How to be a Great Public Relations Manager.

A public relations specialist is a person who creates and manages their clients image and brand through various mass mediums. Their daily tasks are long and changes daily depending on the client. A public relations specialist functions and responsibilities are tailored to their individual clients and with some clients they can be also be in a managerial role. Some PR specialists work independently and others work on a team. A PR manager has the same duties as an independent PR specialist but overseas an entire staff.

It is vital for a PR manager to understand the effective way in managing their staff. Some PR managers have found themselves in managerial roles with no experience in management and they face multiple challenges. Here are some key points that a PR manager should keep in mind to be successful while also having the managerial hat.

1. It is important to understand how to be a leader not a boss.

There is a major difference with being a boss versus being a leader. A boss gives orders to their staff and tells people what to do.  A leader inspires and motivates people to want to do their job. The ability to be a leader rather than a boss is more effective with managing and is better overall for both parties.

2. Learning to trust your staff to take on projects.

It is really important that managers give their staff projects to participate in and work on rather than just giving them simple daily tasks. If a manager gives their staff only tasks, then the staff will start to feel that they don’t have any importance and will not give their all to their job. This will also give their staff a sense of achievement and ownership which will make the employee want to work and feel inspired to give their all.

3. Learning to incorporate the staff in crisis situations.

PR managers also need to learn to incorporate the staff when a problem arises. This could bring different outlooks and solutions to the problem and will give both the manager and the employee a sense of how to handle situations. If the employee handles the situation well with a similar outlook then the manager knows that they can lean on them to assist with any problems in the near future. If the employee does not understand the situation or does not solve the problem the way the manager sees fit then they have to decide if they can be taught how to solve the problem or maybe the job is not the right fit. 

-Sara 

Diva's Night by X-Factor ladies  

Always maintain relationships while negotiating!

In the entertainment industry negotiations can make or break you especially in the field of Public Relations where relationships are everything. Almost everyday a PR rep deals with negotiations whether it is with a client, other PR reps, or the media. Mari Ortiz gave me some insight dealing with negotiations in public relations. She is a well known PR rep who has worked in the industry for about 5 years dealing with musicians and various talents in the entertainment industry.

1. Always be prepared and do your homework!

One major important fact while negotiating is to be prepared and do your homework. She stressed this during our interview which was interesting because one would think that anyone would always do their homework but that is not the case. Sadly, she has seen this happen and experienced this herself. “Nothing is worse than not being prepared for a meeting or a negotiation.”

2. Be knowledgeable

One would think that this is common sense but Mari stressed that this has happened with her personally. She described an instance where she wanted a client being featured in the magazine and she had sent them information prior to the meeting but they failed to look at it. The magazine rep had to excuse themselves at the beginning of the meeting to look over the information which should have been done prior. This unfortunately sets the tone and makes the person feel that their entire business transaction will not be taken seriously.

3. Don’t use dirty tactics while negotiating

Mari stressed this as one of the main points with negotiating. “Even if the other side uses dirty tactics, one of the most important things with Public Relations is keeping relationships.” Keeping relationships is key and vital for a PR rep and is the main reason a PR rep is successful.  

Any PR rep should always remember these three main points while negotiating! 

Good luck 

-Sara 

Finding the Perfect Fit

Finding Public Relations specialists that will perfectly fit your needs can be overwhelming. Important factors to consider are budget, time, ideas, and media connections. Understanding what will be included in your package is extremely important. Anyone can find a public relations specialist, but one needs to know what he or she is looking. When searching it is imperative to thoroughly consider these factors so you are able to obtain a public relations specialist that matches your needs.

Budget is an extremely important factor and crucial element to consider when looking for a public relations specialist. A common response from business professionals is that they cannot afford a public relations specialist. However, there are many agencies and specialists available that the average person is unaware of. Normally the high-end PR firms can charge anywhere from $20,000 per month and $1,000 for a single press release. However, the level of service one will receive is included in the price, but the big question is who will be working on your project?

Usually there are different levels of specialists; Interns/Junior Executives can cost $75 per hour (Very little experience), Account Executives can cost $100-$125 per hour (1-3 years of experience), Senior Account Executives can cost $125-$200 per hour (Multiple years of professional experience).

There are some PR firms that can offer a one-time press release at an affordable price. But what quality of service are you going to get? Press releases will range from $300-$500 dollars but they send it and hope it delivers it is really low cost but really risky with no guarantee. This is affordable but one must ask is it worth it? Is it what you are looking for?

There are many PR specialists that have worked at high-end firms that now own their own boutique agency. These PR specialists are the hidden gems in the industry; they have the media contacts, the experience and usually can work with any budget. They usually charge per hour or for project itself which can range anywhere from $50-$100 per hour. Not only will the budget work but they will have the media contacts and provide amazing customer service throughout the project.

When finding a PR specialist key factors to remember;

Do they understand what you are looking for?

Do they have media connections to make this successful?

What is the time frame designated for this project?

Goodluck!

-Sara 

New Age of Marketing for the Big Game

The Super Bowl is the biggest game of the year! The one game that sports fans wait anxiously for and marketers spend the entire year in preparation. The main reasons why people love the Super Bowl are; the big game, the halftime show, and the infamous commercials during the game. It is a great year for the Super Bowl, the 2007 Rematch New England Patriots and New York Giants and the amazing line up for the halftime show featuring Madonna with special guests Nicki Minaj, M.I.A and LMAFO. Then of course, are the commercials. Which commercial will be talked about come Monday? Personally my favorite Super Bowl commercials have been Budweiser with the frogs and Coca-Cola with the polar bears.

