PRGN Presents: PR News & Views from the Public Relations Global Network

Strong communicators do more than listen to what people say. They pay attention to how it is said, what is changing, and what may be happening beneath the surface.

In this episode, Erin Vogt, Partner and COO at Peritus PR, explores what she calls the “art of sensing”—the ability to read a room, recognize patterns, and respond to subtle shifts in client, prospect, and team behavior. She explains why experienced comm...

Hosting a global sporting event is about much more than filling stadiums and delivering a great experience. For a host city, it is also an opportunity to shape reputation, strengthen community pride and create something that lasts long after the crowds go home.

In this episode, Aaron Blank, president and CEO of Fearey, and Peter Tomozawa, CEO of Seattle FIFA World Cup 26, take us behind the scenes of Seattle’s approach to the ...

Health information has never been more accessible—but that doesn’t mean people know what to believe. Patients are turning to social media, influencers, search engines and AI for answers, while trust in traditional authorities continues to decline.

Jenny Ousbey, founder and CEO of OVID Health, talks about what this shift means for healthcare communicators. She explains why effective campaigns start by understanding what p...

Nick Leighton introduces the concept of Conversation Visibility™. Buyer behavior has shifted toward seeking peer-to-peer, unfiltered opinions, making platforms like Reddit incredibly valuable.

But as Nick explains, traditional marketing and broadcasting do not work on Reddit. The community actively rejects corporate language.

Public user histories and aggressive anti-spam bots mean companies cannot simply create new accounts to shill...

In this episode, co-host Abbie Fink steps into the guest seat to unpack the findings from the Public Relations Global Network's 2nd Influence Insights survey.

Drawing on responses from roughly 1,800 executives globally, the survey reveals a glaring "performance gap": while 90% of leaders believe influence is critical to their business, only 17% feel their organization is executing it well enough to exceed expectations.

The survey res...

Natalie Ghidotti, owner of a Little Rock-based PR agency, discusses the unique challenges that smaller markets present to PR practitioners and the power of combining a global network with deep local expertise.

The middle of the country often gets forgotten in business. Natalie explains how her team at Ghidotti helps family-owned, B2B companies in the Heartland reach a national audience while staying true to their regional roots and ...

On May 13, 2026, the Public Relations Global Network will present the key findings of the PRGN Influence Insights 2026, the second edition of its global survey on brand influence.

The 2026 PRGN Influence Insights Survey offers a closer look at how brands are managing trust, reputation, AI, audience behavior and the growing complexity of influence across channels, audiences and markets worldwide.

Join us for a live webinar presentatio...

Jaime Gardner joins Abbie Fink to talk about the biggest business development challenges agency leaders face: winning the right clients, moving prospects through a long business development cycle, and growing existing accounts.

Jaime makes the case for proactive relationship-building over reactive crisis-driven engagement, arguing that agencies are better positioned when they help clients get ahead of issues before they escalate. Sh...

Megan Yocum & Johnny Reynolds talk about PR for small businesses and how public relations can be a valuable asset regardless of the size of the company. They explain how PR can effectively tell a company's story and discuss issues such as strategic planning, realistic goal setting, and budget considerations. They emphasize the importance of building brand visibility, establishing consumer trust, being clear on PR objectives and...

Shawn Jiang Xiaofeng discusses the intricacies of doing business in China and the evolving dynamics of public relations in the region. He shares valuable insights into the current landscape of the Chinese market, highlighting recent shifts, government strategies, and the role of communication firms in navigating these changes.

Shawn emphasizes a noticeable shift from rapid growth to a more moderated pace due to global economic press...

Tina Kozak is the CEO of Detroit-based Franco. She's the first woman and only the third person to hold the CEO position in firm's 62 year history. Her career highlights span a variety of areas from client service and industry innovation to organizational culture and empowering women. As Franco’s CEO, she leads the company in its values, culture and strategic vision. One of metro Detroit’s most respected crisis communica...

Nick Leighton returns to the podcast to talk about how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing public relations.

He explains his concept of the "Narritect," a person who designs and engineers brand messages, similar to how an architect develops blueprints.

As AI accelerates content creation, brands risk drowning in content and starving for clarity. The Narritect's task is to construct coherent narratives across PR, marketing, and ...

Robert Bauer joins us to unpack the intriguing topic of predictions within the PR industry — how they are formulated, their inherent risks, and their potential impact on reputation management.

He emphasizes the need for balance between cautious foresight and bold, sometimes controversial declarations about the future and shares his insights into the process of crafting meaningful predictions that resonate both with clients and...

Terrie Ard returns to discuss the findings of the 2026 M.Cast™ Trends Report. She explains the importance of adopting a "futurist mindset" and looking for signals and patterns of change to anticipate what is coming next, rather than simply reacting to the present.

Terrie explains the concept of the "Invisible AI Revolution," predicting that artificial intelligence will soon move from a novelty tool to transparent infrastructure, muc...

Abbie Fink talks with newly appointed PRGN President Frédéric François about his vision for the Public Relations Global Network throughout his term.

Frédéric shares three key initiatives: combating misinformation and disinformation, advancing digital-first strategies among PRGN member agencies, and responsibly integrating AI into our work. By aligning agency efforts towards these goals, PRGN aims to serve as both a thought leader an...

Gábor Jelinek, Executive Director of the Public Relations Global Network, joins us to discuss emerging trends and PRGN members' predictions for the public relations industry in 2026.

Starting with a look back at last year's predictions, Gábor points out the continuities and new developments in global communications. He specifically notes the impact of AI in PR, its role in reshaping how agencies work, and its implications for measur...

"Influence is the currency of today, but also of the future." Gilbert Manirakiza, CEO of Newmark Group, discusses his experience as host of the recent PRGN conference in Nairobi, Kenya. He shares insights into the strategic planning and execution of the conference, emphasizing the importance of fostering global collaboration among public relations leaders.

Gilbert and his team included voices from African companies and the local com...

In our final episode on PRGN's 2025 Influence Insights research, Rogério Artoni discusses the significance of cultural and social values in public relations, especially in the Latin American context, with a sharp focus on Brazil.

Download PRGN's whitepaper on insights from the 2025 global survey on Brand Influence.

Rogério highlights that understanding these values is crucial for effective communication and relationship-building in t...

Andy See discusses PRGN's 2025 Influence Insights survey results from an APAC perspective, highlighting the distinct challenges and opportunities for brands in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

Andy, Bill, and Adrian talk about how cultural, regulatory, and market dynamics impact brand strategy and communication approaches in APAC and beyond. Their discussion underscores the importance of adapting strategies to local contexts and cult...