Communication is key, not just at home but also in the workplace and in every aspect of life. However, with a potential recession looming, demand for the best strategic communications professionals in the employment market is only going to increase. After all, navigating the complex landscape between politics, business, and media amid the scrutiny of the wider public, requires expert handling, particularly during periods of transformation and disruption.

Major appointments

We have all seen first-hand how damaging a poor communications strategy can be, and clearly the new Prime Minister recognises the importance of making the right senior communications hire.

Rishi Sunak’s first few weeks in office have been spent cementing his power base and making significant changes to not just the cabinet, but also his inner circle of close advisors. One of the first major moves he’s made is to appoint former ITV news journalist Amber de Botton, a highly regarded, experienced professional, as new Director of Communications. Ms de Botton was previously Head of Politics at ITV and Deputy Head of Politics at Sky News, after starting as a parliamentary reporter, and will have direct access to the Prime Minister and the power to speak on his authority.

The immediate appointment of Ms de Botton to the role, and her public-facing background, highlights the importance that the new Prime Minister clearly places on strategic communications; the recruitment of this role was prioritised in the midst of a period of turmoil in which even cabinet positions hadn’t been fully confirmed. Indeed, the announcement of the appointment was made at the same time removal vans were spotted on Downing Street as the new Prime Minister moved in to number 10.

It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise. We have all seen Sunak’s slick campaign marketing and that, combined with his heavily branded and personalised social media activity, suggests he is only too aware of his public image in this high-profile position. The Prime Minister, and his leadership team, can see that they will have to turn messages, that are widely perceived as negatives, into positives, which only a communications specialist with the right skills will be able to do effectively, which is why they prioritised getting a versatile and experienced professional on board as early as possible.

Communications revolution

However, while the Government clearly recognise how critical the role of strategic communications can be, many businesses have yet to be as assertive. As we know, the pandemic meant that the ways we communicate with each other and to consumers were majorly overhauled. Communications have never more important than in the current, turbulent climate that we live in, and particularly as the wider public has more sources of information at their disposal than ever before. This means that finding messages that ‘cut through’ and land with your target audience, whoever or whatever that may be, is absolutely key and you can only achieve that by having the right, talented people in place. Professionals with the right skills can do this but, as many employers are learning, it’s not particularly easy to find them.

Like many other industries, the pool of skilled strategic communications professionals with the right experience and skillsets isn’t large enough to fulfil the needs of businesses looking to recruit them. And in a tough economic climate, demand is only going to increase as more employers quickly realise that hiring the right communications specialists can enable them to get ahead of their competition and the wider market.

Tesco is a good example of a firm that utilised effective communications to get ahead of its competition. During the pandemic, all the major supermarkets and FMCG outlets had to readjust to a rapidly changing world, however Tesco took advantage of an otherwise disastrous situation by launching a series of initiatives, including its ‘food love stories' campaign that encouraged families to unite over food during the lockdown. The organisation won customers from rivals in a highly competitive field and its total sales rose by just over 7% to more than £53bn in the year to the end of February 2021, with sales in the UK and Ireland climbing by 8.8%. This wasn’t achieved through effective pricing, or by heavy investment, but largely instead by having the right team on board that could create and deliver messaging that aligned with the brand’s potential audiences and the wider public.

Finding your Amber de Botton

Our team draws on years of sector-specific experience and works collaboratively with clients to place talented individuals within their organisation. Our unique understanding of the industry enables us to develop core partnerships and engage with the highest calibre candidates. It is the professionals that we place that give our clients considerable weight in their industry. Our consultants work with our vast network to successfully generate referrals and identify the ideal candidates for clients. We can help you to find the right people, with the skills and experience you require, that can help you to get ahead of your competition.

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