Lawrence Barton DL

Bridgehead Communications was appointed in 2019 to establish Lawrence as a recognised thought leader in the skills and further education (FE) sector — ensuring his commercial expertise was reflected alongside his high‑profile public and community leadership roles. Lawrence wanted to:

• Raise awareness of his commercial expertise within the skills and training sector

• Establish himself as a credible commentator on apprenticeship and FE reform

• Increase visibility among business and training sector stakeholders

• Support new commercial and advisory opportunities

Campaign activity needed to reposition Lawrence’s public profile to better reflect his entrepreneurial and sector expertise.

We implemented a thought leadership‑led media engagement programme focused on Lawrence’s expertise in skills and training reform.

This included placing regular opinion‑led content and reactive commentary in sector media, promoting developments within his training business through press releases, and developing a dedicated personal website to showcase his commercial and policy expertise to journalists and stakeholders.

Our campaign delivered sustained national and sector media visibility alongside measurable profile growth.

Media Reach & Coverage

Within the first two years of engagement, we secured:

• 68 pieces of media coverage

• Coverage reaching an estimated 4,000,000 readers and listeners

Regular coverage was achieved in leading FE sector publications, including:

• FE Week

• FE News

These placements included opinion pieces, commentary and news coverage linked to training sector developments.

National Media Engagement

As Lawrence’s profile as a skills policy commentator grew, we secured opportunities in national media, including:

• An interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme

• Coverage in the Daily Express on the need for increased tech apprenticeships

These placements enabled Lawrence to communicate his reform‑focused views to a wider business and policymaking audience.

Digital Profile Development

We also developed a dedicated personal website to showcase Lawrence’s:

• Commercial expertise

• Community leadership

• Knowledge of apprenticeships and FE policy

The website continues to act as a central gateway for media enquiries and stakeholder engagement.

Strategic Impact

As a result of the campaign:

• Online search visibility for Lawrence became dominated by positive sector coverage

• Awareness of his expertise in skills and training increased

• Commercial opportunities expanded, particularly among training providers and FE colleges

• His positioning as a thought leader within the skills sector was strengthened