When I conducted my Coffee Talk with Jay Keith, there was one question/answer that I believed deserved it’s own post. Everyday we read articles and blog posts about personal branding. Jay and I have discussed this on numerous occasions. He comes from a journalist background which I believe brings a whole new perspective to the subject. So I asked him, “Are people too serious about personal branding within the SM world? Is it overrated/overused? What would you consider your personal brand?” And here is what Jay had to say: Continue reading
Tag Archives: public relations
Christina’s Coffee Talk with Jay Keith
Coffee Talk is back and I couldn’t be more excited to kick off the year with my guest, Jay Keith, senior public relations manager of Vistaprint. A prominent member of the #prbc community, Jay is always sharing his knowledge and making us laugh daily. Jay is a jack of all trades, smart, and funny to boot. Who knew that a former donut maker for Dunkin’ Donuts would become a successful PR professional? Like the rest of PRBC Jay’s an avid coffee drinker, loyal to his Dunkin Donuts brand but says it’s nothing compared to the coffee in France. He’s an amateur golfer, sports nut, die-hard Boston fan and a passionate Candlepin bowler. Continue reading
The Social Media Lessons I’ve Learned
A similar version of this post can also be found at Legends of Aerocles.
As I get ready to leave the job that I’m currently at and embark on a new and incredibly exciting opportunity, I’ve decided to do a little bit of reflection at the suggestion of David, one of my social media mentors. When I took a position as an “intern” at the small NJ agency that I worked at during my senior year of college, I had no idea how much I would learn. Since it was my responsibility to teach the rest of the company about it, I had no choice but to throw myself head-first into the world of social media. Continue reading
Learning The Ropes
For those who know me, many would say I trust too easily, and I’d agree. It has its benefits and faults but at the end of the day I trust until proven otherwise. However after being in the “working” world for a couple of years it’s come to my attention that PR developed a well deserved reputation for being a “dog-eat-dog” world . Inspired by Kristen’s post about departing and starting anew, I remembered what it was like to start my 2nd job and learn the ropes of a new corporate culture. Here are a few things I believe helped me: Continue reading
Mentoring in the Social Media Age
In the past month or so, I have been constantly utilizing the amazing insight and invaluable advice of my many PR “mentors” (the reason why will hopefully be revealed soon). This morning I was thinking about how lucky I am to have all of them, and it got me wondering about the nature of a mentor/mentee relationship. Mentor is a word that I toss around quite a bit, which is interesting because technically a person is only supposed to have one. So am I just using the wrong word to describe the people I go to for PR advice, or has the definition of a mentor shifted? Continue reading
An Open Letter to NBC Universal President & CEO President Jeff Zucker
Dear Jeff:
Been a rough few weeks, eh? Between your network’s colossal short-sightedness and lack of foresight (hello, Big Three automakers!), plus an inability in the past 10 years to bring NBC back to relevancy after nearly two decades of being No. 1 in primetime ratings, first with the “Cosby Show,” then “Seinfeld” and ending a magnificent run with “Friends,” we recognize it ain’t easy being at the top of America’s No. 1 media punching bag. Continue reading
Billy Corgan and Jessica Simpson: My official PR statement
Let’s get this out of the way first: I’ve had an unnatural obsession with Billy Corgan and The Smashing Pumpkins since the 7th grade. Sparing you (and me) all the potentially embarrassing details, let’s just say everyone who knows me, knows this little factoid.
As you can imagine, anytime there is a “news” item involving Billy Corgan, I hear from people I haven’t heard from in years. Recently, I’ve been flooded with e-mails, Facebook messages, tweets, IM’s – all asking if I’ve heard about the “news” and what do I think of the whole thing. Well duh, of course I have and here’s what I think. Continue reading
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow…
Did I really just Google “resignation” letters?! Four years, six months and 19 days after stepping foot in the doors of STC Associates I was making the choice to accept an opportunity at a new agency. At the same time I would be saying goodbye to the place I’ve called home for nearly a fifth of my life … and continue to work there as a technical employee until my “notice” was complete. Continue reading
Manager vs Leader: Are You A Trusted Advisor?
Barely a year into my journey as a small business owner, I’m learning valuable skills and lessons that enable me to do my job better. Now, I’m not talking about building media lists or drafting messaging documents, but what it means to be a trusted advisor, someone who has the ear of a client, offering counsel to help their business grow.
I’m learning that to be an advisor I need to focus on the client’s needs and not my own; to help them grow will help me grow. I’m learning that I can’t rest on what’s “tried and true” all the time and that I need to undergo constant reinvention; to find new ways to service my client. Most importantly, I’m learning to place the highest value on maintaining the relationship; to prove to my clients that I am here for the long haul, not just for the length of the immediate contract. Continue reading
Think Tank: Music Publicity – Then and Now
Each area of public relations, from crisis to consumer, fashion to technology, all have their own specific rules and methodologies. I kicked off my PR career in the music industry, and I continue to have a strong interest in this particular sector. I left music in the midst of the exploding blogosphere – where music criticism was in question, magazines were folding one by one, and bloggers were becoming the new tastemakers.
I thought this would be the perfect time to take a look at what’s going on in the music PR world and see what’s changed, what’s stayed the same, and what the future holds. Continue reading