From BBC to Boardroom: In Conversation with Anne Buckland on Purpose, PR and How to Change the Narrative

Every business leader has felt the frustration of trying to communicate something important only to find their message overlooked or misunderstood. Whether you’re managing complex technical products, building a corporate reputation or embracing new strategies, communication can make or break your success. Anne Buckland has built her career around ensuring messages reach and resonate deeply with their intended audiences.

“The most powerful storytelling always comes back to genuine human connections,” Anne begins. “Whether you’re talking about technical innovation, charity work or business transformation, the core of any effective story is understanding who you’re speaking to, why it matters and how it connects emotionally and intellectually.”

Anne’s unique background combines corporate communications, award-winning broadcast journalism and globally recognised PR campaigns. Now, as Director of PR at We Do Stories—an integrated PR and digital agency— Anne leverages her international expertise to craft narratives that stand out, build trust and drive tangible business outcomes.

“Storytelling is more than simply sharing information,” Anne says. “It’s about engaging hearts and minds, making your audience care and driving them to action. My time in broadcast journalism showed me how transformative the right story could be, and that’s something businesses often underestimate. For example, the launch of another gym may not be exciting, but when the gym owner has overcome obesity and has a mission to help others to do the same, the brand comes alive.”

Anne began her professional journey at Halcrow Group, developing essential skills in corporate communication and technical messaging. This provided a strong foundation, but her passion for storytelling soon drew her into television, beginning with a role as a researcher on the BBC’s acclaimed first series of Coast. This experience opened doors, leading Anne to secure a coveted place on Channel 4’s prestigious Researcher Development Programme, which launched her firmly into high-level broadcast journalism.

Over the next 15 years, Anne became a respected producer–director, creating documentaries and news content for BBC, ITV, Discovery Channel, BBC World News, Al Jazeera and National Geographic. Her work earned critical acclaim, including a BAFTA. Anne’s experience in broadcasting helped her master the art of translating complex, technical content into accessible narratives—skills she now applies directly to business communications.

“When producing documentaries, you must engage diverse audiences who often start with little interest or knowledge,” Anne explains.

“The key is to simplify complex subjects without losing essential details. Businesses frequently struggle here—they overwhelm audiences with jargon or technicalities and lose impact. Clear, engaging storytelling creates understanding and builds trust.”

Throughout her TV career, Anne has collaborated with prestigious global institutions such as MIT, Harvard and CERN, as well as multiple teams competing in the World Solar Challenge and with NASA scientists in the USA, and in field research in Iceland. These projects required her to make complex scientific subjects accessible to everyone, crafting emotionally engaging narratives that captivated diverse global audiences. “The key to connecting with an audience is finding the human story behind the complexity,” Anne explains. “People engage deeply when they see the personal relevance and emotional resonance within seemingly abstract subjects.”

Anne’s storytelling approach gained further recognition as Global Campaigns Director at Mercy Ships International, a renowned healthcare charity headquartered in the US, with 16 national offices and work to accelerate access to surgical, obstetric and anaesthetic care across African nations.

Anne’s strategic PR campaigns for Mercy Ships secured international news coverage, including one inspiring story about the reunion between a volunteer from Sierra Leone and the New Zealand nurse who helped deliver her 30 years earlier, which saw a reach of 450 million in the first 24 hours after release, including publication in the Daily Telegraph. Anne’s vision for the Africa Celebration campaign earned three international SABRE awards, highlighting her exceptional ability to craft stories that drive global awareness and meaningful engagement.

Reflecting on her experience with global brands, Anne stresses that businesses must clearly communicate their purpose. “Purpose isn’t just a buzzword; it’s absolutely vital for building loyalty and trust,” she says. “Today’s consumers and stakeholders expect transparency and authenticity. Articulating your purpose and demonstrating real impact helps businesses stand out genuinely without resorting to superficial claims. Clearly articulating your purpose can be as simple as spelling it out in your name; a great example is The Happy Egg Company or a full ESG campaign.”

Anne offers practical insights drawn from her career.

For charities, compelling stories often flow naturally, yet they can find it harder if they don’t use data insights to maximise the impact of strong stories. Conversely, tech and engineering firms often have impressive data but can struggle to connect emotionally. Anne’s method bridges this gap, blending robust data with compelling human-centred stories.

“Human stories resonate universally,” Anne explains. “People connect emotionally with stories that reflect real experiences, struggles and achievements. Businesses often miss this human element. Adding relatable context around your data transforms your communication from informative to truly influential and memorable.”

Anne has some straightforward advice for businesses looking to elevate their communications:

Firstly, clarity is a must. Anne advises simplifying messages: “You must translate complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives your audience can easily understand.”

Secondly, know your audience. “You might craft the perfect message, but delivering it effectively depends entirely on understanding who you’re speaking to, their interests and how they prefer to consume information,” Anne notes.

Thirdly, Anne emphasises curiosity when developing campaigns and messaging: “Stay curious and never hesitate to ask the obvious questions. Curiosity is how we learn about each other and find the best anecdotes and stories to which others can relate.”

Fourth, blend global insights with local relevance. Even if you’re communicating on international stages, tailor your narrative to reflect local values and interests so that even a global story is relevant to your audience.

Anne also stresses that storytelling is key to more than just external communication—it’s central to internal engagement. “Effective internal communication boosts team alignment, morale and productivity,” she points out. “Businesses often underestimate how compelling internal storytelling can inspire teams, strengthen brands and drive organisational success. NASA, for example, famously used storytelling to learn from failure after the loss of the Challenger space shuttle: it hired professional storytellers to build a culture of knowledge-sharing and set up forums where staff learnt from one another’s experiences and reconnected.”

As our conversation draws to a close, Anne summarises her advice: “Businesses should never underestimate storytelling’s strategic power. It’s not just about communicating effectively—it’s about building meaningful relationships, establishing trust and driving real business results.”

We Do Stories itself embodies Anne’s storytelling philosophy, offering direct access to experts and a unique blend of broadcast journalism and strategic PR expertise. Anne explains: “Our approach allows us to form deeper relationships with clients, becoming extensions of their team. This level of collaboration means we genuinely understand our clients, enabling us to tell their stories authentically and effectively.”

Anne’s career trajectory provides a clear, practical roadmap for any business leader aiming to improve their communication strategies and make a real impact. “Businesses that embrace We Do Stories’ human-centred approach communicate better, build lasting loyalty, stand out authentically and create sustainable growth. We see significant results for our clients in engagement and reach: it’s clear that compelling storytelling combined with data-driven insights really works,” she says.

Human stories resonate universally. People connect emotionally with stories that reflect real experiences, struggles and achievements. Businesses often miss this human element. Adding relatable context around your data transforms your communication from informative to truly influential and memorable.