PRmoment Podcast

In this episode of the PRmoment podcast, Ben Smith and Mark Borkowski discuss British politics, media credibility, journalism, and television.

They begin with the Islington by-election and the Green Party. The hosts discuss Labour’s win and Zach Polanski’s campaign, including criticism of his absence from a party vote on a controversial Israel–Palestine policy. Borkowski says Polanski is a strong communicator but argues that avoiding the vote may have damaged his image as a forthright leader. Smith questions Polanski’s appeal, while both consider how personality politics is reshaping the parties and how difficult it can be for a leader to recover from a high-profile misstep.

The conversation then turns to the reported prospect of a live-streamed execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan. Both hosts express alarm at the idea of broadcasting an execution. Borkowski opposes the death penalty and compares the spectacle to violent propaganda shared online by Islamic State, questioning what such a broadcast would say about American values and leadership.

Next, they discuss US bombers at RAF Fairford and the media coverage of unusual activity near airfields. Borkowski recounts a theory, shared by an aviation enthusiast, that men in vans carrying fuel may have been testing security ahead of a possible drone attack. The hosts distinguish between credible specialist sources and unsupported speculation, while asking whether mainstream outlets provide enough context and insight. 
They connect this fragmented information environment to a challenge for PR professionals: messages now circulate across traditional outlets, niche channels, social platforms, and search engines, with varying levels of reliability.

That leads into a discussion about the future and funding of journalism. The hosts suggest that AI and large language models may increase the value of original reporting, prompting journalists to get out and investigate stories rather than rely solely on desk-based work. Borkowski stresses the importance of reporters, expertise, and trusted coverage. Smith observes that, despite broad agreement on journalism’s importance, society has not settled how to fund it as platforms such as Google and Meta compete for attention and advertising revenue.

Finally, they discuss Celebrity Traitors as a successful BBC format that gives audiences something to talk about together. Borkowski praises the show’s cast and enduring appeal, while noting that public figures such as Amol Rajan are increasingly leaving established broadcasters to build audiences on YouTube and other platforms. The hosts consider how established media careers can serve as a springboard for personal brands and direct-to-audience communities. Borkowski argues that top talent should be paid appropriately, while the BBC faces pressure over its funding model and its ability to retain prominent presenters.

