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Earned First

Arun Sudhaman
Public Relations
Artificial Intelligence
Asia-Pacific
India
Middle East
Cultural Intelligence
Zeno Group
United Arab Emirates
Public Affairs
Communications
Cannes Lions Festival
Client Impact
Credibility
Holding Groups
Ashbury
Dubai
The Romans
Adfactors PR
Trust
Africa

Earned First is a groundbreaking media and events platform dedicated to elevating public relations and communications professionals across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. Hosted by respected industry journalist Arun Sudhaman, the Earned First podcast delivers crucial insights and intelligence for the global public relations industry.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes29Foundeda year ago
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Business NewsManagementNewsBusiness

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Latest Episodes

Tetsuya Honda spent nearly 20 years at Fleishman Hillard before leaving to build Honda Office, a strategy-only consultancy operating without permanent staff or execution mandates. Earlier this year he extended that model across six Southeast Asian ma... more

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In this episode, Burson's Asia-Pacific head of intelligence and transformation Red Surtida joins Earned First founding editor Arun Sudhaman and research and insights editor David Blecken to explore the findings of the 'Credibility Paradox', a study t... more

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Charlotte Mceleny has seen the PR and marketing industry from both sides, through 15 years as a journalist, then inside a holding group at MediaMonks. In this conversation, she and Arun Sudhaman work through what's actually happening to the holding g... more

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Mazen Nahawi, founder and group CEO of CARMA and RAIYN, joins Earned First to assess the communications landscape of the ongoing US-Iran conflict. Drawing on CARMA's media intelligence data, he argues that the largely neutral view of Gulf countries r... more

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Recent Guests

Charlotte Mceleny
Freelance journalist and comms pro; former Asia-Pacific publisher at The Drum
Freelance journalism/PR
Episode: Holding groups, CMOs & Cannes with Charlotte Mceleny
Mazen Nahawi
Founder and group CEO of Carma and Raiyn
Carma, Raiyn
Episode: Mazen Nahawi on conflict, communications and courage in the Middle East
Christine Fellowes
Founder of NINEby9
NINEby9
Episode: AI and the future of women in the workplace
Jane Morgan
Chief Client Officer and Head of Advisory in Singapore
Ashbury
Episode: AI and the future of women in the workplace
Ramya Chandrasekaran
Chief Communications Officer at QI Group
QI Group
Episode: QI Group's Ramya Chandrasekaran on AI, culture & the evolving role of the CCO
Mary Njoki
Founder and CEO of Glass House PR
Glass House PR
Episode: Mary Njoki on PR transformation in Africa
Margaret Key
Asia Pacific CEO at Allison Worldwide, Executive Director for Stagwell in APAC
Allison Worldwide / Stagwell
Episode: Stagwell's Margaret Key on why she left Publicis & what comes next for PR networks
Gil Bashe
Author of Healing the Sick Care System, Why People Matter
Finn Partners
Episode: Gil Bashe on the healthcare sector's trust crisis
Kelly Bennett
Founder and Managing Director of One Plus One Communications
One Plus One Communications
Episode: Kelly Bennett on PR talent, independence & life after Omnicom

Host

Arun Sudhaman
Host of Earned First Podcast

Chart Rankings

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Holding groups, CMOs & Cannes with Charlotte Mceleny
Q: Do you see that changing the CMO role at all?
CMOs are being pushed to improve dialogue with CFOs and procurement, develop literacy around financial language, and understand how to demonstrate value in a boardroom, especially as markets move toward AI-enabled measurement and outcomes-based models.
Madan Bahal on sustaining growth through turbulence
Q: How complicit are clients in the current state of public relations, and how can comms be seen as a driver of value rather than a cost?
There needs to be joint advancement by both client comms teams and agencies, with risk identification and proactive governance to demonstrate PR's strategic value beyond crisis management.
Madan Bahal on sustaining growth through turbulence
Q: How do you view the balance between growth and maintaining values with newer generations in the workforce?
The responsibility for growth lies with the elder leadership; younger staff should execute well, but leadership must invest in growth to keep the firm relevant and valued.
Madan Bahal on sustaining growth through turbulence
Q: What is it about Adfactors that has enabled the agency to be so consistent during turbulence?
A sustained culture of growth built over 28 years, implemented through rituals and processes, involving many people, and anchored by a relentless focus on continuous improvement and shared responsibility for growth.
Stagwell's Margaret Key on why she left Publicis & what comes next for PR networks
Q: Do you think size is now not an advantage for PR firms, and can they become too big?
She argues that growth challenges come from talent retention and the ability to integrate strategic advisory across platforms, rather than size alone, emphasizing the value of senior counselors and the need for flexible, platform-enabled capabilities.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Earned First

What is Earned First about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show focuses on the evolving landscape of public relations, communications, and brand reputation across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa, with a strong emphasis on technology, AI, and storytelling in corporate narratives. Episodes frequently explore agency dynamics, leadership perspectives, and how regional markets are shaping global PR practices, including trust, crisis management, and activism. Notable patterns include a balance between agency strategy and in-house perspectives, a willingness to discuss regional growth corridors (India, UAE, Taiwan), and a recurring interest in how data, culture, and AI intersect with strategic communications. The format appears to favor practical insights for senior PR and communications pro... more

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1. Pivot
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3. The Rest Is Politics

How many episodes of Earned First are there?

Earned First launched a year ago and published 29 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Earned First?

Recent guests on Earned First include:

1. Charlotte Mceleny
2. Mazen Nahawi
3. Christine Fellowes
4. Jane Morgan
5. Ramya Chandrasekaran
6. Mary Njoki
7. Margaret Key
8. Gil Bashe

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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