PRmoment Podcast

A PR Q1 update with W founder and MD Warren Johnson

April 12, 2022 Warren Johnson, W founder and MD
PRmoment Podcast
A PR Q1 update with W founder and MD Warren Johnson
Show Notes

Welcome to the PRmoment Podcast.

Time flies doesn't it. We’re well over a quarter of the way through 2022 - remember those plans and hopes we all had on Jan 1st? Well, it’s time for a progress report!

PR land seems to continue to be pretty frantic - it’s a hot market both in terms of the amount of work going through in house teams, agencies are as busy as ever and the pressure for talent intensifies.

That all seems kinda crazy bearing in mind the horrific scenes we see on our scenes from Putin’s war in Ukraine and the imminent cost of living crisis we’re about to witness in the UK.

So I thought it was time to catch up with a W’s Warren Johnson for PR’s Q1 Report!

Before that - just to let you know tickets are genuinely flying for the PRmoment Awards in London on April 28th. I've no doubt the London Awards is going to be our biggest ever event and an absolute who’s who of the UK PR scene - so make sure you get your ticket.

Also, thanks to our PRmoment Podcast sponsors, The PRCA.

Here is a summary of what Warren and I discussed:

2 mins How are you seeing the PR market now that Q1 2022 is done and dusted?

2.30 mins “The resourcing game has got expermentally harder!”

4 mins “In terms of the overall marketing mix, PR still offers phenomenal bang for buck”

4.30 mins Warren updates us on W’s purchase of travel communications specialist Lotus Communications.

5.30 mins The headcount of W in London is over 100, with revenues of over £10m and 20% growth.

6.30 mins The PR industry is yet to understand how to run a business in a high inflationary market.

7 mins Warren talks about the importance of a return to growth of live events and hospitality for PR.

9 mins Warren outlines the implications of Rish Sunak’s change to entrepreneurs' tax law for PR entrepreneurs looking to sell their business.

10 mins How is W defining the metaverse and what is the metaverse opportunity for PR firms?

14 mins Is the metaverse just another channel?

16 mins “Once the new generation of hardware launches, and is adopted, we’ll see scale.”

17 mins What does a PR agency's metaverse strategy need to look like?