Process with purpose
Every content project begins with a conversation. Who is this for? What do they need to know? Why does it matter? And what action should it inspire? From there, we create a draft, review it collaboratively with the SME, and manage the approval process across marketing, leadership, and legal as needed. We also document and file everything so that any team member, new or longstanding, can pick up the context quickly and confidently.
Curiosity is our engine
For us, curiosity isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s one of our core values at SE10. Our team includes former journalists and trained communicators who thrive on getting to grips with unfamiliar topics. We read, we listen, we ask questions, and we keep asking until we understand.
When new team members join SE10, we give one simple instruction: never hang up until you feel you have grasped the topic well enough to explain it to a friend and never be afraid of asking ‘silly questions’. The engineers we work with are always kind and patient and willing to help us.
We also keep records to refer back to. From the Dictaphones we used to carry — which connected into our office landlines — to today’s voice notes on our phones and recorded Teams calls, we ensure transcripts are available to everyone at SE10 in our shared folders.
Committed and in it for the long term
Many of us don’t come from engineering backgrounds, but we’re all smart, curious, and committed. And if we don’t get it right the first time, we revise, we check, and we go back to the SME for clarification.
This commitment means our clients don’t just get a press release or a white paper. They get a partner who builds understanding over time, learns with them, and works toward long-term impact. In fact, once a new client joins SE10, they tend to stay with us for years. And our people do too – more than half our team has been with us for five years or more. That stability means accumulated knowledge, strong relationships, and real consistency.
A learning journey, not a finish line
Understanding complex industrial topics isn’t about knowing everything from day one. It’s about being committed to the learning process. That’s what makes this work so rewarding. The more we know, the more we want to know.
And that curiosity doesn’t stop when the workday ends. You might find us explaining smart grid systems to friends over dinner or pointing out the latest tower cranes on a construction site. We live and breathe this stuff.
So when prospective new clients worry we might not ‘get it’,we understand where that concern comes from. But we also know it doesn’t reflect how we work. At SE10, getting it – and getting it right – is the job.
If you’re looking for a communications partner who asks the right questions — and sticks around long enough to understand the answers – please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.
Hannah Kitchener
Associate Director
About the author
Hannah is an associate director in the UK, leading strategic campaigns for industrial clients across the EMEA region. A professionally qualified journalist (NCTJ), she combines specialist sectoral knowledge in construction, energy, and materials handling with a strong network of trade media contacts to secure valuable coverage. Her expertise in inter-cultural communication, honed by degrees in modern languages and translation, is key to executing campaigns that succeed across diverse European markets.
