Dani St James is Chief Exec of Not a Phase, a leading charity that supports trans adults, owner of fashion brand Zoah, and a prominent influencer and campaigner. In this episode of the TransMission PR podcast, we chat about the recent controversy surrounding Burberry’s latest campaign, which featured a trans model, what happened when the brand experienced a backlash and how its response can inform and educate other brands looking to work with trans talent in a more meaningful way.

Dani’s top tips:

- When using trans talent in a campaign make it celebratory, not tokenistic.

- Trans people have been politicised, if you use us in a campaign expect a backlash and be prepared to take a firm stance in your support, or don’t use us!

- Know what’s coming, look at past examples of similar campaigns and use that to inform your strategy. 

- Don’t be afraid to show integrity! 

- Use trans talent in everyday campaigns, not just during Pride or other LGBTQ+ focused calendar events.

Check out the This is Not a Phase campaign here: https://notaphase.org and you can find Dani on instagram @danistjames.

If you need support on a specific campaign and want to make sure you get it right, get in touch: [email protected]