Author: Lauren Gray

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

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ResizedImage378296-Screen-Shot-2014-04-01-at-11.41.34-AMThe 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.

 

​​lmoon_headshotLeah 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.

 

Five Tips to Start Pitching Holiday Gift Guides Now

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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.

 

Bio PhotoMagan 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

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

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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.

May Twitter Chat Highlights PR Career

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 soversity prsa new pros prssa

 

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.

PRSA New Pros Teleseminar on May 22 on Integrated Marketing

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From Whiteboard to Customer: A Journey Through Integrated Marketing

Thursday, May 22, 12-1 p.m. EDT

Lately, the conversation seems to be predominately held around real time marketing. It’s time to change the conversation and get into logistics. Megan Severs, Associate Vice President at Fahlgren Mortine will host our second PRSA New Professionals Section Brown Bag Discussion of the year on the hidden topic of integrated marketing. Megan hopes to address the following points in her teleseminar:

  • The importance of integrated marketing and what it means to consumers
  • The anatomy of an integrated team – who comes to the table, and the blurring of the traditional PR roles
  • The important role of research to guide an integrated strategy
  • Step by Step Case Study: McDonald’s Nocturnivore

Register today for the May 22nd teleseminar!

Transitions Month Twitter Chat May 15

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This month, we’re celebrating Transitions Month as we will mainly focus on the important transition from PRSSA to PRSA.  We will also be discussing professional transitions too.

May Twitter Chat Square - PR CareerOne event is our Twitter Chat on May 15 at 9 p.m. EST with @PRSA and special guest Joe Cohen, the PRSA National Chair.  During the chat, we will be asking questions that address several facets of the transition process including tips for starting your first full-time job, ways to continue learning & evolving your skills/knowledge and questions around PRSA.

#NPPRSA Chat Topic: 
Preparing for a Full-Time PR Career