Sandefjord: Consummate is the clichéd adjective invariably used when describing a decent PR professional. For Stuart Brewer, however, it is a more than fair description. Having been with class society DNV since 1997, Brewer struck out on his own at the start of this year, founding Beacon Communications in Norway, the clever company name perhaps a nod to his Welsh heritage.
“Our goal,” Brewer tells Maritime CEO, “is to help companies be more effective by working as their outsourced consultant, cutting costs, enhancing quality, improving reputation, supporting new business opportunities, and generally creating market trust and value.”
Companies are under much more pressure to show how PR/communications is influencing business outcomes, Brewer contends. And because PR companies have to be more accountable, digital and experimental have become a bigger part of the PR offering.
“Visibility and engagement are vital, also in tough times,” says Brewer, adding: “It’s not just about selling the company services and products any longer. Business leaders need to be prepared to be part of broader, sector-wide conversations.”
Audiences will switch off if they think they are on the receiving end of a sales pitch, he says, something journalists at Maritime CEO wholeheartedly agree with.
The maritime and offshore focused Beacon has recently added Leslie Taschner to the team. Taschner worked for many leading American tech giants before relocating to Norway.
