Key takeaways
• A PR agency’s value is often apparent before any content is written.
• Editorial thinking helps organisations create stronger communications across every channel, from media relations and customer magazines to websites and social media.
• At SE10, journalism experience shapes how we approach communications, but the same editorial discipline applies whether clients need strategic advice, hands-on delivery, or both.
• AI makes producing content easier than ever, but producing content worth consuming is still hard.
Most communications briefs begin with a deliverable.
“We need a press release.” “We’d like a customer magazine.” “We need case studies for our website.” “We want to build our presence on LinkedIn.”
Likely any agency can produce these things – and any AI model too – so what are you actually paying us for?
It’s content that people will actually choose to consume because the hardest part of communication has never been putting words on a page. It’s deciding what deserves to be on the page in the first place.
The difference between recording information and developing a story
A client once described the difference between PR agencies they’d worked with in a way that has stayed with us. Their previous agency, they said, simply jotted down everything they were told and distributed it. We, however, it was noted, questioned assumptions, explored the wider context, and looked for evidence. We considered the audience, challenged the obvious angle, and searched for a stronger one. Only then did we begin writing.
The difference wasn’t simply that the final copy was better. It was that the story itself had been strengthened before the writing even began. The writing was the outcome, but the editorial thinking created the value.
Why organisations struggle to see their own stories
Our clients know their business better than anyone, but it’s not always easy for them to see what makes their business interesting and accessible to others. It’s because knowledge creates familiarity and familiarity creates assumptions – which details still need explaining, which achievements are genuinely distinctive, and which stories are simply business as usual.
When you work in an organisation every day, it is natural to focus on what is new internally – a product launch, a milestone, a partnership, a company achievement – but audiences don’t necessarily see those things in the same way. They want to understand:
• Why does this matter to me?
• How does this solve my problem?
• Why should I pay attention?
The challenge is often not finding information; rather finding the story within it. A good communications partner brings more than an outside viewpoint. They bring the editorial judgement to recognise what will matter to an audience, challenge what won’t, and shape information into something people choose to engage with.
Editorial thinking applies to every communication channel
Editorial thinking is most often associated with journalism and media relations, but it’s just as important across every form of communication. A customer magazine shouldn’t be just a collection of company updates; it should give customers insight, knowledge, and stories they value. A website shouldn’t just explain what a company sells; it should help audiences understand why that company matters. A thought leadership article shouldn’t just repeat industry talking points; it should offer a new perspective that genuinely makes people stop and think. And a social media account shouldn’t just be a stream of announcements; it should spark useful conversations.
The channel changes but the principle remains the same. Start with the audience, find the story, and make it worth their time.
Why journalism shapes our approach at SE10
At SE10, every account lead has either worked as a journalist or holds a professional journalism qualification. We don’t mention that because we see ourselves as journalists. We mention it because journalism develops habits such as curiosity, audience awareness, healthy scepticism, the confidence to ask another question, and the instinct to recognise when the most obvious story isn’t the most interesting one.
These habits help us work effectively across communications disciplines whether a client needs advice, execution, or a combination of both. Because strategy without effective execution changes nothing and execution without thoughtful direction rarely creates meaningful impact.
The real product isn’t content
With generative AI, producing content isn’t difficult anymore, but producing content worth consuming still is. That’s why we don’t measure our contribution by the number of articles we write; we measure it by whether we’ve helped our clients find the stories that matter and communicate them in a way that their audience finds valuable. The content is simply the final expression of that thinking.
Because in the end, you’re not paying a communications agency to fill channels with more words. You’re paying them to find the stories your audiences will care about.
Show the behaviour, not just the badge
Some of the strongest B2B case studies never even include the words ‘trusted partner’. They begin with a challenge, reveal the thinking behind the solution, and allow the relationship to emerge naturally. That’s how we help industrial organisations unearth the stories that are already there – stories that are more persuasive because they explain not just what customers think but why they think it.
Your existing customers already know why they trust you. Your communications have one job: make sure everyone else understands it too.
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.
