PR in the Real World – Shirah Bamber

Shirah Bamber has earned a reputation as the go-to problem solver throughout her career. With her directorship at Alma, a top communications and strategy consultancy, she’s built an impressive CV that spans across challenging roles from the public and private sectors. With many strings to her bow, insights from a well-rounded comms guru like Shirah are pure gold for PR and communications professionals. Here are some essential takeaways from her unmissable appearance on PR in the Real World.

1: Follow Objectives. Not Instructions

Don’t just take a brief at face value. When a client says, “We need a video for this,” your job isn’t just to execute, it’s to dig deeper. Comms professionals have a unique bird’s-eye view that lets them uncover what’s really keeping the client up at night. Sure, you might be tempted to win goodwill by sticking closely to their brief, but identifying the objectives behind their instructions lets you deliver better results, faster. Not everyone’s a comms expert – that’s your job!

• Work out problems first, solutions later.

2: Get the Most Out of Your Team

When your team knows the ‘why’ behind their work, they’ll roll up their sleeves and go above and beyond. It’s not just about clarity, it’s about enhancing performance. In small teams with tight budgets, making your team feel valued can be the difference when it comes to getting over the line. This can be tricky in any workplace but it’s trickier still in comms. Sometimes lots of work can go into something not becoming a story, meaning the work is hard to appreciate. The comms team won’t be thanked in the newsletter, they wrote it! That’s why creating a healthy, collaborative environment is essential. Show your team you value them: ask for their input, act on feedback, and yes, bring in those Monday morning chocolates! A team that feels heard and appreciated will always deliver more.

• A healthy team means better comms. Ensure this by showing feedback is valued and asking for input.

3: It’s the Politics, Stupid!

Strategic comms is as much about managing relationships as it is about messaging. Shirah explains that for many, board directors and politicians alike, “comms” can be a dirty word. It’s often seen as something that distorts the message rather than supports it. We’re not all Malcomb Tucker! Overcoming these misconceptions takes time and effort. There’s no quick fix. Gaining trust means working collaboratively to build relationships (or navigating egos). Once you can stop framing challenges as “comms problems” or “company problems” and start saying “our problem,” your comms will come into it’s own.

• Manage the politics and relationships well. Doing so means your strategic comms will fly.

4: Ask Questions, Then Ask Them Again

It’s always better to drown in information than suffer a drought of it. Stay on top of your brief by asking questions. Yes, even the “dumb” ones. Asking the same question to different people in an organisation can reveal more than just answers, it exposes different perspectives, and other layers of the problem. The content of their answers is only part of the picture. Shirah’s advice: aim to know as much as you possibly can. Being practically omniscient might be a tall order, but being well-informed will always sharpen your communications.

• Ask as many questions as possible. Staying informed is non-negotiable.

5: You Are Not the Client!

The way you deliver your message matters just as much as the message itself. You could craft the perfect statement, but if you send it out via email to people working on a construction site, it’s as useful as a chocolate teapot. Understanding your audience means recognising there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Shirah uses the example of political communications, politicians needing to reach disparate voting blocks using a range of channels. Some audiences are on social media, others don’t touch it. Some read the paper, some don’t read at all. The solution is a holistic approach that ensures all audiences are reached. The same principle applies to strategic comms, even on a smaller scale.

• Be mindful of what channels you’re using to communicate and emphasise a multifaceted approach.

6: Confidence Can Make or Break Your Comms

As mentioned earlier, strategic comms is about managing relationships and building trust. Another key skill is confidence. Having great ideas or solutions is one thing, but presenting them effectively is another. If your delivery lacks clarity or conviction, you risk not being taken seriously. Confidence isn’t about arrogance, it’s about ensuring your message lands as intended. In comms, how you say something is often as important as what you’re saying.

Final thoughts

Shirah Bamber’s insights show that great comms is about more than just good ideas, it’s about strategy, teamwork, confidence, and more. From managing relationships to tailoring messages for different audiences, her advice highlights the skills needed to cut through the noise and deliver real impact. For PR and comms professionals, these lessons will help you bring your A-game. To get the full picture, listen to our podcast, PR in the Real World.

Listen to Shirah’s episode from the 14th of Jan

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