We sat down with Katy Bloomfield, Managing Partner, PR at Definition, to find out how she progressed in her B2B PR career and learn about her insights from years spent helping businesses grow.
Katy reflects on her own career milestones, shares practical tips for aspiring PR professionals, and explains why building real relationships is still at the heart of great communications — even as the industry continues to evolve.
How did you get your start in PR and communications?
“I studied French and European Studies at The University of Manchester — partly because I wanted to try living in France, but also because I loved current affairs and journalism.
“Then during my year abroad at Université Jean Moulin (Lyon III), I studied communication as a module — I absolutely loved it — and realised it was the field for me.
“I started my career at a B2B advertising agency. Social media was really taking off then. Being one of the younger people in the team, I was naturally using those channels, so I got to play a key role in figuring out how it could fit into brand strategies.
“Then I spent a couple of years as a planner: doing research, focus groups, turning insights into marketing. After gaining that experience, I decided to specialise more — focusing on PR and content.
“I joined a startup agency in a PR and content-focused role. I helped build and scale the business till it was sold to a larger network agency — which created great opportunities. It meant working with big-name brands and needing to learn really quickly, which I loved.
“I then joined TopLine Comms, a boutique B2B Tech PR agency. We had brilliant people and clients, many of whom I still work with today, but we were always punching above our weight — and then the opportunity with Definition came about. In 2021, we sold to Definition, and my responsibilities expanded to Managing Director, overseeing the PR team, and more recently taking on my role as Managing Partner, PR.”
What excites you most about working in B2B PR?
“There’s so much room for creativity and innovation in B2B – we’re always thinking of new hooks, angles, ideas, ways to integrate across the media mix for the greatest impact.
“I love working with clients, learning about their businesses. And then helping them become better known, earn stakeholder and customer trust, and ultimately sell more.”
How has the B2B PR and media landscape changed since you started?
“The media landscape today is much more fragmented: fewer journalists, more channels. Journalists have shifted the way they get their news, the sources they rely on, and the platforms they publish on.
“Take newsletters as an example. Platforms like Substack or LinkedIn newsletters didn’t exist a few years ago. Now, journalists often have their own newsletters or use them as sources of information — they’ve become editorial in their own right.
“That said, the fundamentals of what makes a good story remain the same. You just need to change the way you package stories for the current media formats.
“Effective PR today needs to be a real blend of paid, earned, owned, and shared media. And within these mixed-channel strategies, PR plays a vital role in making every other channel more successful.”
How do you keep up with what’s happening in B2B PR?
“One of the really big things for me is connecting with peers through networking groups. It’s always helpful to know what opportunities, or challenges others are facing. And you know, see where there’s common grounding in that.”
What should someone starting out in B2B PR focus on?
“Definitely consume as much news as possible, wherever you choose to read it. Analyse the angles, think about why something became a story, what will be reported tomorrow, and how would you move the story on? It’s important to think about the day-two angles, and how they relate to your client’s interests.”
Can you share a few career highlights you’re particularly proud of?
“Gosh, many. Our recent work with Benenden Health on the gender health gap was a brilliant campaign, purpose-driven and super impactful. We were incredibly proud of the coverage it achieved, from prestigious business titles like Forbes to consumer and women’s glossies. It made Benenden Health synonymous with an important issue. It’s also won several awards, which is obviously nice.
“Another highlight was working with a tiny Medtech startup a few years ago. We worked closely with the founder to build their story, uncovering not only the product and platform, but also their personal journey. We secured top-tier coverage that elevated their profile, let them have conversations with investors, and ultimately positioned them for perfectly for growth.
“I loved the work we did for Xero — helping them launch in the South African market. And also working with them to launch their proprietary data as a resource for UK SMEs and the government.
“And I can’t leave out Samsung: helping position their security platform, Knox for enterprise mobility. It involved a multimedia campaign, which dominated B2B tech discussions. That definitely stands out as a career highlight.”
Are there any B2B PR myths you’d like to debunk?
“It’s very popular — especially on LinkedIn at the moment — to talk about how PR isn’t possible if a business doesn’t have news. Of course, PR is all about news — but it’s also the role of the PR team to support their clients/stakeholders in generating news. And it’s important that doesn’t get lost in translation. It’s also one of the really fun parts.”
If you had to sum up your career philosophy in one sentence, what would it be?
“I believe it’s really important to enjoy what you do and inject fun into every day. And relationships are crucial to success in every industry, but especially in PR. So, in a nutshell, my philosophy is all about fun and genuine connections.”
Looking back, is there anything you wish you’d known or done differently earlier in your career?
“With hindsight — honestly, I don’t think there’s anything I wish I had done differently. Though I’m sure at times I’ve wished I had. I try to learn from experiences and see them as just that. So maybe I wish I’d learned that wisdom faster.”
Need a B2B PR expert? Chat to Katy and the team