Hume Brophy

On this week's episode of What's at Stake, managing partner Andy Whitehouse talks to our director of marketing, Owen McNamee, about the complex strategies behind consumer branding and sponsorships at the Olympics.

Together, they look at the opportunities for brands and athletes to create harmonious partnerships while still working in their best interests. They also discuss how brands seek to reach their objectives while navigating within the tight parameters set by the International Olympic Committee.

Tune in for this compelling discussion as you cheer on your country and your favorite athletes on their quest for gold 🥇 - https://bit.ly/4dn8I4k

🌱💼 As the debate around ESG heats up, fund managers face a new dilemma: to share or not to share their ESG efforts? Our latest blog dives into the emerging trend of "greenhushing" and its implications for transparency, trust, and progress in the financial services sector.

As the political backlash to ESG grows, a reactionary trend is emerging: "greenhushing", where companies deliberately underreport or conceal their ESG initiatives. We believe this is a reputationally damaging strategy. Companies should instead practise “eco-spotlighting” - the communication of localised messages derived from a consistent, global ESG narrative that resonates with all stakeholders.

Discover why staying silent might not be the best strategy and how eco-spotlighting can give your firm a competitive edge. Ciara Lawler, Managing Director in our London office looks into out how your firm can adopt eco-spotlighting, click here https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0blx820

Greenhushing vs. “eco-spotlighting”: the critical need for localised ESG communications The critical need for localized ESG comms in the face of greenhushing and importance of eco-spotlighting for transparent and effective messaging.

Breaking down the U.K. election

Breaking down the U.K. election Bryan DeAngelis, is joined by U.K. Penta colleagues Mark MacGregor and Andy Williams to dive into last week's U.K. election results.

☑️The European Parliament elections this weekend have brought significant changes to the political arena in Europe. Given this election's impact on your activity, here are Penta’s main takeaways:

Von der Leyen in the driving seat but not there yet: With EPP the largest group in the European Parliament, having gained a few seats, Ursula von der Leyen is in a good position to secure another term at the helm of the Commission, but she still needs the nod of the European Council.

🤝 Centrist coalition in the making: the most likely coalition will include the EPP, Socialists (S&D), and Renew Europe. However, von der Leyen might still need the support of other political groups to obtain her majority given not all centrist delegations will support her.

💹Far-right surge, Renew and Greens fall: As expected, there were significant gains for far-right parties, but not as dramatic as expected. Meanwhile, the liberals and the Greens lost the momentum gained in 2019.

🇫🇷 🇧🇪 The election results also brought turmoil in France with President Emmanuel Macron calling parliamentary snap elections taking everyone by surprise and in Belgium where Prime Minister Alexander de Croo announced his resignation.

➡️ In the coming weeks, decisions are expected on key positions in the European Parliament and the new Commission President.

For tailored analysis and further details, contact our team in Brussels directly https://eu1.hubs.ly/H09zGBZ0

As we enter a significant election year across the globe, a notable trend in political campaigns worldwide is the shift towards inward-looking rhetoric and nationalistic policies. This shift presents unique challenges for multinational companies, which have thrived in a globalised world but now face the complexities of navigating domestic policies.

In this article, Penta Group's Policymaker Research gives you the inside track on policymaker priorities across the US, EU, and other key markets. Our data-driven approach strengthens global stakeholder engagement, equipping your company with actionable strategies to thrive amidst political shifts 🚀

Read the analysis and get in touch with the team: https://bit.ly/4aJj4tO

Last Sunday, five of our toughest colleagues at Penta Brussels took on the city’s 20K run, showing off their strength and endurance under tough weather conditions amid a huge crowd of 40,000 other people.

It’s absolutely fantastic to see the dedication our employees have to their personal goals, which they continually reflect in their work here at Penta every day as well.

A huge congratulations to Leanne Donovan, Adriano Falcone, Stanislas Demeestere, Claudia Santiago, and Antoine Clement for their incredible efforts! We are proud to be a company that supports its colleagues through their ambitions like these (with some fellow Brussels colleagues arriving to cheer and support).

🌾🇪🇺 Farmers' protests are reshaping the political landscape in Europe as the elections approach. From Poland to the Netherlands, farmers are raising their voices on issues ranging from market competition to environmental sustainability. But what's driving this wave of activism, and how are policymakers responding? Our latest blog post, 'Yielding Insights: Cultivating Change in European Agriculture,' explores these questions and more.

