What our newest recruit loved about Communiqué 2021
M&P &Me
Picture this: it’s the last week of summer before you join the big professional media landscape. You’re enjoying a casual Tuesday morning when you get a call from your boss – for a job you haven’t actually started working yet – inviting you to a black-tie dinner in London, tomorrow night. You do not own a suit and bow-tie. What do you do? Go.
I’m Nick Massey (the one on the far right in the glasses), and I am the newest recruit at Mearns & Pike. My induction? The Communiqué Awards 2021. Mearns & Pike were shortlisted for an incredible 4 awards at this years Communiqué awards and I was lucky enough to be invited as part of the team. I was told beforehand that if we were to win, I should go up with them, despite playing literally no part in any of the potential wins. I felt kind of awkward about that, showing up for one day and getting applauded for my “hard work”. While we didn’t win we were given a high commendation in the Excellence in Media Relations the Against the Odds project. This was a piece of work that helped to keep medtech in the news at a time when the only health stories were on COVID-19. With six different national news stories in 12 months the impact of medtech on keeping patients well and out of hospital was told loudly and clearly even though there was limited space on news schedules for anything non-COVID related.
The agency was also involved in strategy and messaging work for the winner of the Excellence in Corporate Communications: External Stakeholders category for their work with Eastern AHSN.
Due partly to the host comedian Tom Allen keeping up the pace and making the whole experience lighthearted, all 30 winners were awarded in the space of 2 hours, but also due to a decision to cut thank you speeches, and any long X Factor style pauses when announcing the winners.
For a ceremony awarding in 30 categories winners it went surprisingly quick due partly to the host of comedian Tom Allen, made what could have been a long and slow evening, something enjoyable. But also due to a decision to cut thank you speeches, and any long X Factor style pauses when announcing the winners.
I believe that despite having to rush to buy a tuxedo, buy train tickets and pack my suitcase all in 24 hours this was actually the perfect introduction to the job. It allowed me to meet some of the team, talk to some of the clientele and also get a glimpse of the kind of important work I will getting my teeth into in the future. I very much look forward to my future at Mearns & Pike!