Category: Blogs

Work Experience at Whiteoaks
We always love to engage with ambitious young people, hoping to inspire them to embark upon their own exciting PR journeys! Over the summer we were joined by two students, Tom and Clare, who worked with different teams for two weeks to gain an insight into how we operate. Luckily, thanks to the easing of lockdown restrictions, they were even able to come in and experience life in the office! Here is how they found it.

Clare Merrick

Background and Interests:
Currently, I am studying for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick and am in my second, and penultimate, year. In my free time you will most likely find me watching the football (come on you Blues!) or listening to some records from my collection. I live in a village near Slough (which I thought was a bit of a commute!) so I found somewhere to stay a bit closer to the office to be able to come in every day during my work experience. I wanted to get experience in PR because I have my heart set on working in the industry when I graduate, but I felt I didn’t know enough about which specific team I wanted to work with and which area would be best suited to me. Whiteoaks is such a friendly and forward-thinking company that I was delighted to be able to get to do some work experience here. I knew that I would be able to learn a lot from Whiteoaks as they are a leading B2B agency and that they would have just the kind of environment in which I would eventually like to work!

Experience:
Writing at the end of my first week, I have greatly enjoyed what I have done so far and am very much looking forward to the next. This week I have been working with the Content team who have taught me how to write various different styles of pieces for clients. I’ve been doing tasks such as writing articles, press releases and synopses, proof reading, editing and research, and have learned an enormous amount in the process! It was great fun to deploy my creativity in these assignments and to try to utilise my background of English Literature. Some of the tasks were a challenge at first as I was initially unfamiliar with the formats that were required but, albeit with the help of the Cookbook, I persevered and gained some invaluable experience along the way. I will be changing team next week, moving to the Digital team, and am very excited to be working with them and learning a lot more!

Future Plans:
As I will have graduated by this time next year, my thoughts are already turning to what my next steps will be! I am currently mulling over the idea of doing a masters, partly because the COVID-19 pandemic has already robbed me of a year and a bit of the usual “university experience” but have not yet come to any firm conclusions on the matter. Either way, when I have finished my education, I would like to start working in PR and Communications.

Tom Baldry

Background and Interests:
After studying Sociology and Business Economics at The Sixth Form College Farnborough and achieving the results I needed to, I then went on to study at my dream university which is The University of Exeter. The course I am studying at university is BSc Management and Marketing and I am about to head into my third and final year in September after the most amazing first two years. I like to keep myself very busy but when I do have some free time outside of studying and my part-time job, I am most likely to be found going out for dinner and drinks or listening to live music with my friends. I decided that, before I graduate next year, I wanted to put what I have learnt from my degree so far into practice and apply it to working in order to develop my current knowledge and understanding. When I learnt more about Whiteoaks as an agency I realised that it is definitely the sort of business that I see working for in the future as everyone is very approachable and no questions are off limits so therefore doing work experience here was really a no brainer!

Experience:
My first week of work experience at Whiteoaks is coming to an end and I have already done and learnt so many new things thanks to the brilliant team I have been working with. In this week alone I have done many different tasks such as working on social posts, data mining, research, editing and even contributing to the Whiteoaks website and so much more! I have really enjoyed all the tasks that I have done this week and have found it gratifying being able to put the knowledge I’ve learnt from my degree to a use.

Future plans:
As a result of the pandemic ruining many people’s travel plans including my own, after hopefully graduating this time next year I plan on going travelling for around six months to a year around Southeast Asia which has been a lifelong dream of mine. On the return from my travels, I think I will make a decision as to whether or not I want to go back to university to complete a masters program. If not, I will hopefully go into working in social media marketing.

Podcasts have been around for a while but over the past 18 months, they have seen a new surge of popularity. Maybe because it was an obvious and easy thing to do while being stuck inside. The Oaksers have been talking about which podcasts they most enjoy listening to. From parenting, PR, to true crime, there are suggestions for everyone to get stuck into.

Tara Williams, HR Manager:
My two favourites at the moment are The HR Uprising and Seeing Red.

The HR Uprising is hosted by Lucinda Carney and explores “hot” HR topics either as a “conversation with” or “in focus”. The in focus episodes delve into a specialist HR subject giving practical advice on how to deliver real value to the business. The conversation with episodes are interviews with experts such as HR professionals, OD or L&D professionals taking about their specialist subjects.

Seeing Red as I am sure you can guess is a true crime podcast! But not just murders and death, they cover heists, scams and unsolved cases too. It’s a male/female duo who take it in turn to tell each other about true crime stories, they did an excellent episode on The Life and Crimes of Kenneth Noye.

