It’s time to meet another member of the lorries team and under the spotlight this time is our London-based content manager Sam Pudwell. Here’s what he had to say about telling stories about technology, a nine-month jaunt around America and the time he got stuck in a football net.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested working in b2b tech PR?
I’d say the most important thing is to not be put off by all the technical information that will be thrown at you. And don’t think that you have to be a technical expert to work in b2b tech! Although the abundance of acronyms and complex terminology can certainly be daunting at first, you’ll pick it up pretty quickly as long as you’re prepared to jump in headfirst. I didn’t have any technical knowledge when I first started as a journalist and things have worked out OK for me so far!
What skills are essential for your b2b PR role?
As my role is content focused, being able to structure content – whether it’s a 1,000 word thought leadership article or a 30 word tweet – so that it is both engaging and informative is essential. I have to be able to make technology relatable to readers and illustrate how it solves a real-life problem, rather than just focusing on the technical information.
My role also requires creativity and an understanding of how different types of content fit into wider marketing campaigns – along with an eye for detail. I proofread a lot of content that has been written by other lorries, so I have to be able to spot any errors and offer constructive feedback.
What is your favourite part of working in PR?
There are many great aspects of b2b PR, but it’s the people that really make it worthwhile. PR is full of fun, creative people who come from many different backgrounds, which makes it a really entertaining industry to work in.
The same is true for clients. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some incredibly smart and inspiring people who are passionate about using technology to improve how we live and work. Seeing that innovation come to life is a great part of the job!
What’s the best part of working at the lorries?
Easy – the variation. Right from my first day at the lorries I’ve been encouraged to get involved in as much as possible and the nature of my role means I’ve been able to contribute to lots of different areas during my time here.
Operating as a central content resource has given me the chance to work on virtually every client account in the agency at one point or another, which definitely keeps things interesting. Whether it’s client work or working with our digital team on more lorries-focused marketing content, no two days are the same!
How would you describe your day job to a child?
I spend my days writing stories and helping clients figure out which stories they want to tell. Some of these stories are long and some of them are short, but they all have a villain (a business problem) and a hero (a product or technology). My job is to make these stories engaging so that people want to read them, and then go out and buy our clients’ products.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
This is a tricky one. Karaoke was the first thing that came to mind, but as I’m hugely proud of my karaoke ability I think I’m going to have to go for rom-coms instead. I love action movies as much as the next guy, but sometimes you just can’t beat a good rom-com!
Also, noughties pop.
What’s something not many people know about you?
Before I got my first job in technology journalism I spent nine months coaching football (the European version) at summer camps in America. Half of this was based in a handful of different places around LA where we moved around every two weeks and stayed with local families, while the rest was based in Mountain View about an hour South of San Francisco. It wasn’t a bad way to spend a few months!
Most embarrassing moment?
I’m sure there are plenty, but this is the first one that came to mind. I played football for a halls team at university and we used to rotate who went in goal. One week I thought I’d do the fair thing and put myself forward, so I ended up going in goal for the second half of a game – at which point we were drawing. In one of the opposition’s first attacks there was a goalmouth scramble and I got my foot stuck in the net and ended up in a heap on the floor. They scored a goal, won the game and I’ve been getting stick about it ever since.
