James Gwinnett, of Clearly, shares his busy September plans!

September has arrived – what will this month bring? This month we’re asking business owners what the month will bring for them.

Up today is James Gwinnett, Client Services Director at Clearly, a PR and content marketing agency based in Bath. They offer a range of services that focus on growing organisations’ market share, increasing their influence, and strengthening their reputation. From SMEs to companies with multi-million pound turnovers, and some amazing charities in between, they are proud to tell their clients’ stories to the people that they want to hear them.

How was your summer as we go into autumn? Any highlights for you or your business? 
The last six months have been challenging for many companies but that instability in the market seems to be lifting as the recovery from COVID continues and businesses find themselves in better positions for more rigid financial planning. Despite the challenges, we’ve been privileged to work with some groundbreaking organisations and recently won a Creative Bath award for our work supporting a nationwide suicide prevention initiative, which the judges called “Powerful”. We also won the evening’s ACE award for “the most outstanding category winner on the night as chosen by [the] Judges.”

What’s coming up for your business in September? 
We’re currently putting a lot of effort into showcasing our creative capabilities, particularly focusing on video production as a way of telling stories. We are active on social media and also advise clients on how they can maximise content and assets across different channels.

It’s ‘back to school’ month or ‘start of university’ month – is this relevant to you personally or professionally? If so, please explain why.
Not personally, yet. My wife and I have an eight month old boy, Freddie, but he did start nursery last week, so I’m sure the time will fly by and we’ll be packing him off to school before we know it. Professionally, though, as the summer holidays come to an end, there are more opportunities for networking and you can often find me in a Bath coffee shop or at a breakfast event, meeting business owners and charity CEOs to discuss the trends they’re seeing and the issues they’re facing. I’m a huge advocate of the power of relationships and will always try to offer advice, whether it’s on communications strategies, social engagement or reputation management.

It was also the Paralympics which ended on September 8. Did you watch, what do you think of this tournament? Were there any stand out moments for you? 
The Paralympics beautifully represents everything that I believe sport stands for. Yes, there are the mental and physical benefits to exercise – of any kind – but the Games also promote equality and inclusivity. Because everyone should be able to participate in something that they love. The stories of the athletes should also serve as inspiration to us all that we can constantly be aiming to reach higher and improve ourselves.

In terms of standout moments, the interview of Chris Skelley, conducted by his wife, Louise, after he’d won a bronze medal in the judo, with both of them fighting back tears, was just beautiful. I was crying too!

September is also known as ‘organic’ month – when it comes to your business/organisation/personal life, what do you do to be ‘more green’? If it’s in business do you work with other brands to be more sustainable?
I feel this is a question that could be an article all on its own because Clearly is a B Corp. That means we’re part of a growing ‘club’ of companies (around 3,000 at the most recent count in the UK) that have committed to various practices that ensure they’re positively impacting people and the planet. From activities like recycling and the materials we use in our office (which are environmentally friendly), to the way we treat our staff, including benefits packages, we believe in a better way of business and are keen to work with organisations that share this mentality. We also take great pride in helping our clients inform and educate their customers, investors, and employees at every stage of their ESG journey.

World Gratitude Day takes place this month (Sept 21) – what are you grateful for in your business/organisation/at home? 
I mentioned Freddie earlier. I sobbed tears of joy when he arrived – thanks to the superhuman efforts of my wife, of course – and the last eight months have been a beautiful blur that we have tried hard to commit to memory. Because he is growing up faster than we can get our heads around, and the worry is that we’ll blink and he’ll be flying the nest. He is already crawling around faster than we can keep up with him! As such, I try to savour every moment and don’t take a single one for granted.

There are many other ‘points of interest’ during September which could be relevant to you or your business. Here are five, pick any which are personally or professionally relevant to you?
World Suicide Prevention Day (on 10th Sept) resonated with me because of the connection with the prevention initiative I mentioned earlier. In simple terms, more needs to be done across the board, by governments, by companies, by schools, by individuals, to reduce – and ultimately eliminate – an issue that is largely preventable.

International Literacy Day (8th Sept) also struck a chord, as we work with a Bath-based charity that is striving to narrow the attainment gap for Key Stage 2 children, many of whom are from families that are below the poverty line.

What are your hopes for business for the rest of this year? Are you launching a new product, service, running an event or something else later in the year? 
We have recently launched a service offering free PR consultations to charities and B Corps (in any field) that are struggling to tell their story – or those that wish to explore telling their story in a different way. The hope is that by helping them to identify press angles, which they might not otherwise have thought were newsworthy, and by explaining how to make them stand out to the media, our advice will spark the beginnings of a PR plan for these organisations. Any boost we can give them to help them stick their heads above the parapet and be recognised for the incredible work they’re doing is positive in our book. Of course, the hope is also that it will bolster our own pipeline in the coming months, to counter the challenges of the first half of the year that we’ve discussed.

Have you got any services or special offers you’d like to mention?
We are happy to offer a discount on our retained fees to B Corp businesses and charities. Please do get in touch to discuss: [email protected]

And finally, September 30 is International Podcast Day – do you listen to podcasts or do you have one of your own? Can you share a tip? Which podcasts should others check out? 
I’ve always really enjoyed the High Performance Podcast, hosted by Jake Humphrey and Prof. Damian Hughes. They speak to some of the world’s highest-achieving people across all manner of sectors, sport, business and much more, delving into the secrets of their success. The Diary of a CEO is another that I tune into occasionally.

You can find out more at: www.clearlypr.co.uk