As the European Parliament elections loom, the protests underscore a deep-seated frustration among farmers. They're grappling with stiff competition from inexpensive imports, rising production costs, and concerns over the environmental impacts of initiatives like the Green Deal strategy. These concerns aren't just economic; they're also deeply political, influencing voter sentiment and even election outcomes.

Our research delves into the intricate relationship between farmers, policymakers, and citizens. We surveyed over 600 policymakers across the EU and its member states, uncovering a keen awareness of the significant influence wielded by European farmers. Policymakers understand that farmers aren't just advocating for themselves; they're also advocating for fundamental societal needs like food security and affordability.

However, the support for farmers' protests isn't as clear-cut as one might expect. Despite concessions from the EU and shifts in policy, there's a disconnect between farmers' demands and broader citizen sentiment. While some member states, like the Netherlands, have seen consolidation of political power around farming issues, this isn't reflected uniformly across the EU.

What's driving this disparity in support? Our research points to several factors, including the disruptive nature of some protests, the allocation of EU budgetary resources, and perhaps most crucially, the framing of farmers' demands. While policymakers are responsive to farmers' grievances, there's work to be done in bridging the gap between agricultural interests and broader societal concerns.

Join us as we unpack these findings and explore the implications for European agriculture and policymaking. Read the full blog post here: https://bit.ly/49QBb0j

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Is it sensible for the World Trade Organization to have ministerial-level meetings every two years or so? Stuart Harbison, former Chief of Staff and later Special Adviser to two Directors-General of the WTO and currently Senior Advisor at Penta, suggests that this gives trouble makers an opportunity to obstruct decisions.

As another WTO ministerial conference will take place very shortly, in Abu Dhabi, from February 26th to 29th. He looks at how and why nearly every ministerial conference turns into a cliff-hanger, with serious risk of reputational damage if things go wrong.

Read the full analysis and get in touch with the team at https://bit.ly/3OWfnZI

🌟 Exciting Opportunity Alert - Calling all recent graduates and school leavers! 🎓

🗓️ Mark your calendars! We're thrilled to announce that we'll be kicking off our recruitment drive for our 2024 Graduate Training Programme at the London Job Show Stratford this Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd February. 🎉

🌍 Join us on this incredible journey and gain valuable experience and insights into the world of PR, Public Affairs, Digital Strategy, Intelligence, and Technology. With our programme, you'll have the chance to rotate across our European offices, specialities, and business units, unlocking endless possibilities for your career growth. 🌐

And that's not all! This year, we're introducing a brand new specialist technology track within our graduate programme, focusing on software development, data, and AI. 💻

🔎 So, are you a recent graduate or a school leaver with 3+ years of relevant experience? 💪

Don't let this golden opportunity pass you by! Join us at the London Job Show Stratford this weekend and take the first step towards an extraordinary career with us. Apply now and let your potential shine through! Find out more and apply at https://bit.ly/47WTzno

This year our clients have told us they need a solution which filters out the noise and gives them a data-driven recommendation of what specific policy and government affairs issues they should focus on in the year ahead, what emerging issues are likely to break out and what their stakeholders are actually thinking.

Predicting the future is challenging, as recent history has shown with the influence of unprecedented events. However, making robust, evidence-based assumptions about how certain issues or topics are likely to develop becomes possible with the right approach.

At Penta, we approach things differently. As well as human expertise, we also draw on our vast dataset and our own AI that enables the identification of upward and downward trends, potential threats, and stakeholder views across a range of issues and sectors.

Learn more about our data-driven approach: https://bit.ly/3t69GRl

🤖 AI isn't a solo act! Penta's media monitoring harnesses AI’s power with the critical thinking of human analysts, offering the best of both worlds. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3PSXmw3

🤝 Brands, be confident in your partnerships! Penta’s AI toolkit analyzes YouTube videos, giving immediate insights into potential risks, and streamlines your vetting process. Learn how: https://bit.ly/46403k8

📣 Stop drowning in information overload! With Penta's Flag media monitoring, prioritize the news that matters. Say goodbye to irrelevant alerts and hello to the right data at the right time. Learn more: https://bit.ly/457TdsH

🎛️ Looking for media monitoring that’s transparent and trustworthy? Penta's human-curated approach provides the responsiveness and accuracy you need. Discover how: https://bit.ly/459yt3C

It's been an exciting week launching Penta's EU Policy Maker research in Brussels and London with Mike Gottlieb, Managing Partner at Penta Policy Insiders. Many thanks to all of those who attended our events over the last few days. With this third round of EU research, Penta remains the only firm in the world to study policymakers in the world's two most important centres of policy making - Brussels and Washington DC.

