Behind the Brand: Courtney Rogers on building a global PR strategy at Hotel Chocolat

Key Takeaways

• Courtney Rogers, Global PR Executive at Hotel Chocolat, runs the brand's PR and influencer strategy across the UK and US, after joining the business through a Level 4 PR and Communications apprenticeship.

• Every campaign starts with the "why": why this, why now, and what human truth or consumer demand sits behind it. From there, she builds tailored angles for consumer PR, trade media and LinkedIn.

• AI search is making domain authority matter more than ever, so Courtney focuses on estimated visibility, high-quality placements and keeping the brand's own website a credible news source.

• Her career advice for PRs is to master self-PR, network relentlessly and build a personal brand, because if you can't promote yourself, it's harder to convince anyone you can do it for a brand.

Few brands own a gifting moment quite like Hotel Chocolat. At Christmas, on Mother's Day, on Father's Day, and on the quiet evenings in between, it has become part of how people treat those they love and themselves.

The last couple of years have been some of the busiest in the brand's history. From launching the new Velvetiser in July 2025 to completely refreshing its entire boxed gifting range, Hotel Chocolat has kept momentum firmly on its side while expanding its footprint across the Atlantic. It opened Chicago, complete with its own cafe, and it continues that growth by entering three new US states this winter.

Helping bring that approach to life is Courtney Rogers, Global PR Executive at Hotel Chocolat. Working across both the UK and US markets, she brings together press, influencer activity, journalist relationships and executive profile-building, so the brand story comes through clearly wherever it's told.

In this edition of Behind the Brand, Courtney shares in her own words why every campaign starts with the "why", how Hotel Chocolat adapts its story across the UK and US, why AI search is making domain authority matter more than ever, and why mastering self-PR could be one of the most valuable skills in the industry.

About Courtney Rogers

Courtney Rogers is Global PR Executive at Hotel Chocolat, where she executes the brand's PR and influencer strategy across its UK and US markets. She began her career in customer-facing roles at Center Parcs and easyJet, then joined Hotel Chocolat through a Level 4 PR and Communications apprenticeship with The Marketing Academy, which she passed with Distinction. During the programme, she led the PR, influencer and internal comms strategy for Father's Day, driving year-on-year growth in media coverage and internal engagement. Alongside campaign delivery, she now manages Hotel Chocolat's corporate LinkedIn channel and scopes industry speaking opportunities for the brand's key executives.

Inside Courtney Rogers' Role as Global PR Executive at Hotel Chocolat

Courtney didn't follow the typical graduate route into PR. Her story shows how customer-facing experience and an apprenticeship can lead to a global in-house role. Her week today spans far more than pitching: industry monitoring, coverage reporting, press releases, journalist relationships, media events, executive LinkedIn and speaker opportunities.

How did you get into your current role? 

My career path started in hospitality at Center Parcs during sixth form. I then spent 18 months as cabin crew for easyJet until I was 20. Working in customer-facing roles gave me a deep appreciation for people, communication and learning about different cultures. Having always loved media, magazines, and storytelling in school, I felt marketing was the natural next step.

I moved into an office-based role by securing a Level 4 PR and Communications apprenticeship through The Marketing Academy at Hotel Chocolat, a dream in-house brand. During the 18-month programme, I led my first major project, owning the PR, influencer and internal comms strategy for Father's Day and driving year-on-year growth across media coverage and internal engagement. After passing my apprenticeship with Distinction, my scope expanded alongside the brand's growth. Today, I'm the Global PR Executive, executing the PR and influencer strategy across both our UK and US markets.

What does your typical week look like?

As anyone in PR knows, no two days are the same, let alone weeks! Every morning starts with monitoring industry news to share key updates with the core PR team. I curate the most compelling articles into a weekly digest for the wider marketing department to keep everyone aligned on timely topics. I also track and report brand coverage across the UK and US to highlight campaign impact.

In any given week, I'm drafting press releases, helping shape the campaign strategy for launches and key moments, and ensuring core brand messaging carries through every touchpoint.

