Time flies when you’re having fun! MillaMay and Nick have been with us throughout the summer, working on everything from business strategy to client projects. And while they’re both staying on with us in different ways, we sat them down once more to find out how they found the last three months and what skills they’ll take into the next chapter.

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Milla: From lawtech to baby cows

My dad said to me the other day that everyone remembers their first job, and to be able to look back and think of Allegory as mine is something I will always be grateful for. Throughout my three-month internship, I have gained experience and learnt lessons that will stick with me for the rest of my professional and personal life. Allegory has given me the space to develop new skills and grow my confidence.

My role at Allegory has involved predominantly client work. I have been fortunate enough to see multiple campaigns all the way through, from the initial meetings with the client to getting our work published in outlets like The Times and The Scotsman. I’ve worked with a range of clients, which means my daily activities are greatly varied: one minute I’ll be researching law firms in Wales, the next I’ll be writing press releases about baby calves. This has been one of my favourite things about my time at Allegory, as I stay alert by keeping my days busy and varied.

Another personal highlight of mine has been seeing our work get published. To be part of a team working tirelessly to produce stories, press releases, and pitches (especially under a time crunch!) and reap the reward of seeing your piece in a big publication is extremely gratifying. That’s the other thing about Allegory; you’re part of a team. The word ‘intern’ often makes you picture meaningless tasks, admin, and very little contact with the ‘seniors’. But at Allegory, Nick and I have been welcomed just as any other member of staff, and we’ve been trusted with a growing number of tasks as our time here has progressed. In my final weeks, I’ve been handling the social media for one client during a very busy campaign week, and sending case study enquiries for another, managing responses for thirteen different companies. When I started at Allegory, I would not have had the skills, but more importantly, the confidence to manage these tasks, and I am grateful for the development this experience has offered me.

During my final week of the internship, I look back at my time at Allegory and see nothing but growth. Coming into the workplace was a scary prospect for me. As someone who has always thrived in smaller academic institutions, the big, bad ‘real world’ was rather intimidating. Allegory has done nothing but ease these worries, helping me become a more confident, skilled, and able professional. 

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Nick: Brave new world of AI

Working at Allegory has been the best start to a professional career in media and communications that anyone could have asked for. Over the past three months, Allegory has provided me with the space and opportunity to develop new research skills and deliver on major projects, such as the very website on which you’re reading this blog! Indeed, it has been a pleasure and a great honour to work alongside such a deeply experienced and knowledgeable team, who have been nothing but welcoming and approachable to Milla and myself.

My time at Allegory involved a mix of client work and internal tasks. My personal highlights include: producing research and newsletters for the Open Data Institute, being involved in discussions about Solid, which – as someone who always been conscious of data privacy (or the lack thereof) – is an exciting and promising development, and of course, this website, for which I’ve delivered a complete visual refresh, a more coherent brand narrative, and better categorisation of all pages for ease of access and SEO optimisation.

One thing I didn’t expect when I started my internship was how comfortable I would be with using generative AI. Now – to be clear – I’m still hugely sceptical about generative AI. It still has an unhelpful tendency to ‘hallucinate’, i.e., make things up, and that’s not to mention the seriously damaging environmental impacts of its resource-hungry datacentres. But working at Allegory has shown me that there are legitimate, effective ways to use AI – in particular, numerical, mechanical tasks – as well as less effective ways to use AI, such as in research and writing, where (in my opinion) you’re better off doing the task yourself. With AI looking to stick around for the foreseeable future, being able to make this judgment call is a core skill that I would not have otherwise developed if not given the space to experiment at Allegory.

After my internship, I feel more confident in my professional skills, both technological and personal, and I’ve certainly learnt a great deal about how the industry works. At the end of the day, we were paid on time, the hours were flexible, and there were free snacks in the office. What’s not to like?

In July, Allegory welcomed two new interns, MillaMay Garrow and Nick Miao, who have been helping out with various projects, from company marketing to client-facing responsibilities. As they make it past their probation, we sat down with the newbies to find out how they’ve got on in their first month working with the team.

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Milla: the only way to learn is to swim

Having just finished my undergraduate degree, some could say I’m fresh into the world of work. Having gone from being very comfortable in my cosy little department at UCL (University College London), I felt rather intimidated by the ‘real world’. The concept of a 9-5, business casual, free coffee – it all felt very different to the six contact hours and £4 students’ union lattes I battled my way through in my final year. My time at Allegory has only eased these anxieties, as I have been welcomed into the team with open arms.

