A ‘few’ things I learnt in my first week at Meantime Communications

At Meantime we are always looking for inspiration and fresh ideas and we believe there is nothing like a fresh pair of eyes to bring a new energy to our business. That is why we commit to welcoming interns and work placement candidates as much as possible. We are focused on encouraging the Next Gen of brilliant minds to fall in love with PR and with the industries we serve – what better way to share our passion and knowledge? Our young people speak the language of sustainability and have much to teach us also. We would encourage businesses out there to embrace internships, you won’t be disappointed.

This week I started my internship at Meantime Communications, a PR company specialising in B2B communications for the supply chain and logistics sectors. I have been thrown into the whirlwind of public relations (PR) for logistics businesses, helping to create press releases, develop articles, plan events, examine coverage, and discover the different methodology that Meantime applies to each client. I have begun to learn the language of logistics, which appears to mostly consist of abbreviations, *cough* gibberish, like MPV, DWT, 3PL, and HISS. I have been engulfed by an incredible amount of information this week, but one main thing has piqued my interest: the cool chain.

Before starting at Meantime, I had no idea what a cool chain was. I was amazed to discover that we rely on cool chains every day. Cool chains are temperature-controlled supply chains that safely transport perishable goods, like fresh meat and veg, chemicals, and most recently Covid-19 vaccines around the globe (do you know how difficult it is to keep something at -28°C at the equator?). However, cool chains are very complex, and a range of issues can arise, including simple miscommunications along the chain, which can lead to a lot of unnecessary wastage. Fortunately, there are groups out there, such as Meantime customer the Cool Chain Association (CCA), who are working to make sure this does not happen.

The CCA is a non-profit organisation that aims to facilitate and enable vertical and horizontal collaboration along the cool chain to reduce wastage and increase efficiency. On Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending a meeting with CCA Chairman, Stavros Evangelakakis, and Secretary General, Nicola Caristo. Before my internship I would have been quaking in my boots to discover that I would be speaking with Stavros (who also happens to be the Head of Global Healthcare at CargoLux) and Nicola (the Partner Manager of SkyCell AG) just 24 hours after joining Meantime. Yet, the Zoom call confirmed what my colleagues have told me all week, people that work in logistics are friendly, welcoming, and passionate about what they do!

When I began my internship, I did not expect to encounter companies or associations in logistics who are driven by a sustainable and altruistic approach. One of the CCA’s aims is to assist the global effort of distributing supplies, such as Covid-19 vaccines, to people in previously inaccessible areas. Discovering this about the CCA has made me proud to contribute to Meantime’s PR campaign for the association: which involves sending out press releases to journalists which include a ‘call to action’ to gather new members, creating social media posts, and organising an upcoming perishables conference. This event will bring together CCA members and stakeholders to collaborate and enhance the cool chain.

In our Friday meeting Emma, Meantime Founder and CEO, asked me what I learnt this week, I wanted to say “everything!”; but if this week has taught me anything, it is that I have barely scratched the surface of what there is to learn about working at Meantime Communications – bring on next week!

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Hannah was born the year the millennium bug didn’t bite. She is currently studying BA English at the University of Nottingham and is hoping to have one normal year in university before she graduates in 2022. Hannah is an avid foodie, artist, and her current goal is to enter Wimbledon, if only to win the consolation cheque for £48,000.