Behind The Brand: Em Newton on Life at M&S, Brand Building and the Future of Digital PR

M&S is rarely out of the headlines.

Whether it’s viral food launches, fashion collections dominating social media, celebrity partnerships or major brand campaigns, M&S has become one of the most talked-about brands in the UK. Behind those moments is a large team working across PR, social media, influencer marketing, CRM, content, SEO and wider marketing functions to build and protect one of Britain’s most recognisable brands.

As more companies bring Digital PR in-house and look for closer integration between PR, SEO and wider marketing teams, we wanted to understand what that looks like from the inside.

To kick off our new Behind The Brand series, we spoke to Em Newton, Assistant PR Manager at M&S. After spending almost four years agency-side at dentsu, Em made the move in-house and now works across Digital PR strategy, campaign planning, outreach and editorial content. Earlier this year, M&S also brought Digital PR fully in-house, giving her a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing modern in-house PR teams.

We spoke about life at M&S, moving from agency to in-house PR, balancing creativity with brand protection, the growing relationship between SEO and PR, and her advice for anyone considering a similar career move.

About Em Newton

Em Newton is PR Manager at M&S, where she works across Digital PR strategy, campaign planning, outreach and editorial content. Prior to joining M&S, she spent almost four years agency-side at dentsu, giving her experience from both agency and in-house perspectives. She also recently founded saunawear brand, Sweathaus Apparel.

Working In-House at M&S: From Agency Life to Managing Digital PR Within One of the UK’s Biggest Brands

What does a typical week look like for you at M&S?

In March, we stopped working with our agency and started hiring to bring Digital PR fully in-house, so this has recently changed considerably. My role feels more diverse than ever, with time split between account management and hands-on execution.

Most days I start by responding to requests that have come into the digital press office and scouring for new coverage. Then, it’s a combination of strategy, reporting, research, writing, and editing press releases and outreach materials. I also write a couple of articles each month for M&S Editorial.

You moved from agency life at dentsu into an in-house role at M&S. What surprised you most about working brand-side?

Just how big the omnichannel marketing team in a complex international brand is!

When we launch a big campaign, there are so many moving parts. It’s an incredible job to get PR, social, influencer, display, CRM, content, site merch and everything else aligned for maximum impact.

What originally drew you towards moving in-house rather than staying agency-side?

I had been at dentsu for almost four years, so I was ready for a change. Plus, although I’d worked in-house earlier in my career, I thought developing in-house PR experience would make me a more well-rounded PR.

M&S particularly appealed because it’s a beloved heritage brand going through a period of rapid digital transition and brand repositioning. It felt like an incredible opportunity.

What’s been the biggest learning curve moving from agency PR to an in-house role at M&S?

Until I moved brand-side, I don’t think I fully understood how central brand truly is.

When you work for an agency, you’re under so much pressure to hit link targets. In-house, the outlook is more holistic. A lot of the feedback I got from clients over the years finally clicked when I moved in-house. 

I better understand that it’s not just about coverage and links but the right coverage that reinforces brand perception.

“It’s not just about coverage and links, but the right coverage that reinforces brand perception.”

How has working in-house changed the way you measure PR and Digital PR campaign success?

Moving in-house has given me a deeper understanding of how PR contributes to wider business and brand goals.

While we still strive for links (and there’s no high like popping a great link into the link tracker!), success also means supporting brand positioning, aligning with commercial priorities and building authority over time.

What skills and qualities are most important for success in an in-house PR role?

One of my managers once said that my greatest strength is “water cooler moments”. Essentially this means I’m a yapper. But I think it is important.

In-house, especially in a large organisation like M&S, it’s often not clear who owns a particular responsibility. Being the kind of person who can start conversations with new people, follow a trail and push to get an answer is so valuable.

And the little conversations you have while waiting for the coffee machine to free up are often infinitely valuable in terms of collaboration and optimisation.

How M&S Plans Digital PR Campaigns, Reactive Opportunities and Long-Term Brand Growth

How far in advance does M&S plan Digital PR campaigns and reactive PR activity?

We plot out our annual roadmap in March-April, guided by analysis from the SEO team. This year we also worked with the amazing Matt Seabridge from Digital PR Tips. Matt’s analysis has supercharged this year’s strategy.

We then host an ideation every month or so to solidify ideas into large-scale, small-scale and reactive concepts.

While we have a strategy, I do like to work quite flexibly. I’d rather stray from the plan than blindly follow the roadmap and miss a more profitable opportunity.

One of the benefits of working in-house is that, without the middleman of an agency, you can turn reactive campaigns around that bit quicker. There’s a special type of thrill you get from turning around or re-angling a reactive piece within the day.

How do you balance creativity with brand protection when planning PR campaigns for a major retailer like M&S?

We’ve worked hard to build a collaborative relationship with the wider PR teams.

Building this trust has helped to cut unnecessary approval processes that slow things down and stifle creativity. It’s all about demonstrating your understanding of the brand - proving that you’re singing from the same hymn sheet when it comes to tone of voice, brand goals and so forth.

What’s a recent Digital PR campaign you’re particularly proud of and why did it perform so well?

Some of my strongest campaigns started with a surprising fact, and this is an example of that.

In an ideation, a colleague shared that kids shouldn’t carry more than 10% of their bodyweight on their backs. So, as part of our Back To School campaign, we collaborated with a chiropractor to create an expert-led campaign educating parents about this recommendation.

