Book Review: Improvise: Unconventional Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO

July 8, 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.

“He has worked with some of the country’s most fabled business leaders, such as Apple’s Steve Jobs, Disney’s Michael Eisner, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. He has helped introduce the world to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pokémon, and the seedless watermelon,” states a blurb about Fred Cook on the back of his latest book Improvise: Unconventional Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO.

If a description like that doesn’t inspire you to read a book then I don’t know what will.

This isn’t your average career development publication. It’s an entertaining education on leadership, creativity, business and getting ahead of your competition rooted in the very thing that propelled Cook to CEO of Golin—his unique experiences.

His outrageous stories catalog his adventures as a cabin boy on a Norwegian ship, a salesmen of leather goods in Italy, a doorman at a four-star hotel, traveling across the world, starting his own PR firm and many other experiences. These narratives, however, aren’t random. They all have a specific purpose: to keep you eagerly reading along and easily transferring otherwise complex lessons.

Much like the book’s title suggests, Cook puts a great deal of emphasis on the power of improvising. Employing his above-mentioned stories and wit, he details logical steps to embracing your weird thinking and harnessing it to advance your career. A consistent theme is the importance of gaining a variety of experiences to synthesize to your advantage.

The importance is showcased as Cook describes the very moments that equipped him to effectively maintain client relations and think outside the box to gain new business like Starbucks (before they were huge).

With so many qualified young professionals entering the marketplace, you’re going to be required to stand out. This book will help you do just that and is a must-read for the new pro as well as the seasoned veteran.

So start expanding your perspective and varying your experiences—pick up Cook’s Improvise, and I promise that your career will never be the same.

Ben Butler is the founder and president of Top Hat IMC—an integrated marketing communications firm in Wexford and Pittsburgh, PA. You can connect with him on LinkedIn and on Twitter (@BenButlerPR).

So You Want to Start a PR Career in Government…

June 30, 2014January 2, 2015Lauren Gray Leave a comment

There are many perceptions about government in Washington D.C. – political campaigns or press conferences with a mayor or congressman. Yes, there is some of that, but there is much more. Let’s explore how government public relations works and some things I’ve learned over the years.

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What is it like?

There are many opportunities in government. Think of the city you live in and the news. Every day you see stories about police, fire, public meetings, road closures, housing, rezoning and much more. In fact, government seems to make up a lot of the news and media relations is a part of the job. There are other tasks like websites, graphic designs, safety campaigns, community engagement, social media, employee communications and many more = similar to working in-house for a business. Depending on where you live you might work in a communications department that represents the whole city or you may work strictly for a department such as transit, fire, utilities or police. There are also county systems, state departments and federal departments.

What I’ve learned…

Everything is public information. Any time you send an email, write a news release or post on Twitter for your job, it’s public information. In fact when you look for a job, the public relations positions are usually classified as public information officers. In government, anyone can request information and you will have to provide information if it is available. So you need to save a lot of things and be proactive in pushing out information that is useful to the public.

Good writing skills and strategic thinking are essential. Like other PR jobs, good writing skills will go a long way. You still need to be able to write a press release and other content. Likewise, you will be involved in big projects that require research, identifying stakeholders and target audiences, creating goals and objectives, selecting tactics and measuring your success.

Try to be as proactive as you can, but sometimes you have to be reactive. A lot of times things beyond your control will happen fast and the media may come to you before you know about it such as a sinkhole forming on a heavily traveled road during evening rush hour. It may take some time to get your information together, but you learn to give what information you have at that time. Remember that government is often a resource of information and a lot of times media will come to you first. It might seem like it is reactive, but you might already have a plan of what to say for different issues

When it comes to budget, think nonprofit. There is some money allotted to communications, but it is usually limited. Government works for the public and needs to be selective in where money goes. This goes back to why strategic planning is important. You can still be creative and create campaigns when needed, but it is usually on a tight budget.

Be patient. Sometimes priorities change or the budget is cut and your project is put on hold. Also, some pieces of information may need to be reviewed by many people before you can finalize it. Things will get done, but it may take longer than you expected.

