We are gutted to be saying goodbye to our placement student, Kat Patchett, who has been part of the Coop for the past year in support of her university degree. We sat down with Kat to learn all about her time as a Rooster and what makes a sandwich year or graduate placement at the Coop such an excellent platform for those looking to enter the PR industry.
“Since starting my events management degree at Leeds Beckett, I’ve been fascinated with how brands create a buzz around events and new products. During my first two years at Beckett, I hosted a variety of online and in-person events where I took the lead in raising awareness and creating social platforms to gain attendees and reach a wider audience. Taking a placement year was always something I had thought about and was always encouraged by my lecturers; however, I was unsure of the industry I wanted to go into and wanted to make sure it would benefit both my final year and my career post-university. Making sure I’d actively learn something and that my placement beneficial for both parties was at the forefront of my mind, as I needed to make my year out from study worthwhile.
Since becoming a member of the Coop last summer, I have worked across several varied brands and have lent a helping hand in creating events, supporting PR sell-ins, and handling social media accounts. It is so much more than just making tea!
Events
As my degree is primarily events focused, I was most excited about being part of the process from start to finish and learning how to put on a successful event – and that I did!
My first event was at Kettner’s Townhouse for Morris & Co. I helped to organise this event just a month into my placement. I was excited to get involved sourcing props to help style the event – finding a Christmas tree in June is a lot harder than you may think! I loved that it was my responsibility to make the venue look perfect.
Event styling for Morris & Co.
I also attended two Smeg events which were aimed at both press and influencers. This was a brilliant insight into how brands differ and how the audience can change the look and feel. I helped the team staff the event, greeting journalists and influencers and managing the guest list, and was on hand to assist with anything and everything – one thing I have learnt from my time at the Coop is that there is no job too big or small. Everyone gets stuck in to ensure events run smoothly and you get an amazing buzz after having worked together as a team.
As my confidence grew, I was then asked to support our head of audio and technology to put on an event to kick off British audio institution Naim’s 50th anniversary. This was an amazing opportunity for me to prove I could handle event management independently. I led brainstorms with the team to source ideas and inspiration, liaised with and organised the venue and even prepared a debrief document to share with the client that highlighted the results we gained from the event. It was a brilliant learning curve and I feel so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to show what I had learnt.
Social media
Social media has completely changed the landscape of how brands engage with and connect with their customers. I was briefed to liaise with the online communities for several of our brands, responding to customers, sharing UGC (user generated content) and engaging with tagged posts to help broaden our reach online.
I was also assigned to prep the grids and stories for La Pavoni’s Instagram, with support and direction from the account lead. This is a huge responsibility – an Instagram feed is often the first place customers look so it is so important to get this spot-on.
I learnt lots of new skills, such as how to create content and infographics for use on social media using platforms such as Canva, and how to make professional-looking reels for brands. I supported the teams with their influencer outreach by researching and compiling suggested influencers to partner with and distributing products in exchange for social media content. Finally, I also learnt what makes a great social media campaign, as I helped the team compile reports analysing the figures and data from our social media activity and made recommendations for improvements to help boost their reach, impressions, and engagement rate.
Social media posts for Contigo and La Pavoni
PR
When it comes to PR, I was given the huge responsibility of handling Little Red Rooster’s own PR and ensuring that all business updates are featured across key PR trade platforms – we’re one of the UK’s fastest growing agencies (see the recent PR Week Top 150 Results table for proof!) and I know how important it is to shout about our growth and accomplishments. In doing so, I learnt how to prepare and distribute press releases and share these with media. I then get to see the amazing coverage that comes from it and share the results with the team. The first press release I prepared independently was for HJ Hall – which was distributed by the team and even secured national coverage. The team helped coach and mentor me on what to include and honed my writing style – a hugely valuable lesson considering several members of our senior team are ex journalists!
HJ Hall Comfort Top and Soft Top socks
I also supported the account teams by distributing samples for photoshoots. Most agencies might pack up a sample and send it out without much thought – but as part of our ‘Do More Good’ initiative, it is important to Little Red Rooster we use recycled wrapping materials and I took real pride in packaging these beautifully, so they put a smile on journalists’ faces when they receive them. I was responsible for monitoring and updating all internal stock lists, keeping track of how long product loans had been with press and monitoring for reviews or coverage once they received them.
I may have been a placement student, but the Coop always made me feel part of the team. I received the same support all other team members do – from a line manager who helps me prioritise my tasks to regular personal development catchups to help me grow and continuously improve. I have been involved in all team activities – from team lunches and trips to the theatre to our amazing week of workshops in Italy last month. Few graduate placements or students could say that.
The benefits the Rooster team provide are incredible – I have always received the same incentives as other staff members, including unlimited holiday allowance, a Christmas bonus, half of my public transport to the office paid for and so much more. The team were always on hand to help answer any questions and were so conscientious of making sure I learnt something and gained new skills during my time here.
Team trip to Umbria
The personal growth I have experienced since being at Little Red Rooster is phenomenal; not only have I got to experience working in a professional working environment in the career path I am interested in, but I have also become a well-rounded, confident individual willing to put my mind to any task I am set. From coming here with no PR or social media experience, I am leaving with a plethora of newfound skills and accomplishments which I am excited to apply in my final year of university.
Rounding up the past year is hard to put into just one paragraph. I am so pleased that I took the leap and ventured into the world of work. I feel like I have a huge head start compared to others graduating, with first-hand knowledge of PR and social media roles across several clients. I also know how much I am going to enjoy my final year at university, not only because I can apply my new-found knowledge to my degree, but also because I have the reassurance that once I am out in the big wide world, I have valued experience from an agency with stellar clients and amazing results. If anyone reading this is unsure or on the cusp of applying for a placement year, I couldn’t speak more highly of it, especially at Little Red Rooster. You get the chance to personally experience the sector and visualise where you could be in years to come, which is incredibly inspiring.
Visiting the colosseum in Rome
Are you looking for a placement role or graduate job? We are recruiting for our next placement student. If you like what you hear and want first-hand experience within one of the UK’s most exciting PR agencies, download our full job description here.