John Broy, Chief Client Officer:
I’ve recently found a really good and entertaining running podacast called Running Commentary. It’s Hosted by two comedians, Paul Tonkinson and Rob Deering – who, over the course of 45 minutes or so, talk about all things running and their general day-to-day observations – whilst running. It’s a nice distraction at the end of a busy day.

Ellie Nash, Digital & Social Executive:
Since lockdown, I have discovered a real love for going on long walks around my local Airport and Business Park. I have recently really got into a podcast by YouTubers, Sophia and Cinzia, which is called ‘The Girls Bathroom’. This podcast is almost like an Agony Aunt, where girls across the globe send in their latest boy troubles or any girl chat and gossip. It’s a perfect podcast for a real belly laugh! I love it because it feels like I’m talking to my besties, definitely one to listen out for.

Suzanne Griffiths, Managing Director:
I enjoy listening to RunPod, hosted by Jenni Falconer who interviews a range of special guests all of who have some interest in running.

The guests range from amateurs to Olympians and they all have a fascinating story to tell with lots of different perspectives on the simple hobby of pounding the pavements.  Sometimes I’ll listen while running and other times when I need the motivation to get out there! I’ve picked up lots of tips and tricks along the way…as well as some things to avoid!!

I also enjoy listening to The High Performance Podcast which is hosted by Jake Humphrey and a leading organisational psychologist Damian Hughes who works with many sporting organisations to create high performing teams. Their guests include a range of high-achievers from all sorts of different fields and I’ve picked up some great ideas which I’ve rolled out in both my personal and professional life to help to gain the leading edge which these people have achieved.

Hannah Graham, Senior Designer:
I usually don’t get a lot of time at home to listen to podcasts so I usually (pre-Covid!) will take the commute to work as an opportunity to listen to some of my favourites as the 40 minute journey is timed just about perfectly. My top podcast has to be Fearne Cotton’s ‘Happy Place’ – a podcast that sees well known (some not so well known!) people interviewed on the struggles they’ve had in life and how they have overcome them to be in a much better place. It’s a really great listen and offers quite gritty, frank discussions that tackle some difficult. It also is a great podcast that promotes good mental health.

My second (and slightly more light hearted!) go-to podcast is Giovanna Fletcher’s ‘Happy Mum, Happy Baby’ which I’ve been listening to for a few years now. As a parent of a 4 year old myself it’s nice to listen to other people’s journeys to parenthood, how they navigate through every stage of their child/ren growing up, how they’ve changed as people themselves. It also helps massively to know that being a mum is not always plain sailing!

Tom Addison, Senior Marketing Executive:
I’m a big fan of podcasts so have listened to lots of different ones over the years. The one I listen to help with work is Everyone Hates Marketers, aimed at helping you not fall into trap of bad, boring marketing. Another one I listen to just for the lightheartedness and entertainment value is Smartless with Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes – where one of them each week invites a surprise guest on (normally a celebrity friend) to interview. It can be really funny as there is no structure and most of it is just nonsense, just like a conversations down the pub with friends…

Hayley Goff, Chief Operating Officer:
I enjoy and regularly listen to the PR Moment podcast. It’s interesting as its often about a hot topic or issue that we may be experiencing or looking to capitalise on.  Also, often from well-known people in industry so calibre of spokesperson is strong.

Hannah Buckley, Head of Content:
As someone who loves to cook (and loves eating even more), my favourite podcast is Off Menu, hosted by comedians Ed Gamble and James Acaster. Each week they have a different celebrity on talking about their dream meal and the choices are always surprising! I dare you to listen to it and not compose your own dream meal as you do!

Susan Richter, Marketing Communications Manager:
I’ve recently discovered a dog training duo that boost their real world training with both videos and podcasts. One of the podcast series is called Sexier than a Squirrel and despite its name, it’s been really useful in understanding my dog’s behaviour and the best thing is that you can listen to it while walking said dog! I also really enjoy Jon Ronson’s series on BBC probably because I love his books, his neurosis and his dry wit!

By Adam George, Head of Finance

Name, title and how long you’ve been at Whiteoaks
Adam George, Head of Finance, two-and-a-half years.

What’s your career background, in brief?
Prior to moving to Whiteoaks, I spent 12 years working in finance for a London based recruitment agency. I started in a very junior role and worked my way up to become CFO during my last few years. I also have a relatively strong background in payroll which is where I started my career many moons ago.

What did you study and how has it helped you grow your career?
I actually studied History at degree level. Whilst this didn’t directly impact my subsequent finance career, it did give me a great basis in creative writing and written communication which has helped make me a more rounded professional. To supplement my career, I also completed the ACCA accounting qualification a few years back.

