When I received a cryptic event invitation to attend a special launch party for an undisclosed brand, I was intrigued. It seemed like a unique opportunity and I trusted the PR firm, so I signed up!
Browsing Tag
PR
Name: Crissi Giamos
Position: Director of Public Relations
Professional role model:
Mary Symons, luxury publicist and president of Mary Symons Communications. Everything this lady touches in PR is done with perfection. She oozes elegance and class. My nickname for Mary is “VVVIP”.
In 140 characters or less, what is your favourite part of your job?
The fast paced environment and how each day differs. The best part? Shoe shopping of course—one pair for the photo shoot, two pairs for me.
What are your daily responsibilities?
Fuelling the business of the Town Shoes Limited banners by consistently garnering meaningful targeted media impressions and driving sales, of course. This is ongoing daily, working with media, influencers, stylists, television stations, fashion shows, events, photographers, shopping centres and the country’s tastemakers.
Which tools or software do you use at work?
Microsoft Office 365, Cision, Meltwater, MRP Data
On Tuesday night, professional women gathered at One King West to hear Mia Pearson, co-founder of communications agency North Strategic, speak at a Women of Influence event. From cocktails at the beginning to the keynote speech to the networking session, the two-hour-long event was run very efficiently. After working in leadership positions at a few of the country’s most reputable agencies, Mia had a lot of advice on entrepreneurship to dispense, which she eloquently shared with the group.
1) Find a niche where you can excel, ensure that you have something valuable to offer and then become the best in your field.
One of Mia’s first managers discouraged her from specializing in tech PR, but she disagreed with his advice because she recognized that specializing could lead to huge career opportunities. In the end, she co-founded High Road Communications, an agency that specializes in tech PR and Omnicom eventually acquired it. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or an intrapreneur, Mia said you should always look for growth opportunities. She emphasized that big ideas can come from any level, reminding the audience that you don’t need to be the co-founder to think big. If you work hard within your niche, then you can become famous for your work.
From early morning meetings to late night client dinners, Edelman Canada’s President Lisa Kimmel is a busy woman. Thankfully she took time out of her schedule to talk to young professionals for a Ten Thousand Coffees group chat.
Here are some takeaways from our conversation:
- No matter how hectic your job, it’s important to make time for yourself so you can stay healthy. Lisa exercises 3-4 times/week and appreciates the alone time.
- In an agency environment like Edelman, a good PR professional is highly adaptable, reflexive, flexible, solution-oriented, collaborative, curious and able to deal with overwhelming client responsibilities.
- A few of the most important skills for a PR professional are sales, public speaking and critical thinking.
- Effective internal communication, something I was particularly interested in learning about, involves honesty, transparency and frequent discussions. An account executive should understand the strategic plan for the entire agency and open communication makes this possible.
- Employment engagement is an essential priority. Lisa advises employers to recognize that employees are your best advocates, so equip them with the right tools to talk about your company at a party.
- An effective employee engagement program invites contributions from employees at junior and senior levels so management can gather insights for operations.
- Media companies like Facebook and Twitter sometimes eliminate clients’ agencies as the middleman and go straight to presenting solutions to clients. This is an obvious threat to agencies who want to be involved in all campaigns, so some agencies like Edelman are starting to partner with media companies like The Globe and Mail to present solutions to clients based on joint capabilities.
- Lisa understands the value of information interviews, but young people should realize that she’s inundated with requests. Tell a story in your email invitation to capture her attention because too many people say, “I’m passionate about public relations and want to meet with you over coffee.” If and when you are awarded an information interview, make sure you come prepared. Know your elevator pitch and research the senior employee’s company.
- For job interviews, ensure that you can articulate your point of view on the industry. Do enough research so that you can confidently predict future trends and think about your portfolio so you can describe the work you’re most proud of doing.
- Young professionals without a family should take advantage of opportunities to work abroad, such as landing a job within your agency’s international network.
Name: Elliott Chun
Position: Communications Manager
Education: Visual Arts and Sociology, Western University; Public Relations, Humber College
Professional role model: Richard Branson. He’s a tremendous leader, showman and will one day take us up to space.
Favourite Best Buy purchase: My Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone. I never leave home without it and would certainly be lost without it.
In 140 characters or less, what is your favourite part of your job?
Working with an extremely talented group of people, publicizing everything Best Buy, including our vendors, community work and services.
What are your daily responsibilities as a Communications Manager?
I’m constantly discovering creative ways with my teams to promote and story-tell the fantastic things Best Buy is achieving in Canada. I also protect our brand and build campaigns to engage media and customers while identifying and building a community of advocates.
What are the perks of working at Best Buy?
There are too many to list! First off, the biggest perk is working with incredible people. I genuinely enjoy working regularly with a talented group of people. This includes the gifted team at our head offices in Burnaby, our stores, agency and vendor partners and our senior leadership teams. Secondly, as a guy who naturally loves tech and uses it to simplify and enhance my life, the staff discount comes in handy. Additionally, when I’m at the head office, I always appreciate having access to the subsidized, modern gym, as well as the B.C. trails, which are liberating when heading out on an after-work run. Lastly, the food services in our common areas at the head office and regional offices are a nice perk too.