You can really be proud of your work and make a difference. At our organization, we say “Public service is our business.” You will be involved in a lot of large projects. You’ll get to be engaged with your community and help bring projects together. I’ve worked behind the scenes during snow storms and realize how important it is to get the right information to the right people at the right time. I can walk down the street and see something I was a part of and it gives me a sense of pride. I’ve also met some of the hardest working people in government.

Government public relations is a great place to start your career. It’s similar to other fields and you’ll be able to use a lot of your skills. It’s challenging and rewarding. There are many options of where to work; you just have to find them.

Nicole Ramsey works as a Strategic Communications Manager for the City of Charlotte’s Corporate Communications and Marketing department in Charlotte, NC. She also is a member of the PRSA Charlotte’s New Professionals board. Nicole graduated with a M.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a B.A. in Communications from the University of Louisville.

5 Things To Do When You’re Feeling Over-Stressed

June 26, 2014January 2, 2015Lauren Gray Leave a comment

One of the things that drew me to work in PR most was the diversity; the diversity of clients, the range of topics you “become an expert” on, the fluidity in your schedule and how no two days are alike. It’s liberating… but it’s also very consuming. Your brain is always running and playing connect-the-dots between your clients and the seemingly unrelated beats desirable journalists want to cover. And although I argue that those right for the field should thrive in this state, sometimes it can be a bit much. [Insert disquieting yearly statistic where PR is ranked as one of the most stressful jobs in the nation.]

When you find your brain is giving you the spinning beach ball of death, try doing one of these:

62c809b1f2bf23b96f99fee270e9a2d6 1) Put Down the Coffee

I know. This is blasphemous for our industry. And believe me, I am the last person who’d say this because I’ve proudly flaunted my Starbuck’s Gold Card since 2008… but you can’t ignore the facts. When you’re stressed, your body is already on high alert, pumping cortisol and adrenalin into your veins to ensure all systems can fight or flight at a moment’s notice. (Yes, this is what’s chemically happening as you nervously wait for your turn to present at the all-hands meeting.) Adding copious milligrams of caffeine to the mix would be like adding water to a grease fire. I suggest substituting with tea until things settle down.

2) Get Some Vitamin D

More than likely, you’ve been sitting at your desk, glaring at LED lights and typing away for the past 6 hours, agonizing about an impending deadline you don’t feel prepared for. Sound familiar?

Get up from your chair and step outside for a quick recess. Walk around the block for a new perspective. Breathe in the fresh air, and let it fill you with new ideas. A simple 10 minutes is all it takes. Sunrays have a way of thawing your worries and shedding light on what’s important.

3) LOL

Whoever coined the phrase “laughter is the best medicine” was a poetic genius. Everyone and their mom still says it because it really is true. (Read this 2013 article by Mayo Clinic for the nerdy details.) Find something, anything, to laugh about. Make it a full-bellied chuckle because pity laughs don’t count! If you’re in dire need of a quick fix, a funny animal video usually does the trick.

4) Get KRAFTy

After a long stressful day, I find one of the most relaxing ways to unwind is to crack open a bottle of wine, crank up the “Chillin’ Playlist” and cook a gourmet-style dinner. Don’t worry if you’re not a master chef; it’s about letting yourself disconnect from outside worries and putting all of your concentration on what’s in front of you, while simultaneously expressing yourself through a creative outlet. I find that cooking shares the similar cathartic effect of painting, only you get the added bonus of getting to eat your masterpiece afterwards! Baking works for this too; however, I prefer to cook stuffed bell pepper + risotto for the week’s dinner than have two dozen baked chocolate truffle muffins sitting on my counter right at the start of beach season. Whatever melts your butter, do it.

5) Werk It Out

** If you chose baking from the last stress release tip, you may want to try this one too.

Stressful energy is a powerful force if you can learn how to make it work for you rather than against you. Use all of that pent up frustration to propel you and push you forward in whatever type of exercise you prefer. Swim laps, run, cycle or dance until you’ve exchanged your anxiety with endorphins and self-accomplishment. Can’t solve how to get a client into Us Weekly’s national gift roundup? Okay, but you can run nine miles and feel great afterwards. Do something that builds your confidence outside of work to remind yourself how competent you are the next time you step into the office.

