Peter Gilheany (Forster Communications) - What the PR industry can learn from Extinction Rebellion

Designing campaigns for Patagonia, Selfridges, BMW, and Penguin Books, Forster Communications is an award-winning communications agency.  Our guest today is Peter Gilheany, Board Director at Forster. An employee-owned B Corp, Forster are a great example of how to live your values. They’ve turned down lucrative briefs from companies that refuse to declare a climate emergency, and have even set sustainability goals for their existing clients in order to continue working together. He discusses:His working class Irish background and his parents ‘relaxed’ attitude to their 5 childrenHow he and his siblings have all forged their own pathsThe difference between being a ‘strategic’ or ‘tactical careerist How there is a huge need to challenge what is seen as ‘received wisdom’The narrow view of what a ‘good career’ is The story of Forster Communications and the founder Jilly Forster, former Head of Communications for the Body ShopEmployee Ownership and how it works at ForsterThe pieces of work that best embody Forster CommunicationsHow to walk the talk on tackling the climate emergency for any businessThe stringent targets they set for themselves, their community, and their clientsWhat happened when they told their clients to publicly declare a climate emergency and set net zero targetsA leap into the unknown around a social housing project that led to incredible resultsHis surprising response to being labelled a ‘lifestyle business’Who knows how to communicate about climate change better? Extinction Rebellion or the average PR agency?His take on GreenwashingHow to turn down briefs that don’t align with your valuesThe campaign he’s ashamed of and wouldn’t take todayThe pervasive hangover within business that you can either be financially successful, or morally good The evolution in the charity sector over their corporate social responsibilityThe future of the charity sector, financially unstable, but ideologically free to campaign and speak truth to powerPeter on linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pgilheany/Visit: https://forster.co.uk/Rob on linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-warren/Want to appear? [email protected]: ⁠standingongiants.com⁠