Posts Tagged ‘PR’

Large Agency – A Day in the Life

Tuesday, March 10th, 2009

This week’s day in the life comes from my friend Kevin Saghy of Ketchum here in Chicago.

  • 8:30-9:30 Arrive at work, sort through e-mails, monitor for client placements and relevant media.
  • 9:30-11:00 Pitching! Calls or e-mails to journalists to convince them your clients should be a part of their next story.
  • 11:00-12:00 Catch up on e-mails, send updates on pitching, team call with client.
  • 12:00-12:30 Lunch
  • 12:30-1:30 Brainstorm for next big client idea. Lunch is served. You already paid for yours a half hour ago. Shoot.
  • 1:30-4:00 Write press release, build media lists for next client pitch.
  • 4:00-5:00 Research project from your account leader.
  • 5:00-6:00 E-mails, enter time, go home!

Tags: ,
Posted in blog | No Comments »

There’s Little Room for Error in Customer Service

Tuesday, January 13th, 2009

(Forgive me. I wrote this post directly after New Years and forgot to post it. I just found it in my drafts).

Waiter The importance of customer service in a world of instant online feedback is by no means a new concept, but my recent experiences on New Years Eve really showed this concept in action. We arrived at Wildfire for our 9:30 PM dinner reservation, only to find out that the restaurant was running over an hour late (and if you’ve ever spent New Years Eve in Chicago, you’ll know that it’s nearly impossible to make last minute changes to plans. Just about every restaurant and bar in the city is absolutely packed to capacity—so we were stuck).

Looking for an outlet for our frustration, we turned to Twitter for a little venting about the restaurant. There. Take that, Wildfire. Now everyone knows you screwed up.

But in the end, terrific customer service saved the day. The restaurant manager was at our table minutes after we sat down, offering a personal apology and a free appetizer—and when we were still finishing dinner as midnight rolled around, everyone in the restaurant was offered a free glass of champagne and party favors to ring in the new year. So even though our night didn’t work out exactly as planned, we had a great time celebrating midnight in the restaurant—and, of course, felt compelled to express our gratitude toward the restaurant to our Chicago buddies (and beyond), both on and offline.

There are plenty of opportunities to rant about bad experiences: Yelp, Get Satisfaction, Twitter, Metromix, Citysearch (etc. etc. etc.). These days, there’s little room for error.

Photo Source: MyTangerineDreams, Creative Commons

Tags: , ,
Posted in blog | No Comments »

10 Lessons Learned From Working in Public Relations

Thursday, January 1st, 2009
My friend Erin Spurgeon sent me her list of ten lessons learned from working in PR, and it’s absolutely worth passing on to you. I met Erin when we were both starting our careers in public relations here in Chicago (she has since moved to work for Utah Valley University—we miss you, Erin!).
10 Lessons Learned From Working in Public Relations
  1. The glamor of media relations fades quickly if you’re forced to advocate things you don’t support or care about.

  2. Being kind goes a long way. (This is more for when you’re a supervisor. I had two vice presidents who were wonderful to me and I would have done *anything* for them, even if it meant working all night.)

  3. Being reliable and punctual goes a long way. (This is for before and after being a supervisor.)

  4. Media want to use you as a resource; the only thing stopping them is how well you serve the role! Treat them with respect and really learn what they need and how they need it, what they like and dislike, how their daily routines work, etc. and it will be more fulfilling for both of you.

  5. If you’re a creative person outside of the job, recognize that you’ll need a job that allows you to be creative. (Same goes with other skills or personality traits. If you’re "type A" you would do well to surround yourself with similar people that won’t hinder your progress. If you’re socially conscious or politically-minded, plan accordingly.)

  6. Embrace differences. Learn from all the strengths your team provides.

  7. Be open-minded.

  8. Take risks.

  9. Trust your gut.

  10. Don’t ever let work become your life. It is your life that makes you good at your work, and you need both. (Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.) A happy, balanced employee is of significantly higher value to an organization or company and smart employers know this.

Thanks Erin!

Tags: ,
Posted in blog | 2 Comments »

Five Must Listen Podcast Episodes on Public Relations

Wednesday, September 10th, 2008

If you’ve been reading my blog, you probably know that I’m a huge fan of using podcasts to keep up on what’s new in technology and PR during my unusable time—while walking to work, traveling or working out.