Overall, the episode explores how trust, personality, and changing routes to audiences are influencing politics, journalism, PR, and entertainment.
Here are quotes from this week's show:
“The cult of Zach Polanski is under threat.” — Mark Borkowski [03:46]
“When you’ve got Caroline Lucas actually not supporting you, you know you’re in trouble.” — Mark Borkowski [06:21]
“I’m anti the death penalty, no matter what someone’s done.” — Mark Borkowski [06:58]
“What does that say about America? What does it say about the Republican administration at the moment?” — Mark Borkowski [06:58]
“You need that credible journalism. You need that credible coverage that actually allows the questions to be asked.” — Mark Borkowski [14:57]
“As a society, we haven’t quite worked out who’s going to actually pay for [journalism].” — Ben Smith [15:18]
“It’s a remarkable format. It’s remarkable television.” — Mark Borkowski on Celebrity Traitors [16:00]
“If someone is the best at what they do, they should be paid accordingly.” — Mark Borkowski [18:43]
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This week's PRmoment Podcast reviews UK PR pitch activity, agency M&A, and market trends across the summer and September 2026.
Overall, the tone is constructive: the market remains busy, clients are still commissioning briefs, and agencies are finding opportunity in both broad integrated mandates and deeper specialist work. The main challenge is not a lack of demand, but converting that demand into higher-quality wins.
PR Pitch Market Outlook
The episode opens with a positive read on the UK PR market. Briefs stay busy through the summer and into Q4, but conversion remains slower than agencies would like, so the emphasis shifts from simply generating more opportunities to winning the right ones. Ben Smith and Andrew Bloch note that agencies need sharper propositions, stronger pipeline discipline, and more evidence of strategic impact to stand out. Differentiation is increasingly tied to specialist capability rather than generalist claims: demand is growing for GEO, AI, creator-led activity, content, influencer marketing, and social, alongside integrated campaigns that show measurable return on investment. Selling outcomes, not hours, is important in a more selective buying environment.
Pitch Wins for September
Several high-profile account changes highlight how competitive the market is becoming. 
VCCP Roar wins Starbucks’ UK creative consumer PR brief after 18 years with the incumbent, while We Communications secures Mastercard’s global communications account after 14 years with Ketchum.
Other notable wins show the range of opportunity across consumer, corporate, and specialist work: Citizen Relations picks up P&G haircare; The Romans wins Salford City FC, Funding Circle, and Desperados; Ernie’s adds Oatly; Stack wins British Land; and PDA wins Casio G-Shock. W reports four wins across Kleenex, Clarendon Fine Art, San Miguel, and Hard Rock Hotels. Bottle adds Nationwide’s digital PR and GEO brief as well as Simprove’s search visibility work, while Taylor Herring, Golin Ketchum, PC Agency, and Shook also secure business.
M&A Activity for September
M&A remains focused on capability rather than scale. Burson acquires Limbik to bring its predictive AI platform, Decipher, and associated engineering capability in-house, extending a proposition that already operates across more than 60 markets. 
Headland acquires Shearwater to deepen political, regulatory, and EU public affairs expertise in Brussels and London, reinforcing the importance of specialist advisory capability. 
Mission Group merges Mongoose with Bray Leino Events as part of a wider simplification and consolidation effort. The discussion also stresses that organic growth still matters: agencies are increasingly expanding existing relationships into broader portfolios and longer retainers, rather than relying solely on acquisition to add revenue. The overall picture is of a sector using M&A selectively to fill capability gaps and strengthen its offer, not simply to grow for scale.
Here are a few beautiful quotes from Andrew from this week's show
“Pipeline is potential. It’s conversion that pays the bills.” — Andrew Bloch 0:01:49
 You need to be famous for something, specialist in something, not just being a generalist.” — Andrew Bloch 0:01:49

“Agencies need to be doing the stuff that is valuable, the expensive bits that AI can’t do, not just being an expensive version of the cheap stuff.” — Andrew Bloch 0:01:49

“Any PR agency that ignores the impact of GEO is to their detriment for sure.” — Andrew Bloch 0:05:50

“Buyers aren’t buying more of the same; they’re buying what they’re missing.” — Andrew Bloch 0:07:38

“Build the agency that a buyer can’t easily replicate.” — Andrew Bloch 0:09:08

“If you’ve had a client for 10 years, 15 years, you’re a very different agency today than you were when you won that business.” — Andrew Bloch 0:13:30

“Winning new business is harder than it’s ever been.” — Andrew Bloch 0:20:17

“The clever agencies are buying the stuff that’s truly useful and that clients can’t actually do in-house.” — Andrew Bloch 0:45:46
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In this week's PRmoment News Review, host Ben Smith and guests Mark Borkowski and Angie Moxham covered four PR stories: Earl Spencer's book, Harry and Meghan, Andy Burnham's visit to Trump Land, and Ed Sheeran's tour controversy.
Charles Spencer's book Mark said Swan Song: Diana, My Sister had huge publicity, helped by the Mail serialisation and a Laura Kuenssberg interview. Still, he felt it had "a nasty smell" and was "a bit of a bank raid".
Harry and Meghan Mark described the couple's latest moves. He argued they should have kept a low profile, and that they need a "trusted anchor" who understands British media. Angie felt sorry for them and called their PR "a lost cause". She saw a loss of confidence in Harry, whose teleprompter failed at an Invictus Games event and who couldn't ad lib.
Andy Burnham meets Trump Mark said Trump's ban on CNN, MSNBC and Politico led other networks to side with them. As a result, visits by Burnham and the Chinese Premier got less coverage. Angie thought Burnham performed credibly on the international stage. She praised the media for standing together.
Ed Sheeran Angie said Sheeran wasn't to blame, but that he responded late with a dry statement read from a teleprompter that didn't feel genuine. Mark blamed a corporate music industry. In his view, Sheeran's team built a "toxic mix": support act Macklemore, who has faced antisemitism accusations, playing a stadium owned by pro-Israel Robert Kraft. Sheeran is "vanilla", and fans only want him with an acoustic guitar.
Here are some top quotes from this week's show:
1. Mark Borkowski on Charles Spencer's book 0:01:24

"I think there's a nasty smell about the book because I do feel that it is a bit of a bank raid."

