An article written by Abbi Head, a Midlands-based entrepreneur is one of eight finalists in the Media Relations category of the Public Relations Today MVP Awards 2022 which recognize excellence in public relations. These industry awards recognise the Most Valuable Posts (MVP) as judged by Public Relations Today’s readers, award committee, and social media. These chosen articles provide the highest value to industry professionals - useful and actionable information that is tactical or strategic in nature, providing either long-term or short-term value. Abbi is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

Knowing that she is now considered a thought leader has shocked Abbi, as she did not nominate herself for this award. She is also open about her Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and how it has affected her mental health for 30 years. On November 14th, the finalists were announced, and voting is open until November 28th. The results will be shared on December 14th. Abbi started her PR business after ten years as a Media Officer at New Directions Rugby Ltd. During the lockdown; she stepped back from her charity role and, in 18 months, has gained a reputation as a local go-to expert with Little PR Rock Marketing. Recognised for her potential, she has joined the NatWest Accelerator at the University of Warwick to scale her business. Her new book, called, Credibility Confidence: How To Leverage PR As A StartUp, is coming soon, and she shares what she learned in PR when she started her business.

In its second year, the 2022 Public Relations Today MVP Awards will recognise outstanding contributions from many websites. Judges include Bob Geller, President, Fusion PR; Dara Busch, 5WPR Co-CEO & Leader of Consumer Practice and Matt Caiola, 5WPR Co-CEO and Leader of Corporate & Technology Communications Practice. 5WPR is one of the largest independently-owned PR firms in the United States.

Abbi’s finalist article title is ‘Media Overexposure: How to Take Back Control of Your Media Presence’ and is featured on Prowly, a PR industry website. It was written following a meeting with a high-profile potential client who was snowballing with media exposure. Abbi’s recommendations to the potential client were the inspiration for this article. She remembers the swell of anxiety that rose from her feet into her chest when it went live, and she took an hour to read it back. Abbi works with her clients to increase credibility, boost their reputation, improve their digital footprint and build trust. Writing a piece for her industry was a brave move for her own reputation. She is now developing a PR agency with a freelance team of three, providing PR assets and training business owners. and expanding with a corporate offer for small businesses with 20-100 employees wanting to unlock the PR potential in their workforce.

Abbi said,

“Being a finalist in these global awards has come at a perfect time for me as I grow my business. I want my clients to trust my judgement in helping them to invest in their credibility and boost their reputation as I have. I think out of the box sometimes, but this has shown me to continue being a game changer. I’m halfway through my CIPR Professional PR Diploma, which is tough. My last assignment was a thought leadership piece, and these finalist results are incredibly uplifting. I am already three-quarters into writing my book to help others gain PR confidence and credibility too.”