5 minutes with...

Please provide a brief introduction to yourself & WPR

I’m Abi, I’m 23 and I’m a PR manager at WPR – one of the UK's most award-winning unified communications agencies. We combine imagination with insights to deliver killer content that converts!

What’s your favourite part of working for WPR?

No two days are the same; one day you might be organising an event for hundreds of families at a theme park, the next you might be pitching a product to 30 journalists at a virtual press event. It’s very fast-paced, so we’re never bored!

What’s the most memorable campaign you’ve worked on?

We launched the world’s first diamond-a-day advent calendar for a jewellery client which just went everywhere – we even secured a dedicated segment on This Morning! Holly and Phil were going through the drawers taking out each piece of jewellery and even joking about stealing the advent calendar – my jaw was on the floor for the whole segment!

Tell us about any exciting plans WPR has for 2021?

We’ve had some absolute dream client wins over the past few weeks which are hugely exciting, so watch this space for the announcements! We’re also interviewing for graduate positions and our summer internship programme, and our work experience is open for applicants which I’d hugely recommend applying for – it’s how I got my job at WPR!

What advice would you give someone starting their career in PR?

Work experience is absolutely invaluable, not only for testing your skills and getting feedback, but also for working out whether PR is the right industry for you. We structure our programme so candidates spend a few days with each team (PR, social, paid media, design, sub-editing) so it’s a great introduction to a variety of disciplines in one placement.

What’s your #1 PR Top Tip?

Twitter! Trying to contact journalists can sometimes feel like a one-way conversation, but so many of them are really active on Twitter, sharing #journorequests, insights on how they prefer to be approached, or even something as simple as whether they’re working that day or on annual leave!

WPR has joined us at The Big Christmas Press Show and Power Pitching since 2018 what’s been your highlight?

At my first Big Christmas Press Show, I just remember being so star-struck by some of the journalists who were checking out our stand! Real top tier editors from the Daily Mail, The Sun, Metro, Evening Standard and some huge names in the home and lifestyle press too. It was so valuable as a young PR to get the opportunity to have conversations with these key contacts, hear about what they’re working on and which products they liked too.

Tell us something interesting we don’t know about you!

I’m learning to roller skate! It is not going well.