pr agency los angeles Archives

What I Didn’t Know Before Starting in Public Relations

August 24, 2018 by Carmen Hernandez

You could say I dipped a toe in the public relations pool in my previous career, and while that was enough to get me excited about pursuing it fulltime, it couldn’t possibly have prepared me for all the nuances of this fast-paced world.

I was in the operations department at Jamba Juice for 7 years, working my way up from the store level to project management for New Store Openings. I bore witness to all the different elements of getting the new locations up and blending, which entailed a combination of physical construction to get the doors open and marketing efforts to get the word out and draw customers in. This would serve as my introduction to the hard work our PR team did, but I never truly dove into the nitty-gritty tasks of a publicist.

Cut to today, as I type this from my desk at Konnect. I’ve been welcomed into this fast-paced, high-performing office and am starting to really understand the “magic” (read: hard work, strategic thinking and constant communication) behind successful PR campaigns. Whether you are a publicist looking to learn more, a new-hire starting your career in media relations, or a CEO trying to understand your publicist’s language, here is a quick rundown of PR perceptions vs. reality from what I’ve experienced so far.

Agency vs. In-house

Perception: In-house you have the complete freedom to run the show and delegate while your agency counterparts stress out about having multiple clients to worry about. Agencies are all about constant, around-the-clock work that is required to meet your various clients’ demands.

Reality: This can be weighed differently based on the personality of the publicist. In a public relations agency, you are constantly working in different teams and on different clients across various industries. One of the many benefits about an agency is that there will be experts on certain subjects and industries within each team, with subject-specific experts assigned to work on different strategic initiatives. In-house publicists are completely immersed in the initiatives of one single organization and are typically responsible for performing multiple roles with a wide variety of responsibilities.

Pitching

Perception: That feature in the Wall Street Journal is just a phone call to your favorite editor away from being a reality. Whenever a company launches a new product or hires a new c-suite level executive, reporters everywhere will be champing at the bit to cover it.

Reality: A pitch is a highly crafted and personalized email or call to media to interest and engage them in a story about your client or their brand. This is the time to keep the information clear and concise but intriguing since you have about 1/5,000 chance that the editor you are reaching will read your note or pay attention to the subject matter. Not all pitches work, and it is important to be ready to adjust or pivot if a certain angle is not getting people’s attention.

Media lists

Perception: You can export an Excel spreadsheet from the internet with the names and contact information for every media contact you’ll ever need. These contacts are responsive and eager to cover your news.

Reality: Editors, writers and reporters are constantly switching roles and companies, so a media list becomes outdated almost the second it is complete. It takes a ton of research and attention to detail to ensure that lists are constantly built and supplemented with the right contacts. To be fully effective, it is important to constantly be forming meaningful relationships with your media contacts – in exchange for the coverage they might give you, you need to be a reliable source of newsworthy information and story subjects.

Press Placements

Perception: Coverage is coverage, and “any publicity is good publicity.”

Reality: There are so many different types of coverage that a publicist can utilize to tell the story of their client. From product roundups to executive spotlights and business features, each media mention has the potential to affect a client’s business in a totally different way. It is important to understand what a client’s goal is before pursuing coverage in order to meet the expectations of both the person paying you and the writers looking to you for useful information.

Free time and fun

Perception: Publicists are always “on” and stressed out.

Reality: There is a lot of hard work and diligence that goes into every aspect of PR. As a publicist, you are constantly thinking three steps ahead and over-communicating to your clients. But with constant prioritization, organization and thoughtful evaluation of strategies and goals, a healthy work-life balance should be totally possible. (If you’re reading this and shaking your head, you might be at the wrong agency and should head to our Careers page.) There is a lot of fun to be had working with like-minded professionals, watching a campaign you planned come to fruition, attending events and seeing a media placement result from an idea you developed and pitched.

These are just some of the things I’ve discovered so far in my work at a Los Angeles public relations agency. My biggest piece of advice: always ask questions and work in an environment that welcomes new minds and eager learners.

-Taylor

Should a brand send a gift to a celebrity with no guarantees?

