Diversity and New Pros: Asian-Pacific Americans in Public Relations

June 2, 2014Lauren Gray Leave a comment

The following post is part of the ongoing series on The Edge, dealing with diversity and new professionals. This post is in honor of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month from May.

In my experience, I haven’t seen many Asian-Americans in the public relations field.

In the past four jobs I’ve had, there has only been one other Asian-American (other than myself) in two of the four companies. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 7.3 percent of Asian-Pacific Americans held roles in the combined fields of marketing / advertising / PR in 2011. It is slowly on the rise, but we definitely still have a long way to go.

It can be difficult working in a field dominated by other races, but it is all about how you make the most of your experience. You may feel isolated at times, but my advice is to be proactive.

PRSA is a great resource. Last year, they established an initiative aimed at attracting ethnically-diverse young people to the PR profession. This program will include a video series, student guide, mentoring program and an Ask an Expert series. It is important to reach out to college students to start the recruitment process early, but it is equally important to see an increase of diversity at the top. This program sounds like it will touch individuals on both ends.

Other groups like the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) are great if you’re looking for an Asian-specific professional group. NAAAP also has local chapters where you can attend events and network with people in your area. This organization is dedicated to developing and advancing the careers of Asian leaders.

A lot of Asians immigrate to the United States in pursuit of the “American Dream” and I believe that’s what my parents did. To give me the opportunity that I otherwise would never have. I’m grateful for that every day. When I see an increase of Asians in mainstream media (Fresh Off The Boat – I’m really excited for this!, Korean Food Made Simple – I’m hoping to try some of Judy’s recipes and let’s not forget #LINSANITY!), I am hopeful. One day, we will no longer be the minority.

Leah Moon is a 2008 graduate of Ohio University. She served as the National Chair of the New Professionals Section in 2012 and on the Board of the Dayton Chapter for the past two years. She is the Social Media Coordinator at Ashley Furniture in Florida. Follow Leah on Twitter @starmoon or email her at moon.leah@gmail.com.

Book Review: What’s the Future of Business: Changing the Way Businesses Create Experiences

May 29, 2014January 2, 2015Jess Noonan Leave a comment

This post is part of The Edge monthly series of book reviews on books relevant to new PR professionals.

I first heard from Brian Solis at the Social Business Summit in New York City last year and received a copy of his book [What’s The Future] Of Business from the summit. Solis is a digital analyst, anthropologist and futurist studying and influencing the effects of emerging technology on business, marketing and our culture today.

Not just another social media or customer service book, this is a detailed and insightful book on our changing customer experience and social commerce that revolves around a new generation of connected consumers (Generation C as Solis calls them) on the opportunities we are missing or underestimating. The book outlines actual recommendations on how to align your new business objectives and marketing plans based on the new world of engagement and the upcoming Generation C.

Solis focuses on how we can create and invest in meaningful and shareable experiences; this is the future of business. It provides great visual with well-designed graphics, sketches and examples of actual tweets. Personally, I appreciated the research and case studies Solis put in this book to make it even more authentic. From the design and layout of the book, it is one you will want a tangible copy of, not a Kindle version.

“In the circle of life, connected consumerism is the new reality. Those businesses that don’t disrupt their own markets will find their markets disrupted for them.”

Solis says now is the time to innovate as Generation C is taking place and innovation starts from within. The most dangerous words in a meeting can be “this is the way we’ve always done things,” but Solis says change starts with a vision. “To change takes two things: the aspiration and determination to change.”

The book provides inspiration around rethinking your business model, helping your company equip itself to change with your customers and learning how experience design helps businesses.

Lauren Gray works within public relations and marketing from Stamford, Connecticut. She serves as a PRSA New Professionals Section blog co-chair and as a PRSA New York new professionals co-chair. Connect with Lauren on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Five Tips to Start Pitching Holiday Gift Guides Now

May 27, 2014January 2, 2015Lauren Gray Leave a comment

1) SIMPLE SUBJECT: The first challenge when sending any pitch is to get the editor to open your email! Simple and upfront subject lines are most effective when pitching holiday season gift guides.

