The Public Relations Triple Threat: Advice from Luxury PR Firm in New York On How To “Wow” Your Boss, Your Clients, Even Yourself.

In New York City, finding a job in public relations is nearly impossible but with this economy, not only the unemployed should be worried. As an Account Executive at one of NYC’s top boutique luxury public relations firms, I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to compete in this industry and I know that keeping your job has been harder than ever. With looming downsizing and the struggles to make ends meet, means that now, more than ever it’s imperative that you show your boss why you’re the most valuable asset that your company, could ever have.

In this dog eat dog field of NYC PR firms there are a numerous amount of job applicants in the mix. Regardless of whether you are trying to break into the travel public relations, beauty public relations, fashion public relations, or lifestyle public relations industries- you’ve got a lot of competition. There are applicants who majored in PR, those who didn’t, those who are looking for a new career, those who are just looking around and those who will do it for free and with all this competition it may be hard to justify what makes you important and why no one can do the job you do. Among all of the skills you need to have as a public relations professional, to be a true PR guru there are three skill that you must master. You must be the PR Triple Threat.

The PR Triple Threat is something to behold and strive for. Calm, cool, and collected in the face of a crisis, able to charm anyone over the phone, land any story via e-mail, and can interact with the largest audience in social media. This person will make the finest mentor for the PR newbie but the worst enemy of someone who can’t keep up. The PR Triple Threat will have to conquer old media, new media, and everything in between.

Traditional Media: Regardless of the day and age, pitching will always be an integral portion of the day for any PR pro. Although pitches and press releases have been distributed via e-mail for quite some time, it’s still considered one of the more traditional portions of PR. To master the traditional media you not only have to send out original, brief, creative and targeted pitches but you also have to be able to follow up with a phone call to clarify any details and confirm the story. When it comes time to prove to your boss how effective and efficient your media campaign was, go through your original list and see how many placements you received and the total impressions (use free service www.Compete.com to keep overhead down when looking for impressions of online hits, and call the advertising office for circulation and viewership numbers of magazines, newspapers and TV/radio shows should a service like Vocus or Cision not be available to you.) A few tips to master traditional media:

1. Know Your Target (No General, Mass E-mails). If you’re writing a pitch about a bridal registry, you wouldn’t send it to Guns & Ammo Magazine would you? If you said no, you’re headed in the right direction. Make sure every e-mail you send is relevant to the target publication and editors.

2. Build Relationships. By establishing relationships with key editors, you’ll be able to land stories with ease. By knowing the angles and topics that would interest them, you cut down a lot of post pitch time trying to tailor the story just for them. Also, if they know and recognize your name and e-mail, they’re much more likely to actually answer your e-mail instead of banishing it to the spam folder along with the other hoards of e-mails they receive every day.

New Media: It’s 2010 and there is no such public relations/marketing campaign that doesn’t involve social media. Not only is social media a huge portion of any campaign, you really should adopt it into your lifestyle. By using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Foursquare, WordPress, etc, you are able to maximize your outreach with much more targeted and personalized messages. These outlets allow you to learn more about your target market and allows your target market to learn a lot more about you.

1. Converse, Don’t Preach. The number one thing to avoid on social media is to sound too pitch-y. You don’t want to turn people away, you’re there to participate in a conversation not flood them with information they may not care about.

Out of the Box: This is where you can really impress your client and/or PR firm‘s boss. Although traditional and new media are imperative to any campaign, it’s the overall creativity that goes into it that is really the “it” factor. By using creative techniques you’ll be able to make the most of your budget and yours and your client’s potential. It may take more brain power and in some cases more man power to pull off but it is worth it. The whole point of PR is to get your client to stick out and what better way to do that than to create the most appealing and eye catching campaign. Added bonus: Not only will your client stick out, but you will too!

Once you’ve mastered these three career necessities you’ll be able to take the PR world by storm. No one will be able to compete with you and your boss will thanking his lucky stars or HR people for hiring you and keeping you on staff even through the difficult times and budget cuts. Who knows, maybe even a promotion will be waiting for you on the other side of the rainbow.

