Blog
Management communication insights from the latest Wharton study of AI adoption
The fourth Wharton study of enterprise AI finds that fewer than a third of managers report a strong return from AI adoption.
Public relations is reacting to AI, not designing for it
Doomsday, muddling on or elevation? New research on how AI is reshaping practitioner roles suggests that the industry is muddling on.
Better learning and better decisions come from taking time out
I spent last week on holiday in Italy. There’s solid science to explain why it was one of the best weeks of learning I’ve had all year.
Volatility is the new operating environment for the communication function
The Ipsos Reputation Council report describes how volatility has become the norm for the communication function. Judgement has become a critical skill.
Emerging leaders are expected to “walk on water” (and blamed when they sink)
New research from Baylor University in the US reports that the public relations practice industry is failing to prepare practitioners for management.
The New Regionalism: Why public relations must follow power
The launch of No 10 North and the growth of combined authorities signal a shift in where power sits in England. As decision-making moves beyond Westminster, communications professionals will need local knowledge, regional credibility and a new model of influence.
Broadcast still leads the national conversation: on TV and then social media
Radio and TV newsroom still sets the news agenda, carried directly and by online intermediaries into social media feeds.
AI has shown up the measurement barrier to value pricing for public relations agencies
The conversation about AI and agency pricing is important but it's focused on the wrong problem.
New regionalism: Break down this wall
When Andy Burnham opened No.10 North, much of the commentary focused on politics. What does that mean for communications?
AI was supposed to free us for management work, but it has made us all editors
AI’s shortcomings are pulling senior practitioners into tactical work, with consequences for the management role, the economics of the function, and how the next generation learns.
My organisation is asking me to use AI to reduce budgets. What should I do?
Communications teams are being asked to use AI to cut budgets, but this delivers weak returns, ignores the work AI is creating, and misses the strongest investment case the function has had in years.
The new regionalism: England’s second chance to reconnect politics and place
In the first of three guest posts, Stuart Baird argues that Andy Burnham's No. 10 North is a signal that government is heading back towards place. The real test of regionalism is whether it changes lives, not structures.
Challenges and opportunities for corporate communication and public relations function
The Wadds Inc. Summer Annual - our mid-year report on corporate communication and public relations - raises an uncomfortable question about who is equipped to act on it.
Public relations in the UK finally has a number: £7.1 billion
The first independent economic study of the UK public relations sector settles the question of scale and speaks in terms that management and other disciplines understand.
Your CEO may rate you, but half the business has no idea what you do
The so-called seat at the table issue masks a bigger legitimacy gap for public relations within management. It's both a vertical and horizontal challenge.
Climate risk tops every risk list. Your comms strategy needs to reflect it
Last week comms teams got the tactical messaging right; now comes the harder work of building the narrative that makes climate central to your strategy.
If news is your main channel, you need to rethink it now
The Reuters Institute’s 15th Digital News Report was published last week. Read it as a communicator, not a journalist or publisher, and review your media and channel planning.
Corporate affairs comes of age as the boardroom’s growth engine
Deloitte’s fourth Corporate Affairs Report finds a function being recast as a growth driver, but the gap between ambition and operational maturity is stark.
Book Review: The Business of Persuasion - Harold Burson on Public Relations
There’s a lot to be said for taking a long view of a subject; gaining the perspective of time and tracing how an industry develops and evolves.
The kicked-away career ladder and how we plan for the future of entry level jobs
A UK government review says the bottom rungs of the career ladder have been removed for a generation. A study of AI in public relations spotlights the issue in my own industry.