What are your biggest ambitions for 2024 – professional and personal?

On a personal level I want to smash my marathon PB in Lisbon. Professionally, I want 2024 to be a year of firsts both in the work that I do and the clients that we work with. After 20 years, I want to be challenged by these firsts.

What has been your favourite proactive PR campaign of the past 12 months? (Not one you or your organisation has been involved in.)

The PR campaign for 'Barbenheimer' was flawless. I loved how it was started organically by the fans but got embraced by the studios, which turbo-charged it and it gave it a life of its own. Competitors often don't want to support each other but this showed the power of partnership.

Which organisation or individual has managed reputation most poorly in the past 12 months?

Phillip Schofield had a spectacular fall from grace. What made it so interesting from a communications perspective is that he never seemed to get ahead of the narrative and his language choices only made the situation more opaque and questionable.

Which organisation or individual has managed reputation most adeptly and proactively in the past 12 months? (Not one you or your organisation has been involved in.)

Given the media storm created by his brother, I think Prince William adeptly managed his reputation. What is most interesting is he did it by staying the course and getting on with the job. He was therefore able to draw a line between him and the controversies created by his family situation.

How prepared do you consider your organisation for the AI era? (Marks out of five – and very briefly explain why.)

4! Publicis Groupe has opened up numerous AI tools for the teams to use and engage with. As a result, it is now becoming standard practice to use AI for pitching ideas and concepts to clients and prospects, and our sandbox approach has allowed us to get our first paid AI work. Exciting but daunting!

Now we’ve returned to the office, where do you find that you network most, professionally?

Old professional and alumni networks seem to have had a resurgence post-pandemic and have become a good way of meeting an expanded network as old contacts bring their contacts to them. They also feel more organic as they are based on existing relationships.

Do you still use social media – and if so, which single social platform do you find most useful now?

I am an avid social media user, with my current go-to platform being Instagram. For me it provides a great insight into people and brands as you get to see who and how they engage with their audiences. I now rarely purchase something without first checking their Instagram handle and user comments.

What do you plan to do less of in 2024?

Procrastinate! I am the king of good intentions and my plan this year is to dive straight in versus worry about how deep the water is. Post-pandemic, I think it is all too easy to overthink situations, which can slow down progress and change.

Originally published in PRWeek on 3 March 2024.