I’ve been keeping track of some of my favorite shows over time, so if you’re in PR or hope to enter the field in the future and you haven’t gotten into listening to podcasts, these are sure to get you hooked.

Five Podcast Episodes to Get You Started

1. For Immediate Release Episode #350

FIR has been a favorite of mine for a long time. I started listening in 2006 when I was still in college, and it has truly changed my career path. Because I love it so much, it gets two highlights on my list. Episode 350 is a little older, but if you jump to about 24 minutes in, there’s a discussion about "PR Spammers" that is still very relevant today.

2. For Immediate Release Episode #378

There is a terrific conversation during the "news that fits" about twelve minutes in discussing Michael S. Hyatt’s blog post, Defending Your Brand Online.

3. Inside PR Episode #127

This show is always both informative and entertaining. I particularly liked this episode on best practices for setting up a corporate blog.

4. On the Record Online—May 7, 2008

This episode with Josh Bernoff, co-author of Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies provides a thoughtful look into the impact social technologies have on public relations.

5. Market Voices—7/28

Forrester’s Jeremiah Owyang discusses social media—what mistakes are brands making? Who is getting it right, and what are they doing?

Although I’m not sure I like the tag line, "May all the voices you hear be marketing voices," this podcast is definitely chock-full of great interviews on technology and marketing.

Has Potential, But No There Yet

I see a lot of potential in the PR Week Podcast, but I couldn’t get over the distractions of poor production and consistent lip smacking in these podcasts. I’m hoping that these little issues will be smoothed out over time. I’ll definitely be checking back.

Tags: , ,
Posted in blog | No Comments »

An Interview with Richard Edelman, President and CEO of Edelman PR

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008

 
icon for podpress  An Interview with Richard Edelman, President and CEO of Edelman PR [15:39m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1009)

This interview was originally posted to the Edelman Digital blog, but I wanted to make it accessible for download as well.

Amanda Mooney, Libby Pigg and I were able to catch Richard Edelman for an  interview about the evolution of public relations since he started with Edelman PR as an account executive.

Thanks to Mary Metcalf for providing the introduction.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

An Interview With Auburn University’s Robert French, Creator of PROpenMic

Sunday, July 13th, 2008

note: Robert pointed out that I had a little typo in my title. "Univesity" has been changed to "University" in the title, but remains"Univesity" in the URL.

 
icon for podpress  An Interview With Auburn Univesity's Robert French, Creator of PROpenMic [13:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (829)

Robert French teaches at Auburn University in Alabama—most of his courses involve some form of emerging digital and social media. His goal is to get students involved in experiences beyond reading, to get them engaging in the real world.

Robert originally became interested in digital media for education back in 2000 when he started using a content management system in the classroom. He later adopted blogs in the classroom, and saw an opportunity for his students to network with PR practitioners online whom they may never otherwise have met. He also recognized that online communication would probably have a strong place in the future of PR. This has shaped his courses at Auburn.

This spring, Robert launched PROpenMic, the social network connecting Public Relations students, professors and practitioners. The network has already led to some valuable connections .

Site From the Show
The New PR Wiki
PROpenMic
Ning.com

Book Recommendations—Books About People and Culture
All The King’s Men
To Kill a Mockingbird

Thanks Robert!

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in podcast | 1 Comment »

You’re Graduating, Now What? Perspectives From Four Recent Grads

Friday, May 2nd, 2008

 
icon for podpress  You're Graduating, Now What? Perspectives From Four Recent Grads [23:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (563)

Allie Osmar, Kevin Saghy, Bryan Blaise and Joseph Tateoka After our first year working for various PR agencies in Chicago, Kevin Saghy, Bryan Blaise, Joseph Tateoka and I sat down to reflect on the transition from college to agency life. Some of the common questions we covered include:

  • Should you take time off between college and your career?
  • Is there room for negotiation when you start your first job in PR?
  • How do you adjust to agency life, especially tracking all of your time?

If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to cover in our future conversations, feel free to write in or leave a message on the call-in line at 206-350-4929.

I’ll note that these are all personal opinions from everyone involved, and no one is directly representing their respective agencies during this conversation.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in podcast | No Comments »