When It Hits the Fan - 1. Rolling the Pitch

This episode will change your life. Seriously.

It's a big claim and carries an enormous risk of over-promising.

Welcome to the latest episode in our mini-series on the Golden Rules of PR. This week, David Yelland and Simon Lewis look at the risks of rolling the pitch - of laying the PR groundwork - for a forthcoming announcement.

As the Chancellor Rachel Reeves found out in the run up to the Budget, trying to manage expectations can seriously backfire. But we all do it - we try to soften people up ahead of delivering some tricky news. David and Simon explain why there are very sensible reasons for doing this.

The problem is - if you say what's going to happen and people react badly - how do you change your plans without being accused of making a U-turn?

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

Published on Wednesday, 24th December 2025.

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