Example: “Patterned stationary under $20 for gift guide consideration”

Holiday Gift Guide Photo

2) KEEP IT EVEN SHORTER: We all know the rules of keeping product pitches short, clear and concise. For holiday gift guides, the pitch can be even shorter than traditional pitches. Let your contact know what the product is, why it is a great gift idea, give them pricing info and a link to the website or specific page for easy viewing.

3) KNOW THE RULES: It is important to know the criteria for being considered in the gift guides you are pitching. Most importantly, be sure that your product falls within the price range of the gifts being featured in the guide.

4) TIMING IS EVERYTHING: Though you’ll want to pitch gift guides of national magazines and outlets throughout the summer, your work is not done. You will want to pitch regional magazines and large online publications in September. In October through mid-November, you’ll be pitching the online versions of those national magazines!

5) EXPAND YOUR REACH: If your product does not make it into holiday gift guides of the winter season, get an early start on pitching annual gift guides for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

Magan Felitto is a public relations professional, working in the New York office of Jack Morton Worldwide.She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology’s, Advertising & Marketing Communications program in Summer 2013 with four years of experience as Vice President of Chapter Development of her former PRSSA chapter and a plethora of internships. She is a proud member of PRSA, PRSA-New York, and PRSA New Professionals Section. Ms. Felitto can be reached at MaganFelitto@gmail.com

Applying Your Education to Your New Position

May 22, 2014January 2, 2015Jess Noonan Leave a comment

After you’ve graduated and you’ve settled into your new job, college and your education starts to slip through the cracks of your memory. It may be hard to remember the theories and texts you read in college as it recedes further into the past. Here are some ways to apply your education to your new position, and keep what you’ve learned fresh!

Examine what the brand and messaging are for your company or client, and figure out how it was created.
Every company that has an established public relations staff should have an established brand and message in place. It is good practice to discover how that brand and message came to be, in order to offer educated suggestions later on to keep your work in line with them.

Ask questions and discuss best practices using your knowledge from your education.
The best way to learn is to ask questions. Each company will have its own best practices and methods to use that have been tried and established. Learn what you can from them to do your job better and apply your learned skills to make them even better.

Take the communication skills you’ve learned and be part of the solution to address communication issues, where appropriate.
The biggest problem that humans have – whether it’s in their career, relationships, friendships, and family life, is communication. Having studied how communication breaks down, what causes it, and the theories behind it, you are the perfect candidate to contribute to solving them as they come.

Education is ultimately about learning, and it doesn’t stop once you have your degree in hand. Remember to continue striving to learn as much as you can, stay well-read and up-to-date on what’s happening in the public relations industry and the world-at-large, and make sure you’re always searching for the information that you need to know.

What advice do you have for new professionals looking to apply their learning to their new job?

Samantha Owens is a writer, hobbyist photographer, and grammar enthusiast based in Napa Valley, CA. She writes her own blog, contributes at a literary fiction book blog, and freelance writing work. Find out more about her at about.me/seowens or follow her on Twitter at @sowensphoto.

Career Transitions Twitter Chat Highlights: Preparing for a Full-Time PR Career

May 19, 2014May 19, 2014Lauren Gray Leave a comment

We’d like to thank everyone who participated in the Transition Month #NPPRSA Twitter chat as we discussed ways new grads can plan and prepare for a full-time career in public relations.

Specifically, we’d like to thank PRSA and Joe Cohen, APR. Joe is Chair of PRSA & senior vice president at MWW, a leading global independent public relations firm.

Join us again on June 5 for our next #NPPRSA chat and stay up-to-date with PRSA New Professionals on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.

Review highlights of the chat below.

How can you enhance your current role by building upon previous experiences? What are ways PRSA can serve you as a new professional?

Learn more about PRSA and the PRSA New Pros Section at www.newpros.prsa.org. PRSSA members can receive free PRSA New Pros Section membership with promo code AM14 when you join PRSA as an associate member.

Lauren Rosenbaum is the PRSA New Professionals Social Media Co-Chair and Co-Founder of Soversity, a public relations and digital marketing company. You can connect with her on Google+, LinkedIn or Twitter.