Today We Right a Wrong for PR Freelancers
The PR Cavalry
Today is the launch of The Independent Impact 50 .
It’s an award to recognise 50 PR freelancers and independent consultants who not only have an impact on their clients, they have an impact on their peers and on the industry itself.
Right a wrong? Get over yourselves….
The Independent Impact 50 is the product of a conversation with Rod Cartwright, an independent consultant we have known for ages and member of The PR Cavalry and we realised that as far as we can tell, no freelancer has ever appeared in the PR Week Power Book and more widely that industry awards, if they have a category for best freelancer, treat it like one of those Oscars for best sound effects.
That’s the wrong to right. PR freelancers make up around 12% of the industry and have an impact out of all proportion to the size of their one person business.
That disproportionate power is what The Independent Impact 50 recognises and that’s the narrative we aim to challenge.
The idea that the industry is neatly divided into agency or in-house has to change.
As one commentaotor has already said “For too long, PR awards have been about only recognising agencies, but the shift towards highly experienced solo practitioners is not going away – on the contrary.”
We have the enthusiastic support of the CIPR, the PRCA and PRovoke Media and a wonderful sponsor in 72 Point who all had a light bulb moment when we explained it to them.
We also have a panel of judges from across the industry, mostly comms directors who also are behind this shift in perception
What we need of course is for independents and PR freelancers to enter.
Entering is free, the deadline is 23:59 on Friday 10th January and the event to celebrate the 50 independents will take place in spring.
How to enter and what the judges are looking for is all explained at www.TheImpact50.com
