My career in PR began a long, long time ago with life as a Broadcaster!
Drive to Reading University to interview a doctor about pioneering research for the British Heart Foundation – ok!
Let’s send you out with a TV crew to film and interview a team of Street Pastors who help partygoers when they are lost, intoxicated and shoeless – yes let’s do it.
Organise a round table discussion with community movers and shakers to debate the impact of the first black president in America – done!
Can you write an online article about a Steel Pan factory and take some images so it can be published on the BBC website? Not a problem!
Do an outside broadcast from the Reading Carnival including live interviews from the procession to capture the street party events – ok great!
This is just a taster of my media career for the past 20 years.
Discover the 14 PR and marketing toolkits with checklists, tip sheets and templates
After 7-plus years working for BBC as a Radio Presenter, Producer, Reporter, and TV Broadcaster it was time to make a change.
All these media skills were about to come in handy as I entered the world of Marketing and PR to work with organisations, businesses, and agencies.
Suddenly I was approached to handle media enquiries and promote a business expo that encourages trade and investment between the UK and Africa.
Next, I was commissioned to help organise an event to promote a new health clinic and coordinate media coverage for a celebrity footballer who would declare the new premises open.
And more opportunities presented themselves to use my media skills in a different way – to share stories of success about a project, service, or event. Amazing!
(When we chat, ask me about the time I managed an event with penguins running around. Hilarious and very surreal).
During my career, I have enjoyed working with new emerging technologies and media platforms that have revolutionised the way we work and share stories with audiences.
Social media has been one of the biggest game changers bringing immediacy and making interaction instant to receive comments and contact Journalists and figureheads easily.
Live streaming is a tool that is gathering momentum –I recently sat and participated in a breakfast meeting that took place in another city yet I was able to watch, observe and ask questions. (I have some more observations on live streaming that you can read here).
Then we have Smart Phones and gadgets (in particular Apple) and their ipads and iPhones that mirror our lifestyles but also allow us to take great quality images, and record audio and video all from the palm of our hands.
For more than 6 years I have worked with clients to help them promote their businesses and projects. From creating social media content, promotional videos, podcasts, email marketing and more – there are so many options but there’s one thing we mustn’t forget…. the importance of telling stories.
Stories engage us and become memorable communication tools to make someone feel a particular emotion which is vital in a world where it is easy to be distracted.
Telling a story is where we have the most fun and nowadays to share a funny and compelling anecdote and I look forward to doing more of it.
So what does the future hold? Augmented reality cake-making experiences with Mary Berry and a robot with artificial intelligence to show you around events with guest speaking?
I think we are entering an exciting time when traditional and digital media will continue to converge to create some fantastic narratives and interactions – cheers to the future!
Want to know more? Louise has written PR and marketing toolkits to help you with communications!
Louise is a media, marketing and communications specialist with over 20 years experience working in TV, Radio, print and online media for BBC and Commercial brands, businesses, and services.
Connect with Louise on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/louise-chandlermediapr
Explore the 72-page toolkit that condenses Louise’s knowledge and career expertise.