May 11, 2018 by Carmen Hernandez

Sometimes, the answer is: YES!

There are steps to be followed, and clients should be advised not to send products to celebrities blindly. More often than not, unwanted products end up on the desk or in the closet of an assistant/publicist/manager, with no result whatsoever. Make sure to reach out first because sometimes a contact will tell you that the celebrity does not receive gifts (and you spare yourself the cost and trouble).

I work with a family brand, Nuna, which has super cute, extremely functional, and easy to use strollers, car seats and in-house products that make family life much easier. Their products have been spotted being used by celebrities such as Serena Williams, Molly Sims and Jessica Alba, to name a few. Yesterday Nuna received a MAJOR shout out from Khloe Kardashian, who has been seen strolling through Cleveland with True in Nuna’s MIXX2 stroller. Since this wasn’t a paid partnership, it shows the brand that the celebrity genuinely loves the product. What this tells us is that any time we send a Nuna product to a celebrity, it will very likely result in some opportunity, but this is not always the case.

Below are my tips on identifying the proper celebs, handling a relationship with their reps, and explaining to your client that while results are not promised, there is always a chance of a coverage.

BE ON TOP OF THE NEWS

If you represent a brand like Nuna, you will want to monitor current and relevant celebrity news, such as who is pregnant. If you represent a brand with a healthy snack like One Bar, you will need to know everything about individuals who are mindful of their eating habits and may follow relevant dietary approaches. Either way, it might entail a little (or extensive) online stalking for comments they make or anything that is written about celebrities that is relevant to your client. Once you identify the right people, you will want to immediately present the idea of seeding product or partnering with them to your client to discuss the pros and cons of the brand association. It is important for you and your client to come to an agreement on why someone is a fit for the brand.

If anyone does want to gift product to a celebrity, make sure they understand that you cannot guarantee any brand endorsement. That way, you are not setting yourself up for failure, and you are managing the client’s expectations.

WHO TO REACH OUT TO

Do not expect to be speaking directly with Khloe. Or Kylie. Or Serena. All of these celebs have people they hired to deal with these requests. They are NOT like us and do not respond to their e-mails personally, and an Instagram DM is not the best way to reach them. Be sure they will NOT respond to you. As an agency, we make it our business to know the best contact for any celebrity or influencer and will reach out to that person to introduce the brand and opportunity to work with us. If you must handle reaching out yourself, you should be reaching out to personal assistants, managers, and publicists, but know that there is a likelihood that even they will not get your product into the hands of your desired celeb.

YOU SENT A PRODUCT, NOW WHAT?

Now you wait. Unless you are working with a celebrity with whom you have a paid contract, there is really nothing that you can do except to wait and monitor, and wait. We sent Khloe the stroller just before she gave birth to True and we just waited to see if she would use it in public and be photographed, and she did! And if you get lucky, the celebrity will tag the brand or mention it on their social media. If this happens, make sure to send a thank you note to the assistant/manager/publicist you worked with because she/he may be int he position to make this happen for you again someday. This is the time to thank your lucky stars because it does take a little bit of time and a whole lot of luck to make any celebrity partnership or product seeding pay off.

Happy gifting!

Denisa

Where Do I Start?

May 8, 2018 by Carmen Hernandez

I get overwhelmed easily. As a publicist at a leading Los Angeles Public Relations firm whose food and beverage PR roster consists of several category innovating brands, I tend to have a lot on my plate. So much to do, so many things to tackle, why is it all coming at me at once?

I’ve always defined the term ‘overwhelmed’ as having too much to do, but it was recently explained to me that being overwhelmed isn’t having too much to do, it’s not knowing where to start. This revelation was made clear to me during our recent management retreat where the incredible Productivity Coach and Strategist, Tonya Dalton, enlightened our team with tools to help us tackle our priorities, one prioritized to-do list at a time, so we don’t feel so overwhelmed.

Traditionally when I feel overwhelmed, I put together a trusty to-do list – keeps me organized. Or I used to think it did. My to-do list consisted of randomly scattered items, cluttered and unorganized. It’s no wonder that I got to the end of the day, looked back at the items I so satisfyingly crossed off my list, and still felt overwhelmed.

