28th June | Jackie Bates back

PR for the built world: why we love it

When I tell people I work in PR, it’s often met with an eyebrow raise, a wry smile and an “Oh, PR dah-ling – how glamorous!”. However, when I follow it up with “…in the built world,” people’s smiles can dissipate a little, and a look that falls somewhere between confusion and pity tends to take over. And for me, that’s the best bit. Because I get to explain just why I love what I do. Firstly, what is it? At Richmond & Towers, if it’s to do with buildings – how they’re designed, who’s responsible for them, what they’re made of, how they function, what goes in them – we’re interested in it. Our experience spans construction, energy, building products, homewares and interiors. We’re very proud to have worked for some of the biggest names in the business (and many who became big names because of our work together!). Audience-wise, the scope is just as broad – and thanks to many years in the industry and an enviable contacts book, we’re in prime position to target a whole variety of market segments. This includes home owners, property enthusiasts and interior designers, but it doesn’t stop there. We also build successful campaigns targeting architects, developers, specifiers, builders, contractors and engineers.   Here are just some of the reasons why we’re proud to work in this arena at the top of our game: It matters The built world and progress go hand in hand, and much of what we do is geared around sustainability. From energy-saving heating and smart homes to world-first waste management technologies, we work with the real game changers who are helping to build a cleaner, greener, more energy-efficient future from the ground up. We also know that people’s homes should be a place to feel safe, secure and happy. It’s important to us to work with products that help build this kind of environment – whether that’s enabling people to cut down their bills and their carbon footprint, or just making life easier with home appliances and gadgets. It’s fast-paced In a market where interior design trends change almost daily and government subsidy can make or break a technology (see solar PV and the UK’s Feed-in Tariff scandal), things move quickly. Energy and renewables in particular have been real hot topics in recent years (pardon the pun), and some of our most exhilarating days at work have revolved around busy reactive press offices in the wake of a major new development or announcement. It’s varied The subject matter, audiences and media are extremely varied, and the nature of our work means we’re often involved with pioneering B2B campaigns and ground-breaking B2C activity. We’ve got a lot of impressive experience under our belt for some brilliant homes, interiors and consumer tech brands. Our work with online lighting giant LEDHut is just one case in point. It’s challenging On the B2B side particularly, a lot of what we do is very technical, so I would say it’s not for the faint hearted. As a team of writers and strategists, we relish getting to grips with new and niche topics: energy labelling, gas safety, the Renewable Heat Incentive, supercritical oxidation – no area is off limits. We’re great at it It hasn’t happened overnight, but a good deal of dedication, enthusiasm and hard work honing our sector expertise has seen us grow our team into a group of specialists who really know their stuff. And with experience comes reward: it’s genuinely a pleasure to work with the clients that we do now, on the kind of career-defining campaigns that make those dinner-party conversations with PR sceptics all the more satisfying.