There are many big companies in our industry like Sky and BBC who must get it right and have HR departments to ensure that. But much of the broadcast technology sector is made up of small companies started by (typically) male engineers who have launched a product and therefore a business, but don’t have an HR department. It’s a case of breaking out of that mould and supporting women who have different needs – helping them stay and rise up within a business. I don’t want sponsorship money to just come from marketing so they can tick the Rise sponsorship box. I want the HR teams to be involved, or at least the CEO if there’s no HR, to ensure that real change is being implemented. Bubble Agency is a major PR force in the media-tech space, launched and managed by you. What is the PR landscape looking like at this moment in time? The landscape at the moment is very interesting. I love magazines and print, and now there are so many additional ways of communication. The way people consume information has also changed massively, and so the PR landscape has had to adapt to that. We’re now working with clients on podcasts and LinkedIn campaigns, for example. PR is constantly trying to cut through the noise, which can be difficult. PR people are good at building relationships and, at Bubble, we go beyond simply connecting press and clients – we bring in industry people as well. Bringing people together is so important, since strong relationships ultimately lead to good stories. You take a leading role for an array of organisations. Any advice for fellow leaders and managers out there?
What are some of the biggest challenges faced by women in the media industry, and how can supporting initiatives like Rise help that? I recently read a statistic that stunned me. This statistic revealed that 80% of people can’t name a female entrepreneur, which summarises the many challenges women face in business. I think one particularly big challenge is women being taken seriously in technical roles. One time at NAB, somebody walked up to our client’s stand with a question, to which the client replied: ‘I’ll go and get Nicola,’ which they responded to with: ‘No, I want to speak to somebody technical.’ I really like the Geena Davis quote: ‘If you can see it, you can be it.’ That’s why initiatives like Panel Plus are important, to help reflect the change in representation that is happening.
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER Beyond the glitz and glamour, the Rise Awards (above) continue the fight for equal representation for women
GROWING TOGETHER By giving women much more of a presence at trade shows, Rise is transforming the industry’s attitude to diversity
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