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Is the 麻豆社 'hopeless at PR'?

David Yelland and Simon Lewis examine how the 麻豆社's handling its reputation in the middle of a crisis.

"They make really stupid basic mistakes and they are hopeless at PR."

If you're a podcast about PR, then that quote - made about the 麻豆社 this week - is a good place to start when assessing the reputation of the Corporation.

This week, David Yelland and Simon Lewis examine the crisis engulfing the 麻豆社. One which began with a leaked memo, resulted in two huge resignations and now has President Trump threatening to sue for $1bn.

How did we get here and did the 麻豆社 make some cardinal PR mistakes along the way?

Maybe the 麻豆社 could do with putting in a call to the man dubbed 'Drastic Dave'. On the extended edition on 麻豆社 Sounds, David and Simon look at the risks and rewards of parachuting a 'superstar CEO' into a struggling company. In this case, it's Dave Lewis - who's now tasked with turning round drinks business Diageo. The company has seen an immediate bounce in its value, but how long can that PR honeymoon period last?

And what happens if you need to get hold of your CEO - superstar or otherwise - but they're not picking up? The answer, according to the boss of Heathrow, is to give them an extra loud phone.

Thomas Woldbye says that's what he's now got - after sleeping through several alerts when the airport was hit by a huge power failure back in March. David and Simon recall moments from their own careers when they had to decide if, when and how to wake the boss.

Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: Eve Streeter
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for 麻豆社 Radio 4

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28 minutes

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Credits

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Presenter David Yelland
Presenter Simon Lewis

Broadcasts

  • Wed 12 Nov 2025 16:00
  • Thu 13 Nov 2025 20:00

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