What’s the most challenging job you’ve ever had?
Without a doubt, the most challenging job I had was my very first job working in an industrial laundrette. I worked on a conveyor sorting dirty laundry from hotels and restaurants. Hot, dirty and smelly.

What apps, technology items and gadgets can’t you live without?
That’s got to be my PS5 – perfect for unwinding. I suppose my phone too, much as I hate admitting it.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
Life is too short to let the little things get to you. Why bother spending time and energy getting worked up about something that won’t matter in 5 minutes time?

What are you reading, watching or listening to at the moment?
I’m reading Michael J. Fox’s recent autobiography, ‘No Time Like The Future’ currently. I’ve always been a fan and respect the fact he’s not allowed a debilitating illness to impact his career and instead used it to raise awareness and funding for Parkinson’s Disease.

We love to binge-watch series, so currently we are working our way through Parks and Recreation which I somehow missed during its original run and, just to balance things out, we’re also watching Series 3 of The Killing (love a Scandi Noir).

Music-wise, I’ve always been a fan of dance music, Prodigy albums are never far away from rotation on Spotify!

If you didn’t work in finance, what would your ideal job be?
When I was a kid, I really wanted to be a rally driver.

As pandemic restrictions have continued to ease in recent months, our content creators, much like everyone else, have been making the most of the return to freedom. For periods of downtime however, we’ve not squandered the opportunity to delve into a good book, watch some fascinating TV series and even perfect our cooking skills! Here’s the rundown from the team:

Ollie
I’ve just finished reading Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell. It’s the tale of a fictional band’s sudden rise to fame – and subsequent fall – during the late 60s. Some of the dialogue is a bit wooden and there are some cheesy and predictable moments, but despite these flaws I actually found the book hugely enjoyable. You get the impression Mitchell had a lot of fun researching the era, trying to capture the zeitgeist and making this fictional band’s story come alive among real life characters and events.

Next up is A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles which is about a Russian aristocrat living under house arrest. Can’t think why I put off reading this one during lockdown…

Natalia
Being a self-proclaimed chef, I always dive deep into my quite large collection of cookbooks. As I wasn’t able to celebrate all the birthdays and anniversaries over the past 18 months with the usual tour-the-hidden-restaurants, I transformed my kitchen into a very messy food sanctuary. I’m currently trying out Mauritian recipes from my signed copy of Sunshine On a Plate by MasterChef winner Shelina Permalloo. Truly great fusion cuisine with African, Asian, and European influences, perfect for sharing, and those who have to follow a gluten/dairy-free diet like me.

In between flicking through cookbooks and, of course, football, I got to enjoy a good binge-watch session on Netflix. A thriller mini-series The Woods based on Harlan Coben’s bestselling novel kept me in suspense, biting my nails and munching on toffee popcorn. If like me you can’t wait to get hooked on the next intriguing mystery, and don’t mind English dubbing or subtitles, I can recommend this absorbing, well-written piece of Polish cinematography. Whilst I’m tempted to re-watch Lucifer for the 3rd time, I promised my friends to catch up on The West Wing, a gripping American political drama from the early 2000s. Off to buy some more popcorn then!

Alex
Listening to music has always been one of my favourite ways to escape stresses of daily life, and it’s proven no different in 2021 during lockdown and restrictions. New albums by Wolf Alice, Royal Blood and Twenty One Pilots have been on repeat on my Spotify! Euro 2020 fever has also struck me during the last few weeks and I’ve enjoyed listening to the Peter Crouch Euros Podcast on BBC Sounds as they take a light-hearted analysis on games in the tournament. I’m currently reading Born to be Mild by Rob Temple, an autobiographical journey by the man behind the popular Very British Problems profile on social media.

Hannah
We’ve recently moved house, so I’ve been watching a lot of short programmes to keep me entertained while decorating. At the moment, that’s Younger, a show about a woman in her 40s who pretends to be in her 20s to get a job in publishing. Looking a bit further ahead, I’m very excited that not one, but two(!) film adaptations of Jane Austen’s Persuasion (my favourite book!) are currently in the works. It’ll be a while before we get to see the finished results but I can’t wait to see what they do with Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth’s story!

I’m also reading the award-winning Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. It’s a bit of a departure from what I usually read but I’m enjoying it so far!

Richard
I really enjoy reading history and biography and am currently combining the two by working my way through a book about Clement Attlee called Citizen Clem. It is a fascinating insight not only into Attlee’s life but also into 20th century Britain. I’d highly recommend it. In terms of television, I’m a huge armchair sports fan and I’ve been following the Euros avidly but also keeping in touch with all the latest from Wimbledon and the international cricket. Great escapism in these stressful times.

