PR AGENCY DIARIES: TEN OF THE BEST PODCASTS TO HAVE ON YOUR ROTATION
Podcasts are like coffee orders. Sometimes it’s a classic flat white, but sometimes it’s the extra punch in a double espresso to really get you in the zone. So whether you’re looking for something long and leisurely, stuck in rush hour traffic with time to kill or need to fuel up quick smart for your day ahead, we’ve dished up the cream of the crop (du jour anyway) of podcasts to have on your rotation.
1. The Detail
Daily news bites as told by Radio New Zealand. Best served alongside your morning macchiato, each episode takes a deep dive into timely news stories with digestible insights to bring along to your water cooler chat and client meetings.
Not a podcast per se, Tribe’s educational video series probes into how brands are finding ways to thrive rather than survive in a global pandemic. Featuring interviews with nimble brand marketers from the likes of Nestle, Waitrose and McDonald's, each home office-cum-kitchen/dining table/living room makes for a relatable backdrop as they discuss their tricks of the trade and how each business is discovering ways to pivot through budget cuts and revised creative strategy.
A podcast about food and family, Jessie and her mother Lennie sit down at the dinner table to interview a different celebrity guest each week. Their truly authentic mother-daughter relationship immediately clicks and you feel like you’ve got a seat at the table, about to dive into a bowl of matzo ball soup and chew the fat with their guest of the week.
Highlights include: S9 Ep 1 Aisling Bea, S9 Ep 14 Florence Pugh, S3 Ep 8 Alan Carr
A BBC Sounds eight-episode true-crime series that delves into the disappearance of One Coin founder Dr Ruja Ignovata who went to ground in 2017 just as the multi-million-dollar scheme was about to be uncovered as a total scam. The story takes on new leads and tangents as they search to find her location, all whilst uncovering One Coin’s devastating effects on its investors that will have you on the edge of your driver’s seat at all times.
From tech cycles to the gender pay gap, Fidelity International’s podcast explores the latest investment thinking with the company’s analysts, portfolio managers and directors. “The Investors Guide To China” series discusses the inner workings of the economic powerhouse including its technological prowess, corporate governance and financial markets, and how to uncover the opportunities and avoid the pitfalls as an investor or as a business stakeholder.
6. Pretty Depressed with Kim Crossman
Kim Crossman found herself in a dark place last year and decided to turn her journey with mental health into this interesting and funny, yet raw and honest podcast. Each episode features unfiltered conversations with a host of show biz guests on how they navigate their lives, careers and mental health in an enlightening manner.
Highlights include: Aimee Carrero, Tara Schuster and Utkarsh Ambudkar
7. The High Low
A weekly conversation between friends and writers Pandora Sykes and Dolly Alderton, it concocts highbrow politics, debate and interview with lowbrow pop culture musings of the moment topped with plenty of quick wit. Your classic flat white – a tried and true that won’t fail you no matter what your mood.
8. Pivot
The niftiest podcast out when it comes to tech business, journalist Kara Swisher and NYU Professor Scott Galloway cover the biggest tech news stories, predict winners and losers in takeovers, talk industry trends and the political overlay that sits above it all with sharp critique and fascinating insights.
9. Fake Heiress
This real tale is about to be made into a Netflix series starring Julia Garner, so get the jump and listen to the BBC’s OG account of Anna Delvey that mixes reporting with dramatisation. This Instagram ‘heiress’ scammed Manhattan’s social elite into thinking she was a multi-millionaire and bankrolled an incredibly lavish lifestyle with cash she swindled from the hotels, banks and wealthy friends.
A pioneering podcast to add into your mix, each episode delves into stories from all breadths of American life. First up, listen to its hugely influential Pulitzer prize-winning episode (the first-ever audio prize winner) that investigates into Trump’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ immigration policy.