L.E.R. Public Relations is a boutique PR firm / agency in New York’s Soho area. The agency offers PR & marketing services for luxury lifestyle, fashion, beauty, travel, hospitality & entertainment clients. Services include media relations, event production, marketing, social media & branding. For more info on our clients and expertise please visit http://lerpr.com.

Welcome To The Big League: How to Survive an Interview with a Top New York PR Firm!

So I’ve given you the necessary steps to getting an interview with your dream public relations firm/ agency in NYC but that’s just the minors. If you plan on landing the job itself, well then, welcome to the big league. Landing a job in public relations is not easy. It’s not like other careers where a 4 year degree in accounting is enough to secure your own desk, computer, and land line. PR goes far beyond your education to your experience, your personality, and yes, even your personal style gets taken into account.

Now I left off with building your own brand equity but that step should never truly end. Throughout your entire career, your words and actions will be constantly dissected and with either contribute to or take away from your brand’s equity. So how do you add some positive reinforcements on the day of your big interview?

Here are the final five steps to guaranteeing your position in public relations:

Research – I know, you just graduated and you’re absolutely sick of research assignments…too bad. Get online and Google everything there is to know about the company. Learn their clients, campaigns, staff (if information is available), find out who the CEO is and how they got there, learn their mission statement, their goals, and beliefs. All of this information will help you out exponentially. By knowing what they’re about, you’ll impress your interviewer and show them that you are a capable future professional who is serious about their work.

Appearance – Before we even jump into the interview itself, plan your outfit to the last little detail. This may seem a little rudimentary but trust me; the wrong outfit will send the wrong vibes. In my opinion, it’s better to get a little dressed up than arrive dressed down unless told otherwise. Through your research, you may have been lucky enough to learn a little about the office environment so you may already know that showing up in a full suit may be overkill but a classic pair of slacks and a button down can never go wrong, feel free to spice it up a little bit with some accessories and some killer heels (leave the stripper heels at home) and you’ll be good to go!

**This all depends where you’re applying**

- Corporate/Financial PR: Full Suit

- Full Service Agency/ Boutique Firm: Classic look, add your own personal touch

- Fashion PR: They may want you to look as trendy as possible, so dare to be a fashionista and be sure to read those fashion magazines!

Creative Writing Samples – Do not go to the interview empty handed. Whether they ask for a writing sample or not, bring some along with your resume and cover letter. It will show that you’re not only prepared but proactive. By leaving examples of your writing style, you take a lot of the guess work out of the decision maker’s job. With physical proof of your verbal ability they will know whether you’re a good fit for their team/ how many workshops you may need before your share the same style as the rest of the company.

Ask *RELEVANT* Questions - You know how your mother and teachers always tell you that there is no such thing as a stupid question? On an interview there are about a million stupid questions. It’s ok to ask them about the work environment, level of micromanagement, level of team vs. solo projects, etc. but you should never ask about clients and projects that you could have and should have learned about on their website. If the information is not available then go ahead and ask but only if you’ve truly looked and could not find a thing.

Follow Up – After the interview is behind you, it’s time for some follow up. But be sure to learn and abide by the very fine line of Persistence vs. Pest. Here are a few great tips:

-Send an e-mail the next morning/same night expressing your gratitude.

-Send a handwritten “Thank You” note expressing how happy you are that you had the opportunity to meet and look forward to working with them.

- After a week, if you’ve heard nothing, e-mail them again just to see where they’re at. PR is a very busy industry and sometimes things get pushed to the bottom shelf so send a friendly reminder asking for a rough estimate of when they hope to fill the position by. Who knows, maybe you’ll be able to get some good news!

(Former Client Pitch) Newest Bridal Trend: The Four-Eyed Bride

For years and years brides have strived for perfection on their big day. To prep, women have been known to diet, wax, tweeze, pluck, dye, occasional nipping and tucking, but getting fit for contacts or LASIK doesn’t usually come to mind. Alas, that has been the fate for the majority of the bridal population. In the United States over 50% of women wear glasses and only 18% of those women wear contacts regularly. So what does this mean for the 32% of brides who wear glasses but not contacts?

