We are very excited to welcome Houston PR to the NBCC! They already work with a number of our members, and we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with them.
Welcome! Can you tell us a bit about Houston PR? Houston is a team of former journalists, brand specialists, partnership brokers, and consumer and corporate PR professionals. With ambitious talent from some of the world’s leading public relations and social agencies, we pride ourselves on championing collaboration, fresh ideas, and strategic thinking. We are, at present, a team of around 50, with offices in London Bridge and Guildford.
Thanks to our diverse range of skills internally, we are able to serve a wide range of clients across consumer, capital markets and corporate sectors. We work with businesses at different stages of the life cycle, from startups to those who have been around for years. We know how to creatively craft messages that resonate with our client audiences, online and offline, internal and external.
Life in a communications agency is always varied. However, our services range from press office management, media strategy, photography and videography, business and trade announcements, event management, influencer engagement and web design & build.
We refer to our clients as ‘partners’ as we become part of their team, working in collaboration to achieve their objectives.
What persuaded you to become a member of the NBCC? As an agency, we have been following the rise of Norway as a design and innovation powerhouse. As we have seen a huge number of brilliant brands coming out of Norway over the past 5 years, we understand the value in being a part of NBCC’s active and thriving community.
We currently represent several leading Norwegian brands in the design sector. We started working with Hadeland in January when they appointed us to handle their UK press office and events. This partnership has led us to now also work with other brands including Eikund, Lundhs, Volver Studios and ELM organics – where we have helped create unique events.
Do you have any thoughts on where trade between Norway and UK will be in 10 years? The Norwegian market is lucrative for British brands and vice versa. There are already good links in place, not to mention the stellar work NBCC does in this space, and if they continue the way they are going, these links are only going to become stronger over the next decade. There is a mutual benefit to trading between companies and nations. The more we can collaborate and work together, the better it will be for all. The more NBCC members there are, the stronger the links will become between the two nations.
One example of how it is mutually beneficial to develop stronger links – Norway is one of the leading countries in green tech and investment into R&D. As we all strive towards a more sustainable future, this sector is only growing in importance. Our over-reliance on fossil fuels for energy is contributing towards a serious environmental crisis. We know Norway is making great strides in creating long-term renewable solutions, therefore we must lend our support to these invaluable technological innovations.
What role does talent and technology play in the world today? And how has Houston PR approached it? Talent is one of the most important commodities for any business, but especially for an agency like ours. We see immeasurable value in investing in people, which is why we have made big strides in this area over the past few years. We have put time, money and resources into developing how we retain talent and make the work environment infectiously appealing. After all, if you look after your staff, they will work harder for you.
We have created a robust cross-agency mentoring scheme, learning and development platforms and in-depth individual training programs – creating a whole new L&D division within the company. We pride ourselves on having an ‘open-door policy’. Anyone can talk to anyone – in fact, it is encouraged. Employees can learn from co-workers regardless of whether they are an intern, manager or CEO. As we have so much expertise and wisdom within the team, we have actively tried to encourage the sharing of this knowledge by creating a culture of openness.
With regard to technology and its role in PR and communications, it is a fast-changing landscape. Media has become more digital, with greater investment in measurement and reporting. We’re embarking on looking at how AI can support the team. It won’t replace us, but it will be a valuable tool that could make us more efficient. We’re also making sure that our clients are aware of how technology can help their marketing & PR. Our role as a consultancy is to understand the changes and be ahead of them so that we can advise our clients how to deal with them.
Advances in technology, together with Covid, have impacted relationships with partners and work colleagues. We used to run huge events; now we must work differently and more tactically. We must adapt to a rapidly changing environment and can’t simply repeat the same strategies year on year.
Thank you very much for your time, and for everyone else, if you are interested in learning more about Huston PR, check out their website here >>
