Member Article

Risk paying off for Be Seen Be Heard

A PR expert says she has no regrets about launching her business in the current tough economic times and going it alone.

Jill Dobson has set up Be Seen Be Heard PR after 12 years working for leading PR consultancies in Newcastle, Manchester and Sydney, Australia, and a stint managing PR in-house for a major public sector infrastructure project.

Jill, who has worked for FMCGs Samsung and Microsoft as well as national, regional and start-up clients, says businesses that hired the bigger PR agencies in the boom times are now turning to smaller PR companies in the recession:

“Working for my self has been my dream for a long time. Some people thought I was mad to set up my company in such tough economic times and, I admit, it was risky. But I’ve actually found that those who have had to tighten their marketing budgets are now looking to freelancers who have all the big agency expertise but not the hefty day-rates that go with that. So it’s working in my favour. My overheads are minimal so I can offer cost effective rates as well as great results,” she said.

Jill recently secured contracts to manage the communications for leading vocational learning provider, Access Training, and to deliver a re-brand for training professional body, the Northumbria Learning Providers which represents 46 training providers.

Managing director of Access Training, Malcolm Armstrong said: “We have been using PR as our main method of marketing for over a decade now so we know the value of it in terms of how it can raise our profile and awareness of our services. We have used some of Newcastle’s leading agencies in the past. When our PR contract was up for renewal Be Seen Be Heard’s proposal impressed us and we’ve seen the best press coverage we’ve ever had in our history since appointing Jill. As well as getting our messages out through traditional media, we’re now also are engaging clients through social media.”

Be Seen Be Heard PR offers cost effective PR and marketing including media relations, marketing campaigns, social media, community relations, promotional materials, internal communications, advertising, issues management, copywriting and media training.

For information www.beseenbeheard.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jill Farmer (Dobson) .