2. Mark Borkowski on Penguin Random House 0:01:24

"Piers Morgan has the money and also the temperament to actually do what he wants to do: get the book pulped, and give as much pain as possible, not only to Penguin but of course his main target, Charles Spencer."

3. Angie Moxham on Spencer's motives 0:04:03

"I question his motive for publishing the book. He positions it as his swan song as much as hers. But he clearly has had an expensive divorce, and it's not cheap running estates."

4. Mark Borkowski on Harry and Meghan's PR 0:05:17

"They need that trusted anchor… that critical friend, that wise voice who understands social as well. I think things could be so much different for them."

5. Angie Moxham on Prince Harry 0:09:42

"The teleprompter dried up, and he couldn't ad lib. He did not have that passionate, heartfelt story narrative in his head to be able to get over that."

6. Angie Moxham on media unity against Trump's media boycott against CNN, Politico and MS NOW 0:14:02

"You can't take on the media by picking off individual brands. It's great that they've stood together. That's the power of great journalism."

7. Mark Borkowski on Trump and Burnham 0:14:33

"Campaigning against Trump is one thing, but actually governing alongside him has some advantages… that's part of what happens at these events: the sort of PR that happens in rooms we're not in."

8. Mark Borkowski on Ed Sheeran 0:16:42

"Ed Sheeran is not political. He is vanilla. He's the busker that's made it big… If he turned up on that stage with an acoustic guitar, he would have appeased his fans."
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With 100 Days of 2026  to go, Warren Johnson founder of W Communications and PRmoment Podcast host Ben Smit discuss 2026 so far, and look ahead to Q4 and 2027.
The PRmoment podcast is produced in association with the Markettiers Network
Warren Johnson's verdict on 2026 so far is blunt: "Indies up, networks down." 
He argues independents have had a strong year while the big networks continue their "seemingly endless merging and rebranding."  
Pushing back on the idea that AI and data integration will revive the holding groups, he says those arguments work in paid media but not comms: you can't buy global inventory and resell it at a margin, so economies of scale are limited.
What clients actually want is nuanced, market-specific connectivity.
On the economy, he's cautiously positive despite the backdrop. August was quiet but activity surged, and while crude back at over $100 a barrel worries him —  client conversations about next year are relatively bullish. 
Constant shocks, he says, are simply the new normal to trade through.
In terms of the PR sectors that are up or down? Influencer and creator work has "gone bananas" — three six-figure briefs in a week, won from social, digital and PR rivals alike.
Luxury and high-net-worth are strong, sport and tech is edging forward. 
Travel is harder, with the Iran war hitting UAE stopovers. Johnson is far more excited by creator economy than by GEO/LLM optimisation, which he sees as exploratory and commoditised.
Strategy: Creator and social need to be staffed with social strategists, community and talent managers from creative-first backgrounds 
Talent: He calls UK employer taxation "absurd" — you tax what you want less of — and attacks student debt averaging over £50,000.
AI, he argues, is most dangerous for juniors; expect flatter, senior-heavy structures resembling law firms, plus fractional experts hired by the day.
Commercials and 2027: Revenue growth came from a shift away from rate cards toward value based pricing.
September–November are PR's best months; but your numbers must be booked by mid-December, including January. 
His top 2027 task: forward-managing client budgets for production inflation.
Here are some top quotes from Warren from this week's PRmoment podcast:
"Indies up, networks down. Simple as that." — Warren Johnson, 01:35
"The networks (continue to) rearrange the deck chairs on the sinking ships." — Warren Johnson on the marcomms holding groups and PR, 01:39
"People have had to accept this is the new normal. There's no euphoric, utopic period coming where everything's perfect again." — Warren Johnson, 07:34
"We have to stop giving creator and influencer work away as part of a PR service. It needs to be seen as a specific thing, with specific experts." — Warren Johnson, 08:47
"Adding creators next to journalists and VIPs on a press trip isn't additive. That's not understanding the power of the creator economy." — Warren Johnson, 15:43
"We're creating an environment that's creative-first — not a bunch of PR people pretending they know about creators." — Warren Johnson on Hello Frances, 17:10