Every bride knows the time between the engagement and the wedding is vital and every second counts. Between the save the dates, the invitations, booking the location, the officiant, the band and the god forsaken guest list, most brides don’t have the time to run to the ophthalmologist to get fitted for contacts or to dedicate the time to get and recover from LASIK.

From these aggravated brides came a few trendsetters who said “screw it” and sported their glasses down the aisle. There have been critics who claim it dresses down your wedding dress but why should these brides have to change their individual look to fit into an industry mold of the “perfect bride.” According to the Offbeat Bride, there are two strategies for wearing glasses at your wedding: wear what’ve you got or get new ones!

Many people who wear glasses know that after a while your glasses become a part of your face. So, just as you’d buy a wedding dress to fit your shape, shouldn’t it fit your face as well? Besides, miracles can be done with makeup and fake lashes. (i.e., Kate Moss, Renee Zellwegger, etc.)

It’s amazing how changing your glasses changes your face. Don’t be scared to try something new and experiment a little. Bold, dramatic glasses can really give your dress a modern look. You can coordinate these glasses with the dress, the décor, the flowers, the color of your hubbies eyes, absolutely anything. Right now you may thinking that you’re catching me with a foot in my mouth, here I’m saying you can spare time to shop for new glasses (a very timely ordeal) but not to get fit for contacts or LASIK but (yes, there is a but), with the help of XXX you can find the perfect frames at a fraction of the time and the cost.

You’ve already spent a ton on the dress, the hall, the flowers, the rings; spare yourself from buying a pair of designer frames at retail prices. XXX gives you discount prescription glasses at wholesale prices which means you can afford to buy a special pair for your honey moon too, maybe a transitional pair to soak in the sun from Bora Bora!

It’s 2010 and it’s about time that we take a stand and say “Let them wear glasses!”

The Full Trifecta: How To Land An Interview In Public Relations

So, you’re looking for a job in public relations? Hate to break it to you but you’re far from alone. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for public relations professionals is projected to increase by 24% from 2008 to 2018, a much faster rate than any other career. With this sudden increase you would think landing a job in public relations is as glamorous and easy as well, The Best Job Ever (http://www.islandreefjob.com).

Unfortunately, public relations professionals are generally over-worked and under-paid especially in a city like New York where PR professionals could outnumber street vendors. If you’re ready to accept the less than glamorous truth of the fastest growing career then I’d be more than happy to give you the 3 steps to help you land an interview.

1) Brand Yourself. Before you even dare to start your job search, there are a few things you must do to ensure that your own online presence won’t take you out of the running before you’ve even had the opportunity to defend yourself.

• Google Yourself. Right now, go on Google, type your own name in and see what pops up. If you’re lucky, the first page will be all rave reviews from your local newspaper from that time you saved your elderly neighbor’s cat from the tree but chances are it’s going to be your Facebook, Twitter, or any of the numerous social media accounts you may have signed up for.
• Clean Up Your Current Accounts. As an entry-level PR wanna-be you should know by now that in the world of PR, image is EVERYTHING. So as much as it may hurt to take down that picture of you funneling the record breaking beer or slapping the bag of Franzia during the greatest pre-game of the year, now’s the time to part ways and pick a new, more professional picture (this applies for everyone applying to ANY job, outside the next generation of the Jersey Shore cast). But if you really don’t want your social media accounts taken into consideration for your job hunt, change your privacy settings so no one can find you or limit what they can see when they do.
• Create New Accounts. As a PR professional, most of what you will do will inevitably involve writing (this article=case and es and dislikes (again, keep it clean). You can create a free, customized blog from Wordpress or Blogger that will help future employers see your interests. This is also a great resource for writing samples!
• Update Resume and Cover Letter. Do I really have to explain this? Good.

2) Network. Now that you’ve prepped your own personal brand, you’re ready to start reaching out to find a job but before you become another resume among another pile sitting on some HR person’s desk, use your resources.

