Entrepreneurship is intrinsically about solving problems and meeting needs, and turning ideas into action to make a positive difference.
This is exactly what Upper Sixth Former Will Roberts did when he took his love of sports reporting and general broadcasting to another level and set up a new school society – the Media Society, at the beginning of this school year.
Will’s initial aims for the society were to focus on journalism, media and broadcasting, primarily in a sports context. Will wrote in his initial proposal, “Boys will explore content such as writing articles and reports on events and matches, the power of social media in communication and sport, graphic design using Photoshop and other tools, commentary and communication and more.”
Will went on to explain that the benefits of such a society “should not only give boys new and valuable skills drawing from all areas of the school (Drama, Art, English, Sport, Tech etc), but would also give younger boys the education and understanding necessary to run and operate [social media] accounts such as the Bedford School rugby and hockey Instagram pages.”
However, with the school soon to introduce Media Studies at A-Level (from this September), Will, along with schoolmate Lower Sixth Former Jacob Foster, developed his original concept further to encompass the wider ‘media’ umbrella including marketing, advertising, branding and design. To help support the boys, Will and Jacob enlisted the help of external speakers, experienced professionals in their own fields, to share their knowledge and provide guidance for boys wishing to pursue a career in media.
On Friday 3 February, they were delighted to welcome their first speaker into school, Jane Geraghty, Group CEO of Landor and Fitch, the world’s largest specialist brand and design agency. Jane, who is also on the school’s board of Governors, spoke about ‘The world of brand creation and transformation’ during which she presented examples covering everything from Nike and Apple to Proctor & Gamble and Kellogg’s, explaining how and why they present themselves the way they do.
After Jane’s fascinating talk, the boys were able to ask questions, which ranged from “What has been the hardest brand to turn around (from having a bad reputation to a good one)? ” to “Do you think a brand can rule the world with its power?”, to questions directly linked to a career in brands, such as “What courses should I take to get into a brand related career?” and “Does your company offer degree apprenticeships or work experience?”.
Next up on the list of visiting speakers to talk is Paul Hutchinson, Director and Managing Editor of local newspaper the Bedford Independent, who will speak about journalism and the local media industry.