Blurred wins 7 from 7 at PR Week People & Places Awards – reflections on the story behind the wins

By Rachel Minty, Managing Director

Last night Blurred won big at the first-ever PR Week People & Places Awards, taking home awards in every category we were nominated for: Mental Health Champion, Diversity & Inclusion, Reward & Benefit, Training & Development, Sustainability, Best Internship Scheme and Best Small Consultancy.

It’s phenomenal to be recognised in this way, in categories independently judged by highly respected industry figures – but it’s also a moment to be real about what it takes.

The excellent Jo Carr of Hope & Glory said in a post on LinkedIn last month that “running an agency isn’t for the faint-hearted – the pace, the worry, the sheer relentlessness of it all…”

Never a truer word spoken.

Building an organisation that strives to put people at its core and create an environment where everyone can thrive is one of the most intentional things a company can do. It means taking the path of least resistance is not an option. It means asking tough questions and getting uncomfortable, often.

It also means designing for difference – creating an inclusive workplace doesn’t mean everyone is treated the same, it means everyone has what they need to do their best work. That can mean flexible schedules, tailored roles, mentorship or mental health support. It’s not one-size-fits-all, and it shouldn’t be.

One of the biggest misconceptions about great workplaces is that they’re easy, casual, or universally agreeable. I believe that’s rarely true. In reality, the best workplaces are those that make people feel deeply challenged and deeply supported – sometimes in equal measure. Balancing the pursuit of a common purpose, high standards of individual performance and collective delivery with ensuring everyone, regardless of background or identity, has the opportunity to succeed and feel a sense of belonging. You can’t hold people to high standards if they’re working in an environment that doesn’t allow them to be seen, heard, or supported. It’s why we created The Deal, which lays out clearly what our team can expect from Blurred as an employer, but equally what we expect from our people. And let’s face it, happy, motivated and fulfilled people deliver high quality work, are committed and stick around, which provides consistency for clients and leads to better outcomes.

As a judge for this year’s People & Places Awards (not for any of our winning categories I hasten to add!), I also know that there are lots of agencies doing brilliant things and pushing the industry forward.  Agencies that are willing to have hard conversations, be transparent and face into gaps in representation and rethink systems that might unintentionally exclude. The more businesses commit to doing this, the better we can make the industry and ultimately, the work.

I’m lucky to be surrounded by a stellar team – each and every one of them contributing to Blurred in diverse and meaningful ways. The announcement of these award wins for us isn’t a finish line – what really matters is what happens in between the awards, the daily work and commitment that’s often unseen behind the ‘Best Places to Work’ lists.