PR Across the Pond: Comms and Cultural Insight at Coldr
Following a 7-hour flight across the pond from my Southeast American home in Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S., my first steps off the plane at London Heathrow served as more than an introduction to one of the world’s most vibrant cities and dynamic cultural ecosystems. They marked my entry into the electric, fast-paced world of social impact comms, where I would soon realise my capacity as a PR practitioner to elevate stories, bridge audience-brand gaps, and drive cultural impact in a global context.
Not even jet lag could quell my eagerness to dive into a new chapter abroad as a PR and Social Media Assistant Intern at Coldr, where I was freshly arriving as an undergraduate advertising and PR student from the University of North Carolina. My early career had been guided by a resolve to promote the representation of underserved communities while telling creative stories that matter.
I had no doubt that Coldr, an award-winning social impact, cultural marketing and consultancy steered by a creative, bold-thinking team, would provide an incredible environment to expand my skills while putting this purpose into practice.
And I was correct.
The Coldr Experience
Fast-forward a few months into my time at Coldr: For the first time, I was supporting clients across the public sector, consumer brands, and corporate—all to the rotating sounds of House, R&B and reggae music (the genre depending on which of my colleagues’ phones was connected to the office speaker). With regular responsibilities spanning media monitoring, story pitching, client meetings, audience research, event logistics and project support, I was gaining hands-on experience navigating exciting, dynamic projects alongside an incredible and passionate team.
Each day was a testament to the power of embracing cultural differences and approaching problems through creative, solutions-oriented thinking. Put simply, I was in my element. One of the most rewarding aspects of my time at Coldr has been our team’s engagement with London’s vibrant communities beyond the walls of our West London office.
From supporting the Black Professionals in Life Sciences community at their 2026 Annual Summit and Inspire Awards to bringing together women leaders across industries during our team’s International Women’s Day Icebreakers Breakfast, I found myself energised by the conversations and new connections that inevitably followed each handshake. Through these experiences, I’ve witnessed the value of working in the backdrop of London’s diverse ecosystem of industry and community leaders.
The Role of Cultural Insight
Throughout my time in the industry, one lesson has stood out: meaningful cultural and diverse representation isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s where real value lies. My Coldr experience has underscored the power of cultural insight (drawn from a combination of autoethnographic and secondary research) in delivering real-world impact for both communities and clients. In a diverse and rapidly evolving world, brands can no longer take audiences' needs at face value: Today’s media landscape demands that PR practitioners be receptive to their audiences' voices, keeping communities at the centre of their work.
These themes were no more apparent than during my trip to this year’s Advertising Week Europe, where speaker Mia Powell amplified Lydia Amoah’s fascinating 2022 report on the spending power of multi-ethnic UK consumers.
Representing 16% of the UK’s population, multi-ethnic consumers hold £4.5 billion in annual disposable income, yet remain an untapped market, as they continue to be neglected by major retailers.
Sitting in a room of comms professionals, it was validating to hear these figures affirm what so many other multicultural consumers and I had long been thinking and feeling. Each stat affirmed the inherent role of authentic storytelling and representation in brand messaging. Even more, they underscored the powerful role PR practitioners play in reversing these narratives, leveraging our cultural expertise to help brands tap into their potential to connect with the communities they serve. Hearing from our Founder, Kam, on a panel with Coldr client, Veo Technologies’ Rob Scotland, while covering our team’s work leveraging cultural insights to amplify the talent of grassroots football, underscored the role of visibility in amplifying the experiences of grassroots footballers was all the more inspiring.
As I move forward in my career, I’m eager to continue pushing the possibilities of PR by telling stories that matter and, of course, breaking the ice.