‘Yes! We’d love to talk you through some of our highest-performing case studies,’ I said, keen to get her on side, ‘and give you a sense of how we operate.’
Brooke dismissed me with a wave. ‘No need, I’ve seen it all. You guys have been real troupers in putting us on the cruising map that’s for sure, and we’re hella grateful for that,’ she said, talking like she was the founder, not someone who’d been in position for less than a week. ‘And so, I won’t dilly-dally, as you Brits say – I’ll cut straight to the chase.’
Heidi’s leg started jiggling under the table and I froze.
‘I want to vamp things up a little around here,’ she said, leaning in conspiratorially. ‘And having the right agency by my side is the first step in doing that.’
Heidi plastered on a smile. ‘One hundred per cent. And we are incredibly proud to be that agency.’
Brooke cocked her head. ‘I don’t know which agency is right just yet,’ she said, lightly. ‘But I’m sure as hell gonna find out.’
And there it was. She’d fired her first shot and I felt sick to my stomach. The air was thick and stifling, but I couldn’t help an involuntary shiver. I’d been deferring to Heidi until now but it was time to get involved. I needed clarity on what she was saying.
‘Sorry, Brooke, do you mean you’ll be doing a review?’
‘Nothing to be sorry about, sweetheart. Yeah,kinda. More than a review though; I’d like you to re-pitch for the Excalibur Cruises business, against one or two other agencies –
I’m seeing a selection this week for a meet-and-greet.’
‘For the whole account?’ Heidi asked, incredulous. ‘Everything?’
‘That’s right, cookie,’ Brooke replied. ‘We want to see what you’ve got.’
‘I can show you what we’ve got, right now,’ I said, flipping my laptop open. ‘We’ve got a presentation to talk you through and loads of ideas to keep the PR fresh and moving forward.’
‘My team have briefed me on everything you’ve done to date. And it’s nice and all, but the business is entering a new phase and it needs a turbo boost, y’know? Our cruise ships are bigger and better than ever; we’ve got huge stars on the line-up, the best facilities, unusual routes – it’s not just a big boat trip anymore, it’s a holiday sensation.’
I scribbled as she talked, wanting to capture her exact words. This sweet-smiling American wasn’t taking any prisoners. We had to be on our A-game and get her on board ASAP.
‘Do we really need to go down the route of a competitive pitch?’ I asked. ‘Could we not have a stab at the brief first and then call a pitch if you’re not happy?’
Heidi nodded frenetically. ‘We’ve been running your PR for over ten years at Northstar! No one knows you like we do. If you give us a sense of the new direction you’re looking for, we can take it away and work on it immediately.’
‘Which would save you a lot of time and money,’ I added, sounding desperate.
‘Don’t you worry about all that. We’ve got the rest of our lives, don’t we? Plenty of time to make sure we’ve got the right partners by our side. And as you say, you know us best… which puts you at a huge advantage, so I’m sure y’all will do just fine.’
Heidi and I had the same stunned expression as we nodded. This was a serious situation. Seriously shitty. Half the agency worked on Excalibur and if we lost the account, they’d lose their jobs.I’dlose my job. The thought of it made my insides shrivel. I’d worked like a trojan my entire life and there was no way I was starting again from scratch.
Two
Two weeks later
Heidi and I sat in the boardroom and dialled into the update call with Brooke. We were two coffees in, with a third on the go, wide-eyed and wired and prepared for bad news. The phone clicked to connect and an automated voice announced us:Northstar PR has joined the conference.I slapped on a smile as apparently you can hear it down the phone, but I didn’t feel very smiley inside. Waiting two weeks to have this call had felt like forever and the pair of us were on the edge of our seats.
‘Hello?’ Heidi fake grinned as she spoke into the spider phone.
‘Well, good mornin’, Northstar PR!’ Brooke’s voice came through, clear as a bell. ‘How’re you gals goin’ over there?’
‘We’re GREAT,’ I cheesed, side-eyeing Heidi. ‘How are YOU?’
‘Gorgeous day for it!’ Heidi added. ‘Can’t believe it’s June tomorrow.’
Brooke laughed. ‘You Brits and your obsession with the weather! The sunshine is fabulous of course, but the heat makes me miss Texas.’
‘It must be strange being so far from home,’ I said, dragging out the small talk.
‘Yeah… but at least I can get my summer wardrobe out now.’ I kept on smiling. This was painful. ‘Anyway, let’s get to it. I’ve seen half the PR agencies in London, and I’ve come to a decision.’ Heidi frowned anxiously into space. ‘It’s only fair to have you guys on the shortlist as the incumbent agency, and I’d like you to pitch against Amplify.’
