PressJobs Profile: Nigel Pittman of NBAT
How did NBAT come about ?
Former employees of what had been the National Building Agency set up their own agency in 1981. In those days, there was a lot of work linked to the Government and indeed one of our architects (we have 4) is still involved in certainly elements of work with the BSI, having recently drawn up a British Standard revision. Initially we designed technical literature, and indeed still do so today, alongside websites (which we also host), advertising and of course PR. One of the founders, Richard Thomas is still MD.
What career would you have taken up had you not worked in PR?
Building product marketing. I was actually Marketing Manager / Director for two companies over a period of twenty five years and changed course after that. I was therefore, already a 'PR Senior' in that sense before I started! The experience has, however, helped me make recommendations taking the client’s perspective into account.
How do you describe the kind of PR work you do?
Construction PR. We specialize in the sector and look for opportunities for feature work in particular on issues of particular interest to clients. We look for feature article opportunities and sell our services on the basis that we have experience of specification across a wide range of products.
What are the advantages of specializing in PR for niche market manufacturers?
I suppose the obvious one is understanding in many cases how products work. Familiarity makes it far easier to write about a subject while having architects as colleagues is invaluable with questions about subjects such as Building Regs. I guess it gives us a technical edge and though there are far too may products to understand them all, we do tend to find we are able to get to grips with new products and issues pretty quickly.
Give us an idea of your typical day at work.
Running through priorities with my colleague Val, then looking at editorial feature lists for possible article opportunities, writing a synopsis for an editor, then the actual agreed article(s). I also provide marketing advice to certain clients which can involve anything from the relative merits of magazines and online sites for advertising to booking exhibitions. I also manage the odd photo shoot.
How has PR changed since you joined the industry?
It’s far easier since the advent of all things electronic. I’m not sure editors always think this is the case as many often bemoan the fact that photography taken by clients just isn’t up to the mark and of course they are invariably inundated with material. Availability of information on demand has also resulted in far too much hype suggesting that traditional publishing has had its day. I tend to recommend a sense of balance with PR because, in our industry at least, we are far from reaching the point where electronic communication is all that is necessary. Sadly I don’t think the reputation of the PR industry has improved that much, despite some of the excellent work I see in the B2B media.
What has been your most interesting challenge as a PR professional and how did you overcome it?
Difficult one. I hate to say it but most of the issues we write about aren’t guaranteed to set the pulse racing. Writing about anti-ligature measures in prisons was particularly challenging but we managed to place articles on it. One other interesting issue was that of hand arm vibration and how to promote the benefits of using products which avoided the need to drill concrete. We wrote a 'White Paper' on the subject and promoted the findings as a whole rather than just promote the products concerned. It worked well and we even inspired reaction from power tool manufacturers.
How is NBAT preparing to weather the storm of the recession?
We are fortunate in that we undertake varied work for clients, ranging from PR to writing CPD presentations and a host of other things in between. I think we have a balance of clients, including a number of smaller ones. In PR, we are happy to work on one-off projects so we don’t price ourselves out with those who can’t afford a retainer fee.
Can you suggest any preparation for people going for PR jobs in your area of the industry?
Construction can hardly be said to be at the fashionable end of the PR spectrum. I think part of the problem is knowing whose opinion to ask. The CIPR website is helpful as are the staff in my limited experience. If you have any contacts specifically in construction media, it would be good to take advantage of that and ask them which agencies they find best. There is nothing to be lost by ringing one or two of the companies recommended. The only other advice I would offer is not to take too much notice of the traditional image of the PR agency. Most of us just aren’t like that!
What do you do to unwind?
Nothing too spectacular. I’ve done a fair bit of running in my time up to marathons, though I have had to take up the bike since my knees began to let me down. Though I don’t twitter in the traditional sense of the term (nor in the contemporary sense either!), I do enjoy the odd bit of bird watching and have done some voluntary wardening for the RSPB.
Tell us something interesting about yourself that we couldn’t find on the internet.
I don’t think you will find out much about me at all on the internet. However, I was a contestant on BBC Bargain Hunt with my daughter a couple of weeks ago. Needless to say we made no money, but did manage to win on the day.
Nigel Pittman can be contacted at NBAT
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