WeareBeyond Global’s Louise Webster on communication, connection and collaboration

Firstly Louise congratulations on the launch of WeareBeyond Global – your agency covers Communications and Social Impact. Can you tell us a little bit more about its aims?
WeareBeyond Global is a communications and social impact consultancy. Our services are divided into three strands:

• Beyond Communications – Our consultancy specialises in the kids, family, licensing, and Web3 sectors. We bring together the very best talent across marcoms, PR, social media, and influencer relations to offer a best-in-class communications service.
• Beyondtheschoolrun.com – Our platform empowers mothers to connect with their skills and talents, we provide resources, connections, and inspiration to help the community achieve their goals.
• Beyond Business – Our diversity and inclusion and sustainability service is designed to help businesses create a better world.

At WeareBeyond Global, our overarching mission is to use communications and social impact to create positive change in the world. By empowering women and girls, we believe we can make a significant difference in the lives of individuals and communities.

On Beyond Communications, you mention that licensing will be one of the industries you plan to work with. I know when you ran Rare Communications you dealt with a lot of licensing companies. If you were advising a rights holder on how to attract more attention from the licensing community, what advice would you give them?
At WeareBeyond Global, we believe that connecting with your audience is essential for the success of your brand. There are many amazing ways to achieve this, but we recommend starting with a brief strategy that outlines who you want to reach and what you would like to say.

One effective strategy is to build relationships with key trade media in your industry. The licensing industry has many well-read trade publications that can help you reach a wider audience. By sharing relevant news and updates with them, you can build your brand’s reputation and connect with potential customers.

Attending trade industry events, such as Brand Licensing Europe, is another great way to connect with people in your industry and share your brand’s goals. You can meet new people, showcase your products, and learn about the latest trends and developments.

Participating in industry awards is a positive way to gain recognition for your brand, reach a wider audience, and share potential wins with others. There are many awards available, ranging from licensing to toy awards, that can help you stand out in your industry.

Finally, creating a voice within the market by providing opinion pieces and comments for relevant features can help you connect with the industry and showcase your brand’s expertise. By sharing your vision and goals, you can inspire others and potentially attract new business opportunities.

We believe that connection is the key to success. We can help you connect with the right opportunities and people to move your business forward.

Beyondtheschoolrun has already enjoyed success. Can you tell us more about it?
Beyondtheschoolrun is an award-winning platform that engages, inspires and connects parents with their skills and talents. Through its website, social media channels, newsletters and book – A New Way for Mothers – the platform reaches thousands of mothers around the world.

Our mission at Beyondtheschoolrun is to help parents unleash their untapped potential and support businesses in better integrating parents into their organisations. We believe that all parents should have the opportunity to pursue their ambitions beyond the school run.

At Beyondtheschoolrun, we’re passionate about helping parents thrive and reach their full potential.

I know you also deal with influencers. How do you identify which ones to work with and how do you measure success for your clients in this sphere?
We have a deep understanding of the influencer market within the parenting industry, thanks to our work with Beyondtheschoolrun. We know what influencers are looking for and how they operate, and we’re highly engaged with this market.

When it comes to measuring success, we focus on both the exposure created through influencer posts, stories, and engagement, as well as the ongoing relationships we build with key influencers. We believe that building strong relationships is essential in any business, and influencer marketing is no exception.

“Effective communication and connection are at the heart of successful influencer marketing.”

That’s why we’re passionate about making the right connections for our clients. At WeareBeyond, we specialise in connecting businesses with the right influencers, helping them to expand their reach and build their brand. Our goal is to help you achieve success in the influencer market and beyond.

Are there risks involved when working with influencers?
Building relationships and clear communication are essential when it comes to influencer marketing. When everyone involved is working towards a shared goal, the experience is more seamless and enjoyable. Working together collaboratively can also lead to more opportunities for both parties.

We believe that collaboration is key. By involving the influencer in the process and ensuring they understand your challenges and internal workings, you’re more likely to achieve the desired outcome and go beyond expectations.

Effective communication and connection are at the heart of successful influencer marketing. That’s why we prioritise building strong relationships with influencers and ensuring clear communication throughout the entire process. By working together, we can achieve great things and help our clients to reach their goals.

Many of our readers are from the design community, either working as individuals or as part of agencies. What advice would you give to smaller companies trying to raise their profile within an industry sector?
Exploring opportunities and sharing your goals with your network can lead to incredible connections. Once you begin talking about what you want to achieve, you’ll be surprised at the connections that can be made.

Social media platforms, such as Linkedin, provide a great opportunity to reach a wider audience. By sharing regular news and updates, you can connect with new customers and keep your current audience engaged. Developing a newsletter is another effective way to communicate and share your voice.

At WeareBeyond, we believe in utilising every available communication channel to connect with your audience. Consistency is key, whether that means engaging regularly on LinkedIn or sending out a weekly newsletter. By staying in touch with your audience and sharing your message consistently, you can build strong relationships and achieve great things.

Do you think there is still a role to play for magazines, TV and newspapers in a modern PR campaign?
I believe that traditional media outlets still play a key and distinct role in today’s business landscape. Being featured in a relevant trade publication or national newspaper can expand your reach to new audiences, potential partners, and customers. Additionally, it provides a level of credibility and recognition for your business that is difficult to achieve through other means.

You are very clear that you like bringing people together to work collaboratively. In a post-pandemic world, how easy is it to do this?
I think people are very open to taking time to meet and join events and opportunities. I think it’s a valuable time to maximise this by creating events – maybe it’s a small industry breakfast bringing experts together, or a group who are all working towards a specifical goal to share ideas.

Also attend events that are relevant to you, with an open mind to the outcome and opportunities. Sometimes it’s only clear looking back why that person may be relevant to your work and not straight away.

As Henry Ford said: “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”

Finally, can you flag up a couple of your favourite PR campaigns you have been involved in during your career?
When I was running and growing Rare Communications, a specialist communications consultancy in the kids and family sectors, I worked on quite a few brands that were in their start up stages but have subsequently become household names. This includes launching Moshi Monsters, working on YOOX – later Net-A-Porter – and LoveFilm later becoming Netflix. I love seeing new businesses emerge and sectors, which is one of the reasons I am excited to also be specialising in the Web3 sector.

Great stuff. Thanks again Louise.