My background at university was in History and Politics, but I took a keen interest in social mobilisation. This led me to exploring the charity and NGO sector, where I quickly realised the place best-suited for me would be behind the scenes, working in communications and PR to help charities and organisations get the acknowledgement, funding, and support they so desperately need.

My work at Allegory has affirmed my interest in communications, giving me an insight into how the industry works and what goes into making good storytelling happen. That’s not to say it’s been without challenges – as Emma, Allegory’s chair and founder, says, “the only way to learn is to swim.” My colleague Nick and I have already been actively involved in client work: writing press releases and briefs, conducting research, and sitting in on client calls.

While it can get a bit overwhelming when clients’ demands are piling up, overlapping, and intersecting, Charlotte, Allegory’s CEO, said to me on my second week that “a regular day of work is a year in PR.” Things move quickly, but the Allegory team creates an environment that allows you to breathe and ensures you feel supported through it all.

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Nick: View from the other side

As a vocal advocate of student journalism at UCL, it always surprises my friends that my first job out of university is in PR and communications. But journalism and communications are two sides of the same coin, and working at Allegory has given me an incredible view of what it’s like on the other side.

Ironically, having spent so much time ignoring press releases in my capacity as editor of the UCL student publication, The Cheese Grater, it’s now my turn to write them. The good news is that I now know what journalists are likely to brush over, and what might grab their attention. At Allegory, I’m working closely with some of the best communications specialists in the industry, who are happy to lend a hand whenever we are struggling with anything.

Allegory has equipped me with invaluable insights into how the industry works and its deep connection with the media sector. In working on various client projects, I’ve also been able to learn so much about the sectors that Allegory specialises in, especially in data, AI, and higher education. Of course, I would be remiss not to mention all the perks of working 10-6 shifts in an open office where tea and coffee are in virtually unlimited supply.

It’s only been a month, and I already feel like I’ve learnt so much. I look forward to taking on many more challenges and will be taking full advantage of the networks and experience of those around me!

By Emma Thwaites

The bottom line: Artificial intelligence threatens tasks, not roles. At Allegory, we’re already using AI strategically to level the playing field with larger competitors whilst preserving the human expertise that our clients truly value.

I recently had a fascinating conversation with my colleague and friend Charlotte Nichols, owner of the agency, Harvey and Hugo, in my native North East, about how AI is reshaping the communications landscape. As someone who has spent the last two years experimenting with these tools – sometimes falling into terrible rabbit holes in the process – I wanted to share what I’ve learned about both the opportunities and pitfalls that forward-thinking businesses need to navigate.

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The reality check – promise vs practice

We’re witnessing a fascinating disconnect in the market. My hunch is that many businesses are making decisions based on AI’s promise rather than its current reality, often without experimenting with the tools themselves. This creates both risk and opportunity for organisations willing to invest time in understanding what generative AI can actually deliver for their communications strategy.

I think we are at a really early stage when it comes to the adoption of generative AI. A lot of assumptions are being made off the back of some very clever marketing, where clients aren’t necessarily using these tools themselves or playing with them in the way that you really need to in order to get familiar and comfortable with them.

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Where AI excels – delivering value for clients

The real value lies in AI’s ability to democratise capabilities that were once exclusive to larger agencies, allowing us to provide exceptional value to our clients. I’ve been experimenting with custom GPTs recently – essentially building our own ChatGPT – which has been genuinely transformative for the quality and efficiency of our client work.

We use them to analyse invitations to tender, understanding scoring criteria and what we need to do to pull together compelling proposals. In our recent experiments with the GPT that we’ve built, the proposal writing time has likely been reduced by about 50%. This efficiency enables us to invest more time in the strategic thinking and creative elements that truly add value for our clients.

Key applications delivering client value:

• Deep research functions for market analysis that would previously require expensive external research
• Competitor analysis provides insights that inform strategic positioning
• More thorough proposal development within budget constraints
• Enhanced workflow efficiency that translates to better value for money

This allows us to provide our clients, who often have more focused budgets, with the same calibre of strategic insight and research depth that they might expect from much larger agencies, but delivered more efficiently and cost-effectively.

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What AI cannot replace – the human element

Whilst AI handles administrative tasks brilliantly, it fails spectacularly in areas requiring human judgement. I can’t see a world where generative AI could ever handle crisis communications effectively.

