In Conversation with… Adam

At Altitude PR, we specialise in delivering strategic and impactful PR across sectors that drive progress – construction, manufacturing, technology, renewable energy, education, charity, professional services, to name a few.

To shed light on our approach and expertise, each month, we sit down with a different member of our team to discuss their journey, standout campaigns, perspectives on the evolving PR landscape, and more.

This month, it’s time to hear from Adam Reeves-Brown, PR and Communications Director at Altitude.

Tell us a little about your background and journey into PR.

I studied Journalism and Media Studies at Sheffield Hallam University. I’ve always had a passion for writing, getting to the heart of a story, and making it relatable and engaging to a specific audience.  My first role was as a writer for a free Sheffield sports publication called re:play magazine. From there, I moved to London and worked for Business Wire – a buzzing 24-hour financial press office in the city, before making a big career transition into travel PR with a company called Travelzoo. 

About ten years ago, I returned to Sheffield to join Counter Context, where I worked on the PR elements of client projects within the built environment sector.

Just over three years ago, I helped launch Counter Context’s dedicated PR brand, Altitude. The aim was to provide a focused service to help manage the brand and reputation of businesses in Sheffield and across the UK – and to champion the incredible organisations driving our economy forward. 

What does a typical day at Altitude PR look like?

Every day in PR is different, which is part of the appeal and why so many journalists are drawn to it. It’s fast-paced, and you never quite know where the day will take you. 

At Altitude PR, I oversee several key clients in the property and urban regeneration sectors, working across both private and public projects. My day is typically spent delivering client work, attending various meetings, and providing strategic input as part of the leadership team. I also contribute to new business bids, support business development, and play a role in the agency’s wider marketing and brand strategy. 

What part of your job do you enjoy the most?

I love taking stories to the next level and getting as much value and leverage out of them as possible. It can be easy to knock out a simple press release that covers the basics – the who, what, where, and when. But at Altitude, we always aim to dig deeper and ask: why should the reader care? Why are we asking for their time?

We focus on what the story means for the reader – whether that’s their business, their sector, their city, or their everyday life. It’s the classic “peeling of an onion” metaphor – uncovering layer after layer to reveal the true meaning at the heart of a story. 

Crafting compelling narratives is central to PR. Do you have a piece of writing or a campaign you're particularly proud of and why?

As a sports fan, I always look back fondly to my early journalism days and interviewing sports personalities in the late 00s. I’m sure my line of questioning, storytelling and standard of writing was a long way from where it is today – but I can vividly remember the sense of pride I had from sitting down with the likes John Higgins, Neil Warnock, Jessica Ennis etc. and trying to throw them a few curveballs.  

These days, I love working on thought leadership content in the built environment. One that springs to mind from recent years is writing about the “need for renewing all types of our urban fabric, and not only cherished listed buildings” – for both sustainability and unique cultural identity reasons. This was as part of a PR campaign for an unloved brutalist office campus in Sheffield, which culminated in the project winning Insider Yorkshire’s “Best Sustainable Project of the Year” award.  

How would you sum up Altitude’s approach to PR in three words?

Impactful, strategic, knowledgeable. 

What is a common misconception about the PR industry you’d like to debunk?

That PR is all very fluffy and can easily be thrown together alongside creative sectors like marketing, advertising, and design. The type of PR we love is strategic and aims to align with, and support, a business’ growth plan, and target their specific audiences. We are not in the business of making noise for vanity reasons. 

L-R: Max, Adam and Rachel

If you had the opportunity to feature a client's story on the front page of any publication, which would you choose and why?

Coventry Evening Telegraph, because then my mum and dad would actually read something I’ve worked on!  

The truth is, every sector and client has different audiences and therefore different hero titles. However, it’s always a source of pride when your clients end up with positive coverage in one of the nationals – be it The Guardian, Financial Times etc.  

What advice would you offer to businesses aiming to enhance their PR strategies?

Take it seriously. We always advise businesses to think about PR as a permanent function, just as you would HR or finance departments (internal or external). Good, strong businesses that stand the test of time have carefully managed PR. But it’s important to understand that it’s not a silver bullet. PR helps, but it won’t magically deliver overnight sales or instant growth. Strong PR is about your reputation – it’s about building a portfolio of content that reflects your values and showcases your track record. It keeps you at the forefront of hearts and minds, and should reinforce that you’re experts in your field and help build trust within your sector and, crucially, with the audiences and clients you’re trying to reach. It takes time. Consistent, clear messaging is what creates long-term, lasting impact. 

With more eyes on your content than ever, due to the scale of digital social platforms, it is also important to understand that PR can only hold a mirror up to the truth. It is not a clever way to pretend you’re something you’re not. It’s not there to wash your dirty laundry. If you say you are a sustainable or inclusive company, for example, you need to make sure you’re taking tangible actions to reinforce and justify this calin – otherwise, you will very quickly be found out, eroding trust in your brand. We can help you manage this risk and get the balance right. 

In PR, you write hundreds of words every day, what’s your favourite word?

‘Snack’. I mean, who doesn’t love a snack? 

Finally, what’s one B2B PR trend you think we’ll see more of over the next few years?

From a PR point of view, it’s hard to look beyond AI. It’s quickly becoming embedded in every business sector, and PR is no different. Some companies will start to assume they don’t need PR now that they have AI to write content – but that’s exactly why the industry needs to really understand how to adapt and continue adding tangible value. We need to think carefully about what we’re offering clients going forward. It’s not enough to just say, “we can write up a quick story for you, or produce a social media campaign”. Because of that, I think we’ll see more PR businesses evolve into true brand consultants, and PR will become far more strategic and targeted in the years ahead. 

To find out more about how we can elevate your brand's presence and tell your unique story, get in touch.