Get ready to meet a communications powerhouse! Garry Campbell, Head of Policy & Communications for Groundwork UK, a prominent national charity based in Birmingham, brings over 20 years of expertise to the table. As a key member of Groundwork UK’s senior leadership team, Garry orchestrates all facets of the charity’s external communications.
From his roots in public relations, Garry has expanded his repertoire to encompass marketing, fundraising, events, digital, crisis communications, government policy and public affairs. His career is a testament to his versatility and dedication, having spearheaded communications for high-profile corporate partnerships with major high street retailers, soft drinks and confectionery giants and major rail infrastructure projects. His impressive portfolio also includes collaborations with government departments, international NGOs and charitable trusts and foundations.
But Garry’s story doesn’t end at the office. When he’s not shaping the narrative for Groundwork UK, he enjoys quality time with his wife and stepson and is on a personal quest to master the guitar and the piano.
Describe yourself/your background in 5 words max?
Wulfrunian with a Jamaican heritage.
How did you get into PR/communications?
I left school with a good number of GCSEs and a lot of potential to do well academically but when I started studying my A-levels I quickly discovered that further education just wasn’t for me at that point of my life. I decided to quit my A-levels and get a job, on the basis that I thought it would be easier to ‘get a good job if you already have a job’. I then bounced around a few admin-based roles in different Birmingham law firms until one day the firm I was working for at the time advertised an internal vacancy for a Marketing Assistant. I applied for the job and, despite having zero experience, managed to secure the role.
What do you love about your job?
What I love about my job is that I work for a national charity that makes a difference rather than a corporate organisation that exists to make a profit. We support some of the most disadvantaged communities in society to create better places where they live, improve their prospects and take action on the climate and nature crises. I’ve been there in a variety of communications roles for around 20 years and the simple thing that’s kept me there for so long is that I really believe in what we do.
During my time I’ve gone from being quite raw and inexperienced to now being one of the senior leaders of my organisation responsible for all aspects of our external communications. My role is also incredibly diverse, covering a wide range of corporate communications disciplines so no two days have ever been the same in all the time I’ve been there.
What are you most proud of?
The thing I am most proud of is where I’ve come from and what I’ve managed to make of my career so far. I grew up in inner city Wolverhampton, where, like many other parts of the country, young black men are often written off by society before they really get their lives going. Some fall into worklessness, a life of crime or drugs, or all of the above. I have made some conscious decisions throughout my life to ensure where I come from doesn’t define where I’m going and in my career I’ve met Prime Ministers, worked on communications campaigns with FTSE 100 companies, government departments and celebrities and have been involved in communications activity linked to major cultural events, including London 2012. So looking back on the journey I’ve been on makes me incredibly proud.
What’s been the hardest lesson to learn?
Imposter syndrome is a state of mind. This mainly relates to overcoming situations where you might feel that someone else is more qualified to express an opinion in a meeting, or that you worry you might be wrong or say something silly, or you don’t have enough knowledge on a topic to make a meaningful contribution. The more experience I’ve gained in my career, the more I’ve come to appreciate that none of this is true. Often, you’re literally the most qualified person in the room to express a view on a particular topic or you’re there because people are looking to you to provide guidance, or an opinion or to contribute ideas on the subject. This is particularly true when you find yourself in senior leadership roles.
Who are your favourite people in PR and why?
I don’t think she works in PR anymore, but she did at the time we worked together so I’m going to go with one of my old bosses, Fiona Taylor. I had a great few years working with her in a relatively junior role and I learned a great deal from the way she operated in the role I currently occupy and she’s someone that I definitely try to model elements of my approach to leadership on.
What skill do you think every PR/comms person has to nail?
The ability to remain calm under pressure. I’ve been in quite a few situations in my career where there’s been some sort of issue or things aren’t quite working out the way they should be and it’s been my responsibility to get it resolved. What I’ve learned is the best thing to do in these situations is to not panic and not allow yourself to be forced into making a decision before you’re in the best possible position to do so. Instead, take a moment to appraise the situation and the likely outcome of the various options and then be decisive in picking the best option available to you.
I often find that these types of issues never end up being anywhere near as bad as they might seem in the heat of the moment and so long as you make your decisions based on good faith and an understanding of the facts everything usually works out fine.
What is your favourite social network and why?
If I’m being honest, I’m increasingly finding most social networks problematic due to their algorithms, issues around privacy, misinformation, cyberbullying and the impact they’re having on our productivity and mental health and wellbeing.
I do have a presence on most of them though despite how I feel about them and if I had to pick a favourite, I’d pick Instagram as it feels a lot less toxic than one or two other social networks that I won’t name here.
What’s your favourite podcast and why?
I have a handful of podcasts on regular rotation and most of them are about UK politics or current affairs.
I’m a big fan of The Rest is Politics with Alistair Campbell and Rory Stewart, but my current favourite that I listen to most days is The News Agents, hosted by Jon Sopel, Lewis Goodall and Emily Maitlis.
It’s pitched at the right level for me for a current affairs podcast and it is one of my go to news sources to stay informed. The hosts pick a topic from that day’s news cycle and explore it from several angles. I like how informative the show is, the dynamic between the hosts and the banter they have with one another and the fact that Jon Sopel can be pretty sweary! Not something I would have imagined when I used to see him present on the BBC.
Who is your favourite journalist and why?
My favourite journalists tend to be broadcast political journalists and while there are a few I could mention, I’m going to go with Emily Maitlis for her Prince Andrew interview, which was as masterful an interview on her part as it was absolutely excruciating on his.
I often think the best types of interviews are the ones where the journalist asks the interviewee a simple question or makes a point that can’t really be disputed and then just lets them talk, with a bit of gentle probing, until they eventually say something incriminating or otherwise ill-advised. David Frost was excellent at this. The Prince Andrew interview was arguably one of the best media interviews of the decade, so much so that Gillian Anderson starred as Emily Maitlis in a Netflix drama about the interview.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
“Fall down seven times, stand up eight.”
This is a Japanese proverb that emphasises resilience and perseverance. It means that no matter how many times you face setbacks or failures, you should always get back up and try again. The key message is to maintain determination and keep moving forward, regardless of the obstacles you encounter and it’s a message I try to bear in mind in all aspects of my life, personally and professionally.
Biggest PR campaign fail and yay of 2024 so far?
Campaign of the year goes to McDonalds for their Happy Meals without Smiles campaign, where they removed the usual smile printed on their packaging during Mental Health Awareness Week and provided various mouth-shaped stickers designed to allow children to express different emotions on the packaging other than happiness to speak up about how they really feel. For me, this was an excellent example of a major brand tackling a serious issue in a really creative way.
Sticking with food, campaign fail of the year goes to Pot Noodle. I’m sorry, but I don’t know anyone who slurps their Pot Noodle like that and every time it comes on the TV it irritates me so much I’d have to mute the television.
Finally, on the D’ word… What can the sector do to encourage diversity?
I believe it’s difficult for young people, particularly young people of colour, to aspire to be something that they can’t see so we need more visibility of positive role models who are already working in the industry so we can inspire the next generation to embark on a career in PR.
Connect with Garry Campbell on LinkedIn.
Garry was awarded a place on The Xec. Leadership Scheme for UK-based Black, Asian, Mixed Race, and Ethnic Minority PR and comms pros. He is part of the class of 2025.
