Public relations is a vital part of the new homes sector, both on a consumer and corporate level. To find out more for those interested in learning about the role and the career potential of using marketing and PR skills in housebuilding, we talk to the team at one of the industry’s most established and respected agencies, Faust PR.
With roots in fashion and beauty, Jane Faust, founder of boutique consultancy Faust PR, had her first foray into the world of property nearly 30 years ago, taking on developers Octagon – a name now synonymous with luxury property. Decades later, and with Octagon remaining one of the company’s most loyal clients, the flourishing Vauxhall-based agency’s young and vibrant team are experts at delivering targeted media relations and meaningful PR and social media campaigns in the new homes industry.
Joining Jane some 10 years ago as a junior account executive, now company director Kate Turner has helped the agency triple its turnover – with a growing team of six and bank of freelancers servicing an expanding client base across the property and interiors sectors.
Kate says: “It’s rather unusual for someone to stay in their first job for almost a decade – but being given the opportunity to help Jane shape the business for the future really was an offer I couldn’t turn down! Our work is so varied from day to day, and the team really can deliver anything – be it a major public event for over 1,000 people (on a shoestring budget) or an intimate high-end press launch – no task is too big or small!”
The Barking Riverside London development scheme, one of Faust PR’s major projects
Faust PR’s USP has always been their rare ability to work with a wide cross section of businesses, from generating endless press coverage for local independent estate agents Featherstone Leigh, to delivering community engagement strategies and running large public events for enormous regeneration projects, such as Barking Riverside London.
Alongside this, the team have endless enthusiasm for nurturing start-ups outside of the property industry, including launching one of the original organic baby food brands, Ella’s Kitchen, to introducing the UK to the trendsetting Danish design store, Flying Tiger Copenhagen – a client for six years, throughout its rapid expansion.
Drawing on this diverse background, Faust consistently pushes boundaries, reaching wider media outside the property sphere. Rebecca Cowell, account manager, says: “Alongside traditional PR, social media, influencers and content-focused services are undoubtedly growing in importance for the property sector. We love expanding clients thinking – for example, working with high-end fashion bloggers to promote a boutique London development, or bringing in underground graffiti artists to create a unique hoarding for an area – all with distributable supporting content of course!”
Fully aware that, like any PR agency, you are only as good as your team, Jane and Kate invest significant time in the training up of graduates – offering each a high level of responsibility from the get-go.
Victoria Wooltorton, Harriet Stevens and Will Emery all joined fresh out of university. Office atmosphere and staff welfare is something placed highly on Faust’s list of priorities. Annual sailing days and festive jollies to Paris, summer hours and a holiday loyalty scheme are just some of the perks enjoyed by staff.
Senior account executive Victoria, who joined as a graduate in 2015, says: “For me, Faust was a really lucky find. I didn’t anticipate the level of opportunity and responsibility on offer from the very beginning – it is the best possible start to my PR career.”
Continuing to expand their client base into new sectors, Faust PR have recently taken on an organic homeware brand and have begun working on the ever-growing Build to Rent industry with longstanding clients L&Q.
Kate adds: “The majority of new clients come through recommendations from both within the industry and press contacts, but we are always on the lookout for the next new challenge – be it a start-up, or already well-established brand looking for something fresh and exciting.”
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