By now I think we’ve all agreed that in this profession (and life in general), stress is inevitable. However, there is still a silver lining! Though you may not always be able to stop things from going bananas, you CAN control the way deal with troubles when they do occur. If you chose to frame life’s stressors, not as the enemy, but as an opportunity to ‘rise to the challenge,’ it would make the idea of stress a lot less, well, stressful.

And if all else fails, call your mom.

Megan O’Neal graduated from UCLA in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, emphasizing in mass communications. She is currently the PR Coordinator at Marketing Design Group and volunteers with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, freelancing for the public relations department. Connect with her on Twitter @megannenicole.

Build Brand Buzz through Blogger Relations

June 23, 2014January 2, 2015Jess Noonan 1 Comment

In a PR pro’s world, what’s better than a group of thought leaders spreading the positive word about your brand?

Besides this summer’s World Cup-gone-social case study, I’d lean toward nothing.

To achieve that ultimate brand buzz dream, you need a thorough, targeted blogger-relations strategy. When executed well, blogger engagement will give your brand third-party credibility among its target consumer audience.

But unlike Clint Dempsey, PR pros can’t score big within the first 30 seconds of a blogger-outreach campaign. It requires research, patience, engagement and an overall good product or service for blogger relations to succeed. Here’s how to start:

1. Find your niche bloggers. Fight the urge to mass distribute to a media list; opt for quality instead. Complement a database media list with hands-on research. Tools like Twitter’s Advanced Search can help you find niche bloggers with a substantial social following. Let’s say, for example, you’re a cheese brand. Search “cheese AND blog” in the Advanced Search words section, and you’ll get a list of hundreds of people who blog and have a special place in their heart for cheese. Bingo.

2. Read their content. Before pitching, take time to read each blogger’s content to see how your brand fits, then reference specific posts during outreach. Let’s go back to that delicious cheese example. If you’re pitching a food blogger, point out some cheese-specific posts and tie in why he/she would love your brand. Did he/she write about a new Gouda dish? Share a tasty recipe that makes your specific cheese irresistible. By using this approach, you 1) prove you read their blog, 2) highlight your cheese’s unique attributes, and 3) illustrate how your product can be repurposed for content beyond that initial review post.

3. Set reasonable expectations up front. As new PR pros, we’re under tight, demanding deadlines every day. But, keep in mind that most bloggers write in their spare time, and they’re under similar pressures during their day jobs, too. From the beginning, set reasonable deadlines you both agree on for product reviews, tweeting, etc. And always remember: It’s the blogger’s site – not yours. It’s his/her prerogative to stick to blog guidelines and write about what best serves the audience.

4. Engage regularly. Have your solid group of bloggers secured? Nice work. Now it’s time to prove you’re a good partner. Share their content, +1 their updates, comment on their posts or tag them in tweets they’d find interesting (within reason, of course). When executed well, a blogger-relations campaign is mutually beneficial: They help your brand reach new audiences, and you help their blog reach new readers.

5. Have a good product. Cue the “duh” reaction here – of course your product is wonderful – but hear me out. Sometimes PR pros are asked to promote an unfamiliar product. Because it’s new, they may not know or recognize the product’s flaws – but the blogger will. And, depending on the blogger, this could result in a severed relationship or, worse, a negative review (followed by a “good riddance”). If you’re uncertain about a product, test it out firsthand, or see what the review sites say. By doing your homework, you could save your brand’s reputation while helping improve its product.

As you embark on your blogger relations journey, remember that quality trumps quantity. And, while time consuming, this thorough strategy will have reputable thought leaders building powerful brand buzz among your target audience. Now that deserves a hashflag raise, don’t you think?

Do you work with bloggers? What tips do you have for a successful blogger-relations campaign?

Stephanie Vermillion is a senior account executive at Wordsworth Communications, a public relations agency in Cincinnati. She is on the PRSA Cincinnati Leadership Team and is part of the PRSA Cincinnati New Pros Committee. Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn and Twitter (@SMVermillion).

