I’m sometimes asked ‘what is PR? What do you do at Watershed?’ Sometimes I reply that we help businesses protect and build their reputations. Or I say that we help them sell products and spread ideas. If I’m feeling particularly grandiose I might claim that we put them in touch with the world (that last one works best with an echo effect. Helloooo world!)
And all those answers are true of all good PR agencies, large or small, city-based or regional.
But what does Watershed do? In summary, Watershed’s job is making good things happen. For our clients, for us as a company, for our local area, for the wider world.
Facts first. We’re a regional agency, based in Dorset with clients across the South West. We’re proud to be what Seth Godin calls a ‘small giant’, succeeding because we are good, not because we are big. In fact I’d go further and say that, for us, being good, being small and being outside London all work together to give us our characteristic attitude, expertise and spirit.
We create stuff – much of it digital. We make things happen, work with us and things change – why else would we be called Watershed? And, crucially in this age of mass consumption, we make good things happen. Only smaller agencies can really claim this role. Some of the big ones want to, but however expert, they are just too corporate, cumbersome and often compromised by the type of work they do. It doesn’t help anyone in PR when agencies work with despotic regimes, try to restrict free speech, or engage in negative briefings against competitors.
Here at Watershed we’re particularly interested in local communities and networks. Every year the team chooses a very local cause or event to support with a free PR campaign – this year it’s Bridport Hat Festival, last year it was the From Page to Screen Film Festival, before that it was Bridport Food Festival. (Bridport likes its festivals, one of many reasons why we like Bridport).
But our definition of making good things happen goes wider and deeper than an annual bit of community work. It’s good to provide interesting careers and proper salaries outside the cities. It’s good to work long-term with businesses and organisations and help them grow. And it’s good to explore new ideas and contribute to the knowledge economy.
Sara Hudston
