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"Authenticity is Not Something we Have or Don’t Have. It’s a Practice"

South West Chair Kelly Pepworth

‘Authenticity is not something we have or don’t have. It’s a practice – a conscious choice of how we want to live.’

As we come towards the end of the year and look back on the months passed, we naturally review the decisions we’ve made, the opportunities we’ve taken and where we’ve ended up as a consequence. There will, of course, be some things we wish we’d done differently but also lots of achievements to be proud of in a year of new challenges and change. And hopefully, throughout it all, we can say we have been authentic in our actions and true to our values.

We now live in an age of authenticity. As consumers, we are increasingly searching for brand authenticity and purpose and as employees we want to work for companies that respect us, appreciate our needs both in and beyond the workplace and at the same time are conscious of the environmental and social impact they have on the world.

In this edition of the newsletter, we asked PR leaders from across the region for their predications for 2022 and consistently the theme of authenticity rings out. Values-led PR, the increasing role of ESG, the importance of trust and the place of ethics are all present in the responses as opportunities not just for businesses but for the wider PR industry.

The results of the recent PRCA census, which provide insight into existing pay gaps and the changing face of the workplace, also highlight the important choices that employers in our industry need to make to ensure fairness, equality of opportunity and the creation of healthy work environments.  We need to strive to do what is right for our teams, to conduct ourselves with integrity and in turn help them be the best they can be.

I am massively proud of our industry and how it is evolved. I am also excited by the impact we can make in supporting brands and business on their own authentic journeys whether that be delivering impactful ESG comms, helping to get the vision of inspiring business leaders heard or raising awareness of innovations that are positively changing industries.

For me 2022 will require us all to have the courage to live by our values. We may not always get it right, but if we strive to embrace authenticity in everything we do the rewards will be in abundance.  

Article featured in latest PRCA South West Newsletter.