PR Executive

This exciting role offers the opportunity to be part of our PR team’s mission to ensure B&Q is seen as the no1 place for home improvement by consistently generating fresh ideas that drive fame and advocacy. We want to champion B&Q hero products and services in the most engaging way possible through smart thinking and curated opportunities.

The role is responsible for supporting B&Qs consumer PR campaigns and reputation management to promote and protect B&Qs offer and value (products/services) and our B&Q brand values, by helping to influence editorial content in earned media: news and consumer, traditional and digital; to drive footfall and traffic, brand loyalty & preference.

As a member of the Content, Social & PR Team, this role will support B&Q’s consumer facing, earned communications output, on time and to budget.

Key Accountabilities / Responsibilities:

Supports in the day-to-day running of press office:

• Collaborate with PR Managers and agencies to identify PR opportunities that promote brand reputation and consumer preference, leveraging topical and cultural moments with relatable, engaging content.
• Support the Corporate and Consumer press office to address issues as needed.
• Manage Press Office budget overview, ensuring all internal financial protocols are followed – including raising POs, goods receipting, tracking expenses etc.
• Oversee Press Loft: upload images, draft and publish media alerts, and raise awareness of new B&Q offerings to drive priority category consideration.
• Maintain the B&Q newsroom (Epresspack): manage press releases, product details, image libraries, and media queries, ensuring seamless inbound and outbound communication.
• Handle image and product requests from the PR agency.
• Share relevant articles and coverage updates with internal stakeholders.
• Compile weekly and monthly internal coverage reports.
• Support regional PR for store openings, including briefing and managing execution and budgets, as well as a regional PR agency if being used (reporting to the Corporate PR Manager).
• Build and maintain relationships with target media through direct outreach, sell-in media alerts, and gather insights on their upcoming features.
• Coordinate and manage media/influencer gifting campaigns (often collaborating with social teams and PR agency)

Supporting on PR campaign execution, including Content for wider channels

• Support the agency in producing and delivering PR activity across earned media channels (broadcast, print, digital), ensuring tactics align with campaign objectives.
• Brief and manage the PR agency to create and deliver on-message campaign content that aligns with B&Q’s brand guidelines (tone and personality), meeting deadlines, and achieving pre-agreed KPIs.
• Collaborate with other marketing channels via Content Planning and Content Production meetings to integrate PR content and ensure timely delivery for cross-channel use.
• Provide additional campaign support, including planning and attending shoots, press shows, briefings, and other events.

Manages measurement of effectiveness of PR activity:

• Support on campaign data/insight for all outputs generated by PR assets (including results from using in other channels) to inform future campaign development.
• Manages B&Qs media monitoring agency (Cision)

Collaborates with internal stakeholders to ensure alignment of Consumer & Corp-sumer PR activity

• Works alongside social & digital colleagues to align to the influencer strategy and leverage opportunities for media to deliver against campaign objectives; leads on delivery in earned, and works with other channels as appropriate
• Supports the drafting of statements and Q&As for issues (product, store, service related), for use by broader channels (contact centre, store colleagues, internal briefings etc), ensuring alignment with key external and internal stakeholders