By Olivia Piggott - PR & Marketing Analyst
Having completed a year abroad teaching English in the south-west of France, I was keen to gain some corporate experience and dip my toe into the PR industry before returning to Leeds for my final year of university. Accordingly, I was delighted when I secured the opportunity to spend five weeks with Brackendale Consulting during the summer. As my internship draws to an end, I can now say that I have been completely immersed in the world of public relations and private equity. Being part of this incredible, multilingual and multi-faceted team has truly been a pleasure.
As a Business and French student, I already had some understanding of the private capital market before starting at Brackendale, but, with many aspects unfamiliar to me, it still felt slightly elusive. I was keen to learn more. In order to introduce me to the company’s clients and operations, Fay Margo, Brackendale’s CEO, took the time to sit me down and give me a ‘Private Equity 101’ session - demystifying the acronyms and explaining (even with some drawings) the PE fundamentals.
Equipped with my new knowledge, I was able to participate in a lively discussion the following day when our office welcomed Joe Briggs, Founder of Briggs Capital Formation for a catch-up. The conversation provided invaluable insights into the various advisers operating within the private capital market, with particular focus on how they can work alongside external consultancy firms like Brackendale to support their clients.
With several new client prospects on the horizon, this was a particularly exciting time to step into the Brackendale team. I was given the opportunity to research these GPs, with the goal of producing a ‘Media Health Check’: a document assessing a firm’s media profile, exposure and overall engagement with industry publications and events. Researching these firms has allowed me to bridge the gap between the theoretical knowledge I had gained from my studies and this internship, and the practical realities of the private capital industry. On a more micro level, it was fascinating to learn about innovative, one-of-a-kind portfolio companies, and better understand the ways in which private equity can support their growth. Looking at areas of media concentration also shed light on the sectors attracting increased investor attention. After producing a few Media Health Checks, I then transferred the relevant information onto pitch decks which will be used to present tailored plans of how Brackendale’s services can benefit each respective company.
Under the guidance of Fay and Fabio Galloni Roversi Monaco, PR & Marketing Director, I was given the opportunity to do some journalist outreach. I used Brackendale’s extensive contact spreadsheet to handpick the journalists who were the most relevant to the client’s investments and most likely to produce coverage, then fired off emails to try and secure some media opportunities. This task proved fruitful, as I received interest from three journalists and successfully scheduled an in-person interview with one. This was followed with the preparation of an interview brief to prepare the client and ensure the conversation would be as successful as possible.
Having done plenty of outreach, my time at Brackendale wouldn’t have been complete without meeting several journalists from its network. Brackendale has a proactive and relationship-driven approach to PR, taking time to build and maintain genuine relationships with journalists by scheduling regular calls and face-to-face chats. During my fourth week, Cerys Davey, PR & Marketing Senior Associate, and I ventured out of the office and into the city to meet with Stephanie Ball, a PE journalist at Real Deals. Together, we discussed upcoming industry events and identified areas of overlap between her future articles and Brackendale clients’ activities. It was particularly interesting to hear about Stephanie’s own career journey and her personal experience of becoming a financial journalist.
An aspect of Brackendale’s work that particularly resonates with my own interests and values is its Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) communications. During my placement, the team was producing several annual ESG reports for clients, involving graphic design, coordination and production of content, and proofreading. I had the opportunity to work on these reports myself, and seeing the efforts that PE firms are making to mitigate their environmental footprint and improve their social impact was both insightful and inspiring. It reinforced my interest in working on projects that combine strategic communications with meaningful social and environmental initiatives.
Equally inspiring was Brackendale’s partnership with the World Land Trust, exemplified by its six-year commitment to its ‘plant a tree’ scheme. To display Brackendale’s sustainable values, I was tasked to liaise with this fantastic organisation to source a video showcasing their work, which may feature in a montage on Brackendale’s homepage. This would figure as just one of the many new additions contributing to Brackendale’s website’s ‘revamp’. I was also tasked with adding images to the news page and carousel in order to bring every article to life. This was the first time that I have dived into the world of website design, and the result was worth every bit of time spent tweaking the images!
My time at Brackendale has given me incredible insight into PR and private equity. From journalist meetings to ESG reports, I am thankful that I was able to work on such a wide range of projects. My key takeaway is just how important the role PR plays in the private capital industry. Through channels such as press releases, podcast appearances, speaking slots, and thought leadership, strategic communications are fundamental for building firm brand awareness, manager reputability and crucially, investor engagement - the cornerstone of success for PE houses.
Thank you to the whole team for being so welcoming, kind and helpful, it has been a real pleasure to work with you and to learn so much from you all!
