Alex Doorey, vice-president of corporate affairs and sustainability at energy supplier OVO, says the modern corporate affairs director is heavily reliant on PR consultancies and that these relationships “keep us lean, they keep us nimble and they keep us honest”.
Jen Jamie, director of comms and public affairs for the UK and Ireland at Google, also joined the podcast to explain how “innovation” is now the key attribute she looks for in agency partners.
PRWeek UK’s Beyond the Noise podcast, which is published on alternate weeks, looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comms and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, listen in the browser above or on your favourite platform.
The two comms leads joined regular hosts PRWeek editor-in-chief Danny Rogers and founder of New Society, Frankie Oliver, to discuss the evolving role of the client-side comms lead; the types of agency they work with; the skills they are looking for; traditional writing skills versus AI-generated content; the agency pitching process; strategic versus creative input; overservicing and underservicing; what makes a client-agency relationship break down; and looking after the mental health of agency teams.
PR agencies mentioned include Ogilvy, Teneo, CCGroup, The Romans, Strand Partners, Childhood PR and Flint.
