Preena Gadher
We spoke to Preena Gadher of Riot Communications about inclusion, creating opportunities and the importance of knowing your values.
Preena Gadher is MD of Riot Communications, a culture and entertainment specialist PR agency that she co-founded in 2009. Preena started her career at Penguin Books, having completed a work experience placement shortly after university. After almost six years at Penguin, she left to co-found Riot with friend and colleague Anwen Hooson. Now in its twelfth year, Preena runs the agency solo as MD, following the departure of Anwen in 2017.
'I was passionate about books, but also TV, theatre, film and music, and I was hungry for a bigger challenge.'
You co-founded Riot Communications in 2009 after over five years at Penguin Books. What prompted this decision?
Ultimately a mix of youthful hunger, impatience and naivety! I was twenty-seven when I decided to make the leap. I had worked up to Publicity Manager from work experience in the Penguin Press division, and it was an amazing place to train in the principles of publicity. The standards were exceptionally high, and it made me strive to meet and exceed the bar. I worked with some of the most exciting and celebrated thinkers in the world, which was a privilege and opened up my world.
But I knew that once people landed jobs at Penguin, they often didn’t leave for a while! And I was already working on what I believed to be the best non-fiction list in the country at the time, and so going to another publisher didn’t feel right for me. I also wanted more variety in my work – I was passionate about books, but also TV, theatre, film and music, and I was hungry for a bigger challenge. I was lucky I had a friend and colleague – Anwen Hooson – who felt similarly, and having worked with some agencies, albeit client-side, we wondered how hard it could be to set up on our own…
'I think I always knew that if I wanted to strive for the top of my profession, I’d need to create the opportunities myself.'
I soon discovered that running an agency is quite hard! But it is also extremely rewarding. For all the things I have learned about business and discovered about myself, I wouldn’t change my decision. I also had a slight nagging feeling which I think a lot of people of colour experience in their careers, which was about not waiting for someone else to give me a big break. I think I always knew that if I wanted to strive for the top of my profession, I’d need to create the opportunities myself.
'In an agency your reputation depends on every piece of work.'
How does the experience of working at an agency differ from working in-house?
I think it depends on the agency and the in-house organisation but essentially, I’d say that the stakes are often higher on projects in an agency, since our clients are investing in our expertise to provide solutions – whether that’s reputation management, driving sales, or delivering creative and strategic ideas. Your reputation depends on every piece of work.
You also have a greater number of stakeholders agency-side – in addition to say, the author and colleagues in other departments, you also have the client themselves; expert client management is a skill in its own right, to ensure that you have delivered what the client wanted, at the same time as it making commercial sense for the agency. The best client-agency partnerships are win-win.
And the variety is probably greater too – we work across a number of sectors within culture and entertainment including TV, film, animation and theatre as well as several different PR disciplines – brand management, corporate communications including around diversity and inclusion, as well as product launches and media relations.
'As the daughter of working-class immigrant parents, I understand first-hand how culture can benefit society exponentially.'
How does your mission statement impact the work that you take on?
‘We exist to create a better world through the promotion of culture and entertainment.’ This statement impacts everything we do. As the daughter of working-class immigrant parents, I understand first-hand how culture can benefit society exponentially. Access to arts and culture through inspirational English teachers massively impacted my outlook on life – it opened my world to new ideas and allowed me to dream bigger. I feel very passionately that everyone should have access to culture no matter what their background, and furthermore everyone deserves the right to see themselves reflected. Everyone who works at Riot instinctively understands how a book or a film or a piece of music can positively impact an individual and indeed society as a whole, both in big ways and small.
Being a very purpose-driven agency, with strong values that guide all our decision-making, helps us navigate who we will and won’t work with – we turn plenty of work down if we don’t feel it is the right fit for us. That means making some tough calls. But without a clear sense of purpose and values, I believe work can become unfulfilling very quickly. I don’t ever want to spend years of my life working somewhere where I don’t know, or indeed believe in, what I’m ultimately there to do – would you?
'During uncertain times, the way you communicate both internally and externally is essential.'
