Monthly Archives: March 2010

Mar 11 2010

Q&A with Author and PR Expert, Deirdre Breakenridge

Deirdre Breakenridge

Once in a while I’m going to try and post a Q&A with an industry leader who I admire and think can help all of us PR pros out. For that reason, I’m very thankful for the opportunity to interview Deirdre Breakenridge.

For background, Deirdre (@dbreakenridge) is President and Executive Director of Communications at Mango!, which is a new marketing agency that launched in February. Prior to this venture, Deirdre has spent more than 20 years counseling senior-level executives at companies including ASCO, Hersheys, JVC, KRAFT, and Michael C. Fina. She is also an adjunct professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and is the author of four books: Putting the Public Back in Public Relations, PR 2.0: New Media, New Tools, New Audiences, The New PR Toolkit, Cyber Branding. She is also co-founder of #PRStudChat on Twitter.

The following is part one of an interview with Deirdre, which discusses life at a new agency, as well as her advice to young PR pros. Part two, which will be posted on Monday, 3/15, will include her thoughts on social media and where the PR industry is headed.

Q: First of all, tell us a little bit about your new agency, Mango!, and how you became involved.

I love to talk about Mango! because there’s a good story behind it. Whenever someone asked me in the past about my former agency, PFS Marketwyse, and what the “PFS” stood for, I would always take pause. There was no major moment or epiphany that created PFS.  Rather the PFS stood for two companies, Paradigm and Full Scope, which merged in 1994. I used to joke around and say that the PFS stood for “Pretty Freakin’ Special.”

But, Mango is entirely different. I believe the agency was born out of a need in the market. We listened carefully to what our customers were saying. They were having a hard time managing the transitions in the media landscape and questioning the relationships of their agencies because social media is a game changer (both for the client and also for agencies and the services they need to provide). We realized that our experience in social media, as well as some really good traditional communications history, could produce a hybrid agency that is flexible, shows great versatility in media, knows how to listen to the market and, at the same time has those fun, bold, bright and exciting qualities that an agency should possess. To me, Mango! represents those characteristics and more.

Q: How is Mango! different from other agencies/companies you’ve worked with?

I’m sure there are other agencies out there that are taking this very same approach. But for me, based on the companies I’ve worked with, I feel Mango! is different because it builds community through conversations and engagement; a great way to reach people and have them interact and speak directly with you. We understand that there will be traditional needs (whether it’s traditional PR, direct mail, TV or radio) yet we want to make sure that we are listening to people from the bottom up, in all cases, so that we understand whether it’s offline and/or online what the people need from their brands. This changes the entire broadcast model, which just doesn’t work in today’s fast paced and collaborative social web. We’re looking forward to having Mango!’s clients learn a better approach to relationship building and also to seeing how communication is extremely integrated. Public relations (with new roles and responsibilities), marketing and web all must come together at the strategy table because of the new ways that consumers are behaving, interacting and choosing the media they want to consume.

Q: For students and PR pros looking around, the big question they want to know is if you are hiring?! If so, what is the best way to apply for a job or internship (if you are offering these – and if so – are these paid or can you only achieve school credit?)?

The economy has altered our hiring practices for the time being. When we see college graduates with degrees in communications coming out of school and taking internships, we know that the economy is still on the mend. My agency has always offered paid internships unless the student is taking the internship for course credits (in this case, they are reimbursed for all of their expenses). However, it’s very important as a junior and senior in college to be active and network with professionals, so that they have good connections and people to turn to for advice and for career opportunities.

I see so many proactive students on Twitter and Facebook networking and making connections. I applaud their efforts. Many of them are joining in the Twitter PR chat sessions, whether it’s #Journchat, #PR20Chat or #PRStudChat. They are also participating in Help a PR Person Out or #HAPPO. These students send a very strong message that they are passionate, enthusiastic, and want to learn as much as they can either before they begin a career in PR, or look to excel at a faster rate. Whether PR professionals are hiring now or looking for interns/employees in the future, we will look to these students and young professionals who are already engaged in our public relations communities. For me, seeing first hand through social networking, a young professional’s engagement and interest in the profession, positively impacts their chances of being selected for a communications position within my agency.

Q: You are very much involved in helping students and young professionals through your blog and various tweetchats. What do you find is the no. 1 question you are asked, and how do you respond to it?

