Through his tenacity and can-do attitude, Morgan has developed an exceptionally broad set of skills, according to his employer – he is trusted by clients on everything from crisis and issues management to media relations, and from social-media advertising to email communications. As a key member of Madano's technology practice, he helped grow revenues to £500,000 within two years of the practice launch.
Meet the PRWeek 30 Under 30 2020
Judge's comment: "It sounds like Kelvin is very highly thought-of among peers and the wider agency. He's built up expertise extremely quickly and it will be exciting to see where his career goes from here."
How does working in PR differ from your expectations?
To be honest, I had little idea what I was getting into – and my first manager at Madano would agree. I generally regarded PR as media relations, events and lots of freebies. Over the first couple of years of my career, that perception has drastically changed, especially with more clients seeking integrated offers which include social-media management to Government engagement and everything in-between. It’s a whirlwind and I love it.
Describe your experience of working in PR during the COVID-19 crisis.
Am I allowed to say unprecedented? It’s transformed the way we work as a consultancy [and] as individuals and we’ve had to pivot, like many of our clients have had to. Most importantly, though, I don’t think it’s just a COVID-19 crisis anymore. The media and the public recognise that we’re fighting multiple pandemics, whether that’s racism, climate change or disease. Now more than ever, we need clear communication and collaboration to fight on all fronts.
How (if at all) will the COVID-19 crisis change the PR industry?
Let’s hope the role of the ‘expert’ is here to stay after its hiatus. It’s important to share the right levels of information and work with professors, doctors or leaders on topics, whether that’s COVID-19 or electric cars. It’s on us to ensure the information communicated is then true, clear, simple and actionable. If we fail in doing that, there’s nowhere to hide after this.
What one thing above all would you change about the PR industry?
It’s safe to say the industry, like many others, has a reputation that ‘it’s who you know, not what you know’. The nature of networking has changed in the past couple of months and so will opportunities. Let’s hope this a real sea change in providing equal chances to all parts of society, to lead to a more diverse industry.
What is your 'side hustle'?
I used to design and sell T-shirts at university, but have since retired from the fashion industry. Perhaps a return is due.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Exactly where I don’t plan to be.
How do you switch off from work?
A couple of pints of lager typically does the trick.
