This month we speak to Catherine Frankpitt, Managing Director of Strike Communications about why she started Strike Communications.
Q. What motivated you to start Strike and why?
A. I reached a point in my career where I decided I only wanted to do ‘comms for good’ – working for charities, causes and organisations delivering positive social impact. They were often the ones that couldn’t afford the fees in my previous larger agency, so I set up Strike as a lean, strategic comms agency, aiming to keep our overheads and therefore fees lower, in order to be able to work with those types of clients.
Q. What piece of work are you most proud of and why?
A. Our campaign to help get Ukraine’s national symphony orchestra out of Kyiv to the UK in 2023. The musicians planned a nationwide tour here to keep Ukraine top of mind and to demonstrate UK support to other countries, but they needed help to overcome the prohibitive Home Office visa fees and rules and to secure Government endorsement.
With careful behind the scenes diplomacy, we helped get them to the UK to perform in 17 venues up and down the country, and we secured them their first ever performance in the House of Commons, in front of the Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and other MPs, which was a spine-tingling moment. Alongside it, we achieved bucket loads of national, broadcast and even international media coverage to send a strong message that the UK was behind them.
Q. What’s the best job advice you’ve been given for working in PR?
A. Consume all the media you can – read, listen and watch. Although public relations is about much more than just media relations, understanding what makes a great story and cuts through is the number one skill you need to be able to communicate effectively.
Find these tips useful? Keep an eye on Strike Communications’ LinkedIn page for upcoming roles.
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