So what exactly are EU Policymakers thinking:
- Is the Green Deal still their top concern?
- How can we best deliver the clean energy transition?
- How do they see the EU’s competitiveness vs the US?
- Where should EU-China relations be heading?
- Has Qatargate changed the way they expect advocacy to be carried out?

We'll be sharing some of the key areas of research in the coming days. If you can't wait and need to get in touch with our Penta Policy Insider team to discuss the study in more detail visit https://bit.ly/3QpQlBW

💡 From TikTok to Fishbowl, Penta is redefining social media analysis! Combining AI with subject matter expertise, we provide insights that enable faster, smarter decisions. Explore our solutions: https://bit.ly/48syq62

In the world of nutrition and health, few topics have stirred up as much debate as artificial sweeteners. One such sweetener, aspartame, found in popular products like Diet Coke, chewing gum, and yoghurt, has been at the centre of a recent storm following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) review of aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”, and global media coverage that ensued.

Effective strategy must be informed by real-world data and analysis. Our intelligence teams monitor thousands of data points every hour to analyse how sentiment is shifting across issues. Abigail Underwood, relationship manager in our London office, takes us through how we were able to track this issue and the upshot for the drinks industry.

Read more and get in touch directly at https://bit.ly/49rD2de

This week Penta Europe and Asia has been supporting Breast Cancer Awareness month with a series of events around our offices in Dublin, London, Brussels and SIngapore. On Tuesday the teams took part in a / day along with a talk on Breast Cancer awareness from UK-based Charity CoppaFeel! with Boobette Tracie Steeley. The week's event culminate today as members of the team have been participating in the Race for the Cure 5k run / walk across our different time zones.

You can visit https://bit.ly/3Qh5ANJ should you wish to make a donation!

Get involved yourself and learn more about how you can donate at:
- https://bit.ly/3MkZGKd,
- https://bit.ly/3Mks9js
- https://bit.ly/45T3sRY

✋ AI alone is not enough! Penta combines AI with human curation for media monitoring that's accurate, flexible, and responsive. Get the insights YOU need. Learn how: https://bit.ly/464cDjB

In this week's What's At Stake podcast, Kevin Madden, a Senior Partner at Penta in Washington DC, joins host Ken Waters, a Managing Director at Penta's Dublin Office, to discuss the latest developments in of the US and European political landscape, including the implications of the ever-changing media cycle.

They discuss the upcoming US election and the broad difference between the US system and European systems and the emerging trends in political campaigning. With an 'America-first' sentiment shaping US foreign policy to the varied regulatory approaches of potential candidates, Kevin and Ken highlight how you can leverage data and intelligence to navigate through uncertainties.

Tune in to learn more:

The 24-second news cycle Picture this: you’re standing at the intersection of U.S. and European politics, wondering about the complex political landscapes that lie ahead. Enter Kevin Madden, a Senior Partner at Penta in Washington DC, who joins host […]

🐟 Want to know what employees really think? Penta’s Fishbowl monitoring captures anonymous conversations on sensitive topics, providing a true picture of organizational perception.

Learn how: https://bit.ly/3PVgJEI

Monitoring for Impact: Focusing on Agenda-Setters 📱 Are you a communicator struggling with overwhelming media monitoring? Penta's platform focuses on agenda-setting media, helping you cut through the noise and find what truly influences. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3LFzbyG

📡💼 AI buzzwords can't replace quality. Penta's media monitoring harnesses AI’s power with the critical thinking of human analysts, offering the best of both worlds. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3PTl1N1

🤖+🧠=💡 At Penta, we believe in the power of AI but recognize its limitations. It's the fusion of human expertise with AI's speed that leads to true insights. Learn more: https://bit.ly/46w7Bfv

🎵 Uncover TikTok insights like never before with Penta’s industry-first social listening tool. Get a real-time understanding of video content and visualize trending discussions. Stay ahead with

Learn more: https://bit.ly/45aMoq6

💼 More data isn't always better. Penta emphasizes receiving the RIGHT data from the RIGHT sources, letting you understand what's truly driving public discourse.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3ESIRSD

💰🌐What happened at Penta’s Digital Euro roundtable?💰🌐

Yesterday, we had the privilege of hosting an event to delve into the European Commission's proposal for a . This proposal carries profound implications not only for the European Union but also for the global financial landscape. 🌍💶

The European Commission's recent publication outlines its vision for the digital euro. The proposal covers a wide range of topics, and our exclusive roundtable brought together experts and stakeholders to explore its key facets:

1️⃣ Commission proposal: We delved into the proposal's objective as well as the chosen option for the design of the digital euro, issues related to competitiveness as well as the competences of the ECB in monetary policy.