What trends do you think have emerged since the pandemic hit, and what do you foresee emerging over the next year? How is Riot Communications adapting to this?
Obviously COVID-19 has hit the creative industries extremely hard and I worry that the arts are seen as a luxury, rather than essential to the fabric of life – we know that so often during a crisis it is culture and entertainment that can help a society heal and rebuild.
Publishing seems to have fared fairly well in comparison to, say, live performance – I’ve heard some devastating stats about the impact on jobs in theatre, for example. But excitingly, gaming has thrived during lockdown – if ever it was time to give the games industry its rightful seat at the cultural table, it’s surely now. But as to be expected, creatives have demonstrated some great examples of innovation. Some of my favourites have included theatre company Punchdrunk’s Sky collaboration (The Third Day), pushing the boundaries of TV, and our own client Aardman’s ‘Aards and crafts series’ – which helped many a home-schooling parent.
We’ve also noticed in this period that clients value communication more than ever, and indeed in some cases have invested more heavily in our services. During uncertain times, the way you communicate both internally and externally is essential and I’m glad to see more people recognise the skill and essential nature of a comms team.
'For many people of colour I have spoken to recently, there is a cautious optimism that things are finally moving in the right direction.'
During the pandemic, the world also witnessed the brutal murder of George Floyd – horrifically, yet another black person murdered as a result of police brutality. The resulting explosion of attention on the Black Lives Matter campaign led to the biggest civil rights movement of modern times. It also led to huge swathes of corporations posting black tiles and statements of solidarity on social media, which in an overwhelming number of cases were quickly – and rightly – called out as empty gestures. As hard as it is to stomach if you are a person of colour, Floyd’s murder has been a catalyst for long-overdue, difficult conversations about systemic racism within the workplace, and the world of culture – publishing included – has not been exempt. But these conversations are now happening, and the organisations willing to tackle inclusion holistically and with humility will succeed and be stronger organisations for it. For many people of colour I have spoken to recently, there is a cautious optimism that things are finally moving in the right direction and that this time might be different. The next twelve months will be critical to keep the momentum up.
'For anyone who has considered running their own business, it’s important to surround yourself with people who can help you.'
What advice would you give to the person reading this interview?
At the risk of sounding a bit corny, the best advice I have ever been given is to identify what you value, and use those values to guide your decisions, including career choices. It will ultimately lead to a more purposeful life, which will help keep you motivated and resilient when things don’t always go to plan.
For anyone who has considered running their own business, it’s important to surround yourself with people who can help you. Being the boss can sometimes be a lonely place, so making sure you have the right support network is essential, whether that’s a coach, a business advisor, or simply a group of friends in the same professional boat. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. I have always sought mentors throughout my career – formally and informally – and every mentoring experience has been enriching. I’m evangelical about mentoring!
And finally, prioritise your mental health and your wellbeing. We take this very seriously at Riot, not least because PR can be a stressful industry. Give yourself permission to rest and recover – you and your work will benefit overall.
'I never saw anyone who looked like me at the top of publishing, nor PR. The need for role models is vital if we want companies to be more representative.'
Finally, could you tell us about another woman in the publishing or wider arts industry who inspires you?
One of the first people who inspired me was Marjorie Scardino, the former CEO of Pearson which owned Penguin at the time I was there. She was the first female CEO of a FTSE 100 company and was formidable yet approachable. The barriers she must have overcome to get to where she did left a huge impression on me.
I never saw anyone who looked like me at the top of publishing, nor PR. The need for role models is vital if we want companies to be more representative – ‘if you can’t see it you can’t be it’ as they say.
But growing up, seeing any Asian face on mainstream TV or on the cover of a book immediately leapt out. Meera Syal is a pioneer – and the comedy sketch show Goodness Gracious Me (along with shows like Desmonds and The Real McCoy) was a cultural watershed moment. And I’ve always been a fan of film director Gurinder Chadha (Bhaji on the Beach and Bend It Like Beckham) for her compelling storytelling and showing people like me on the big screen. You can’t underestimate the impact of that.