I try to be very active when it comes to students and young professionals because these are the communications leaders of the future. The number one question that is asked usually is in the form of “Is PR right for me?” and “When did you realize that you wanted to be in PR?” Now, I know that’s really two questions, but they go hand in hand. My advice to the student is: although professionals can guide you and offer their experience, you are the only person who can truly answer the question “is PR right for you?”

I realized the answer as I participated in PR initiatives as a junior PR person at a New York City agency. Despite the many challenges and stress (which comes from any job), I had this incredible force and drive from within, pushing me to do more, learn more and to rise to new PR heights. I found myself wanting to take on tougher challenges and enjoying how to be a part of the communications solution.

I realized that I wanted to be in PR during my internship – something just clicked for me and felt right.  It also really helped that a senior VP at the firm and mentor had a tremendous amount of faith in my PR abilities. I remember him signing a copy of the book “The Practice of Public Relations” (he was interviewed in one of the chapters) and his inscription said that I would have a stellar career in PR someday. I still have that book on my bookshelf today. I trusted and believed him. Of course, the whole time I also believed in myself. I let my instincts guide me knowing that someday I would give back to students and young professionals, so that they would hopefully feel the same excitement, drive and passion that I did early on in my own career.

Q: For professionals like myself who may have anywhere from 2 to 6yrs experience, what advice can you offer us as we look to move up the corporate ladder and make a name for ourselves?

This is another very important and popular question. I think it deserves a lot of thought depending on the person and their strengths.  Each and every one of us has to figure out what we do best and then highlight those strengths by going above and beyond in certain ways to stand out. Now, there are definitely some initial characteristics that get a person noticed right away by a supervisor or an executive in an organization, even before they have the opportunity to shine with their own unique talents. For instance, I always noticed the young professionals who were conscientious and in the office early, working and staying later to make sure everything was done, or those individuals who would see if anyone else on the team needed help. I also noticed the people who took the time to ask questions and who found interest in the client’s business (above and beyond the initial assignment). Then, there were those who asked for more work because they naturally wanted to take on greater challenges and excel.  These people tend to stand out.

Once you are recognized for your enthusiasm and passion, you can then show your unique talent whether it’s speaking, writing, social conversations, media, or great creative ideas in PR. For myself, the rule of thumb was to show the passion first, and then add the skills to the passion, to really get noticed and stand out above the rest.  

Mar 8 2010

10 Communications Professionals Who Deserve More Twitter Followers

People love lists. Period. So let’s give the people what they want!

Last month, I posted an article about the top 10 PR and social media professionals to follow on Twitter. This month, I’m taking a different approach.

The following is a list of 10 communications professionals who all have less than 1,000 followers on Twitter. Why? I couldn’t tell you. These are smart people that almost always have something valuable to say and offer to the community. Do yourself a favor and follow them.

  1. @cgflood – 100+ followers – How Colleen isn’t more well-known is beyond comprehension. A VP at BurrellesLuce, she is all about media relations and provides some great insights into the world of PR.
  2. @C_Hayes – 300+ followers – I’ve written about him before and I’ll continue to do so. Chris has been my friend and mentor for almost five years, and has been in the PR industry for 14 years. He’s even thinking about becoming a blogger! Send him a shout and give him some encouragement.
  3. @PaulRobertsPar – 350+ followers – A 15+ year tech PR veteran, Paul  is a social media enthusiast who also provides his thoughts on the PR industry on his weekly blog.
  4. @JASMollica – 400+ followers – A PR manager at Carr Marketing Communications, Jason is an engaging PR pro who blogs about life and PR.
  5. @NikiPocock – 400+ followers – Niki is a PR pro that offers advice to young professionals looking to break into the industry. You should also checkout her blog.
  6. @calperowitz – 500+ followers – Craig is an EVP at Lippe Taylor PR, which focuses on consumer, healthcare, lifestyle, and fashion brand communications. Definitely a good guy to keep tabs on.
  7. @BMorePRGuy – 600+ followers – A seasoned PR pro residing in Baltimore, L.A. (his name, not the city) discusses PR, social media, sports, and foursquare.
  8. @tjdietderich – 600+ followers – Co-founder of PR Breakfast Club, TJ is a social media expert and blogger, who happened to grow up in an area well-known to every Mets fan – Port St. Lucie, Florida.
  9. @KDMisevich – 600+ followers – Kelly is a public affairs and communications professional with Coca-Cola Enterprises. Need I say more?
  10. @correlationist – 700+ followers – Prince is someone that I’ve engaged in conversations with on a number of occasions. He’s got some great knowledge on branding, especially with social meda in mind. You may also want to read his blog.

