It's All About The Comms

About It's All About The Comms

It’s All About the Comms is where Aotearoa’s PR and communications community comes together to talk shop, share stories, and celebrate the people behind the headlines. Hosted by Paul Patton, a seasoned comms strategist with a passion for storytelling and connection, each episode dives into the moments, campaigns, and conversations shaping our industry. From award-winning journalists to bold campaign creators, we’ll explore what makes great communication tick — the wins, the lessons, and the stories that move people. Proudly brought to you by the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand.

Publisher

Paul Patton

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Nov 2025

Latest episode

7 May 2026

Latest episodes

6 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 May 2026

   Claudia Macdonald, NZ PR Legend: What it takes to build an award winning agency

   Claudia Macdonald started her career as a journalist in Dunedin. She went on to spend eight years in the UK working with corporate and financial clients at Shandwick, one of the world's largest PR agencies at the time. Then, in 1995, she took a role at Auckland ad agency DDB with a brief to build a PR offering from scratch. What followed was 29 years, one agency, and a legacy that few in this industry can match. Mango Communications, launched in 2000, grew from a one-woman band into one of NZ's largest and most-awarded full-service PR agencies, with clients including McDonald's, Samsung, Nestlé, American Express and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Rawa. Along the way, Claudia collected multiple Cannes Lions, two PRINZ Supreme Awards, and in 2021 became just the 18th person ever to receive PRINZ Life Membership. In this episode, Claudia talks candidly about the hard yards of building and sustaining an agency through financial crashes and industry upheaval, championing wāhine in a profession that once had very few in senior roles, and what it means to lead, mentor, and eventually hand over the reins. She's leaving on her own terms. And she has plenty to say.

2. 

   6 Apr 2026

   What does it actually take to land a story in the New Zealand Herald?

   In this episode of It's All About the Comms, host Paul Patton (https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulepatton/) is joined by Shayne Currie—award-winning journalist, former editor of the New Zealand Herald, and now Editor at Large at NZME, where he writes the weekly Media Insider column. Shayne is one of the few people who both shape New Zealand's media agenda and write about it. In this conversation, he's direct: what makes a story genuinely newsworthy, why most pitches from communications professionals miss the mark, and how to build relationships with journalists that actually hold. If you advise organisations on media, manage communications, or pitch stories as part of your work, this episode will change how you approach it. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. With thanks to Crescendo (https://www.crescendo.org.nz/), our podcast production and sponsor partner.

3. 

   9 Mar 2026

   Clarity, Confidence and No Corporate Speak! Mary Lambie on Coaching Leaders to Nail Their Media Interviews

   A new episode of It's All About the Comms is live, and Mary doesn't hold back. Host Paul Patton (https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulepatton/) sits down with Mary Lambie — award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and founder of Socius Media (https://www.socius.co.nz/)—for a candid conversation about what it really takes to communicate well when the stakes are high, and the cameras are on. Mary brings over 30 years of television and radio experience to the table, sharing behind-the-scenes lessons from the newsroom and her work coaching senior executives and public figures. She talks about why corporate speak and over-rehearsed talking points backfire, what actually makes a media interview land, and how PR professionals can better prepare and support their spokespeople. The conversation also covers how communication is shifting in the age of AI, and Mary reflects on her journey from broadcasting to business and media strategy — including what she took away from stepping back in front of the cameras again on Celebrity Treasure Island. If you work in media relations, leadership comms, crisis response, or reputation management, this one's for you. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or via the PRINZ website (https://prinz.org.nz/resources/the-official-prinz-podcast/). With thanks to Crescendo (https://www.crescendo.org.nz/), our podcast sponsor and production partner.

4. 

