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PODCAST

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations

Stories and Strategies

Welcome to Stories and Strategies, the world’s most listened to Public Relations podcast according to Podchaser, Goodpods, and data from Rephonic.Hosted by award-winning PR professionals Doug Downs in Canada and Farzana Baduel in the UK, this weekly podcast offers you bold ideas, sharp insights, and honest conversations about the future of public relations, strategic communications, and marketing.Every Tuesday, we release a new 20-minute episode packed with practical takeaways for PR professionals,

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All Episodes

21:28

Rebranding Climate: Alarmism vs. Optimism in PR

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/10/31

What do a billionaire climate pivot, AI-fueled layoffs, and a scandalous Italian election have in common? They all got the PR treatment in this episode. Farzana Baduel, David Gallagher, and Doug Downs peel back the media layers behind some of the week’s most buzzworthy stories, from Bill Gates’ controversial “climate realism” memo and its impact on corporate sustainability narratives, to Amazon’s AI-framed mass layoffs and what that messaging means for employer branding. They al...

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24:43

Flattered to Death: The AI Sycophant in the Room

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/10/28

We live in a moment where artificial intelligence can write our emails, plan our meetings, even give us life advice. But here’s the problem: these systems are often too agreeable for our own good. They’re less like truth tellers and more like digital echo chambers. They nod along, validate our choices, and tell us exactly what we want to hear. To use an outdated term… GenAI is too often like a Yes Man. In this episode we’re looking at the rise of sycophancy in generative AI, the tendenc...

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22:48

The Mamdani Effect: Can TikTok Win a Mayoral Race?

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/10/24

Can a cyclist-turned (accused) communist New York mayoral candidate teach the PR world a thing or two about emotional storytelling? This week we unpack the “Mamdani effect” how Zohran Mamdani is rewriting the rules of political communications with cultural fluency, TikTok charm, and unforgettable soundbites. Other topics, what are the comms implications of the Omnicom-IPG mega-merger, and what is the likely impact on agency identities, client retention, and the war for talent?&n...

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24:46

Is Attention the New Currency in Public Relations?

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/10/21

Is attention the new currency? Politicians, brands, influencers, even your neighbor’s viral TikTok are all competing for the same scarce resource: your focus. But attention is slippery. It can make you a household name overnight and it can vanish just as quickly. In an age where algorithms decide what we see and artificial intelligence rewrites how we discover information, the fight for attention has never been more intense. What happens when public relations and communications ag...

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30:02

The PR Community Asks: Can We Fix Ageism, DEI...

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/10/17

Farzana Baduel and David Gallagher take on everything from Justin Trudeau’s headline-grabbing kiss with Katy Perry to how PR pros can unwittingly become enablers in global corruption scandals. In this special mailbag edition, the duo responds to smart, sharp questions from their audience, spanning topics from King Charles III’s strategic image evolution to the silent retreat from ESG and DEI in corporate America. They unpack ageism in the PR industry, dissect Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s con...

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22:44

What’s the Point of Public Relations if You Can’t...

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/10/14

The call for better measurement in public relations is not new. For decades, leaders in the field have warned that counting impressions, likes, and advertising value equivalents is not enough. Yet here we are, still leaning on the same empty numbers while the C-suite is asking for proof of outcomes that matter. The urgency has been with us for years, but too often the industry has not listened to its own advice. We aren’t listening to ourselves! Now, as budgets are cut and...

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23:41

Is PR still powerful when public opinion no longer...

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/10/10

Farzana Baduel, David Gallagher, and Doug Downs tackle everything from President Trump’s militarized immigration crackdown to what brands can (and shouldn’t) learn from his relentless communication machine. The trio explore how symbolism, messaging velocity, and the "attention economy" are reshaping both politics and brand strategy. They dissect a compelling new report on navigating the “era of compounding crisis,” debate PR’s role in a post-truth landscape, and end with a sharp take o...

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24:40

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is here… is Public...

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/10/07

Search is changing faster than most PR professionals realize. For years, SEO was about keywords and backlinks. Now, with AI-driven tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity shaping how people find information, the game is shifting to AEO (Answer Engine Optimization). Instead of tricking algorithms, brands need to prove expertise, authority, and trustworthiness at every turn. To stay discoverable, we need to craft smarter prompts, produce content that actually engages, and choose the right AI...

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23:18

Keir Starmer’s Image Crisis: Can Labour Win Over Its...

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/10/03

This week on The Week UnSpun, the trio of Farzana Baduel, Doug Downs, and David Gallagher dive headfirst into a whirlwind of global news through a comms lens, touching on everything from the chaos and opportunity of the UN General Assembly, to Keir Starmer’s image struggles within his own party, to the ethics of AI-generated media. Farzana shares her rookie experience navigating UNGA week in New York, revealing the sheer magnitude, and confusion, of diplomatic and fringe events. ...

