've designed some items we think you'll like -- and these "tools" will start the conversation for you. Check them out here [https://its-a-pr-thing-products.myshopify.com/?country=US]!  NEW RESOURCE PAGE (a.k.a FREE STUFF)  Visit our new resource landing page to check out free downloads and tools to help you lead, manage and implement top-notch PR in your organization. Click here [https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/cu/1CnSKpc/PRTHING] GOT TOPIC IDEAS? WE WANT TO HEAR THEM!  Send topic ideas and mailbag questions for a future episode to podcast@prthing.com [podcast@prthing.com] We would love to hear from you!  HOST BIO (a.k.a. Who is this crazy woman who can't stop talking about PR?)  https://www.audible.com/author/Stephanie-McFarland/B00YNFH16E [https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00YNFH16E/about]

Episode 53 - How to Spot a Crisis Before it Happens: Issue Management Explained

How to Spot a Crisis Before It Happens  ISSUE MANAGEMENT EXPLAINED  Most crises are preventable — that's a fact. But they're only preventable if you know what to look for. In Part III of our series on Crisis - Not Everything is a Crisis, we break down how organizational problems develop, why so many get ignored until it's too late, and what PR pros can do to support divisions and leaders in catching them early -- because the best crisis you'll ever manage is the one your organization never has. JOIN THE MOVEMENT  Struggle no more to tell your leadership what your value is to the organization.  Join the movement to help change the conversation inside our organizations about public relations (a.k.a - communications, corporate comm, marcom, public-information office, etc.). We've heard you, seen your frustration on LinkedIn -- being disregarded, left out, treated like an afterthought. But we sometimes are creating our own headaches by how we talk about our profession. So we've designed some items we think you'll like -- and these "tools" will start the conversation for you. Check them out here [https://its-a-pr-thing-products.myshopify.com/?country=US]!  NEW RESOURCE PAGE (a.k.a FREE STUFF)  Visit our new resource landing page to check out free downloads and tools to help you lead, manage and implement top-notch PR in your organization. Click here [https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/cu/1CnSKpc/PRTHING] GOT TOPIC IDEAS? WE WANT TO HEAR THEM!  Send topic ideas and mailbag questions for a future episode to podcast@prthing.com [podcast@prthing.com] We would love to hear from you!  HOST BIO (a.k.a. Who is this crazy woman who can't stop talking about PR?)  https://www.audible.com/author/Stephanie-McFarland/B00YNFH16E [https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00YNFH16E/about]

Episode 52 - The First Hour of a Flare Up: Are You Reactive or Deliberate?

The First Hour of a Flare-Up: Are You Reactive or Deliberate?  Today we cover Part 2 of our series on crisis — or rather, not everything is a crisis. This week we talk about when an incident first flares up, and how we as PR pros think, counsel and act in those moments – because that matters. A lot. The mindset we bring, the discipline we apply. It can make the difference between managing a moment and creating a bigger problem. In this episode, we dig into what it looks like to approach a flare up with discernment in those early minutes. How do you “read the room” in the court of public opinion? What's actually in front of you? How do you stay deliberate when the noise is getting loud, and it feels like things are heating up? This one will challenge you to evaluate yourself, and determine if you’re reactive or discerning and deliberate in that space between drama and crisis.   JOIN THE MOVEMENT  Struggle no more to tell your leadership what your value is to the organization.  Join the movement to help change the conversation inside our organizations about public relations (a.k.a - communications, corporate comm, marcom, public-information office, etc.). We've heard you, seen your frustration on LinkedIn -- being disregarded, left out, treated like an afterthought. But we sometimes are creating our own headaches by how we talk about our profession. So we've designed some items we think you'll like -- and these "tools" will start the conversation for you. Check them out here [https://its-a-pr-thing-products.myshopify.com/?country=US]!  NEW RESOURCE PAGE (a.k.a FREE STUFF)  Visit our new resource landing page to check out free downloads and tools to help you lead, manage and implement top-notch PR in your organization. Click here [https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/cu/1CnSKpc/PRTHING] GOT TOPIC IDEAS? WE WANT TO HEAR THEM!  Send topic ideas and mailbag questions for a future episode to podcast@prthing.com [podcast@prthing.com] We would love to hear from you!  HOST BIO (a.k.a. Who is this crazy woman who can't stop talking about PR?)  https://www.audible.com/author/Stephanie-McFarland/B00YNFH16E [https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00YNFH16E/about]

Episode 51 - McDonald’s CEO Burger-Bite Uproar

McDonald’s CEO Burger-Bite Uproar   Faux Pas vs Crisis — Know the Difference When did our profession start calling every little flare‑up a crisis? A TikTok trend, a snarky comment thread, a logo people don’t like — suddenly everyone’s acting like the business is melting down. But most of these moments aren’t crises at all. They’re upstream matters that are manageable, or a faux pas with a short life span and a valuable learning opportunity. In this episode, we get into why PR keeps over‑labeling everything a crisis -- and how that habit distracts us from identifying the issues that could be tomorrow’s emergencies at best. Today we’ll walk through the spectrum of incident categories — the harmless creative misstep that gets a couple of days of flareup, the issue that starts quietly and grows over the decades until the industry is in decay, the emergencies that hit daily operations hard and fast, and the rare, true crises that actually reshapes a business for years. Buckle up and take a roller coaster ride today through real stories and case studies about the spectrum of incidents that can either make us or break us – and learn how to tell the difference.   JOIN THE MOVEMENT  Struggle no more to tell your leadership what your value is to the organization.  Join the movement to help change the conversation inside our organizations about public relations (a.k.a - communications, corporate comm, marcom, public-information office, etc.). We've heard you, seen your frustration on LinkedIn -- being disregarded, left out, treated like an afterthought. But we sometimes are creating our own headaches by how we talk about our profession. So we've designed some items we think you'll like -- and these "tools" will start the conversation for you. Check them out here [https://its-a-pr-thing-products.myshopify.com/?country=US]!  NEW RESOURCE PAGE (a.k.a FREE STUFF)  Visit our new resource landing page to check out free downloads and tools to help you lead, manage and implement top-notch PR in your organization. Click here [https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/cu/1CnSKpc/PRTHING] GOT TOPIC IDEAS? WE WANT TO HEAR THEM!  Send topic ideas and mailbag questions for a future episode to podcast@prthing.com [podcast@prthing.com] We would love to hear from you!  HOST BIO (a.k.a. Who is this crazy woman who can't stop talking about PR?)  https://www.audible.com/author/Stephanie-McFarland/B00YNFH16E [https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00YNFH16E/about]