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With commendable trust and confidence in my ability not to drown, the team at Nielsen McAllister has involved me in pretty much every aspect of the business, from daily contact with its growing portfolio of clients to internal mid-term strategic planning and forward thinking.
And – apart from sleeping through pretty much everything on the TV past 8.30 every night – I’m loving it.
In particular, two things have struck a chord with my inner PR self; the first is how altruistic my firm is with clients. Of course, I’d expect them to be delivering first-class PR services to all clients, large or small, exploring every avenue in their efforts to maximise exposure and coverage.
But they are also prepared to go further and deeper. And this dedication had yielded unexpected benefits for us as well…
A recent lengthy video conference with a large new client began conventionally, with conversations over new releases and targeted coverage, but quickly devolved into a discussion about their corporate persona and tone of voice. Sensitive stuff, I know, and not necessarily part of our remit, but we felt passionate enough about it to raise the issue, as we felt it would be of significant benefit to them.
I’m pleased to say that our bravery and commitment to a strong, wider relationship was both well received and acted upon, with discussions already underway about adapting their website and social media positions to better reflect the contribution of their excellent staff.
The second refreshing element of working for Nielsen McAllister is their openness to learn.
Not an hour after our client meeting had finished, I had a conversation with the team, along the lines of “Hold on, just how accurately does our own external company image represent our true culture?” And the answer seemed to be … “Could do better…”
With nary a tiny hesitation, plans have been put in place to address this disconnect, and better show our true personality. And each and every member of the team is involved.
After all, you can’t talk the talk, if you’re not prepared to walk the walk.
So, very soon, I hope you’ll begin to see more of the real Nielsen McAllister, a firm that realises that business is all about people, however corporate the world has become.
In truth, I have seldom worked for a company more surprisingly open to self-analysis and change, and it warms my heart.