• Personal Network. Ask around to those people who you know personally. Ask your parents, your aunts and uncles, your friends, your teachers, anyone. You never know who knows someone who knows someone who’s hiring.
• Alumni Network. I think it’s safe to say that in today’s day and age, if you’re looking for a job in PR that you went to college but if not, just ignore this step. Go to your Alumni offices and check for PR contacts who graduated from your school. For the most part alumni always look out for other alumni so they are an invaluable resource to tap.
• Professional Network. Do a little research into the field you want to be in. If you want to work in public relations, check out the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) or the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) for those students who are just looking for internships. These societies feature some of the best of the best in the public relations world. Through these organizations you will learn more about your public relation’s elders, some of the best campaigns as well as some of the worst. It will definitely give you some insight to the world you long to be a part of.
• Social Media Network. Once you’ve exhausted your personal, alumni, and professional networks it’s time to look into your world of social media. Start to follow strategic people and companies and reach out to those who you already follow. Make it known that you’re looking for a job and in which area. One particular organization to look into is Help A PR Pro Out (HAPPO). HAPPO tweets and retweets a lot of job openings and opportunities so it would behoove you to follow their trail.
• 

3) Brand Equity. Alll the stepping stones are laid down, you’ve made a few contacts and sent out a few resumes but now is the tough part. Sealing the deal. You’ve built your brand and reached out to your networks but now is the time to make their efforts worthwhile. You need to build brand equity.

• Online Presence. Now that you’ve cleaned up your social media accounts, Googled yourself, and updated your resume now you get to fill it with stuff that you can control. Post your resume on your LinkedIn profile. Create a blog so you can get your views across along with establishing your style and skill with writing to show anyone that you’re a competent and professional potential employee.
• E-mail Correspondence. Be sure to be professional and clear. These people aren’t your best friends or your family. You have to show them that you are capable and professional through your writing and any phone conversations you may have.

With these tips in tow, you’ll find yourself ahead of the recent college graduate curve and on your way to setting up your public relations interview.

Just When You Think You're Married To Your Job...

There’s a time in every PR professionals life when the clouds clear and the roads open; your client gives you permission to take your head out of the pitching and social media bubble and plan an event. Not just an event, a launch party.

With all of the events I've planned (both personal and professional) I've noticed a certain trend that emerges which closely resembles the ups and downs of dating.

Phase 1: Frenzy.

Date: Pretty sure I can speak collectively but you be the judge: Before you go out on a date with a guy/girl you really like, you know the thought of it can sometimes give you the butterflies. You plan your outfit a month in advance, brush your teeth every 5 minutes until they show up to pick you up/you leave to get them, re-touch your hair every mirror you encounter, etc. You work yourself into an absolute frenzy which peaks when you hear that doorbell ring.

Event: The same thing happens during event planning. If you’re lucky your client will give you the news of an event a full year before the event but chances are they’ve given you 1 or 2 months to plan, reserve, and execute the event. So naturally, panic sets in. You look at your calendar and try to map everything out to ensure you can logistically do the event. You call every vendor for the best price, you check every venue for availability, you try to find as many sponsors as you can, all while maintaining the regular responsibilities your client trusts you to complete.

Phase 2: Arousal.

Date: As the night goes, you will most likely calm down and begin to enjoy yourself. As you continue to have an engaging conversation, to share funny stories, to swap jokes, to dance, to sing, whatever makes you happy, you'll begin to wonder how could it get any better. You may begin to think if there's a future for you and how long that future will last. Your smile will be ear to ear with the prospect of a new love.

Event: As the planning goes, you'll find the perfect venue which helps you visualize the end result. You'll be able to imagine the hors d'oeuvres being passed around by waiters in tuxedos, you'll see your guests mingling throughout the event with cocktails in hand, you'll see your client swimming in the reporters spotlight and know that he/she will be the hottest news on Page 6. You'll find the perfect gift bag sponsors who will send over the greatest products and gift certificates at no cost for your guests. And if you're lucky, you'll find a liquor sponsor to cover the tab.

Phase 3: Roadblocks.

Date: At some point during the courtship, you're bound to stick your foot in your mouth. When getting to know another person things like family values, politics, religion may come up in which you may not exactly see eye to eye. It's often hard to let a stranger have their own opinion especially when you don't agree with it. You may hit that moment of awkward silence when you're convinced that its all over.

Event: Your event planning is skyrocketing, you couldn't be happier with how its turning out

and then you give your client your most recent and detailed progress report and he hates it. It's too much money, it's not what he had in mind, and you can sense him begin to doubt your judgement and on top of that the liquor sponsor threw a curve ball and will no longer sponsor the event.

