Date published: August 2010
Over the coming weeks, CharityComms will be talking to some of the UK’s best non-profit PR departments - using PR Week’s 2010 Awards shortlist as a guide to which organisations really stood out over the past year.
With insights into effective ways of working, campaign case studies and essential tips for anyone looking to improve their PR, we hope our profiles of some of the strongest PR professionals in the country will inspire and enlighten you. Here’s a taster of the kind of thing you can expect to see…
We spoke to Andrew McLaughlin, Head of Communications at the National Trust, who was able to answer a few quick questions – he’s a busy man - about what makes his PR team good enough to get nominated for PR Week’s award.
What makes your department so strong - how have you ended up in the award shortlist?
In a nutshell, it’s the breadth of what our small team covers, the creativity we apply to our work and the phenomenal amount of positive coverage that we generate in the name of achieving results.
Are there any specific initiatives you think may have contributed to your nomination?
Our focus on the simple pleasures of life led to our pledge to create 1,000 new allotments on Trust land, which was backed up by our Food Glorious Food Campaign; a giveaway of fresh air, collected from Trust properties in recycled jars; and National Trust: The Album, a soundtrack of British natural sounds. These, alongside a whole range of activities, have grabbed headlines and made people look at us in a completely different way.
What are your three top tips for other non-profits looking to improve their PR?
- Focus down onto what is really important for your organisation.
- Be creative and develop different ways to get that message home.
- Plan ahead - but leave space for being fleet of foot to capitalise on opportunities that emerge.
Keep your eyes open for our profiles of other shortlisted organisations, including the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, The Royal British Legion and Barts and The London NHS Trust.