"You tax the things you don't like. That's why tobacco and petrol are taxed so high. Tax employers for hiring people and you disincentivise hiring people." — Warren Johnson, 20:30
"AI will decimate entry-level jobs for a different reason than we all thought — by showcasing laziness , rather than people being replaced by robots." — Warren Johnson, 27:02
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This edition of the PRmoment News Review, hosted by Ben Smith with Angie Moxham and Mark Borkowski, worked through four stories that each turned on the same question: what communications can and cannot fix.
The Sussexes opened the show, and both guests pushed back hard on the week's dominant narrative. Borkowski said he felt "incredibly sorry" for the couple's comms team and rejected the theory that their PR is incompetent — the problem, he argued, is a client who defines the work and then cannot be advised. 
Moxham agreed, calling the adviser role a poisoned chalice and the succession of departures a revolving door. 
Both located the fault in the principals and the institution rather than in the consultants. Borkowski's prescription was counterintuitive: the only tactic the couple have never tried is silence. A quiet return, he suggested, would have surprised everyone; instead they chose visibility, and the King's statement this week poured cold water on any reading of the trip as coordinated reconciliation. 
On the RNLI, the panel was unequivocal about the Portsmouth protests. Moxham called the scenes disgraceful, noted the charity has offered volunteers the option of removing the badge, and directed blame at both protesters and government. 
Borkowski set the images in a longer political frame — black shirts and balaclavas evoking Oswald Mosley — while pointing out that small-boat crossings are reportedly down 40%.
His communications concern was practical: if the controversy damages the RNLI's fundraising, coastal safety suffers. He also used the segment to make the episode's broadest point, urging comms professionals to remember how algorithmic feeds shape which version of the migration story each audience receives, and how much of Middle England is genuinely uneasy.
The 9/11 anniversary drew the show's most provocative argument. Borkowski repeated a position that once landed him in hot water: the attacks were, in his reading, the darkest and most effective publicity stunt ever staged, engineered around a twenty-minute gap so cameras were pointed at the first tower when the second plane hit. Moxham spoke more personally about the tribute's power and the unresolved health legacy of the Manhattan dust.
Finally, Anthropic. Borkowski read the whistleblower's 10% extinction claim as a genuine wake-up call rather than a stunt; Moxham was more cynical, tying it to AI valuations and a possible IPO, while arguing governments have not built any real accountability framework. Both landed on regulation being unlikely in the current US political climate — a short conversation, as Moxham put it.
Here is a selection of quotes from this week's show:
Mark Borkowski on Harry & Meghan

"I'm going to step out and say I feel incredibly sorry for their comms team. There seems to be this theory that they've got incompetent PR, and I don't think they've got incompetent PR at all."

"If you keep on doing the same thing time and time again, expecting a different outcome, that's a definition of madness. They need to do something that they have never done before, and that is stay incredibly quiet."
Angie Moxham on Harry & Meghan

"It's a poisoned chalice being their advisers, because they clearly don't take advice. They've had some good people in there. It's been a revolving door."
On the RNLI bringing migrants ashore and the civil unrest in Portsmouth
Angie Moxham "These people risk their lives day in, day out to help people struggling at sea. Shame on the protesters, and shame on the government."
Mark Borkowski
"The image of those black shirts — it was like Oswald Mosley is back again, thuggish blokes with balaclavas on — has had a profound effect."
"If it affects their ability to raise the money, God knows how we can all be safe on the coast."
Mark Borkowski on Media & Algorithms
"We all have our own feeds of news we go to, our own biases, our own bubbles. We must never forget, as comms people, the profound way the algorithms affect how news enters into our individual lives."
Mark Borkowski on 9/ 11

"I still think to this day that the planes going into the towers was the darkest, most evil publicity stunt of all time. We'd never heard of Al Qaeda before that."
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