Open Communications is a straight-talking PR agency based in Yorkshire. That was how we positioned the business when we launched, and in the most part it still stands true today.
With offices in Wakefield city centre, we manage the PR and content strategies for brands of all sizes, all over the country. However, as the years have gone by, we have realised that we are so much more than just a PR agency based in Yorkshire.
Preferred PR partner
When companies choose Open Communications as their preferred PR partner, they get access to a team of professionals with years of experience. Believing our clients will get the best from a diverse mix of people, we all have very different backgrounds.
We have journalists, academics, customer experience professionals and PR practitioners all working together to deliver the best return on investment for every business that chooses us.
As an agency, we decided that we would not specialise in a sector. Instead, we would become experts in each client, their brand and business. This gives them exclusivity and the commitment they deserve.
As time has gone by, we have seen that this gives our clients the confidence to know we are absolutely focused on delivering results for them.
With more than 90 per cent of new business coming from client referral, this approach has worked for them and for us. It has made us the trusted PR partner we wanted to be but also generated introductions.
Trusted advisors
As PR professionals we have access to some highly confidential information. It is absolutely imperative that our clients can trust us. And they do.
It may not be a crisis it could just be information that is not for public consumption. As such, we make it clear that all insight will be handled with care. It is the very least that our clients can expect when we are managing the reputation of their brand and business.
On a lighter note, we are also close enough to many of our clients for them to share their thoughts outside of their own environments. We once had a client say that they felt ‘lighter’ when leaving each monthly meeting as they could have a good moan knowing it would go no further.
Sometimes, all we need is to get the opinions of others or to share a grievance. Having a second opinion from a trusted advisor can be priceless and we are pleased that we can offer that. This is just one of the reasons that I believe we are more than just a PR agency based in Yorkshire.
Skilled PR practitioners
There is still a misguided belief that if an agency is based in London, they will have better contacts than those in the North. I don’t agree with this at all.
We have really strong relationships with journalists up and down the country, as well as those that are based in Yorkshire. It would be untrue to say we know every contact we work with personally, but then we don’t have to.
The objective for Open Comms is to make sure that we provide relevant content that has been well written. In doing so, we can supply the journalists with what they need, knowing that in the future they will have greater trust in what we supply.
There is no point in sending across copy that is irrelevant or badly written. It would not send the right impression of us or our clients.
One thing that we are very good at, is engaging with broadcast and encouraging correspondents to come to us with any needs they may have. This has worked really well in recent years and has meant that we can work collaboratively so that the news teams get what they need and we increase the positive exposure for our clients. This is what should be expected of skilled practitioners and it is what our clients deserve.
Professionals within a wider business community
This doesn’t really have anything to do with PR at all, but it does support our reputation as a business.
Since we launched, we have worked with hundreds of companies. This has strengthened our network but also provided contacts with an agency they can call upon for advice.
Becoming a known and recognised member of the community has certainly paid dividends. Not only have we gained access to professionals we trust and would refer, we have also made friends and learnt a huge amount along the way.
It was important to us as a small business to have access to those with a range of different experiences. In turn, we have also found that we have contacts that will go out of their way to be supportive.
Recognising the value of a strong network has certainly given us confidence and strength during our most challenging times and that is invaluable.
A supportive workplace
Open Communications is a supportive workplace. Although we remain a small agency, we know that our team are close and that they get on.
Not everyone who works in our team has come from a PR background. In fact, most haven’t. What they bring to the agency is relevant experience, the right attitude and a willingness to get results for our clients.
In turn, they receive a supportive workplace with an open and relaxed culture. There are no hidden secrets to doing well at Open Comms. Work hard and you will be rewarded. It’s that’s simple and as a result many of our staff stay with us for years.
An agency that means business
As a straight-talking agency, what you see is what you get with Open Communications. We are a Yorkshire based PR agency that uses its experiences to support an increasing list of clients.
We have never shied away from hard work and we aren’t about to start now. With clients across the country, we make sure that every strategy we put in place is going to meet with objectives. This in turn means that our clients can see the value in PR and what it can deliver. It isn’t about coverage, it is about business success and supporting the bottom line.
When we founded Open Communications back in 2008, we had a choice about where we wanted to be based. It could have been anywhere, and we chose Yorkshire. It suited us and it has worked for our clients.
We’ve managed the PR and content strategies for companies throughout the UK and across the world. The furthest away was Australia and although that brought with it some challenges, we were able to put the processes in place to make it work. As a small agency with big ambition, we don’t let challenges get in our way. We learn from them and we find a solution to any problem.
If you want to work with a business that is more than a PR agency based in Yorkshire, then call Open Comms and we will arrange a chat.