Spinning Millennial Stereotypes Into Professional Positives

June 20, 2014January 2, 2015Jess Noonan Leave a comment

Millennials are taking America and its workforce by storm. We’re a generation 80 million strong and make up the largest age group in our nation’s history. We represent one in every three U.S. employees and will comprise 75 percent of the global workforce by 2025.

As we’ve grown in number and professional rank, sohave the stereotypes surrounding us. I’m here to show how our supposedly lazy, entitled and self-involved generation can debunk these misnomers and spin them into positives in our professional lives.

First and foremost, Millennials are anything but lazy. Multiple internships are all but expected to get any kind of job after college, which was certainly the case for me. Since many of us are unwilling to settle for a job outside of our industry, we’re often forced to complete free and sometimes prolonged post-graduate internships in order to land that full-time gig. (We’ve all watched GIRLS, right?) Frankly, I know few people in this field who have gotten where they are without doing one.

Doing these kinds of internships have taught us the value of hard work, sacrifice and building the all-important connections required to work our way up. After getting our foot in the door, we have learned how to effectively network and can now more fully appreciate finally landing that full-time position.

And besides, if we were so ambivalent about our futures, would young pros like me be taking the time to contribute to this blog?

Millennials have often found that there’s no one direct path to full-time work either. Our peers are taking on post-grad teaching and volunteer experiences like never before. As I can personally attest to, whether it’s the Peace Corps or Teach for America, many of us are giving back and in the process honing valuable life skills like adaptability, integrity and resilience that employers are demanding these days.

It’s this type of altruism that helps discredit the “selfish” label that’s habitually applied to our generation. Sure, taking that next step in our careers is always top of mind, but that doesn’t mean that we’re focused so fully on ourselves that we’re incapable of working with our colleagues. In fact, we thrive in collaboration, particularly as a result of our variety of internship experiences and the many group projects we completed during our college years.

Millennials actually make up a relationship generation in the sense that we’re concerned less about ourselves than building connections with those around us in the workplace. And yes, many of us are still living under our parents’ roofs (nothing wrong with saving some money and paying off those student loans!), but we’re often nowhere near college friends and many of us have moved away altogether, so finding a work family and the right fit culture-wise are foremost concerns. Playing up these values, which lead us to remain at our respective workplaces for longer than we’re given credit, and our ability to collaborate are key when marketing ourselves to potential employers.

A sense of entitlement is often associated with our generation as well. While we’re confident and many times precocious, we can at the same time acknowledge that we’re not likely to land our dream job right out of college, or in our twenties or thirties for that matter. As evidenced by our years spent as interns and entry-level employees, we recognize the reality of working our way up the professional ladder.

And while career advancement is important to us, money isn’t always the most significant factor in climbing the ladder. As mentioned earlier, we know how to network and clearly understand the power of leveraging professional connections. In fact, according to a recent report by Bentley University, 84 percent of us are willing to make a lateral move for more experience or better connections and 53 percent would take a lower-paying or even unpaid position to attain the same.

We Millennials aren’t impatient or money hungry so much as simply eager to advance our careers and cognizant of how to do it. And while we have definitive professional ambitions and are determined to work ardently to fulfill them, we still hold strong personal values such as time allocation and cultivating non-work relationships that help us stay equally as focused on maintaining a life beyond our office walls. In this light, we would be wise to keep perspective and remain willing to take different paths to higher-level or leadership positions than senior members in our offices who had to make significant sacrifices like long hours and time away from their families to get to where they are today.

So with all this said, Millennials must not feed into the many stereotypes out there about us, but instead embrace the positive aspects of our increasingly influential generation. We have to remain assiduous yet assured and continue striving to find that balance between tackling professional goals and living out our personal values. Focusing on the qualities that make us uniquely “Millennial” is a definite step in making this life a reality.

Zach Burrus is a marketing analyst at SHIFT Communications, a public relations agency based in Boston. He is an active member of PRSA Boston and the PRSA New Professionals Section. Connect with Zach on Twitter and LinkedIn.