Mark Harrison
Corporate Communications Manager,
Corporate Communications, BMW (UK) Ltd
Job description
To create, improve and protect the public perception of BMW the company, its products and services in line with brand values and company objectives.
To influence the opinions and attitudes of the media through presentations, verbal and written communication, media launch events and placement of vehicles for evaluation.
What does your job involve?
The core part of my role involves finding ways of raising the profile of BMW products and the company as whole. I try to find new ways of influencing people’s feeling towards the company or its products. Other aspects of my job include managing people, liaising with the marketing and sales departments and maintaining our corporate communications activities at the forefront of the professional discipline.
Describe a typical day?
Public relations (PR) and corporate communications are changing; it is not just about talking to journalists about new products. My day can vary from promoting BMW’s designers to sitting in on pitches for some online MINI PR activities. I can be involved in highlighting BMW and MINI environmental credentials (which are surprisingly high) or finding ways of communicating how BMW is contributing positively to the UK economy.
What are the personal attributes required to succeed in your job?
You need to be very disciplined in order to meet tight deadlines. However, things can unexpectedly crop up so flexibility is important. You also have to be creative, yet analytical. We conduct lots of research and evaluation to get a good understanding of BMW’s target audience. Once we understand the audience we then need to come up with creative ways of getting these people interested in our cars and products.
How have your qualifications helped you in your career?
Before beginning a career in public relations I worked as a landscape architect, having studied for a BSc in Horticulture and a Masters in Landscape Architecture. There is always something that can be used from previous experiences, for example, using my balance of scientific and creative backgrounds can help to solve problems or promote a product.
What do you find most rewarding about your job?
Receiving positive press coverage in newspapers, magazines or online about the company or a product. The highlight of my job was the launch of the MINI in 2001. I am also proud of helping to build up a public relations team at BMW that is a leader in the industry. The more fun side of the job includes being able to see the world, lunching with great journalists in good restaurants (still one of the most effective PR tools.) and supporting BMW UK’s sponsorship at the O2 by hosting journalists and other influential guests at gigs.
What advice would you give to someone applying for a job in the automotive industry?
You need to be committed and have an interest in cars. Research is important – you don’t need to be a car expert but a basic understanding of the industry will help make a positive impression on a prospective employer.