It’s not rocket science – it’s PR and I love it

Katy Jameson, Account Executive, Clarion Communications

This is my fourth week at Clarion and I’m really enjoying myself.  I’ve joined the agency after spending over a year in technology and B2B PR – previously, I worked in-house at a large supermarket chain but decided to try tech to broaden my experience and industry knowledge.

I found it to be a very different PR ballgame to consumer and retail, where the main challenge is in how to cut through that noisy market and catch the attention of your customer; the biggest challenge I found in B2B tech was in how to make the story relevant to a cynical and time-poor business audience.

How do you explain cloud computing and data analytics in a snappy and appealing way?  It’s simply not about getting really creative and sexy with it – as a business audience doesn’t have time to listen to fluff.  B2B tech is not about headline-grabbing – it’s rare that a client will have just invented something that will rock the world, so you have to make the latest solution easy to understand, relevant and interesting.

Lessons I’ve learnt from B2B tech PR are that you have to know what you’re talking about – as all good PRs do.  You have to really have a sound understanding of the technology solutions you’re trying to promote, and communicate exactly how they benefit each of your audiences.

While consumers are quite unlikely to require an explanation for how a delicious sparkling cava or a premium coffee machine will change their lives – two of my fave new clients – I feel I’ve gained some great skills that now stand me in good stead when targeting consumers once more.

It’s good to be able to focus on this bigger picture and I feel it’s important to broaden your experience as much as possible – particularly early on in your career – to give you a more rounded understanding of PR.

Back in the consumer fold is where I know I belong and, in just three weeks, I have found myself picking up the phone more, feeling excited about the brands I’m pitching, and enjoying every packed minute of being rushed off my feet.

Consumer PR isn’t rocket science – simply persistence, persuasion and passion.  And it’s what I love.  I feel confident that I will have a long and exciting career in consumer PR – and can’t wait to see what is coming next at Clarion.