2️⃣ International and National-Level Considerations: We discussed the proposal's potential effects at the national level, considering how it might impact individual countries within the European Union ans well as international implications.

3️⃣ Holding limits: The conversation touched on the proposed limits on digital euro holdings, exploring how these limits could affect individuals, businesses, and financial institutions.

4️⃣ Payment Service Providers: We examined the potential impact of the digital euro on payment service providers, discussing how it might reshape the retail payments landscape.

5️⃣ Banks and Liquidity: Our discussion turned to the implications for traditional banks and the broader financial ecosystem, including liquidity management and the role of banks.

6️⃣ Political Discussions: We considered the political dimensions of the digital euro proposal, including the regulatory framework, governance, and potential challenges in achieving consensus.

The digital euro proposal carries significant implications. The discussion at our roundtable shed light on the complexities and nuances of this proposal. We extend our gratitude to our distinguished guest from the European Commission and all the participants for their valuable insights. 🙏

📌 This roundtable event is part of our ongoing commitment to facilitating informed discussions on key financial topics. Stay tuned for more events, including our upcoming webinar New ESG Standard - risks and opportunities for investors and companies on 12 October 2023.

📅 Save the Date: 12 October 2023. Sign up today to stay informed about it and future events: https://bit.ly/48mXVFN

🎥 Penta's cutting-edge AI tools transcribe & analyze YouTube content for controversial topics, making partnership decisions safer for brands. Turn a multi-day effort into 20 minutes!

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3Zq9Heo

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has had a major impact on food security with price hikes and product shortages highlighting vulnerabilities in Britain's agriculture and food supply chain, but also globally.

To examine the future of the agri-food sector, former Secretary of State for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Rt Hon George Eustice MP will be interviewed live by Rory O'Donnell, former lead negotiator for the UK on Agriculture Policy and partner at Penta, and chaired by Penta Managing Director Mark MacGregor.

Register here to join us via Zoom on Monday at 2pm BST. Register here: https://bit.ly/440dhO0

We're proud to announce that Hume Brophy is part of Penta Group Penta is the world's first comprehensive stakeholder solutions firm, combining strategy & intelligence to help clients get ahead. Stay in the loop with Penta Group on LinkedIn or at on Twitter!

Find out more at https://bit.ly/3CDt61f.

Read the full announcement https://bit.ly/3jUnhGc

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Rory O'Donnell as Managing Director of our Agriculture, Food and Trade practice.

Rory is one of Europe’s most senior and respected negotiators across a wide range of issues including Trade, Agriculture, Fisheries and Brexit.

He joins Hume Brophy from the UK Mission to the EU where he was responsible for the Withdrawal Agreement and Northern Ireland Protocol. Previously, he was Director for Trade and the UK’s principal negotiator across a range of Agriculture issues.

Prior to moving to Brussels, O’Donnell worked across a number of Whitehall Departments on a range of policy issues including Communications, Animal Health, Local Authority Performance and Urban Regeneration.

Read the full announcement and get in touch with Rory at: https://bit.ly/3WaW1Bh

New research, by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has revealed a ‘hidden crisis’ in the fruit and veg sector. Fruit and vegetables make up more than a third of the almost 3.3 million tonnes of food waste each year. This is rapidly becoming an issue for producers and retailers and conversely presents an opportunity for those businesses to show leadership.

At the personal level too, we can each do our part by embracing wonky veg, composting at home, and embracing a creative approach to cooking leftover ingredients. We’re also supporting businesses and policymakers to engage in this, and tell the world when they do, to inspire further action.

This article is the first in a series, focussing on food waste. Over the coming weeks, our Agri-Food team will explore other aspects of this problem and the innovative solutions being used to reduce waste and foster a healthier planet.

Read the full article and get in touch with the Agri-food team at https://bit.ly/3udSeXV

Register now for our latest expert briefing. COP27 has just concluded in Sharm El-Sheikh. While a landmark agreement to create a fund for loss and damage was hailed by campaigners, the text of the deal made no mention of phasing out fossil fuels – with key commitments on the reduction of greenhouse gases weakened, and 1.5C looking a more distant prospect than ever.