   13 Feb 2026

   Mark Knoff-Thomas on communication, crisis and accountability

   Episode three of the PRINZ podcast, It’s All About The Comms, features Mark Knoff-Thomas, CEO of the Newmarket Business Association and PRINZ Communicator of the Year 2025. (https://prinz.org.nz/mark-knoff-thomas-unveiled-as-the-2025-prinz-communicator-of-the-year/) Host Paul Patton (https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulepatton/) sits down with Mark for a timely, thought‑provoking conversation about what ethical, values‑led communication looks like outside the traditional PR world—especially when reputation and public trust are on the line. Mark shares the realities of leading communications for a complex business community and takes listeners inside one of the year’s most talked‑about reputational moments: a major media error that sparked a national debate about editorial responsibility, accountability, and how to respond with integrity under pressure. The episode also dives into crisis communication in the context of public safety campaigns, the role communicators play in building confidence during uncertainty, and how town centres like Newmarket are navigating the current economic headwinds facing Auckland retail. This is a must‑listen for PR and communications professionals who care about trust, advocacy, media accountability, and real‑world leadership communication—with practical insights you can apply to your own work straight away. 👉 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or via the PRINZ website. (https://prinz.org.nz/resources/the-official-prinz-podcast/) With thanks to Crescendo (https://www.crescendo.org.nz/), our podcast sponsor and production partner.

5. 

   6 Jan 2026

   When PR builds a nation - creating the world's largest haka

   The second episode of the PRINZ podcast, It's All About the Comms, (https://open.spotify.com/show/1e0lHkJyAJm8rmvGSYpIpw?si=37ef2504a60e448a) showcases what happens when strategic communications becomes a force for cultural change. Host Paul Patton  (https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulepatton/)speaks with Sarah Munnik, Partner at Pead and winner of the 2025 PRINZ Supreme Award, Restoring Mana: The World’s Largest Haka for Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust.  (https://prinz.org.nz/prinz-unveils-supreme-award-winner-at-the-2025-prinz-awards/) This campaign brought 6,400 New Zealanders together at Eden Park to perform the world's largest haka for the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust. What started as a funding crisis became a masterclass in purpose-driven PR. The campaign didn't just raise over half a million dollars. It reclaimed a Guinness World Record, united a nation, and compelled Guinness to permanently change its criteria, ensuring that only Māori can lead future haka records. It's the kind of cultural impact most communicators spend their careers chasing. Sarah takes us inside the strategy: how to build stakeholder trust at scale, navigate cultural responsibility with integrity, and keep impact—not ego—at the heart of every decision. She shares hard-won lessons for PR professionals who want to create campaigns that resonate beyond the news cycle. Judges called it "joyful, inclusive, and a standout example of public relations harnessing cultural pride for positive change." If you work in communications, engagement, or reputation management, this conversation will challenge how you think about what's possible.

6. 

   21 Nov 2025

   Behind the headlines with Three News Lisette Reymer: War Zones, deadlines and the stories you never see on TV. Episode One unpacks the craft behind high-stakes reporting.

   It’s All About the Comms is the official podcast of PRINZ (https://prinz.org.nz/)— the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand. In this first episode, host Paul Patton (www.linkedin.com/in/paulepatton) sits down with award-winning journalist Lisette Reymer (https://bookhub.co.nz/p/no-i-don-t-get-danger-money-confessions-of-an-accidental-war-correspondent), Senior Journalist for Three News and former Newshub Europe Correspondent. Lisette’s new memoir, No, I Don’t Get Danger Money, takes readers behind the scenes of some of the most extraordinary news moments of recent years. True to her promise, she shares the wild, confronting, and often hilarious stories that never made it to air. Catapulted into her Europe Correspondent role at just 26, she covered a relentless run of major global events—from the war in Ukraine to the death of Queen Elizabeth and the political flashpoints that defined the decade. In their conversation, Paul explores the realities of life on the road, the pressure of live reporting, and the toll of working in conflict zones. Lisette offers a candid look at the human side of journalism: the chaos behind the camera, the emotional weight of telling other people’s stories, and the moments that shaped her as a reporter. For PR and communications professionals, this episode delivers practical insight and straight-up honesty. Lisette shares what makes a pitch stand out, how she manages overflowing inboxes, what she values in a PR partner, and how comms people can better support journalists working under tight deadlines. Engaging, insightful, and full of moments you won’t hear on the six o’clock news, this episode launches a monthly series of conversations with the people shaping Aotearoa’s PR and media landscape. This episode was kindly produced with the support of Crescendo, (https://www.crescendo.org.nz/) specialists in audio recording, sound design, music production, and dedicated audiobook and podcast studios.

Contact It's All About The Comms

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.