It proved hugely popular, achieving coverage in a long list of top-tier nationals. Plus, it’s the campaign that keeps on giving - we’ve outreached it several more times throughout this school year.

It has achieved more than 100 pieces of coverage and contributed to some big keyword ranking boosts.

Which PR, marketing and consumer trends are you paying closest attention to in 2026?

Nostalgia is everywhere in marketing right now, and I’m particularly interested in “anemoia”. This is essentially nostalgia for a time you never lived through.

With so much focus on how to connect with Gen Z, I think anemoia presents a real opportunity. It ticks tons of the boxes we know this audience is looking for - authenticity, real-world connection and community.

I enjoy seeing brands build emotional connections by reimagining past styles and cultural references in a way that feels both fresh and familiar.

Has working in-house changed the way you approach ideation and campaign planning compared to agency life?

One thing I missed about being part of a big agency team was the spaces where we could share inspiration and bounce ideas around - something Kate Towie really championed at dentsu.

Since joining, I’ve worked really hard to recreate this in our team. We now have a campaign inspiration bank, Trendspotting channel and a chat where we share updates about journalist career moves.

We also carve out face-to-face time every week to have a natter about trends we’ve noticed, viral videos we’ve enjoyed and best practice updates.

With a smaller direct team, we’ve also found it useful to invite wider team members to ideations. Sometimes the best ideas come from colleagues in SEO, social or editorial.

The Growing Relationship Between SEO, Digital PR and Brand Visibility in 2026

How do you demonstrate the value of Digital PR to stakeholders, leadership teams and wider business functions?

The main thing I’ve learnt is to adapt my language.

Using long words and technical jargon doesn’t make you look clever, it alienates stakeholders and makes them lose interest.

As well as explaining things in layman’s terms, think about that stakeholder’s KPIs. Prove the value of PR to them by connecting your results to the wider business goals they are responsible for.

Have your expectations of PR changed over the last few years?

I’ve shifted from seeing PR as mainly coverage-driven to a much more strategic function.

Moving to the dark side (in-house) has helped me better understand long-term brand building and supporting commercial goals, rather than just delivering one-off campaigns and meeting arbitrary link targets.

You’ve spoken about fake experts and AI-generated commentary. Do you think AI is creating new reputational risks for brands within PR?

AI is an incredible opportunity to work smarter and faster. But you’ve got to use it responsibly.

Just as you’d proofread and sense-check a junior teammate’s work, you should be doing the same with anything AI has helped you produce.

The way I see it, E-E-A-T guidelines aren’t just for Google - they’re almost a code of ethics for us PRs too.

What do brands and PR teams need to do to maintain trust with journalists in an AI-driven world?

As ever, sticking to deadlines and being honest when hiccups occur is essential to building trust with journalists.

Proactivity is helpful too - pre-empt what the journalist might need so they don’t have to chase for it.

In the wake of fake-expert gate, it’s more important than ever that any spokespeople you work with have a digital footprint too. An up-to-date LinkedIn profile, including a profile image, is a great starting point.

I also sometimes CC in the expert when I send over commentary - another signal that they are genuine and were directly involved in the process.

Get your headshots folder in order too. We’ve all had to scramble around for a grainy headshot at the last minute and it’s an unnecessary stress.

Agency vs In-House PR: Career Advice, Client Relationships and the Future of Digital PR Teams

Having worked both agency-side and in-house, what makes an agency genuinely valuable to an internal PR team?

For me, it’s about proactivity and openness.

If a campaign is not going well, don’t wait for us to question it. Bring it up, own it and reassure us that it’s on your radar and you have a plan of action.

We understand that PR can be at the mercy of external factors.

Another thing that shouldn’t be underestimated is small things you can do to make your client’s life easier. For example, if you’re chasing approval, share the document link again rather than expecting us to scroll back through the chat.

It really is the small things.

What advice would you give agency PRs looking to move into an in-house PR role?

Don’t be scared off by job ads that talk about the need to have a “little black book” of relevant contacts.

I think this is outdated and so overrated. These relationships are something you’ll build up in your first year.

Also, if you don’t have experience in that industry, don’t panic. Research the hell out of the brand. And demonstrate any ways brands and campaigns you have worked on overlap with the company you’re applying to.

How do you think the role of in-house Digital PR teams will evolve over the next few years?

Hopefully we’ll see them grow.

We know that Digital PR is critical for GEO, so I hope we’ll see investment in these teams.

I’d love to see in-house Digital PR teams getting a little more credit too. We’re doing amazing work, let’s start tooting our own trumpets a little louder within our companies!

Throughout our conversation, one thing became clear: modern Digital PR is becoming far more integrated, strategic and business-focused than ever before.

From bringing Digital PR in-house and working alongside SEO teams, to balancing creativity with brand protection and demonstrating value to internal stakeholders, Em’s role reflects how much the industry has evolved in recent years.

What stood out most wasn’t a discussion around links, coverage or even campaigns. Instead, it was the importance of collaboration. Whether that’s building relationships across departments, aligning PR with wider business goals, creating trust with journalists or working more closely with SEO and marketing teams, success increasingly comes from bringing people together.

For PRs considering a move in-house, Em’s experience offers a useful reminder that brand-side roles aren’t simply agency jobs with one client. They require a different mindset, one that’s focused on long-term brand building, commercial impact and cross-functional collaboration.

And as more organisations invest in Digital PR, search visibility and brand authority, it’s clear that in-house teams will continue to play an increasingly important role in shaping how brands are discovered, talked about and trusted.