Inside the world of crisis managers and spin doctors as David Yelland and Simon Lewis watch the week's biggest PR disasters unfold. In each episode our hosts go...
The truth about ‘no comment,’ managing expectations and cost-effective PR
In this special episode David Yelland and Simon Lewis answer PR questions sent in by When It Hits the Fan listeners. First off, they are just two little words but they carry a lot of meaning... why 'no comment' can be both a good and bad thing to say - and what you might be able to say as an alternative.Also, they have some great tips for how to deal with a boss who's demanding national coverage despite having nothing newsworthy to report.There's advice for small charities on how to get your message out there in a very crowded marketplace. And David and Simon reveal the character traits they believe are vital for being a great PR pro.Producer: Eve Streeter
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
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20:29
Heathrow special: inside the crisis
In this special episode, David Yelland and Simon Lewis unpick the PR levers being pulled behind the Heathrow airport shutdown caused by a fire at a local power substation – which left 300,000 passengers stranded, 1,300 flights cancelled and its CEO in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.Was it wise to let it be known that CEO Thomas Woldbye was asleep when the decision was made to shut the airport? Or was it a leak?In any crisis there is always a blame game - who are the winners and losers here?Producer: Eve Streeter
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
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26:26
Thames Water’s PR gamble, Tesla backlash and William’s Villa in The Sun
Letting the cameras go behind the scenes of a company is always a risky strategy - but did it pay off for Thames Water? David Yelland and Simon Lewis assess whether BBC2's Thames Water: Inside the Crisis is a PR victory or a PR disaster for the much maligned utility. The frontline staff emerge as heroes, but is the real story being told? Also, how bad PR can kill a business - will the Tesla brand survive being tainted by Elon Musk? And how Prince William is using Aston Villa and football as soft Royal power. Beware - fake it at your own peril.Producer: Eve Streeter
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
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28:24
Carney’s Canada v Trump, Abrdn’s U-turn and Ambassador Suzuki
Across the world reputations are being set by how leaders react to Donald Trump, including those of Keir Starmer and the King. Now Canada’s new prime minister, Mark Carney, has seen his standing transformed by his "elbow’s up" anti-Trump stance. But in the country’s upcoming election, the Canadian question will be binary – who is the best candidate to deal with Trump’s America? Plus Abrdn’s reverse ferret and the decision by the investment company to return all its missing vowels following a widely ridiculed rebrand. Why do some ideas fail to pass the parody test? And the power of positivity - how the Japanese ambassador to the United Kingdom, Hiroshi Suzuki, has won hearts by ditching grip and grin diplomacy.Producer: Eve Streeter
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
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28:19
Trump, Zelensky, the King and Mummy Pig
In the wake of Donald Trump's decision to pause all US aid to Ukraine, David Yelland and Simon Lewis reflect on the breakdown in the relations between presidents Trump and Zelensky. How far was his humiliation in the Oval Office press huddle orchestrated in the Trumpian echo chamber? Was deploying the stabilising effect of the King both before and after that car crash press conference the wisest use of royal PR in decades? Also - how toy giant Hasbro managed to interrupt the global crisis to announce that Peppa Pig is to have a new sibling. What's the secret to creating a moment of pure PR magic?Producer: Eve Streeter
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
Inside the world of crisis managers and spin doctors as David Yelland and Simon Lewis watch the week's biggest PR disasters unfold. In each episode our hosts go behind the scenes of the latest news stories and find out how, where and when it all began to hit the fan. When It Hits The Fan is hosted by two of the most influential and experienced people in the game; David Yelland is the former editor of the Sun and alongside him is Simon Lewis, former trouble-shooter for the Queen and Gordon Brown, as well as for major corporations like the Nat West, Vodafone and British Gas. Together they bring decades of experience in both creating and managing crises. They'll share all they know about what's keeping those big stories in and out of the news.
UK