Hugh
I’ve gone back to The Times Atlas of World History, starting from the bit where it’s all pictures of skull fragments and hairy hominin ancestors. I’ve got as far as the destruction of Mycenae and Knossos, which remains mysterious. I was dipping in and out, but the chronological approach is more fulfilling.

I’ve also been catching up on Ed Reardon’s Week on BBC Sounds. A journalist colleague once compared me with the irascible, feckless, ale and cricket-loving hack writer Ed Reardon and I was sadly proud.

By Chloe Knowles, Junior Account Executive

In light of World Ocean Day on June 8th, it made me think. Other than looking pretty whilst at the beach or on holiday, does the ocean really need its own day? The ocean covers approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface, with the Pacific Ocean alone covering around 32% (which is almost 10 times the size of Russia). But, with only 5% of the ocean having been explored and charted by humans, how impactful is the ocean on our lives and why do we need to look after it?

If current trends continue, experts speculate that the amount of plastic waste polluting the oceans will grow to 29m tonnes a year by 2040, which is the equivalent of 50kg for every metre of coastline in the world. To put this into perspective, a study done by the University of Georgia found that 18 billion pounds of plastic wind up in our oceans each year. Which is enough rubbish to cover every foot of coastline around the world with five full bags of rubbish…every year. If these expected stats become facts, this could impact our lives in many ways.

That’s why this year and the coming years are some of the most important in protecting our oceans. This is the first year of the UN’s Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. It aims to utilise advanced technologies and research that are being developed to help sustain the Blue Economy, which will tackle climate change and spur economic growth, to name a few.

How ocean pollution affects humans 
– 70% of the oxygen we breathe is produced by marine plants
– 97% of the Earth’s water supply is contained in the Ocean
– 30% of CO2 emissions produced by Humans in absorbed in the Oceans (which helps to slow the rate of Global Warming)

How can we pitch in to reduce ocean pollution? 
– Use a reusable water bottle instead of a single-use plastic bottle
– Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Reduce your usage of single-use plastics.
– Avoid buying products with excessive packaging.
– Bring a reusable bag for shopping (e.g. supermarket, retail shops, etc.)
– If you are to buy/use a product that contains a plastic holder, be sure to cut it before disposing of it as in the ocean, these can strangle or trap wildlife

Fortunately, there are some great causes out there that are trying to combat the pollution, such as The Ocean Cleanup that is developing and using advanced technologies to help rid the ocean of plastic. As well as smaller groups like local beach clean-ups – each group plays their part in the aim to reduce pollution.

So, although the ocean does look nice for a photograph background whilst on holiday, it really is an integral part of our lives, and we all need to ensure to do our part to look after it.

By Emily Fishburn, Junior Account Manager

This week marks Nutrition and Hydration Week, a week that takes place annually and aims to re-energise conversation and top tips around the ways to best maintain health and wellbeing, something that can easily be neglected in our busy lives. Earlier in the week, the Whiteoaks team had a session with a registered nutritionist and health coach, Claire Sendall from Health Empowered who taught us her top tips for becoming a healthier and better-hydrated version of ourselves. In this blog, I’ll share some of the advice learnt.

Staying hydrated

On average we should be drinking around 2 litres of water per day to stay well hydrated and support our bodies digestion, circulation and temperature control for our brain to work well. Many of us can find this a tricky target while it can be difficult to measure how much water we are actually drinking. An effective way of keeping track is by investing in a good water bottle, some even have a guide on the side of the bottle of where the level of water should be at certain hours of the day. By drinking from a reusable water bottle can also be healthier for us than reusing a single-use plastic bottle over and over while they can leech chemicals and bacteria can grow in them which could be harmful to us.

Why is nutrition important?

In a similar way to how being hydrated can impact our mood and performance, what we eat can have just as much of an impact. Eating a healthy diet contributes to preventing illness and improving quality and length of life. Understanding what we are putting in our bodies and our foods nutritional value is important to be aware of, some food restaurants now are helping us to educate us on this by labelling menus with their nutritional value. From April 2022 the UK government has ruled that large businesses will need to display calorie information on menus and food labels – another way that can support us to make healthier choices when eating out.

Having a better focus on health and wellbeing – an ongoing journey

Over the past year or so, while our busy lives have been put on hold somewhat this has given us time to focus on getting our health and wellbeing in order, and so has seen the rise in popularity of PT’s such as Courtney Black, James Smith and nutritionists such as Graeme Tomlinson, aka the fitnesschef on Instagram. Many, including myself, have looked to their social accounts for inspiration and guidance.

From apps such as MyFitnessPal, wellbeing, fitness and nutrition influencers on social media to wearable gadgets such as Apple Watch and FitBit, today we have so much information and support readily available to help us better look after our health and wellbeing – it’s just about putting in the effort to find the approach that works best for us.