Author Archives: Diane Harrigan

New Career Opportunities at the PR Agency of the Future

Posted on October 16, 2012 | 3 Comments

PR agencies are in a world of transition and leaders are re-defining roles as they move into unchartered territory. At the PRSA International Conference in San Francisco, heads of some of the top agencies in the nation sat down to discuss what the future holds and contribute creative ways the profession will need to adapt to address changing client needs.

One central theme is around becoming a Specialist instead of a Generalist in PR. Unique titles are emerging such as Creative Catalyst or Community and Conversation Analyst.  At the same time, PR firms are hiring candidates with special skills including videography and even comedy writing.

Key takeaways:

Janet Tyler, co-CEO and founder of Airfoil Public Relations
• The employee of the future will never look, act or think like another, they will understand the power of data is a connector and believe in the power of community.

Jack Martin, CEO, Hill+Knowlton Strategies
• Talent function is the most important part of the business

Fred Cook, CEO and President, Golin Harris
• Employees now go through an assessment process to uncover their strengths and passions which are furthered nurtured.

PR Newswire’s VP of Business Development on the agency vertical, Andrew Meranus talked on camera afterwards to Rob Flaherty, CEO and President of Ketchum and Peter Himler, Founding Principal of Flatiron Communications about these career twists and turns already happening in PR:

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Hidden Gems for Social Marketing on a Shoestring from Stella & Dot

Posted on September 26, 2012 | 1 Comment

“Amy Gilmer, Social Media Director, Stella & Dot shows the audience a screen shot of one of their more successful Facebook campaigns.” Photo credit: Diane Harrigan

If you’re going to hold a Facebook sweepstakes, give away the sort ofprize that will generate true fans to your brand.  The common iPad giveaway is not always the best choice says online jewelry innovators Stella & Dot.  Social Media Director Amy Gilmer says they offer up the sort of sparkle their followers savor – a chic necklace or gold cuff.

Donning her own Stella & Dot estate necklace, Gilmer shared best practices to leveraging key channels at the Social Media Strategies Summit in SanFrancisco.

Gilmer says every social channel needs an objective and her company’s goals are clearly defined.  She suggests for Facebook  — to create an interactive experience; encouraging fans to engage with the brand daily and share with their network.

Her tips include:

▪ 1-2 posts a day

▪ Maximum 250 characters

▪ Always include a photo

▪ Ask for engagement

▪ Reward loyalty

Gilmer recommends that brands experiment with the Facebook Offers feature that recently opened up to include e-commerce last week. The feature allows for coupon-style promotions that when claimed, display as an activity on the customer’s timeline.

Stella & Dot’s business is jewelry and accessories sold by over 12,000 women through Trunk Shows – each with their own website.  All that bling is promoted as eye candy over Instagram.  Stella & Dot’s aim is to expose brand culture and develop a human-like personality.  They want to share products in a visually stimulating way.   Over Twitter, the goal is to build relationships and engage with their community in a way that is meaningful.

“Twitter is a place to let your brands personality shine,” she says.  Promptly responding to messages is key, as is re-tweeting positive messages. @stelladot also offers up strong exposure and encouragement for sellers of their products.

Amy Gilmer’s generous amount of social savvy is helping the Stella &Dot brand reach new audiences and target new entrepreneurs to fulfill the company’s core vision outlined on their Facebook page, “[To] give every woman the means to style her own life.”

Related reading:

Developing a Facebook Plan for a Busy Small Business Owner

Is Facebook Right for Your Business?

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