Ask the Public Relations Gal

[JessicaAnn]

Thanks to coemgen and nbcrusader for the inspiration
link



While I have not regularly posted in FYM in a very long time, I have started visiting again.

Ask away ...

 

[coemgen]

Hey there, I told you I'd stop by. So why did you "sell out?"

 

[Mullen4Prez]

Are you tired?

 

[JessicaAnn]

Hey there, I told you I'd stop by. So why did you "sell out?"

I sold out because late in my junior year, when I really started looking into internships and talking with people working in the field of journalism, I could not imagine myself being a reporter.

During the summer between my junior and senior year, I was working at an insurance company through a temp agency. Half of my time was spent in HR and the other half, because I was a journalism student, was spent helping out in the corporate communications department.

The light bulb went off and I realized that working in PR or marketing or corporate communications was much better suited to my personality (and as you mentioned in your own thread, the pay and hours are much better!).

 

[JessicaAnn]

Are you tired?

Yes, a little bit today. It's spring and allergies are kicking my butt.

 

[nbcrusader]

What has been your toughest assignment?

Has their been an image you couldn't fix?

 

[daygloeyes2]

One of my choices for a major is PR. That or I might decide to major in print journalism and be a sportswriter.

 

[JessicaAnn]

What has been your toughest assignment?

Has their been an image you couldn't fix?

My toughest assignment ... probably had to be when an investigative reporter from a local television station accused our client, The Blood Center of Southeastern Wisconsin, responsible for supplying 54% of the state's blood supply, of discarding blood donations from patients with hemochromatosis (a rare disorder that causes the body to absorb excess amounts of iron which requires therapeutic phlebotomy—“blood letting”).

The promotional announcements that aired throughout the day today encouraging viewers to tune in to the story gave the mistaken impression that blood centers are arbitrarily discarding blood from donors that could be used for patients.

The reporter led us to believe it was a general story about hemochromatosis and the simply wanted the medical director to comment on the condition. The reporter was not honest with us about the "they're throwing good blood away" angle he was taking.

We worked with the news director of the station to change the inflammatory and inaccurate promos that had been running. We also got the president and the medical director of The Blood Center on camera for an interview explaining our side of the story and why donations from these patients were not released into the area’s blood supply.

The Blood Center weathered the storm.

Can everyone or every company weather major controversies?

It depends on who they are and what they did. It also depends on how good a job you do managing your public image before, during and after controversies.

Look at Martha Stewart. She is more popular than ever, her stock prices are up, she has a TV show in the works and I just read today a new program that will air on satellite radio.

But then you look at someone like OJ Simpson. There is no way he will ever escape the “did he or didn’t he” question. The same goes for the top execs at Enron and even Bill Clinton (for all the good he did, the affair and impeachment will always tarnish his legacy).

 

[starsgoblue]

Have you ever backed over a crowd in your SUV a la Lizzie Grubman?

 

[JessicaAnn]

One of my choices for a major is PR. That or I might decide to major in print journalism and be a sportswriter.

I was a journalism major and ended up in PR.

I think a journalism major allows you to perfect your writing skills and helps you understand how the mind of a reporter works.

You could always major in Journalism and minor in PR so you have an understanding of both worlds. PR is not just about writing press releases and defending your client to the media--it is so much broader than that.

Why don't you try talking to a reporter and someone in PR? Perhaps you could even shadow them for a day and get a real understanding of what both professions are like. That might help make your choice clearer.

 

[JessicaAnn]

Have you ever backed over a crowd in your SUV a la Lizzie Grubman?

No I have not. Though I have been in three car accidents

I cannot stand Lizzie Grubman. I don't think her or her show does my profession any favors.

 

[starsgoblue]

Just being playful JessicaAnn! I almost majored in PR, I thought it seemed like such a fun field to go into....

 

[JessicaAnn]

Just being playful JessicaAnn! I almost majored in PR, I thought it seemed like such a fun field to go into....

PR can be fun.

Don't get me wrong ... there are those nights when I am at the office until 9:30pm wanting to rip my hair out, but on the whole I really enjoy what I do.

Come on ... where else can you plan a Valentine's Weekend wedding in the nation's largest indoor waterpark one minute, write a newsletter for nurses the next, and then plan a campaign to promote beer.

Gotta love it!

 

[coemgen]

Tell us about your three car accidents. (I just wanted to ask more than PR-related questions)

 

[JessicaAnn]

Tell us about your three car accidents. (I just wanted to ask more than PR-related questions)

Accident number one:
I was driving through an intersection and had the right of way. A car coming from the opposite direction made a left hand turn right into me. He didn't even stop to check for traffic before making his turn.

He hit the car on the drivers side toward the front of teh car. Had the timing been worse, he would have hit the drivers side (and me ).

Accident number two:
I was rear-ended. I had come to a stop at a red light and the guy behind me apparently didn't notice the red light or that I had stopped and ran right into me. He was paying more attention to the huge boat that was being towed on a trailer in the next lane.

Accident number thre:
This was completely my fault. The intersection was a four way stop. I missed the sign and blew right through the intersection.

Fortunately I (and everyone else involved in all of these accidents) escaped relatively unscathed--bumps and bruises at the most.

 

[*BOOMCHAA!*]

Can you give me a job in 2 years when I graduate with a PR degree?

 

[JessicaAnn]

Can you give me a job in 2 years when I graduate with a PR degree?

Do you want to move to Wisconsin?

 

[nbcrusader]

Do you aspire to be a top executive in a large PR company, or be the owner of your own PR firm?

 

[JessicaAnn]

Do you aspire to be a top executive in a large PR company, or be the owner of your own PR firm?

In some ways yes, but in a lot of ways I don't because when in becoming a top exec or owning my own firm, I would get lost in administration and you lose out on day-to-day interaction with clients and doing the things I really enjoy.

That being said, I think if I were to own my own firm someday, I would very much model it on the firm I am with now. It is small in terms of the number of employees (8 people, plus an intern and a part-time accountant), but the two partners/owners remain very much involved in client activities. Despite our small size, we work on pretty sizable accounts and have gross billings of $2.5 - $3 million annually.

 

[*BOOMCHAA!*]

Do you want to move to Wisconsin?

oh.
yeah.
no.

um...so PR...what degrees do your co-workers have? All PR? any journalism or other comm degrees?

 

[JessicaAnn]

oh.
yeah.
no.

um...so PR...what degrees do your co-workers have? All PR? any journalism or other comm degrees?

My co-workers have degrees in:

Mass Comm/Communication Arts.
Journalism
English
Consumer Sciences
PR

 

[Mullen4Prez]

What is your favourite colour?

 

[ouizy]

Would you consider New York City PR women in their 30's to be white hot evil, satan's assistants, or simply the devil himself dressed in expensive jeans?

 

[JessicaAnn]

What is your favourite colour?

Blue

 

[JessicaAnn]

Would you consider New York City PR women in their 30's to be white hot evil, satan's assistants, or simply the devil himself dressed in expensive jeans?

Well it depends on who you are talking about.

I have known some really great NYC PR women who are really great women.

Then again, you have Lizzie Grubman who is all of the above.