At PRLab we enjoy a good breakfast. Which is why we host events our community will be familiar with, the breakfast series. Put on hold during the restrictions of 2020 and 2021, we’ve now started hosting them again, for the first time in Stockholm.
These breakfasts bring together PR professionals from a range of companies, all with unique experiences, challenges and solutions. With the opportunity to discuss PR over breakfast, we seek to strengthen the PR network, providing a space for feedback and growth. In order for members to continue engaging with each other and to promote discussion and learning, we are asking members to reflect on their experiences with PR.
Our first entry is from Filippa, Global Communications Manager for Klarna, a Swedish FinTech company that’s offering new alternative payment options for online shoppers.
I started my PR journey as a trainee for the founder of Prime Weber Shandwick. It was very "devil wears Prada" and super intense - but I learned a lot! Thereafter I started specialising in crisis communications and grew a particular interest in tech; what part does trust and reputation play for scale up and growth? So in April 2020 I joined Klarna and now combine my two main interests - corporate reputation and tech!
The continuous change in customer expectation means that we DO have to reinvent the wheel constantly. Companies need to be ahead of the curve to stay relevant, and offer products and services customers not yet realise that they want. That's hard - but exciting. And it makes for a very interesting environment to practice comms in.
Super clichéd, but it really is that it's constantly changing. The Klarna of today is nothing like the Klarna I joined less than two years ago. I also love working globally, adapting PR and comms to different markets and cultures.
I think we all need to step out of the PR/comms bubble more. Find inspiration in the "real world". Comms is nothing without being properly anchored in what's going on and what people are talking about.
Remember that the "cool" projects are often the easiest ones and you don't learn as much. Try making comms about a paper towel or a dishwasher engaging and there you really get a chance to develop!
