Written by Chloe Ainslie

I joined Muckle Media for a three-week internship. As a recent graduate from Queen Margaret University, I was nervous but keen to start building up my professional skillset now that I was no longer a student.

Although I had graduated with a degree in Film and Media, I had never directly done anything in PR, and I couldn’t really tell you what it meant if you were to ask me at the start. Regardless, I was ready to start, and didn’t expect the experience to be as fulfilling and enjoyable as it was!

I took part in a range of tasks whilst at Muckle, such as, assisting with the launch of a new restaurant, doing deep dives into the food and drink industry and its community, drafting copy and more.

The work was one of the strongest aspects, challenging my tech and communications skills whilst teaching me about a range of different topics and companies. There was a sense of being ‘behind the scenes’ which made me feel very accomplished. But undoubtedly the best part was the people. I got to work with very kind, helpful and patient colleagues who helped me feel more confident as the weeks progressed. Some days would be slower than others and I could sometimes feel a bit shy about asking for more things to do but ultimately, I was met with warmth and helpfulness.

I am very happy I was given this opportunity to intern for Muckle Media. It was a rewarding and worthwhile experience that turned out to be the ideal start for professional life after university. I now have a better definition for PR from when I first started – sheer variety and surprisingly fun!

P.S – there’s an on-site barista, beer taps in the Edinburgh office AND it’s dog friendly. Easily the best workplace I’ve been to.

As a further commitment to its employee proposition, ‘Bright Careers. Realised.’ Muckle Media has accredited with The 4 Day Week Campaign and secured gold status. The agency now operates a four-day week, with the team working either Monday to Thursday or Tuesday to Friday, for full time pay.

Muckle Media trialled a four-day week during the summer, with the introduction of weekly team wellbeing days, and measured productivity and team happiness. Productivity, which is measured as the percentage of team time attributed to billable work, increased eight percentage points during the trial, despite the trial falling during the summer when the most annual leave is taken. Happiness, measured by employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) increased from 23 in June to 53 in October, on a scale of -100 to 100, with over 50 classed as excellent.

The agency has also introduced further benefits this year, with eight weeks of holiday and enhanced maternity package including a month’s wages pre-baby to help with buying baby equipment.

Muckle Media Founder, Nathalie Agnew, said,

“We are continuously looking for ways to ensure our team have a good work/life balance and are able to deliver exceptional results, without undue stress and pressure. As a B-Corp we are committed to finding ways to support our team wherever possible. We appreciate the environment we work in is fast moving, so we will always have appropriate support available to clients, particularly in a crisis or when a fast turnaround opportunity arises.”

You can find out more about the 4-day week campaign here: https://www.4dayweek.co.uk/

We are delighted to have been appointed by one of Edinburgh’s unique historic tourist attractions, The Real Mary King’s Close, to support with its PR on a retained basis.

Following a competitive pitch process, Muckle Media was appointed to support The Real Mary King’s Close on a number of campaign activations, events, and announcements throughout 2023 and beyond.

Muckle Media Director, Chris Batchelor, said: “As the tourism sector gets back up and running again, we’re delighted to be working alongside one of Edinburgh’s top tourist attractions and promote all the fantastic work and events they have planned throughout 2023. We have loved getting to know the team at The Real Mary King’s Close and looking forward to working with, and becoming an extension of, the team over the course of the year.”

The Real Mary King’s Close Marketing Manager, Emilie Lumineau, said: “2023 is a special year for us at The Real Mary King’s Close, as it has been 20 years since we started telling the stories of Edinburgh’s past residents in these underground streets. We were impressed with Muckle Media’s creativity and the team’s enthusiasm for our brand and the site’s history. We are excited to start working together on some exciting campaigns throughout the year.”

We are delighted to have been appointed by the UK’s number one travelagent Barrhead Travel, an Internova Travel Group company, to support with its PR on a retained basis.

Following a competitive pitch process, Muckle Media was appointed to support BarrheadTravel on a number of campaign activations and announcements throughout 2022 and beyond, including continued support of the brand’s “Book Human, Book Barrhead Travel” campaign that launched at the start of the year.

Muckle Media Director, Chris Batchelor, said: “As the travel sector gets back up and running again, we’re delighted to be working alongside the UK’s number one travel agent and promote all the fantastic work they’re doing. We have loved getting to know the team at Barrhead Travel and looking forward to working with, and becoming an extension of, the team over the course of 2022 to make sure it is a success.”

Jacqueline Dobson, President of Barrhead Travel, said: “Travel is, finally, on the minds of consumers across the country after two long years of lockdown and we have plenty of news to share as travellers return to their high street agencies.

“We’re really pleased to be working with Muckle Media who demonstrated excellent knowledge of retail PR activity and creative solutions to some of our most complex messaging challenges.”

This latest win for Muckle Media forms part of the creative agencies continued growth over the last 12 months following the acquisition with food and drink agency Taste Communications.

UMi has appointed creative communications agency, Muckle Media, to help intermediaries, partners, government and business services come together around the common goal of making it easier for SMEs to succeed.  

Following a competitive tendering process, we were appointed to work collaboratively with UMi to help attract organisations from across the business services sector to join the UMi network. 

With offices in Edinburgh, Inverness, Glasgow and Aberdeen and a reach across the UK and internationally, we have extensive experience of bringing stakeholders together to devise innovative solutions to common business challenges.  

UMi Chief Executive, Nicki Clark, said: “Muckle Media stood out from the crowd as a perfect partner to help us at what is an incredibly exciting time for our business.  They stood out because of their shared values, demonstrated in part through their B Corp certification, their clear understanding of what it’s like to start and run a successful SME, and their track record in supporting businesses throughout the UK and beyond enhance their reach and recognition. 

“Since 2007, UMi has helped over 450,000 businesses to do more and go further and through some exciting enhancements to UMi Sat Nav for business, we’re hoping to reach many more.”  

Muckle Media Managing Director, Nathalie Agnew, added: “We’re thrilled to be working with such a forward-thinking and committed team as UMi. They provide valuable knowledge and resources to businesses across the UK, and we’re excited to help grow their network and support even more businesses to thrive on their journey. 

“We’ve really enjoyed getting to know UMi and are looking forward to becoming an extension of their team over the next 12 months.” 

This year UMi hopes to leverage the expertise of more corporates, blue-chips and large businesses than ever before through its partnership with Muckle Media, making it easier for businesses to think differently, innovate and grow.

Muckle Media will also help UMi grow its business-to-consumer offering and engage with entrepreneurs, start-ups, and SMEs, encouraging them to take advantage of the support and advice available through the UMi Sat Nav.  

Launched late last year, the UMi Sat Nav is a unique platform and mobile application that helps businesses get to their destination quicker and in better shape.  

It brings together the latest finance and funding opportunities, personalised business advice and monthly check-ins, and access to hundreds of events, workshops, tools and resources. 

Sat Nav subscribers also benefit from a range of exclusive discounts and deals with trusted partners, all of which is aimed at taking the hard work out of starting, running and growing a business.  

This latest win for Muckle Media forms part of the creative agency’s continued growth over the last 12 months following the acquisition of food and drink agency Taste Communications in April.