The overwhelmed feeling comes from a sense of urgency. You’re thinking, “everything on my to-do list is important, everything listed is urgent, where do I start?” How do we effectively organize a to-do list, so we aren’t just tackling the easy stuff first and ignoring the priorities that will eventually help in minimizing the feeling of being overwhelmed?

As Tonya so thoughtfully explained, it’s important to take that long, scattered and unorganized ‘to-do’ list and morph it into a short, focused and organized ‘priority list’. Easy enough, right? But, how do we determine what our priorities are?

What we learned while glamping in the gorgeous El Capitan Canyon is quite simple. All to-do list items are considered ‘urgent’, otherwise they wouldn’t be on your to-do list, so organize your ‘urgent’ items into one of three categories:

Step 1 – Immediate Items. These items are important and urgent. These items usually have a deadline attached and can be eliminated by scheduling. Get those finished and checked off first and move on!

Step 2 – Important Items. These are items that are still important, but not urgent and can be accomplished within your own time frame. You want to be spending a majority of your day tackling this section.

Step 3 – Insignificant Items. These items are unimportant and urgent. These are items that still need to get done but won’t necessarily help you reach your goal.

It may seem tedious but taking the time to properly organize the priorities on your to-do list will leave you feeling accomplished, not overwhelmed. “Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.” – Mark Twain

Happy To-Do Listing!

Kelly

A Guide to Client On-Boarding Trips

March 29, 2018 by Carmen Hernandez

Are you traveling for your first client meeting? Perhaps your meeting is just 30 minutes away from your office – good for you. This means that you will get to sleep in your own bed at the end of the day. However, many on-boarding trips happen out of state because not all your clients will necessarily have offices in a proximity to your place of employment. It is possible you will go on a road trip. My manager and I once took a road trip from LA to Carlsbad and drove back at the end of the day. Just recently, I traveled to the East Coast and spent two nights there, while getting to know a new client over an extensive day-long meeting. So, if you are wondering what you should plan for before leaving for your first on-boarding trip, read further.

Learn About Your New Client

It might be only your first meeting with the client but they already expect that you know a little, if not more about their brand. Definitely, do a deep dive into their website. If they are a food brand, you will probably want to know what kind of food they offer and what is unique about them. Did they recently do any activation? Has something recently happened which could affect their business? These are all good things to know before you meet the team as it shows them they made a good decision when they decided to work with your public relations agency. Additionally, if the brand’s name is difficult to pronounce, meet with your team and double check with them the proper way to say the name out loud. Everyone will appreciate the 5 minutes you took to do this.

Sleep

While some of us will be traveling to a business in the same town, others might be set up for a 3 hours long road trip or a flight to the East Coast. If your trip is longer and takes you into a different state, you will want to rest as much as possible before and/or during the flight. If it is difficult for you to be comfortable while en route, consider getting a pillow or a sleep mask, which will help you enjoy the flight more.

Download Documents into Your Laptop

If you are not the type of person who sleeps on a plane and rather works, make sure that you have all the necessary documents at hand. And don’t believe for a second that the in-flight Wifi will work. The internet service on a plane is often times really bad, which makes it basically impossible for you to download, let alone load a document from your email. So please, make sure you have everything important downloaded BEFORE the flight. You will thank me later.

Denisa

Our Favorite Mid-Year Foods Trends of 2017

May 31, 2017 by Carmen Hernandez

From all-kale-all-day to unicorn-colored everything, we’ve seen food trends come and go. Working at a PR and Marketing Agency, we see trends that live long and prosper, and we also see some that have their 5 minutes of fame then flop. It’s not easy to spot the next trend coming our way, but we picked out a few of our favorites that we think are here to stay in 2017!