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24:19

Public Relations for Hispanic Audiences

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/09/30

Getting Hispanic communications wrong is not just a slip. It can cost brands credibility, trust, and millions in wasted campaigns. Too often, companies think a simple translation is enough, only to find their carefully crafted message falls flat or even offends the very audience they are trying to reach. With more than 65 million Hispanics in the United States, representing one of the fastest growing and most influential communities, PR professionals cannot afford cultural blind spots. In thi...

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30:22

Tylenol Trouble: When Misinformation Goes Viral

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/09/26

What do Tylenol, Jimmy Kimmel, and Disney all have in common? They’re all caught in the crosshairs of public opinion this week. On this episode hosts David Gallagher and Doug Downs are joined by B2B PR powerhouse Michelle Garrett to dissect a week of PR minefields. From President Trump’s dangerous misinformation about Tylenol and pregnancy, to the backlash and brand gymnastics following Jimmy Kimmel’s controversial monologue. The trio also touches on the shifting global per...

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23:47

The Dangerous Echo of Polarized Voices

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/09/23

What happens when your newsfeed becomes a battlefield? In the US and UK, political leaders trade accusations, social media thrives on outrage, and communities are left simmering in distrust. What used to be disagreements over policy now look more like open hostility, with violence creeping closer to the center of public life. Attacks on lawmakers, threats to schools, and the killing of high-profile figures are no longer shocking outliers but part of a troubling pattern. This episode ask...

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30:19

Is Free Speech Really Free Anymore? The PR Truth...

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/09/19

Every Friday at 3pm UK and 10 am Eastern we scan the PR Mega Chat and pick the stories that actually shaped the week. This week’s episode is a fiery, globe-spanning dive into the uncomfortable truths of modern communication. From protests on the streets of London to censorship in North America, we break down what’s really going on behind the headlines. Farzana delivers a powerful personal reflection on racism and PR spin around far-right movements in the UK, while Doug unpacks J...

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23:44

Beyond SEO: Understanding Answer Engine Optimization...

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/09/16

Google Search still holds about 90% of global search volume as of mid‑2025, but change is underway as more users begin turning to AI. AI search is rewriting the rules of discovery, and PR needs to adapt. With ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity each scraping different corners of the web, the old focus on big-name publications is no longer enough. The most influential sources may now be niche review sites, specialized forums, or content hubs you have never pitched. Knowing what each Large La...

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38:54

Charlie Kirk Shooting Suspect Arrested

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/09/12

Every Friday we scan the PR Mega Chat and pick the stories that actually shaped the week. What happens when narrative control collides with tragedy, misinformation, and an unfiltered digital age? In the second episode of The Week Unspun, hosts Farzana Baduel, David Gallagher, and Doug Downs dive into the breaking news of political commentator Charlie Kirk’s shocking shooting and the volatile aftermath, both online and off. From exploring how disinformation spreads faster than fact...

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25:04

The Hidden Reason Women are Leaving Public Relations

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/09/09

More women are now leaving the PR industry because of perimenopause and menopause than because of childbirth. That’s a staggering, often invisible, that’s shift happening right at the top. It’s not burnout or work-life balance pushing them out, but a phase of life that’s rarely acknowledged and even more rarely supported. This episode is an unflinching conversation about the real pressures senior women face. Why is menopause still a taboo topic at work? How misunderstood are...

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24:57

What Kind of Public Relations Industry Will Gen Z...

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/09/02

PR really is at a crossroads… we’ve got old playbooks and new players coming in who want to change the rules. In its report Mind the Gap, USC’s Center for Public Relations reveals sharp divides between Gen Z and older professionals on everything from AI and hybrid work to media influence and corporate purpose. While Boomers and Gen X cling to the belief that human creativity will always be irreplaceable, Gen Z is charging ahead, optimistic about technology, eager for flexibility,...

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24:09

Africa’s Missing Seat at the Global Public Relations...

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/08/26

Ayeni Adekunle Samuel argues that Africa is often misunderstood or reduced to oversimplified stereotypes by global brands, agencies, and even tech platforms. Despite Africa’s complexity, diversity, and economic importance, key decisions — including PR, marketing, and tech strategies — are still shaped in places like New York and London, often without African expertise or context. Ayeni shares his personal journey as a Nigerian entrepreneur building a pan-African and international...

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29:52

It’s Groundhog Day in the Public Relations Industry

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/08/19

Why is the PR industry still having the same tired conversation? Year after year, event after event… while the world moves on without us? We talk about getting a seat at the table, then sit quietly when we do. We debate metrics like we haven’t had decades to solve them. We celebrate awards for campaigns that often say nothing and change even less. We hold events that are same panel conversations… different year. Somewhere along the way, the industry built for cultural leader...

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24:43

Rebranding a Country

Stories and Strategies with Curzon Public Relations ·

2025/08/12

What does it take to rebrand an entire nation? Not just a logo or slogan—but the name itself. Gökhan Yücel helped lead the campaign to officially shift the international name from Turkey to Türkiye. It’s a move that goes far beyond semantics—touching diplomacy, identity, and global perception. Gökhan pulls back the curtain on how such a monumental change has been communicated to the world and why it matters more than most of us think. But this conversation goes even deeper. From ...

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219 results

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