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PRmoment PodcastAuthor: PRmoment
The PRmoment Podcast is a series of life story style interviews with some of the leading lights of UK PR. Language: en Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Marketing Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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PR Creativity: The past, the present and the future
Tuesday, 20 October, 2026
In this PRmoment podcast, Ben Smith speaks with Pete Mountstevens of Taylor Herring about how PR creativity has evolved, what defines effective creative work today, and why boldness remains important. Mountstevens says the standard of creativity in PR is higher than ever, with more agencies producing strong campaigns. Creative work is a key differentiator for consumer PR agencies, and competition has helped raise the bar.A central theme is the distinction between grabbing attention and earning it. Mountstevens argues that effective PR tells stories people want to hear and share, rather than interrupting them with a brand message. A good idea, he says, is one people might discuss with friends or family and that can spread organically. The tactics and channels have changed considerably, but the underlying aim—creating stories that entertain and travel—has stayed consistent.Mountstevens traces this evolution through his career. In the 1990s, he worked as a music publicist, where the job was to keep clients in the news every day. Publicists had considerable creative licence to turn a small kernel of truth into a story. He recalls a story about Peter Andre running out of petrol on a jet ski, which became a front-page story in the Daily Star.In the 2000s, Taylor Herring began as an entertainment-focused agency, working with film studios, TV channels and DVD releases. With limited client assets to work with, the agency developed attention-grabbing stunts and photocalls, including large installations and unexpected encounters staged for commuters. Mountstevens notes that some tactics later became PR clichés, though they were novel at the time.The 2010s brought a shift from creating striking pictures to producing digital content. Hidden-camera-style videos and social distribution offered new ways to reach audiences. Mountstevens describes Thorpe Park’s dad-dancing campaign, which used a staged video that attracted millions of views and international media attention. Video could also act as a “Trojan horse” for brand messaging. Humour often helps content travel, but he stresses that serious campaigns can also be compelling when the idea and storytelling are strong.In more recent years, PR has become a more strategic and integrated part of the marketing mix. Agencies have expanded their capabilities in areas such as production, design and experiential work, while brands increasingly seek ideas that can scale organically and work across channels. Mountstevens sees a growing emphasis on earned and owned media as the starting point, with social and paid activity supporting the idea.He outlines three creative principles at Taylor Herring: “entertain or die,” focus on what people care about, and put ideas over channels. Brands compete for attention with everything in people’s feeds, so campaigns must be engaging and relevant. Finally, strong work requires bravery from both client and agency. While some brands are willing to take creative risks, others’ caution can lead to little activity or overly safe work.Here are 6 quotes from this week's PRmomet Podcast:On PR creativity: "I’d probably reframe it as earning attention: telling great stories and entertaining people, as opposed to necessarily grabbing attention.” — Pete Mountstevens, 0:04:05“It’s become more strategic. I’d say not necessarily more complicated, but certainly more strategic.” — Pete Mountstevens, 0:07:34“The big evolution was, of course, the rise of digital.” — Pete Mountstevens, 0:18:37On what CMO's want from public relations:“More often than not now, marketing directors want an earned idea at the centre of that. They want something that can scale organically.” — Pete Mountstevens, 0:29:14“If we’re not entertaining, we’re not engaging, and if we’re not engaging, we might as well go home.” — Pete Mountstevens, 0:33:16“You need to have a client who has that appetite for being brave, and you need to have an agency that will allow themselves to be brave.” — Pete Mountstevens, 0:37:00If you havent got your ticket for PRmoment's PR Masterclass: The Agency Future Forum, the full agenday is here.Support the show