I regularly schedule media catch-ups with journalists to understand their evolving editorial focus so I can make pitching as seamless as possible for them.

Ahead of major seasonal peaks like Christmas, I collaborate with my manager to plan our UK showcase, bringing our campaign to life and fully immersing media in the magical world of Hotel Chocolat, gifting and Velvetised drinking chocolate.

In addition to campaign execution, I manage our corporate LinkedIn channel and identify high-impact industry speaking opportunities for our key executives.

How Hotel Chocolat Builds PR Campaigns That Connect

Courtney's approach to campaigns comes down to purpose. Before any creative work begins, she wants to know why the story matters, why now and why Hotel Chocolat is the right brand to tell it. That thinking shows up throughout her work, in the Father's Day campaign that brought several teams together, in how the brand story flexes between the UK and US, and in her preference for joining existing cultural conversations rather than inventing new ones.

How do you approach building a campaign strategy?

For me, strategy always starts with the WHY. Before launching anything, I seek out the fundamental core: Why this? Why now? What is the human truth or consumer demand behind it?

When you anchor a campaign in hard data or a distinctive reason why our brand is uniquely positioned to tell the story, building the narrative becomes effortless. From there, I build out tailored angles across consumer PR, trade media and LinkedIn.

What campaign are you most proud of? 

I'm particularly proud of our Father's Day Words of Wisdom campaign, as it was the first time I saw an idea I'd developed come to life in detail. We worked across retail, campaigns, PR and internal comms to create an in-store activation where customers could share life lessons from father figures with the Hotel Chocolat community.

I believe this worked best because we leaned on the wider marketing team, using their expertise across product marketing, retail marketing and campaigns to bring it to life.

How do you adapt Hotel Chocolat's PR approach for UK and US audiences?

While the brand story remains our red thread (more cacao, less sugar and making people happy through chocolate), we adapt to local cultural differences and market-specific trends. That's why our UK, US and global teams work closely together to ensure we're tapping into what matters in-market.

Which consumer trends are you most excited about right now?

I’m definitely looking into the Wellness & Slow-Down Movement trend. I love the growing consumer focus on taking time for yourself, self-gifting and everyday rituals. Rather than constantly manufacturing new narratives, I like to think about how the brand can be woven into these existing, authentic conversations around balanced self-care.

How AI Search Is Changing PR Measurement and Discovery

Proving the value of PR has always been a challenge, and AI is adding a new layer to it. For Courtney, measurement is about reach and quality. The quality side, especially domain authority, matters more now that generative models decide which sources to pull from and cite when consumers ask for recommendations.

What metrics do you focus on when reporting on PR results?

I typically focus on estimated visibility and the domain authority of the sites we secure coverage in, as these help demonstrate both the potential reach and quality of our media impact.

How is the rise of AI search and shopping changing the way you work?

I'm closely monitoring the shift toward AI-driven shopping habits and how generative models pull and cite source material for consumer prompts, which will fundamentally change how PR influences discovery.

The growth of AI has made me more conscious of domain authority and ensuring our own website is a strong, credible source of press releases and news, particularly in the US. We're continuing to adapt how we work to benefit journalists, media and the brand within AI search.

Courtney Rogers' Career Advice for the Next Generation of PRs

After going from cabin crew to a global PR role, Courtney knows the value of making your work visible and building the right relationships. Her advice centres on one idea: PRs should apply their skills to their own careers as confidently as they do for the brands they represent.

What's the most valuable career lesson you've learnt so far?

In public relations, direct sales attribution isn't always linear. Landing a high-tier feature with on-brand messaging, high-res imagery and backlink authority drives immense, long-term brand equity.

Whenever you secure results, shout about them! Celebrate high domain authority placements, positive sentiment, quote inclusions and share-of-voice growth. If you do great work, make sure your impact is seen.

What advice would you give someone hoping to build a career in PR?

1. Network relentlessly. Attend every industry event you can and treat LinkedIn as your primary professional platform. The right connections will open doors throughout your entire career.

2. Build your personal brand. Confidence in self-promotion is essential. If you can't market and PR yourself, it's much harder to convince someone you can do it for a brand.