Whether the crisis emerges online or in real life, that human judgment and ability to just know what a good response looks like – and even before that, what preparedness looks like – doesn’t come without experience. We’ve seen significant growth recently in demand for crisis communications and reputation management services. I suspect this could be, at least in part, because in-house teams are being reduced in size, sometimes losing more experienced people in the process.

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The content quality crisis

The widespread adoption of AI for content creation has led to what I call formulaic, obvious AI-generated content that’s reducing the quality of social media experience. It’s so obvious when people have done this, and frankly, it’s harming engagement with social media platforms.

This trend creates a significant opportunity for agencies that prioritise authentic, data-driven thought leadership. I’ve read that LLM algorithms favour quality editorial content over marketing material when answering queries. This means investing in proper research and authentic perspectives isn’t just good practice – it’s potentially algorithmically advantageous.

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Strategic recommendations from our experience

Embrace authentic thought leadership: We’re persuading our clients to invest in well-reasoned opinions that are genuinely their own and that they’re prepared to stand behind. Most organisations produce vast amounts of data or have customer bases they can interact with – you can glean valuable insights from analysing your own data.

Invest in crisis preparedness: As teams become more junior and experience levels drop, external expertise becomes increasingly valuable.

Balance efficiency with expertise: We utilise AI for research and administrative tasks, while maintaining human oversight for strategic decisions. You have to know what really good looks like to check everything properly.

Develop AI literacy carefully: I’ve learned everything through trial and error – it’s the only way. The most important thing to remember is that generative AI is essentially a very clever probability engine. It’s not human, and treating it like a calculator rather than a colleague will give you better results. But when you think you’re ‘an expert’, you’re probably in the danger zone and could trip up – the technology is constantly evolving, so learning is a weekly, if not daily, task.

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The skills evolution

The role of communications professionals is expanding rather than contracting. I think this is partly due to client expectations; they want comprehensive support that spans strategic thinking, social media, digital marketing, content creation, and now AI tool management. For agencies working with public sector organisations, non-profits, and SMEs, this multidisciplinary approach is essential because these clients need maximum value from their investment and want to work with teams that can deliver the full package.

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Looking ahead – the strategic imperative

The most successful agencies will be those that use AI to enhance human expertise rather than replace it. At Allegory, we’ve developed clear policies about AI use – it’s becoming common for tendering processes to ask how agencies use these tools.

People still want quality, integrity, and truth in their communications. As the market becomes increasingly saturated with AI-generated content, the premium for genuine expertise and strategic guidance will continue to rise.

Contact us to discover how thoughtful AI integration can enhance your communications strategy.

By Sian Freestone-Walker and Alex Vryzakis

With the 24-hour news cycle now the norm and social channels “always on”, crises can erupt without warning, whether it’s a corporate data breach, a bad review that gets wide attention, or a student protest on a university campus. The way organisations handle these high-pressure moments can make or break their reputations. Being prepared, handling the issue well “in the moment,” and getting back on track after the fact are all elements of effective crisis response.

Research shows crises are no longer rare but inevitable. 69% of business leaders have faced at least one corporate crisis in five years, yet only 35% felt prepared to handle it. The cost of poor preparation is steep. One Australian review found that a quarter of major crises incurred direct costs of over $100 million, and more than 25% of affected companies didn’t survive the fallout. In higher education, governance scandals or social media firestorms can damage a university’s trust and credibility just as severely.

Despite economic pressures, cutting back on communications is often a false economy. Slashing PR and communications budgets to save costs may seem prudent, but it risks far greater damage in the long run. Evidence from past downturns confirms this: companies that maintained their communications investment during recessions achieved 25% higher post-recession growth than those that cut back. In short, good communication is not a luxury to trim; it’s an essential insurance policy for trust, visibility, and stability. Effective crisis communications and reputation management should remain top priorities. 

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Preparation: Laying the groundwork before a crisis

The best time to protect your reputation is before a crisis strikes. Crisis communications planning is essential across all sectors. For example, in the private sector, this means identifying potential risks, from product failures to executive misconduct, and having clear response plans. In higher education, leaders must anticipate challenges like leadership controversies, campus incidents, or student activism. Yet many organisations are caught unready. A recent study found only 31% had a plan when a crisis hit. Deloitte reports that while 90% of organisations recognise a need to improve crisis management, only 17% have tested their plans in realistic scenarios. This planning gap can create a huge problem.

