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10 Minutes with... Beki Sharman MPRCA

Tell us a little about your role with ADPR …

I’m an Account Manager at ADPR and look after a variety of national and global clients across the marine, outdoor, wellbeing and B2B sectors, including Helly Hansen, Chatham, Haseltine Lake and Clarks Village. Seven years ago, I started as the first ever apprentice at ADPR, and have since worked my way up to my current role, having faced many exciting and interesting challenges and campaigns along the way. We’re a creative and enthusiastic bunch at ADPR, and are constantly evolving to deliver the highest quality results for our clients.

 

Which three words best sum up ADPR’s priorities and personality?

PR with purpose – exactly what it says on the tin :)

 

What’s your best PR moment to date?

Winning two awards for a PR campaign we ran for Helly Hansen – where we taught four lifestyle bloggers to sail in less than 12 months. Using our Helly Hansen ambassadors, affiliations with sailing clubs and training partners, trips to Barbados, Manchester and Southampton, and creative flair to create such a dynamic and interesting programme of activity, we put the bloggers through their paces and entered them into a competitive race at Cowes Week, where they came third! We received amazing coverage from both our bloggers and the media, the team are still sailing more than a year later, and our client reported an increase in specific sales and social following, as a result of the campaign.

 

What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing the industry at the moment?

GDPR and getting clients and suppliers to be compliant – I personally think it’s a good move and will be beneficial for clients as well as our own agency, because we’ll be talking to an engaged who audience who genuinely want to hear what we have to say. However, there’s a lot of work involved to ensure all ducks are in a row before the May deadline.

 

If you had to impart one piece of advice to a member of your team, what would it be?

Be yourself. We all have our own strengths and differences, and that’s what makes a team so fantastically interesting. You might not always have the answer or the full skill set, but working with a colleague or client might just make the perfect recipe for success. And no one wants a carbon copy team – that would just be boring!

 

Has pursuing a career in PR lived up to your expectations? Why?

I don’t think I had specific expectations when I started out in my PR career as a 19-year-old apprentice – I wanted a career that would test me on a regular basis, keep me interested in new and evolving client objectives, and reward me with cool experiences or results that I truly earnt and could feel proud of. I’ve been to Barbados with a client, met Prince Harry and secured my clients in some of the most respected industry magazines – it’s a pretty cool career!

 

If you could work for any brand, which would you chose? Why?

Working in the South West, I’d love to work for Longleat Safari Park! As a local attraction full of amazing animals and cool activities, what more could you want from a client.

 

We all love the South West but what do you consider the key benefits of working in this region?

The South West offers the closest thing to the ideal work/life balance. We have the beauty and calm of the rolling countryside and picturesque villages, but the access and infrastructure to connect with the big cities, and our clients and contacts in minutes.

 

What’s your PR secret?

Work hard, play hard. We all have the drive, ambition and dedication to deliver amazing results for ourselves and our clients, so work hard to achieve this, and enjoy the rewards that come with it!