We sit down for a cuppa with Senior Account Director Joanna Clark, who spills the tea on uncovering the ‘why’ to achieve quality media coverage, and how sometimes you’ve just got to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in.  

 1. How long have you been in the Mantis team at Ruder Finn and what’s your role? 

I’ve been part of the team for six-years, and my role as a Senior Account Director means that no two days are ever the same! I’m responsible for making sure we deliver successful public sector tech campaigns and that means rolling up my sleeves and getting stuck in. I’m a very solution orientated person, so I enjoy problem solving, coming up with creative ideas and keeping an eye on the bigger picture.  

 2. What do you enjoy most about working at one of the world’s largest independent global communications and creative agencies? 

I love the variety. We’re fortunate to work with companies who are innovating across the public sector, from healthcare to local government, social care to education, and providing services and technologies that improve people’s lives.  One day I could be working on an announcement that raises awareness of a new telephony platform that’s been rolled out across an NHS Trust and the next I could be drafting an award entry or a whitepaper on cybersecurity for local governments.  

​We genuinely care about our clients and want to deliver the best results for them. I know it sounds cliché, but I find it really rewarding to be part of these projects and see the positive impact they’re having.  

I’m also lucky to work with such a great team of people. My role requires me to collaborate with multiple departments at Ruder Finn, so I get to learn from different people and witness just how talented they are.   

 3. What tips do you have for generating earned coverage when we’re seeing newsrooms getting smaller? 

It’s about quality over quantity. To secure earned media coverage you need a keen insight into crafting a truly compelling story, and one that resonates with your audience. Simply distributing press releases or pitches based on a client’s product isn’t enough. You need to push yourself and uncover the ‘why’ and find those key elements that will interest readers. Ultimately, it’s about having the courage to reframe the narrative, catch a journalist’s attention and create an opportunity to highlight the organisations priorities. 

4. What are you known for in your team?  

I would like to think I’m known as someone who is organised and can get things done. I want to make sure the people I work with feel supported and fulfilled. It’s important to me that we have the space to come up with new ideas and push ourselves to deliver the very best results we can.  

5. Finally… how do you take your tea?  

I don’t think you can go wrong with a Breakfast tea, but the milk has to go in after the teabag!