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As part of our 30th Anniversary celebrations this year, Ogilvy PR was set a challenge by our Global CEO, Chris Graves. A competition was devised for anyone under the age of 30 across our 70+ offices around the world to answer the question of ‘What will Ogilvy PR look like in 2040?’

Reflecting on the enormity of what has happened since the 1980s in communications and media, this was not an easy task and with an open brief and accessibility to any media, it was time for our young minds to get their creative juices flowing.

And now for the clever bit….our very own graduate, Kate Woodruff, decided to construct a 30 verse poem based on her perspective, not just from PR but as an Ogilvy Fellow.  As a fellow, Kate has had exposure to the work in all of the Ogilvy companies and access to some of the greatest minds working in communications today.  To this end, she tracked down some of the key figures across the entire Ogilvy group and WPP network – including personal idol Jon Steel – asking where they thought communications would be and how PR would fit into the mix 30 years into the future. These conversations formed the basis of her entry.

In her own words, Kate noted, ‘We at Ogilvy PR London are continuously looking for ways to tell a story – from the anecdotes we tell journalists, to the way we package our ideas to our clients, to how we structure a pitch – the aim is to always, always tell a good story. My story is in the form of a poem: 30 verses to celebrate 30 years of greatness, in anticipation of the next 30 years to come. Poetry is a classic and timeless method of storytelling and one that is often forgotten amidst the other modern channels of communication. In a century where there are more and more ways of communicating a message, thanks to creativity and new technologies, it’s important not to leave those traditional ones behind.’

And what a storyteller she turned out to be, winning the coveted prize for the entire EAME region. The UK may get nil points at Eurovision, but when it comes to PR, we clearly rock! Huge congratulations Kate!

To view Kate’s award winning entry, please click on the following link http://www.ogilvy.co.uk/ogilvy-public-relations/magnum-oprus/

Whitehall, the scene, the world of high finance and emerging markets, the actors. Representatives from the rapidly emerging former soviet nation of Kazakhstan engaged in frenetic business networking around the lobby of Banqueting House. Ogilvy Public Relations were there to support the work of our client Kazakh Sovereign Wealth Fund, Samruk Kazyna. As we have done over the last two years, international media interviews were organised and executed.

The media came to consume a story that Ogilvy were all too familiar with. Kazakhstan had ridden the worst excesses of the global banking crisis with some acumen. Developing a new system for restructuring failing banks and standing up to the international banking community, saying: ‘You will take significant haircuts, you will take responsibility’. Not only has this concept generated significant endorsement from highly acclaimed financial commentators, but it is beginning to seep into the fabric of international policy development. Understandably, the media wanted to know more.

We peppered the two days of the KBF with one-on-one interviews and profiles of some of Kazakhstan’s financial and political decision makers, as well as providing access to the architect of the most successful bank restructuring of the 21st century, Marcia Favale Tarter.

The next two days, one spent in the halls of Whitehall and the second in the Mandarin Oriental, Knightsbridge saw Ogilvy PR organise interviews for the Central Bank President of Kazakhstan, Grigory Marchenko and Mr. Kairat Kelimbetov, CEO of Samruk Kazyna. As well as rubbing shoulders with some of the most influential states people, bankers and industrialists. Indeed we were intrigued when the former British EU Trade Minister and Business Secretary, Peter Mandelson gave an impromptu speech, praising the debt restructuring of BTA Bank.

With frequent barriers to achieving successful results, from last-minute changes of interview venues, to journalist drop-outs hours before the interview was scheduled, Ogilvy PR’s team of Owen Nanlohy, Tom Bell and Ben Lock ensured the smoothest of planned media interviews went off without a hitch.

The end result, a highly satisfied client, a deeper appreciation for the innovative ‘bail-in’ model for the banking world and a greater geographical knowledge of the hotels of Knightsbridge and Belgravia.