Why did you choose to pursue a role in communications? For example, has it always been your passion or was it pure happenstance?
I studied journalism at university but found that I enjoyed the strategy and planning involved in comms rather than the reactive nature of journalism, so I went straight into comms and PR for my first job out of uni. I've worked in public and third sector comms ever since, developed my knowledge of marketing through a CIM Level 6 degree, and just genuinely absolutely love it and the impact good comms, marketing and engagement can have.
What personal skills or attributes do you think are most important in the communications sphere? Why these skills/attributes in particular?
Being able to build relationships - whether it's with your team, clients or stakeholders - is absolutely vital and a really important skill to have. Mostly because people enjoy doing business with people, so it's important to build trust, develop a relationship and deliver on what you promise. This is especially true in the first few months of a new job or role - try to always say yes and be helpful, even if you might not agree completely. If you then want to suggest something new or different later down the line, you'll have already built the relationship and the conversation will be easier.
What sort of challenges do you face in your role? Is there a particular challenge that you experienced in the past that stood out?
Managing expectations in a post-pandemic world - especially for NHS and local government comms teams who have been, and continue to be, working above and beyond for almost two years. The challenge is managing the expectation moving forward, as teams can't continue to work at the pace they have done. It's not realistic or healthy and it's a tough conversation to have when clients have been so happy with outputs of comms teams in recent years.
What one thing would make your working life easier?
At the minute, being back in the office more! Our team has been working from home since March 2020 and while we've built good relationships over Teams and been able to meet in person occasionally or during media opps, I've definitely missed being in the office, spending time with other people and overhearing those invaluable snippets of conversations. For any young professionals who have only really started work during the pandemic I imagine being in an office environment again might be quite daunting but for comms, it's absolutely essential.
How is the role of communications perceived in your organisation?
Thankfully, our teams are thought of really highly across the organisation and comms is seen as a strategic function. The team I lead (marketing, communications and engagement for health and care in Portsmouth) is also integrated across our local authority and the NHS, which is really innovative and effective. It mirrors an integrated system across health and care organisations in the city and we collaborate with comms teams in six other organisations to ensure a cohesive message, joined-up comms and a better service for the people of Portsmouth.
What do you think the secret of success is when working in communications?
You have to be passionate about what you do and the sector you're working in. If you are, it will shine through in the comms you produce, the relationships you build and the way you lead your team. There's a lot to be proud of working in comms, especially in the public sector, and bringing that enthusiasm and dedication will help you succeed. You've also got to like people, be able to empathise and see something from their point of view. You won't always be communicating to people just like you so it's important to reflect and represent everyone in your work.
At React & Share, we’re obsessed with helping our clients measure and report their efforts - what measurements do you think comms teams should be presenting to internal stakeholders?
We report back regularly on metrics such as website visits, social media reach and engagement, EAV and campaign reach - but it's the qualitative feedback and impact that's most important to our stakeholders. Local government and NHS senior management want to know what people think, what they want and need, and how we as the public sector can help - so presenting findings from focus groups, anecdotal feedback and comments from people on the ground can be really useful. To then see the impact of our comms through behaviour change is equally important, and really rewarding for everyone involved.
Looking into your crystal ball, what do you think will be the next big thing in communications?
Nextdoor - the online community site grew by 80% during the pandemic with people signing up to help and get to know their local neighbours. For my team, reaching out to people in such a localised way will be hugely beneficial - we'll be able to target messaging to specific neighbourhoods, adapt our approach and reach out to communities we might not have engaged previously. It will particularly help with bridging inequalities in health and care, and making sure that everyone has the same access to services and support.