No-Silverware Mornings

We live in the age of “on-the-go” and schedules we can’t keep up with. Because of this, breakfast is something we rarely stop to enjoy (unless it’s a weekend brunch paired with bottomless mimosas). But who says you have to stop everything to indulge in a delicious breakfast? This is where no-silverware mornings come in. Whether your alarm didn’t go off or you need a quick fix before a big meeting, on-the-go breakfasts are the only way to go! Check out one of our favorite recipes featuring Ozery Bakery here: Healthy Cinnamon Crunch Toast Cereal
Delivery

Similar to full breakfasts taking a back seat to no-silverware mornings, it’s safe to say that cooking dinner can also be placed on low priority for most of us. Thank goodness for delivery services! You’ve got your typical pizza delivery, but no offense to our favorite greasy pizza joints, summer beach bods do not come from stuffed crust and cheesy bread. Healthy meal delivery services have been popping up around major cities in the US, and if you haven’t used one yet, you’re missing out! Try out one of our faves here: BistroMD
Purple Food

There’s no doubt that our society LOVES color, so it comes to no surprise that purple treats are the new “it” food. Although true, it’s not enough to put food coloring on your products and call it a day. For us to place these foods into our shopping cart, they have to have a nutritional kick to it! We’re seeing more and more brands using unique ingredients to turn their products a unique color, including Attune Foods with Peace Cereal! Learn more about their purple cereal here: Peace Cereal Purple Corn Flakes
Alternative Foods

From almond to coconut, you’ll find at least 3 different types of milk products that don’t come from cows at your local grocery store. Same goes with pasta, rice, and even meat products. Whether you have food allergies or want to try new ingredients in your meals, alternative foods are taking over both supermarkets and restaurants alike. If you’re on the hunt for a new dairy alternative, look no further than Kite Hill!
Co-Snacking

Sharing is caring, and it really can be fun! Moms have been sneaking bites of their kiddies’ food for years, but now brands are creating snacks that are made to share with both parents and children. It’s not enough to be kid-friendly, but these snacks are taking it to whole new level by incorporating healthy ingredients. Find our favorite co-snacks here: Pure Growth Organic

Whether you’re sipping on a homemade unicorn frappe or snacking on mermaid toast, there’s no doubt that these food trends are the perfect way to munch through 2017!

’til next time!
Shelley

How to Work with a Reporter to Correct an Error

June 24, 2016 by konnectprdaily

We’ve all been there. You came up with the perfect pitch, got in touch with a reporter from one of the top outlets on your target list, and secured an awesome placement for your client. You waited patiently for the story to publish, refreshed the site a few dozen times, and then boom! It goes live. You read the story excitedly, proud of the part you played in making it happen, and then you spot it – a teeny, tiny (or huge, glaring) factual error in the story.

Now what? You’re eager to share a great piece of coverage with your client, but you don’t want to let one bit of misinformation spoil what would otherwise be considered a victory. Here are a few key things to keep in mind as you work to straighten out the problem:

Be Proactive

Share the link with your client as you would any other piece of coverage, but be sure to call out the issue in the story. Let them know you’re on top of it and you’re reaching out to the reporter to request a correction. Your client trusts you to help tell their story, and proactively answering their questions before they ask them goes a long way to maintaining and strengthening that trust.

Be Respectful

Reporters have a tough job! With the constant consolidation the media industry is facing, your contact probably has a lot on their plate. The error was likely a result of the reporter jamming to meet a tight deadline or a simple miscommunication during your conversation with them. Make sure the tone of your message conveys that you appreciate their time and the content of your message clearly, concisely points out the error and provides the correct information. Even if you’re feeling pressure to get the problem fixed ASAP, your email should sound less like you’re scolding them for a mistake and more like you’re politely letting a good friend know they have some spinach in their teeth.

Be Persistent

If your contact is having a busy day, they may not see your message. If you haven’t heard from them in a reasonable amount of time and the need for a correction is urgent, try reaching out via phone. Most online stories get the bulk of their traffic in the hours immediately after they’re published, so a correction is less impactful if it isn’t made until a day or two after the piece goes live.

Your job is stressful enough already, so don’t let a correctable problem freak you out. If you’re able to balance the urgency of the situation with consideration for both your media contact and your client, you can strengthen your relationships with both.

-Danny