Project: Orange UK – Social Spokesperson
Role: PR Manager, Orange UK

Before brands fully understood social media, Orange had an opportunity to define how a telecom company could show up, speak, and engage in a digital-first world.

Insight
Traditional PR was one-directional. Social platforms created the opportunity to turn brands into participants — not just broadcasters.

Idea
Build Orange’s first digital PR ecosystem — combining a newsroom, social presence, and original content — anchored by a human voice inside the business.

Approach
I developed and led Orange’s inaugural digital PR strategy from the ground up:

• Created the company’s first digital newsroom

• Launched and operated the @ConorfromOrange social identity across Twitter and YouTube

• Produced and distributed original video content with no dedicated budget

• Aligned content with major company announcements to amplify reach and relevance

• Used social as a direct line to customers, media, and tech communities

The approach blended PR, content, and community into a single, integrated model — ahead of how most brands were operating at the time.

Impact

• 2M+ video views across 15 self-produced pieces of content

• Individual videos reaching 300k+ views with strong engagement

• Coverage in titles including The Daily Mail, Gizmodo, and Engadget

• Direct engagement with customers and media through a humanised brand voice

• Winner of ‘Best Use of Video’ – CorpComms Awards (2010)

This work demonstrated that putting a real voice at the centre of communications can transform how a brand is perceived and engaged with.