“I've always wanted to be some sort of ear-whisperer,” explains Isaac Goldring, financial services PR lead at Profile, on what drew him to PR after completing a degree in classics at Durham University.
“[I wanted to be an] advisor, and someone who helps people navigate the rapidly changing world.”
For Goldring though, reputation really is everything, as not only does he have a special interest in reputation; he has also come to understand that a stellar professional reputation puts you head and shoulders above the rest.
Before taking on an internship at Transmission Private in 2022, Goldring says that instead of “sending out 150 applications a day”, he started to think about, “what you’re actually good at, what you could be good at, and what your interests really are”.
While he considered law and consultancy as sectors, he landed on reputation. “Maybe that’s because I had just finished watching The Thick Of It,” he jokes.
Fitting in
“Considering how the corporate world is at the moment, in terms of cancel culture, the changing regulatory landscape, geopolitical tensions and huge macro uncertainty — now is the time for people to really care about what they say, who they say it to and where they say it.”
In 2022, Goldring secured a three-month internship at Transmission Private, during which time he was in the private client division of the business, dealing with high-net-worth clients.
“I really enjoyed doing that and working with real people who had genuine, reputational interests, not just on this protective stance of safeguarding reputation, but actively building one [a reputation] today.
“Today, if you’re an executive, you can't really hide behind your glass-walled office wearing your brogues and think nobody but your PA can speak to you. There’s actually a market-need for PR and I think in many ways, an online need, to be present and go out there to build trust. I really enjoyed that, and that's where I got my start.”
He left Transmission Private in 2023, as a junior researcher, and joined Profile in 2023 as a media executive.
Over this time, Goldring made observations on networking and connections, which helped to develop how he approaches media relations.
He admits that networking can be “difficult” for young professionals, as they can feel the potential risk of colleagues and clients being “sceptical” of their abilities.
“There's a trust gap that you have to make up, which can mean you have to sound impressive, be understanding and intelligent — it’s difficult.”
Unlike many characters in The Thick Of It, Goldring has overcome this by always being authentic and pushing for genuine conversation.
“Sit down with someone [you have never met before], treat them like a human and take a bit of interest in what they're doing and it all works well. I think that has gone missing, in my generation at least.”
Getting to know you
This approach has also given Goldring better insight for building media relationships, as he has discovered that if you want professional respect — your reputation must precede you.
“I've gone out for so many coffees and lunches with journalists, and they will always tell me, for example, ‘I’m a fintech reporter and I received a pitch about a bouncy castle’, or ‘I’m a hedge fund correspondent and I got a release about Donald Trump’s fake tan’.
“I think there's a risk that a lot of journalists could start to see PRs as increasingly untechnical.
“Of course, you’ve got to be friendly and authentic. That’s so important, but you’ve got to really know your stuff these days to stand out as a PR.”
The competition to land coverage has “only got tougher” according to Goldring, who claims he has already experienced the backlash of having a “fragmented industry” with “so many” PR practitioners operating within it.
“I think if you show [you have] knowledge, obsess over the news and know exactly what they want, then journalists respect it. It gives you a bit of an edge in media relations.”
Through his various meetings with journalists and understanding wider market changes, Goldring has picked up on what PR methods are impactful and effective.
He explains that competition for slots — something he describes as “ridiculous” — is because of “booming [market] demand for reputation building” for PR agencies, and a “bleak landscape” for journalists.
“Journalist numbers are dwindling, and the number of titles that have had to leave the space is really shocking to be honest.
“A mixture of those market factors – the burgeoning PR industry but also the slimming media industry – is causing a spike in competition for slots.
“That has only increased the importance of really working hard to understand the media. Not just in terms of the journalist’s day-to-day; but also what they're expected to write, what their editors might pass down to them, what deadlines they might be working under and — overall, taking an understanding approach.”
Moving forward
His advice to other junior PR professionals trying to network and improve media relations is to, “place more of an onus on being a technical profession”.
Goldring, who was promoted to his current role in April advises: “If junior PRs want to win favour with journalists by looking good and being more impressive, they need to become more technical.
“I really want to emphasise how important it is for young or early career PR professionals to show a bit of authority and technical knowledge in your subject matter.
“And, don’t get walked over. I think there's a tendency for young people to be overlooked straight off the bat, and for me, you really have to puff your chest a bit.
“Show you believe in yourself, and that you have authority in your subject matter. Not just in front of journalists — but also your clients.”
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