Tell us about your experience to date and your background
After completing an Ancient History degree at Durham University, I began searching for a job and landed in a boutique B2B tech PR agency in London. I had zero experience of the PR industry, but the founder was always keen to nurture young entrants to the sector, and the agency was small and provided invaluable exposure. In three years, I got stuck in to the running of the business and was given the chance to work with senior stakeholders, developing my global PR knowledge.
I then went on to take another B2B PR role, this time within an integrated communications agency. The company was a full services marketing agency which really expanded my knowledge of the broader communications sector and it’s potential, outside the press landscape. This environment, and on-the-job training, added a breadth to my experience that meant a multi-channel approach to business challenges became second nature.
I joined The PHA Group two years ago in the Entrepreneurs and Business department. The role interested me as it allowed me to hone back in on a specialism while not restricting client work to one sector. I was also eager to become part of a team that is passionate and willing to continuously develop, grow and expand knowledge.
The Entrepreneurs and Business team has grown from three to 11 people in the space of three and a half years and we’ve just had our most successful year to date.
What do you like most about supporting businesses with their PR requirements?
Many of our clients are at a “pivot point”; entering new markets, re-branding, scaling or launching something new, which makes each project a unique challenge and one where the team has a huge impact. Regardless of scale or size (we work with start-ups and individuals through to large corporates), each client is open to development and new ways of thinking – they’re united by ambition and give us huge autonomy to shape their public impact through communications.
The Entrepreneur and Business department is not sector specific, enabling us to work with a diverse range of industries from energy to 5G to fitness. No two clients or projects are ever the same!
You’ve worked with many companies and business leaders – what has been the most exciting project you’ve worked on during your time at The PHA Group?
One of my favourite clients has been Octopus Energy, an electricity and gas supplier that specialises in sustainable energy. The team has worked with them for over three years, supporting the company’s growth from 200,000 customers to over 1.4 million customers today. Everyone within the business operates in an agile, transparent way – and at every level the business is committed to doing things better – from green energy through to flexible working.
We have supported the company and it’s CEO across a broad range of projects including lobbying for legislative change (and helping usher in the UK energy price cap), multiple supplier acquisitions, a nationwide community tree-planting initiative and the launch of multiple ground-breaking tariffs that pave the way for a greener, sustainable future in the UK. Being part of the future of smart energy in the UK, and saving consumers millions on their bills, is a privilege.
How can PR help raise your personal profile benefiting both you and a business?
It is often perceived that becoming a spokesperson for your business is a vanity exercise, but this just isn’t the case. Businesses are often missing a trick by not sharing their achievements and ambitions through a personal lens. Brands that have causes and successes to shout about can often benefit from having an individual to bring this to life and media briefing opportunities, when carefully managed, bring a personality and authenticity to corporate communications.
We support the entrepreneurs, business leaders and founders we work with in order to represent their businesses and brands in the public eye. Individuals have the power to elevate their businesses through the media, content and social platforms, ensuring the right people hear about them at the right time.
What sets the personal and corporate PR services at The PHA Group apart from other agencies?
The PHA Group has an unparalleled understanding and hands-on experience of the media landscape. Surrounded by driven and dedicated individuals, the company employs people from all kinds of backgrounds including ex-editors, reporters, broadcasters and designers, providing the team with a huge breadth of experience that most other agencies would have to turn to external training for.
The culture encourages transparency and collaboration within your own and other teams which means you can walk across the office and ask anyone for advice. Everyone’s commitment and enthusiasm to help allows both you and the client to gain experience from their dedicated team and from the whole business. Its entrepreneurial spirit is woven through all teams and departments – with incentives for business development at all levels of experience.
What is it you love most about working at The PHA Group?
The PHA Group is consistently supportive of your personal development, allowing you to create and mould your role into what works for you. The company will always support specific training for individuals in our team and encourages new ideas and improvement. The entrepreneurial culture means that people are continuously driven to succeed and are always rewarded and recognised for this internally.
What sets The PHA Group apart from other agencies is its encouragement and trust in all members of the team, from the most junior right through to senior stakeholders. You are encouraged to work autonomously and everyone in the team forms a relationship with the client. Individuals are recognised and commended when achieving a success while challenges are worked through collaboratively as a team.
If you would like to find out how PR can connect you with the right audience then please get in touch with us today.