As you know, it’s impossible to narrow this type of list to only 10 names. As a result, please provides comments with the names of other communications (PR/SM/Marketing, etc.) pros who deserve to be recognized as well.

Mar 4 2010

PR Pros Deserve R-E-S-P-E-C-T for Accomplishments With Brands That Aren’t Household Names

Like many of you, I’ve spoken to several senior-level executives and HR/recruiting professionals over the years regarding my resume, and about opportunities at agencies of all sizes. For the most part, a majority (not all) of them looked over my credentials and immediately asked me about my role with larger, global brands that I’ve worked with. I understand that a recognizable brand is always going to draw attention, but why does the hard work that went into building startups and smaller companies often go overlooked?

I completely understand that no one is going to hand anybody, especially entry-level and junior staffers, the best accounts. You do good work and eventually you are rewarded. But since this happens to be the case, many of us start in this field working with a different breed of clients: startups, companies that haven’t really explored PR in the past, organizations that are trying to change things up, and even successful brands that aren’t necessarily household names. As a result, much of our time in the early stages of our PR career is spent getting results for these clients and hoping to use this experience as a springboard to working with larger brands.

Personally, there have have been numerous times when a team that I’ve worked with ended up doing unbelievable things for clients that no one thought was possible. This included getting them opportunities with top-tier media, working with them on how to leverage social media tools, going from calling up a journalist and having them never heard of our client to being able to call up a journalist and actually having them know the company and wanting to speak with them, and ultimately turning these achievements into larger retainers. This may not be rocket science, and some may argue that you are just doing your job, but the results speak for themselves and don’t deserve to go unnoticed.

The moral of the story is that I hope one day we can all get the recognition we’ve earned regardless of who our clients have been. Good work is still good work.

Mar 1 2010

What Should Matter More to Management and Clients: Years of Experience or Results?

About a year and a half ago when I was looking for a new job, I kept hearing the same thing from potential employers, “You have an impressive resume, but because you’ve only been in PR for a few years you aren’t right for this position.”

Or I’d hear:

“We think you’re great, but our client (insert global brand name) really prefers someone with at least X years of experience.”

Whether it’s applying for a job or a new client is coming to your agency and management needs to form a team for that account, what is the biggest factor(s) that should play a role in those decisions? Sure, it’s best to have experience AND the results to back that up, but for junior staff in particular, there really isn’t an argument against the amount of experience you have. And unless you have a history of bringing in new business, which probably isn’t the case for a majority of us, what can we do to get over the hump and convince someone to give us a chance?

Obviously this post isn’t specific to just the PR industry, but it’s something that lots of people deal with. Personally, I’ve found that what matters most to companies is finding the right fit for a specific opportunity. For example, if I were to apply for a junior staff PR position at Gatorade or with the agency representing them, they are going to want to see that I have specific food & beverage industry experience, even if it’s only for a short time. And if I have a history of performing at high levels with those types of companies (even if it’s just one company), than my years of experience may not matter as much … or at least I’m saying it shouldn’t be the deciding factor.

I’ll admit, this is a hard pill to swallow. Looking at myself for a minute, I’ve been fortunate to have success regardless of what industry my clients were in – everyone from toy companies to law firms to and everything in between - but does that mean if my agency brought in Gatorade that I’m automatically the first person at the top of the list to be considered for that account? I’d like to think so, but the reality is that that’s probably not the case. If a junior level employee at my agency previously worked for a few months on an account like Powerade, or even a small beverage company you’ve never heard of, than chances are they are going to be above me on that list. Not because they are better than me in terms of results or overall years in the industry, but because they are better suited for the position based on recent work.

The bottomline is to try and not take things personal and to keep working hard. Not everything comes down to years of experience or even what results you’ve gotten in the past, but rather it’s about finding the right fit for yourself and for the company.