Phase 4: Meet in the Middle.

Date: The awkward silence is glooming, and the hard feelings of your first fight are lingering but you know one of you will have to be the bigger person who will break the silence. Once this is over, you can usually work together to come to even ground whether you decide "to each his own" or vow to never bring up politics on a date again. Either way, you learn a little bit more about the other person, you learn their wants and needs, you learn what makes them tick, basically what makes them who they are.

Event: This really is almost verbatim. With each new task that your client trusts you with, you're bound to learn more about what they prefer, what their break points are, and what you need to do to retain their respect. After much discussion, you should be able to work with them to ensure they get the event of their dreams, not yours, after all, they're the ones footing the bill. After coming to a point in which the client is happy and you believe it is the best step for their event and their business you can move on to the next phase.

Phase 5: The Stars Align

Date: Now that you've overcome your differences, you should have a better idea of who is sitting across from you. Sooner or later you begin to anticipate what will set your partner off and also how to compromise when you do.

Event: At this point all the details should be coming together. You've negotiated the perfect price for your budget, you've got the perfect DJ, the perfect guest list, the perfect venue, the perfect caterer AND you found a bigger and better liquor sponsor. Everything is coming together and your client couldn't be happier and you couldn't be more relieved.

Phase 6: The Main Event

Date: The date is in full swing, you're learning about each other, you're talking about your likes and dislikes but will it go anywhere? Although you may think the main event in dating is the date itself but in all actuality it's whether you are asked/accept the invitation for the second date. The buildup of the first date is over and the only thing to do is let everything play out and wait and see.

Event: It's the day of the event and you continue to think about all the things that could go wrong, you pray that your contingency plans are thorough enough to cover all the bases, and the whole time you have to keep a smile on your face to keep your client confident and keep the guests buzzing around happily. You have to take all errors in stride and try not to panic as minute details go array and try to see the event from the guests point of view. Chances are they won't notice that the table clothes are pearl and the napkins are eggshell, although those are details to worry about before the event, don't uproot a table to fix such a minor problem. Pick your battles and ignore the spats.

Phase 7: Follow Up

Date: The date is done and whether your partner is incredibly ecstatic or unhappy there isn't much else you can do except pray that your performance on the date has granted you access to a second or third date. In the best case scenario, everything went smoothly with no major hiccups and as time goes you continue to be happy with your choice and it truly will be a happily ever after. But, whether you are a true believer of the three day waiting time to call or if you don't think it really matters, just make sure you call or else that amazing first date you had was all in vain.

Event: The event is done, the press has come and gone, the guests received their swag bags, and there's nothing to do but wait to see how well the public embraces your client and his company. It's time to buckle down, check Google Alert and pray that it blows up with your client's name because when it comes to a launch... the main event is only half the battle. Of course, you have to make sure everyone enjoyed themselves and got what they were looking for, but the following weeks are critical to truly judge the success of the event.

As you can tell in my last step, the true judge of the event planning/dating process is the amount of effort you're willing to put in before, during, and after. You may hit it off in the beginning and if you don't follow through thoroughly, you're bound to fall flat on your face.

You really only get what you're willing to give, so work hard and you will never be unsatisfied with your results.

The Chronicles Begin

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for public relations professionals is projected to increase by 24% from 2008 to 2018, a much faster rate than any other career. As if public relations isn't hectic enough already, we (public relations professionals), of all levels of experience, are going to have to buckle down and fight for our clients, our message, our jobs, and ourselves.

I, myself, have never been the kill or be killed type I personally believe you get more by killing 'em with kindness. But as the market grows and the competition for the same newspaper and magazine spreads increases and the internet becoming an even bigger cesspool of journalists and bloggers, with smaller and smaller impression, it's time to ask, will my methods be soon outdated?


In this blog, I will try to accomplish a few things:
1) I will discuss business models and concepts and how I see them play out in the real world of PR.
2) I will inevitably, share my experiences, my stories, my triumphs and failures, and all the bumps and bruises along the way.
3) Try to give you, who ever you are, an insight into the world of a real NYC public relations professional.