Blog
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.
The emotional impact of working in communications
My research is uncovering the emotional weight that senior communications work carries. It's a cost that is rarely named, but one I have come to know from the inside.
When companies decide to say nothing
The USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations‘ 2026 Global Communication Report is the most useful data I’ve read this year on when organisations speak out and when they don’t.
GEO six months on: the science is moving in favour of public relations
A chapter I wrote six months ago about GEO has just been published. The science is settling. The risks are clearer, and the opportunity may be bigger than I argued.
It's not a book launch unless there's cake and conversation
AI for Public Relations is published today. There is cake. There is also a much bigger conversation ahead for the industry.
Five strategic actions that your management team needs from the communications function
The 2026 Communication Management Radar is a useful read of the communications environment. Take it as an invitation to step up.
Writing and editing are communication skills that AI can support but never replace
AI is great for abstraction and synthesis but it is a bin fire for the human voice. Here's how to manage it.
Shaping the future role of public relations in management
What does it actually take for communications to be recognised as a strategic management discipline? I’m getting closer to an answer.
Why high-performing communications teams are sense-making functions that deliver management-grade intelligence
Ten signals, ten failures of interpretation and a pattern that communications leaders and management can't afford to ignore.
The reputation economy is real but public relations is still working to prove its contribution
There is a growing body of evidence showing that reputation has financial value. What’s still missing is proof of how public relations contributes to it.
Communications is aiming for strategy, but needs to make the case for value
Communications leaders expect to shape strategy, but most are not equipped to do so. The real issue is whether the function can prove its value in terms the business understands.
Public relations and management: the case from Johannesburg
The communications function has never been more valuable to organisations, but it continues to struggle for influence. The issue is execution and evidence in management.
Jürgen Habermas (1929-2026)
The philosopher who asked whether public relations had any place in a functioning democracy has passed. I'm not sure we ever gave him a proper answer.
The Gartner claim that public relations and earned media budgets will double by 2027
When industry optimism outruns the evidence.