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Bonnie Adams, PR consultant at Dead Good PR, tells us all about the many varied joys of her first games industry job.
How did you break into games?
Actually, my role at Dead Good is my first games industry job! I didn’t really realise I was into games until I was an almost-adult working towards a photography degree – and after a lot of retail and office roles, I decided that I needed a change. I’m really thankful that Dead Good took a chance on me!
What has been your proudest achievement so far?
For me it was probably assisting with the BAFTA Games Awards 2022 both during the build-up and on the night itself. To be part of such a prestigious event within my first year of being in the industry, and working the ‘media run’ at the BAFTAs was a lot of hard work but very fulfilling. I also worked at the SEGA booth at TwitchCon Amsterdam and that was a completely different experience than the BAFTAs but a lot of fun.
What has been your biggest challenge to date?
Going back to the BAFTA Game Awards, I think it was probably ‘herding’ a lot of media and guests through a real event when a lot of folks simply wanted to celebrate and talk to their friends! It felt like a million miles away from the serenity of an email inbox, but it worked really well, and everyone had a lot of fun.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Being an agency, we get to launch a ton of different projects so whether it’s a prestigious event in London, sorting out press previews or helping a AAA company at a streamer-focused event, there’s lots of variety. Sometimes I get to work on really cute looking games like Lightyear Frontier and other days I’m launching huge CRPG announcements, which are all handled completely differently. I really love that I get to see so many great games launch and meet so many of the great people behind them.
What’s your biggest ambition in games?
I’d love to work a little more in the events space and throw a really cool launch party for a game! Something where members of the media would actually talk about it for years to come, and everyone leaves happy and excited! Maybe it’s the fact we’ve been in lockdown for so long but the potential for events and creating a tentpole moment of our own to help shine a spotlight on the hardworking people who make games happen. (Or if Bethesda gave me Fallout 5 to work on… I’d love that too.)
What advice would you give to an aspiring PR consultant?
I don’t think there’s any kind of ‘magic trick’, but my best advice is honestly just being yourself – creating fulfilling relationships with the people that you’re talking to is honestly the best thing in this industry. People will remember you if you’re, y’know, nice! Also, not being afraid of throwing your own spin and ideas into the mix when working on a project.