Proactive preparation includes creating risk registers, building step-by-step crisis response protocols, and training teams. Allegory works with organisations to make these defences. For example, in higher education, Allegory helps institutions with risk audits, crisis response templates, and realistic simulations to ensure leaders are confident and prepared if a crisis happens. Having a bespoke crisis handbook ready means that when an issue arises, everyone knows their role and messages can be deployed within minutes, not days. The value of preparation is clear –  organisations that invest in robust crisis preparedness are 2.5 times more likely to outperform peers financially in post-crisis recovery. Preparing can turn potential chaos into an opportunity to demonstrate leadership and resilience in a crisis.

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Live response: managing the storm in real time

How you respond in the first hours of a crisis can determine the outcome. During this live phase, speed, clarity and transparency are paramount. Reputation events can wipe out value if mishandled. Research shows that companies can lose up to 30% of their share value due to poor crisis response. In contrast, those that handle crises well can emerge with 20% higher values. Whatever the scenario, the principles of effective crisis communications are similar. Communicate quickly, factually and empathetically across all channels to control the narrative. Speaking with one voice is crucial. Inconsistent or delayed messaging only fuels speculation and erodes trust.

For private companies, this might involve issuing immediate press statements, activating social media teams to address rumours, and briefing investors and employees. For universities, it can mean round-the-clock media strategy and stakeholder liaison – informing students, staff, governors, and regulators about what is being done to fix the issue. Allegory’s crisis consultants often serve as an extension of internal teams during such moments. 

Transparency and honesty during a live crisis are vital for preserving credibility. Audiences – whether staff, shareholders, customers or students – are surprisingly forgiving when organisations take accountability and communicate earnestly. Studies indicate that roughly 80% of consumers are more loyal to brands that handle crises with honesty and integrity. The same goes for university communities. Admitting missteps and demonstrating care can defuse outrage. By responding calmly and truthfully, organisations not only contain the immediate situation but also lay the groundwork for a faster recovery.

It’s worth mentioning here that much of crisis handling is operational, and involves minimising the risk of minor issues escalating. For example, by managing customer complaints promptly and professionally.

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Recovery: rebuilding trust after the crisis

Once the immediate crisis has passed and the headlines start to fade, the work enters a new phase – recovery. This stage concerns repairing reputational dents, learning lessons, and emerging stronger. It’s a critical period where organisations can either regain lost trust or compound the damage by returning to “business as usual” too quickly. Effective recovery involves active outreach to stakeholders, internal reflection, and often a narrative reset.

For businesses, recovery might include engaging with customers and partners to highlight improvements made after the incident (for example, new safety measures or leadership changes) and continuing transparent communication to show accountability. For others, recovery could mean town-hall meetings, updates to stakeholders about how issues have been addressed, and initiatives to realign with core values. This kind of communications strategy can have a lasting reputational impact.

Allegory supports clients through this rebuilding process. After a crisis, we help craft proactive engagement plans to reassure key audiences and stakeholders and create thoughtful content highlighting the organisation’s strengths and values. 

Recovery is also about evaluation. It’s wise to conduct an honest review of the crisis response – what worked, what could be improved? Incorporating these insights into updated crisis plans closes the loop, ensuring continuous improvement. Organisations can enhance their resilience by treating a crisis as a learning experience. Many find that stakeholder confidence can rebound to even higher levels after overcoming and openly addressing a crisis, especially if they saw principled leadership in action.

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Why Allegory? Experience from both sides of the fence

Successfully navigating preparation, crisis response, and recovery requires planning and people with the right expertise. This is where Allegory stands apart. We describe our team as “outside insiders”, seasoned communications professionals who have worked within the sectors we now advise. We understand the internal challenges and external pressures that organisations face. We bring deep sector-specific insight with an outsider’s objectivity. 

Our approach combines agility, expertise and discretion. We often operate under strict confidentiality (NDAs) as a trusted partner to leadership teams during sensitive situations. Importantly, we are here to discreetly guide clients through every stage of the crisis life cycle, before, during and after an issue. Having the right crisis communications partner can make all the difference in challenging times, so if you’re ready to strengthen your crisis defences, contact Allegory for a confidential discussion about how we can help safeguard your organisation’s good name and guide you through stormy waters. 

Want to have a discreet conversation about our crisis communications and reputation management services? Contact emma@allegoryagency.co.uk or charlotte@allegoryagency.co.uk

By Rachel Hind and Dani Verrall

In labs worldwide, scientists manipulate molecules invisible to the human eye, yet their work has implications that stretch across time and society. Research mostly happens behind closed doors and carries a paradox that has followed scientific discovery throughout history – knowledge that might transform human health often remains unseen by its beneficiaries. This disconnect between scientific breakthroughs and public awareness represents a communication challenge and a fundamental question about how information – and understanding – moves through the world.

