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Jason Gale - Agency MD

Jason Gale fell into PR while working as a director of a TV creative company during the dot-com boom. Once the dot-com bubble had burst, and Jason was considering his options, he decided to set himself up as PR agency, and approached some entertainment venues to be his first clients.

That became Handmade UK. Six years on, and now with a team of six, Handmade are still active in the entertainment space, representing both venues, bars and restaurants as well as individual personalities. But the company has also branched into working for brands, especially innovative independent companies with interesting stories to tell.

We spoke to Jason about his career, his company, Handmade’s internships, and what advice he has for those starting out on a PR career.

By Sarah Stimson

How did you first get into PR?

I was a director at a TV creative company through the heady months of the dot com boom, and I was, in effect, the PR for the company. I learned the necessary PR skills as I went along, helped by some great consultation from Bell Pottinger. So when the company ran out of money and ceased trading, I approached one or two entertainment venues and pitched to handle their PR.

And that led to the creation of Handmade UK?

Yes, And over the six years Handmade UK has been in business, I have been able to grow our team to six, and have improved the quality of client and the quality of the work Handmade UK produces.

Obviously you ‘fell’ into PR, do you wish you had done, say, a PR degree?

Not really. I am sure it would have been helpful, but the ability to think creatively and build relationships is most important, and I don’t think that’s necessarily something that can be taught.

Tell us a bit more about Handmade UK.

We’re a bespoke PR company with varied clients that all have one thing in common, they all want to connect with the public in an effective but honest way. We work with creativity and enthusiasm at the heart of all our projects.

What does your role at the top of Handmade UK involve?

Looking at the bigger picture of where the company is going, creating PR and marketing strategy for my clients, and also creating a happy and well balanced team.

Give us an idea of a typical day at work?

The alarm goes off at 7am and I reach for my Blackberry to check any overnight urgent emails. I then break for breakfast before reading the newspapers, some online and some physical. I will then either travel to the office or to a meeting.

During the day, I will discuss ideas for clients with my team, look at potential new clients, talk to journalists and pitch ideas to them. I spend some time looking at the numbers and dealing with the odd IT problem. I will then usually meet a client or a journalist after office work for a drink or dinner.

Tell us about some recent projects.

We recently helped launch the Platform restaurant in London Bridge, where emphasis is really put on quality ingredients, and the ‘gate to plate’ concept. One of the owners of the restaurant is also a farmer in Devon, so much of the produce is raised naturally on the Devon farm and then taken straight to the restaurant: ie from the farmer’s gate to restaurant plate.

We also handled the press for Sinitta, around her work on the ‘X Factor’ and her appearance on ‘Dancing On Ice’, and on a more personal basis with regards her friendship with Simon Cowell, which always causes a great deal of media interest! Plus we managed the publicity for her successful greatest hits album, which was released January 2010.

We have also been working with Brilliant inc, a London jewelry company. They produce and design superb quality simulated diamonds. Our brief was to create awareness of the fantastic quality of the product; that they are indistinguishable from a naturally occurring diamond unless you are a qualified gemologist. We did this by introducing the product to fashion journalists and celebrities. This resulted in a great deal of press and the jewelry becoming favorites of the likes of Zoe Salmon, Sinitta, Sophie Anderton, Claudia Winkleman and Jo Wood.

You put a lot of effort into taking on interns at Handmade, why is that?

All my core team came through the internship programme. There is some great natural talent out there looking for internships in PR, and offering internships is a great way to see if those talented people are right for your team. I am very proud of the passion and commitment I get from my team, and I do believe that is partly because they started with us as interns, and have launched their own careers via Handmade. It is also motivating for new interns to see that others have moved from that position up to Account Manager roles.

What do the interns get out of working there? Do you pay them?

We give them travel expenses and also perks, such as drinks and nights our in one or two of our clients’ bars and restaurants. I hope and believe they get a great deal out of the internship. I give interns quite a lot of responsibility, so they learn very quickly. Also, if the timing is right and we are expanding, and they have shown real potential, many have got jobs with us.

Do you think social media is having a big impact on PR as a profession?

Social media is having a huge impact and is becoming more important, to us as a agency, and to our clients. Ignore it at your peril!

How do you think the PR industry should tackle the lack of ethnic diversity in the profession?

This is definitely a problem, as the PR industry needs to reflect the ethnic diversity of the country. I think senior PR professionals should be encouraged to visit schools and universities with a particularly high diverse ethnic mix and promote the industry and communicate what a great career they could have.

What advice would you have for anyone considering a career in PR?

Get evening or weekend work for four months so that you can afford to do two two-month internships, which will probably be unpaid. Try and get one with a large established company dealing with international clients, and one with a small bespoke company where you will be given more responsibility and interesting projects. Also, read the papers every day.

What’s the best thing about your job?

Creating fun stunts and strategies and seeing it eventually ending up in print.

What’s the worst thing about your job?

Paying the bills!