by Sarah Waddington
I need to level with you. The idea for this latest #FuturePRoof book came to me last Autumn following Elizabeth Bananuka’s BME PR Pros Conference.
My agency Astute.Work sponsored the event – the first ever featuring only black, Asian, mixed race and ethnic minority speakers - and the line-up of talent and expertise blew me away.
Elizabeth challenged people to use their industry positions and platforms as a vehicle for change. I knew there and then I wanted to do something similar through #FuturePRoof.
Fast forward six months and a hiatus due to the Coronavirus pandemic and it was the reaction within my network to the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of US police, which spurred me properly into action.
Today, I’m proud to launch the first #FutureProof book featuring only BAME talent and you’ll see the bar is set high.
A few things I should mention. The first is that throughout the book there are references to BME, BAME and people of colour and I left it to contributors to decide the terminology they were comfortable with. I know there are those who believe grouping people in such a way can be detrimental to a wider understanding of different backgrounds and cultures but hopefully these terms work to make the point in this particular context.
Secondly, this was never meant to be a book about ‘black issues’, which are in fact cultural and societal issues, not black or BME - just like pay inequality isn’t a women’s issue. This was always to be a forward-thinking look at best practice within public relations, with the purpose of reasserting PR’s value to business.
Where contributors asked if they could write from a racial diversity and inclusivity standpoint, that was in their gift. And I’m glad some of the amazing authors took that decision.
I’ve opened the book with a thought-provoking article from Julian Obubo that I would urge everyone to read and share with their networks. I’ve often said to white colleagues struggling to know how best to address the big diversity problem faced by our industry, that starting from the standpoint that we are all inherently racist can be helpful.
I attach no blame to this; we are all, from being small, conditioned to think and act in a certain way – but I do challenge us to consider what this means in terms of our (often unintended) behaviours and the consequences.
The first chapter is then followed by three which illustrate the scale of change that’s needed. Katrina Marshall, Nathalie Abiodun and Harriet Small Okot all write from the heart about their experiences and allyship. The four grouped together are a powerful read that will hopefully provoke more of us to be the change we want to see in the world.
Further into the book, I’m privileged to share the work of some of the leading experts in their fields. From audience targeting, social media, partnership working, reputation, pitching to radio and community building through to public affairs, internal comms, leadership, coaching and the psychology of decision-making, you’d be hard pressed to come away from the book without something to help you improve practice.
A piece on media diversity provides an important look at what happens when journalists don’t represent the communities they serve, while two further chapters deliver excellent insight into how we can hire and nurture diverse talent, to everyone’s benefit.
I’m grateful to all those who have contributed for making a book that I am very proud of – and of which I hope they will be too.
I’m going to finish where I started, with Elizabeth Bananuka. It seems only right to dedicate this book to Elizabeth for being the original inspiration for #FuturePRoof: Edition Four.
And so, my call to action is this. If this book inspires you, like me, to make a greater commitment to diversity and inclusion, please check out her latest drive for parity, The Blueprint. I make no secret I’m on the Advisory Board and will forever be grateful to Elizabeth for asking me to get involved with such a landmark industry initiative.
To steal her own words off the website: “The Blueprint diversity mark helps organisations attract, retain and nurture diverse talent. It helps talented Black, Asian, Mixed Race and Ethnic Minority comms pros find employers committed to supporting them to achieve their career dreams.”
What’s that if not something to get behind. Thank you, Elizabeth. You’re an inspiration.
Sarah Waddington is an experienced management and PR consultant helping organisations to articulate their purpose and optimise performance through her agency Astute.Work.
A pioneer of best practice, she was awarded the CIPR’s Sir Stephen Tallents Medal for exceptional achievement in public relations and is the winner of the PRCA’s Outstanding Contribution in Digital Award.
Having built a reputation as an ethics tsar and diversity and inclusivity champion, she is a strong advocate of accountable leadership and women in business and believes in helping young talent break through.
Sarah is a Past President of the CIPR, a PRCA Fellow, an IoD Ambassador, a member of the Northern Power Women Power List and is a regular speaker at industry events. Her PR-related blog is one of the top ten in the UK according to Vuelio.
The founder and editor of #FuturePRoof, a series of books and community aimed at reasserting the role of public relations as a management function, Sarah also co-edited a white paper with Stephen Waddington characterising the public relations agency business and another exploring the mental wellbeing of the profession. She has published another two papers on disinformation and influencer marketing.
Sarah is a graduate of Oxford Saïd’s Executive Leadership programme, has completed Non Executive Director training with NEDA at the London Stock Exchange and holds a certificate in Organisational Leadership from the Institute of Leadership and Management. She has an MA in Marketing from Northumbria University, a BA (Hons) in French and Media from Leeds University and is a Google Squared digital marketing alumna.
When she’s not at work you’ll find her busy being Mum to two boys and walking her cocker spaniel Madge. You can also catch her being rather noisy on Twitter @Mrs_Wadds.
Twitter: @Mrs_Wadds
Web: Astute.Work