For example, biotechnology innovations at the molecular level can change lives but without effective communication that bridges specialised knowledge and public understanding, even revolutionary advances might fail to realise their potential. Strategic communications are the solution, transforming complex scientific detail into stories that resonate with diverse audiences and ensuring trusted voices deliver the message.

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Public engagement and the cultivation of trust

The history of scientific innovation reveals a recurring pattern: technical advancement alone rarely secures acceptance.  Despite persistent opposition throughout history, traditional vaccines gradually gained sufficient public trust to be widely adopted. Gene therapy, by contrast, saw its development stalled for decades after early clinical tragedies sparked widespread fears that lasted long after therapies were proved to be safe. 

In both cases, technical validity was insufficient to win trust without effective communication that contextualised these advances within broader societal frameworks. No matter how brilliant, scientific discoveries exist in isolation until they’re woven into human understanding and values. It’s not enough for a biotechnology to simply work in a lab; people must know – and accept – how it connects to their lives, beliefs, histories, and cultural contexts.

When life science companies have meaningful engagement with communities, patient groups, and advocacy organisations, they participate in knowledge sharing that extends beyond lab walls. They acknowledge that scientific work exists within society rather than above it.

Our work with the Open Data Institute (ODI) touches on bringing diverse voices into technical conversations to transform discussions and outcomes. With the ODI’s guidance, the INSIGHT initiative—the Health Data Research Hub for Eye Health—established a data trust advisory board with patients at its centre, involving them directly in governance decisions about data access and use.

This approach contrasts with traditional models, where public communication happens after making decisions. It shows that by integrating diverse perspectives throughout the development process, organisations can build the trust needed for innovative research to proceed.

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Media relations and the creation of context

Throughout history, specialised knowledge has required ‘translation’ to make it meaningful beyond expert circles. Journalists often connect scientific work to human experience through their reporting, helping audiences recognise how new developments might affect their lives.

Acknowledging journalists’ importance as conduits of information, Allegory’s work with Our Future Health, the UK’s largest health research programme, focused on building relationships with carefully selected health, science, and data correspondents. Through detailed briefings, we ensured they understood the programme’s key elements, including its scale, commitment to diversity, participant feedback mechanisms, and collaborative approach.

By contributing substantively to public discourse rather than simply seeking attention, companies can become thoughtful participants in the ongoing debate about scientific progress. This considered approach to media relations builds foundations that prove valuable when navigating inevitable challenges.

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Content creation and the art of translation

The best content balances scientific accuracy with narrative clarity—making technical developments understandable without oversimplification. Audiences approach scientific information from different perspectives, requiring content that addresses their specific concerns and interests while maintaining consistency in core messaging. A comprehensive content strategy recognises these diverse needs while ensuring all communications reflect fundamental scientific truths.

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Crisis readiness and integrity

Crisis communications in life sciences require preparation that begins long before difficulties emerge. Organisations that develop clear values-based decision frameworks respond more effectively than those making communication decisions under pressure. When a biotech or pharma company encounters unexpected trial results, regulatory hurdles, or supply chain issues, established principles for transparency guide communication approaches to maintain stakeholder trust despite setbacks.

The validity of this approach was seen in manufacturers’ handling of production and supply chain issues during the initial COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Transparency and effective and regular communication on how problems were being addressed helped manage expectations and maintained trust despite the difficulties.

Many working in this field take their cue from Johnson & Johnson’s response to the 1982 Tylenol crisis, a case study still used in crisis communications training. The company’s immediate action, complete transparency, and unwavering commitment to public safety transformed a potential catastrophe into a blueprint for ethical conduct.

Communication as an essential complement to scientific work

For science leaders, strategic communication is not an addition to their work but a necessary complement. Organisations that approach communication as integral to their scientific mission develop stronger stakeholder relationships, engage audiences more effectively, and create more significant impact through their innovations.

Even the most groundbreaking scientific innovations only realise their potential when understood, accepted, and integrated into healthcare systems and individual lives. Strategic communications provide the essential bridge between lab discovery and human benefit, not separate from scientific work, but the means through which science fulfils its purpose of advancing human well-being.

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Explore

• Read more about our expertise in communicating science research
• Download our Research to Impact Playbook
• Read our case studies
• Meet our health and biotech specialists, Rachel Hind and Dani Verrall