If there’s one thing we’re clear about, it’s that Coconut is a no-fluff, say-it-like-it-is PR agency. And on World Mental Health Day this seems more relevant a conversation than ever.

There’s a reasonable amount of effort required by the marketing and comms teams and individuals at mental health charities, and their retained agencies, to achieve the kind of awareness that drove hundreds of thousands of us to use a #mentalhealth hashtag of some variant on 10 October.

But has anyone checked in on those people - are they ok?

The PR stereotype

For an industry whose reputation somehow thrives on ‘schmooze’ and rescuing even the most dire of reputational management situations, we’re trained to put on a brave face.

Unlike most, I segue-way’d into PR from the hospitality industry where long hours, late nights and a lack of daylight and exercise were fairly normal. Mental health in hospitality has many challenges associated with those factors as well as the switch between front of house ‘performance’ and the banter of the kitchen.

Eight years of restaurant life certainly squared my shoulders before I entered the world of consumer PR. And as such I’ve been heard many times over the years saying “I’m the least PR-ey PR”. I have only ever used the term ‘dah-ling’ in parody of the industry I live and breathe. I definitely don’t fit the PR stereotype - thank goodness!

But what about those who do?

Mental health isn’t spin

As many of my generation of PRs leave the agency world or their in-house directorships behind for a more flexible, free and diversely challenging self-employed stage, they also seem to shed some of the stereotype too. However, naturally the ‘schmooze’ comes to you, how comfortable does it leave you?

In short, we’re mental health aware here. So much so, what you see is what you get: an experienced, enthusiastic, connected and committed comms team who can handle pretty much anything (ranting, sweary chefs, pumped-up politicians and egocentric CEOs included).

But remember, we tell it like it is too. For an honest, open, no obligation conversation about how we can help your business, let’s talk.