We’ve all heard it. That infamous phrase. The one that alludes to the worth of your network relative to the value of your knowledge. It borders on being so overused that I cringe even thinking about it.
My own feelings aside, we all know it’s true – it’s not what you know. It’s who you know.
Dear Flack –
I’m currently at a very small agency with no departments or divisions. The boss handles all new business pitches and project management and has for years (decades). It works for her so I don’t really blame her. Even when something is “delegated” it’s still micromanaged.
The problem is that with the number of years I’ve been here all the openings at other agencies seek demonstrable PR (or related) leadership skills and/or business pitching skills. That, of course, makes sense.
This week I had the pleasure of chatting with Arik Hanson. Bringing brand loyalty to a new level, Arik is willing to drive 10 miles out of his way just for some Caribou Coffee. I guess it tastes so good once it hits your lips. Arik’s free time is spent with, wife (Angela) and kids (Matthew and Amy), play ing golf and riff on the guitar (emphasis on riff). His musicial taste ranges from Green Day to Johnny Cash to Tesla. Top 3 current movies include, The Hangover (best comedy in last 5 years); Madagascar 2 (thanks to my son, Wag the Dog (one of my all-time faves and also a great movie from a PR perspective); The Dark Knight (just a tremendous movie). Professionally Arik, is principal of ACH Communications,and also long-time PRSA member, serving on the Minnesota PRSA board for the past three years and is a frequent speaker at local colleges and universities. His blog is a must-read within in the PR/Social Media industry. Especially for a newbie to social media, like myself, his blog sheds light on the industry and introduces readers to other influential people. And so I give you Arik Hanson…
For the year that I spent at my internship/part time job, I was the “social media girl”. The agency I was at hadn’t previously spent much time delving into the world of online public relations, so they hired me for that specific task. For my first few months with the company, I spent my time researching the tools, following thought leaders on Twitter, reading their blogs, and figuring out how I could use social media to help our clients. Once I actually started implementing some of these tactics, I realized how much I absolutely loved working with digital media (this isn’t too surprising considering my generation can say with honesty that we’ve been using the internet for the majority of our lives). I also decided that I always wanted to do that, no matter where I was working.
An interesting post went up recently on Lauren Fernandez’s blog, “LAF.” In it, she and Kasey Skala (@kmskala) discussed their issues with a recent PRSA blog post that went up about millennials handling social media for companies.
Now most of you may know, I’m a spicy Southern gal who eats, breathes and sleeps SEC (Southeastern Conference) College sports (Read: drinks Bourbon.) If you follow me on Twitter, I’ll apologize in advance for real-time Tweeting about the games. Upon making the trek across the Mason-Dixon line, I have had to explain to many the depth of tradition around College sports. Earlier this week a funny e-mail hit my in-box (see below) and made me think how different cultures can be at different colleges, regions and better yet companies.
[Editor’s Note: The below post is Part 2 of Christina’s interview with PR Mama Stephanie Smirnov. Part 1 ran on the PRBreakfastClub.com Blog on Monday.]
I remember a time back in the ’90s when tech networking events were filled with geeks and nerds, and very few women. I was a member of the Venice Interactive Community (VIC) which had monthly meetings at an old Victorian house on Main Street in Santa Monica. As a single woman, those tech events were great as there was always a bevy of single, smart men. So, they were a little pale and many wore glasses but they could fix my computer at a moment’s notice.
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That whole, “Hey journalist, buy into this idea NOW! You gotta jump on this now, because I’m going to go after the next living soul I can find who will listen to my spin!” Or my personal favorite: “You owe me big for this hit.”
Who needs social media marketing? Back in my day we flacks used to actually meet reporters face-to-face over a nice big lunch, fueled by alcohol and generously provided by our clients. Continue reading