Tuesday, 29th November 12 noon GMT, join Lord Stephen, Liberal Democrat Peer and chief executive of Flotation Energy, and our Director of Corporate Affairs, Andy Williams – who both attended COP27 – for a discussion on the future of the energy mix and how we can drive investment to deliver a cleaner, greener, more independent approach to powering our future.

The discussion will be chaired by Louise Stewart, Managing Director London at Hume Brophy, who spent more than twenty years in broadcasting - TV and radio - at the BBC. There will be the opportunity to ask question of the panel

Click here to book your place. https://bit.ly/3Ov2og7

Check out this week's transport policy outlook from Chris Mehigan, Managing Director - Transport & Mobility. It's our weekly round-up of the globally significant developments in transport policy and what is shaping the regulatory landscape in the EU, UK and worldwide.

In this week's edition:
- Call for Evidence issued for a European data mobility space
- UK Government to fund project of self-charging trains
- EASA Conference to focus on Airport safety and sustainability
- UK Transport Select Committee elects new Chair
- EU Transport committee to sit Nov 29
- EU Drone day

To read the complete summary and for all the links to more in-depth reading visit https://bit.ly/3EPyrnF

To get the policy outlook as soon as it is released follow on Twitter or get in touch through our website

Can we distill the very many takeaways from COP27 into major themes? Egypt more than made up for some superficial issues by overseeing a COP focused squarely on delivery. COP26 saw countries rally around the fight to ‘keep 1.5 alive’, a reference to the Paris Agreement. COP27 took this principle forward, with discussions around the mobilisation of climate finance and technological innovation dominating plenary sessions and fringe meetings.

So what are the top 4 things we've learnt from COP27? Andy Williams, Director of Corporate Affairs London, spent the last 10 days in Sharm El Sheik and gives us his take on the key points.

Read the analysis https://bit.ly/3tFnUFs

Join us this Thursday for a exclusive discussion of the results of the US Midterm elections. We've assembled an outstanding panel with bi-partisan experience to breakdown what the results mean for US domestic politics and what will be the knock-on effects around the world. Click the link below for more detail and to reserve your place.

Louise Stewart, Managing Director in our London Office and former BBC and ITN journalist will chair a discussion with two US public affairs experts from Penta

- Kevin Madden - Senior Partner at Penta. Previous roles included Senior Advisor, Romney for President, 2012 & 2008 and executive vice president at Arnold Ventures, where he helped build and implement advocacy teams and strategies for one of the country’s leading philanthropies. He also served as an on-air contributor to CNN from 2013 to 2019.
- Michael LaRosa - Managing Director at Penta. Prior to Penta he joined the White House on day one of the Biden-Harris administration, where he advised the First Lady Jill Biden on media relations and strategic communications. Before his time on Capitol Hill, Michael spent seven years as a television producer for MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, one of the longest-running political talk shows on US cable news.

The discussion will cover key considerations in the wake of the midterm results:
1. 2022 Election: What Just Happened
2. A New Balance of Power
3. WH/Congressional Democrats Response
4. 2024 Has Already Started
5. Top 2023 Priorities for Organizations/Industry

To reserve your place visit https://bit.ly/3UoFNn4

In this week's transport policy outlook, Chris Mehigan, Managing Director of our Transport and Mobility practice, takes a look at some of the top stories shaping the industries agenda across the EU and the world.

In this week's outlook:
- A round-up of the European Commission Workplan for 2023
- The European Union and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed a comprehensive air transport agreement.
- The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Urban Air Mobility
- European Parliament adopts targets for EV charging infrastructure — the fight for batteries is on the horizon

Read the full agenda and discover links to the related articles on our website at https://bit.ly/3zd6V0a

Follow Chris on twitter at to get the transport policy outlook as soon as it is available.

Hume Brophy colleagues from our offices in Dublin, Brussels and London decided to Wear It Pink at Work this week to support fundraising for Breast Cancer Now. The official Wear It Pink day is October 21st this year and takes place during Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Hume Brohpy’s London Managing Director Louise Stewart said: “As a breast cancer survivor it means a lot to see colleagues coming together to support this important cause. There is nothing light or pink about breast cancer which claims the lives of almost 1000 people a month in the UK. But events like this are crucial because they help raise awareness and important funds for life-saving research.”

For more information on the the work of Think Pink across Europe visit https://bit.ly/3MQMuf1