A few years ago marketers for big companies would spend a majority of their time preparing for the big commercial for championship game and not to mention the money that is spent for a 60 second commercial. Today the average for a 30 second commercial during the Super Bowl on the NBC network is $3.5 million dollars with an average of 70 commercials during the game. The competition is fierce with over 111 million viewers glued to their television sets not wanting to miss a second. A few years ago marketers would focus on just the commercial, knowing that everyone would return to work the next day talking about the game.

That was then and this is now, marketers are now promoting the ad itself rather than the product. A few of the top companies participating in promoting the ad for the Super Bowl have been Coca-Cola, Honda, Kia, and Volkswagen. These companies have been promoting their big advertisements for Super Bowl Sunday mainly through various social media sites.

Volkswagen used social media sites such as YouTube and Facebook for their promotion outlet. The teaser ad debuted on January 18^th and has received more than 10 million views on YouTube with over 676,000 shares on Facebook. This has become the new trend and why not when you’re spending a few million dollars for a 60 second commercial. With clutter being the big problem in advertising, social media provides a different platform for marketers to stand out from the competition.

What song are the dogs singing?

 Coca-Cola is heavily promoting the come back of the polar bears. They have created a website dedicated for the come back of the polar bears. The website includes a count down clock and the teasers for the big upcoming commercial. Coca-Cola encourages visitors to RSVP to the main day event and by doing this the visitors assist Coca-Cola with meeting their goal. They have set a goal of reaching so many RSVP’s and once the goal is reached they donate 100,000 to the arctic home project which distributes funds for the polar bears of the arctic. They have already surpassed their goal with four days left before the big day and currently have already donated  $165,667 dollars to the fund. It will be interesting to see if these companies are the ones talked about on Monday. 

"The world is changing, We needed to come to the party with something new and different." - Pio Schunker, Coca Cola's Vice President 

It will be interesting to see if these companies are the ones talked about on Monday. I don’t know about you but I can’t wait for Super Bowl Sunday!

-Sara 

We live in a Karaoke World 

A designer, recording artist and a manager his name is Malcolm McLaren who is commonly credited for the rise of punk rock. He was born on January 22^nd 1946 in London, England and was raised by his grandmother. The lecture is an hour long and focuses on the topic of How Does One Find Authentic Creativity? The lecture starts with his upbringing while casually filling in inspirational quotes that were taught to him which inspired him thorough out his career.  In the beginning of the lecture he stated that he lived in a time of necessity but he goes on to say,

“We live in a culture of desires… the desire to become famous overnight.”

Which stood out to me because if you would take a look at what is on television it is filled with reality TV people trying to get their fifteen minutes of fame, take The American Idol, X-Factor, The Bachelor, The Kardashians for example.

He also pointed out the consequence of this ideology, which is that it is harmful for children because you are teaching them the desire to be famous and wanting success overnight without the struggle. If you think about it is almost like false advertising. Most people that become successful happen over time not over night.

He then goes on to discuss the two different meanings of struggle, which is the main topic of his lecture, Authenticity and karaoke.  He believes that a majority of us live in a karaoke world. A world free from any real responsibility, and anyone and anything can be for sale. This world struggles to find anything authentic. While Authenticity is the exact opposite it is discovering something that is real that can only be achieved through a struggle.

I found this speech overall very intriguing and I didn’t know what to expect. If the audience was feeling the same way as I was feeling through out they were focused on every word that he said. You almost had to focus because of his think accent but it was more than that. His story that he told was truly moving and inspiring. Sometimes it is hard to be authentic in today’s society and it is almost better to be common like everyone else to fit into the popular mold. But his story proves and illustrates the best way to live ones life is only by truly being authentic and being true to oneself. 

The speech is a MUST see check it out! 

The American Marketing Association 

The American Marketing Association also known as the AMA, is an association for marketing professionals and students. The association is primarily focused on teaching, practicing and the development of marketing. Their principal roles for the organization are connecting, informing and advancing their members in the marketing field. The association stands behind their ethical norms and values, which all marketers should obey by; honesty, responsibility, fairness, respect, transparency and citizenship.

The association offers numerous publications and services that will benefit and enhance their members throughout their career by providing strategic thinking and practical solutions to common marketing challenges. Their publications consist of marketing news, magazines, journals and newsletters. They also offer numerous services for their members that focus on important marketing concepts such as direct marketing services, customer satisfaction firms and marketing consultants and consulting services.  AMA also offers their members perk partners where members can take advantage of specials and savings with featured businesses with the organization.

AMA Board of Directors consists of a variety of successful marketers in different concentrations. They provide guidance and direction to the organization and to the members.  The Board of Directors changes yearly to maximize exposure of knowledge and different concentrations within marketing.

AMA offers their members numerous media opportunities to help them connect with their target market such as media kits in print, podcasts, webcasts, magazine and journals schedule and rates, sponsorship opportunities at events and assistance with recruitment for staffing job positions. There are many event opportunities for their members each month across the country. The events specialize in key topics and marketing trends that are affecting the industry with important guest speakers. They also offer webcasts and podcasts of key events for members who can’t attend the events.

The AMA is great association for any marketing professional and has a wide range of different concentrations within the industry.  Within each concentration discusses any upcoming changes and news relating to that specific area.  When joining the organization you are asked to pick top three areas of focus within your profession. For instance my top three areas of focus I chose within the AMA are event management marketing, public relations and brand management. 

I plan on keeping up to date with the publications with the association so I am current with the industry and have an understanding of any industry changes. I also plan on participating in webinars and hopefully will be able to attend an event sometime this year.  With technology and trends changing all the time in marketing especially the music industry, an association like this is really important for marketers. The AMA aids members with information and many different opportunities with a wide range of marketing professionals in different fields. 

Anyone interested in the American Marketing Association should check out the website http://www.marketingpower.com/Pages/default.aspx