Launching Bulletin was an accident. I’d been having too much fun making programmes for the BBC from all around the world when someone clearly found out and cut the travel budgets. Bored and frustrated, I started doing some PR and discovered the “dark side” offered just as much opportunity to satisfy my passion for telling stories.
The client base grew and other former journalists joined alongside me. We became known as an agency that knew how to identify, write and pitch a story well and whose clients punched above their weight in the media.
Ten years on, while still winning great coverage for our clients we’re doing much more for them besides.
A decade ago journalists were primary gatekeepers of communication. Now we can use e-newsletters, blogs, social media, video and more to engage directly.
Most modern successful PR communications strategies require strong content – which suits us perfectly. But it’s not just about the words. We’ve learned the power of good design in helping us tell stories quickly in a world of shrinking attention spans. We’re in a numbers business so, as well as in-house graphic design, we’ve also recruited a professional marketing statistician.
Our ability to help our clients develop effective strategies for broad communication has become one of our key strengths.
Five successful PR communications tips:
- Identify clearly what makes you distinctive and deliver messaging that reinforces your reputation for these strengths.
- Identify the audiences you need to engage to achieve your business objectives.
- Produce content shaped to interest these target audiences (not just sales blather).
- Broadcast it across the channels that will best catch their attention – as many of them as possible.
- Measure your success – abandon or tweak what doesn’t work and do more of what does.
It sounds simple, but it’s not easy. The world is changing rapidly and keeping up means there’s never chance to rest. But that’s what makes it so much fun.
Ten years on from leaving the BBC I might not be travelling the world any more, but I’m enjoying the journey more than ever.
Some examples of ways we’re helping clients communicate effectively:
- Building James Hambro & Partners website
- Producing Rathbones’ client magazine
- Researching and producing major report for UK’s biggest friendly society
