Ask a Public Relations Manager anything

18 Questions

Last Answer on October 03, 2012

Have you ever been in a position where a client did something so heinous that you, as their PR rep, had to say, "Sorry, there's nothing I can do to fix this?"

Asked by gregg over 12 years ago

Fortunatly, I haven't found myself in this situation. However, if it came to this I would have to re-consider my job. In PR, there is always something you can do. Once you've reached the point where nothing can be done, it's time to wlak away from that client or company.

572 Votes

Is the release-bad-news-on-Friday-so-it-doesn't-get-as-much-press thing true?

Asked by pschwarz over 12 years ago

I think this depends on the content within your release. Can you imagine if Apple pushed out a press release on a Friday at 5p about a new iPhone? It would get just as much pick-up as if they released the information on a Monday at 7am. However, if you're trying to reach a targeted/niche audience you should tailor your info to when that particular editor/journalist/blogger would be receiving the information. In my experience, my sweet spot has been Tuesdays and Wednesdays in between 9a-11am. The rationale is that by Tuesday, you've cleaned out your inbox from the weekend and by mid-morning you've had your coffee and have begun hunting for information for upcoming deadlines.

570 Votes

What's one example of a risky, out-of-the-box approach you took with a client's PR initiative that turned out to be really effective?

Asked by brandon g. over 12 years ago

One of my big wins violated some of the"new rules of PR". In the past few years, PR professionals have avoided sending products straight to the head of a show/magazine etc. and have instead sent packages to the producer. What most PR Pros know is that the producer, editor, etc. have the final say in what ends up in the media...not the Publishers or Anchors. However, I sent out a package directly to the head of a major late night TV show and received a call back directly from the person This not only blew away my boss, but major heads of my organization. It's not every day that a PR pro gets a call directly from the "Oprah's" of the media world! Lesson learned--Think outside of the box!

567 Votes

How does your employer evaluate your performance? Like, it doesn't seem like there's an objective metric you can point at to determine how good or bad a job you did spinning something.

Asked by Leah over 12 years ago

There are many types of PR and fortunately, I am not working in a PR position where I have to “spin” things. Most positions that involve “spinning” include crisis communications, person PR (for an artist, celeb, etc.) and internal corporate communications. My current performance is based on a few things including: 1)Number of Media Impressions/Media Value garnered through PR (non-paid) placements, mentions, product reviews and 2) Ability to communicate the daily wins to my organization internally.

544 Votes

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Why do you think "PR people" often have a negative reputation? Do you think the profession attracts some, um, "difficult" people?

Asked by AZ jayson over 12 years ago

Like most professions there are some shady characters that influence the overall image of the profession. There are good cops, lawyers and PR professionals that do not fit the negative portrayals of the profession. That being said, working in PR is highly stressful. Just this week, a study come out that said PR is one of the most overrated professions (link:http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/12776.aspx ). On a weekly basis I find myself working OVER 60 hours. My days start answering emails at 5am and on Sunday afternoons I spend about 2-3 hours prepping for the week ahead. I end my nights with my laptop and iPhone on my dresser. On a daily basis I have over 10 clients within my organization that have various demands or requests for information, clippings, data, etc. Everyone client wants to know why THEY are not in the NY Times or on the TODAY show daily. Sometimes I find myself being short or annoyed with someone who doesn’t realize there are 5 people in front of them with equally demanding requests. I think this is where the reputation for being difficult comes from with PR professionals. People must remember that time is money AND the time I spend answering a silly question is the time I could spend compiling a report for a CEO or calling to pitch a product to the producer of Good Morning America.

529 Votes

As a PR manager, are you expected to be available to your clients 24/7, or do they respect your space?

Asked by Minty702 over 12 years ago

I think the answer to this depends on your client, product or company you are handling PR for. In my current role, I usually work in office about 8 hours/day and then an additional 1-2 hours in the evening. I have a work phone that links to my email so I can hear when I’m receiving an email from a client or co-worker. I value my personal time so I ask myself questions to prioritize my response : a)How long will it take me to respond to this? And b) How urgent is this request? However, in the event of a company crisis, product re-call or other major issue, I prepare myself to be available until the situation has stabilized. I think the key to maintaining sanity is setting boundaries. I make sure to un-plug and refresh my mind when needed so that I’m prepped whenever the next emergency occurs!

518 Votes

When you watch the build-up to the presidential election, can you see through all of the political spin BS? Do you think Obama or Romney is doing a better job in that respect?

Asked by spinzonelulz over 12 years ago

As with any campaign the key is consistency. Overall I would have to say that Obama is doing a better job of staying on message. Romney has been portrayed as someone who is not authentic or consistent. However, let's see what happens with the messaging during the debates!

516 Votes

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Public Relations Manager

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Have you ever been in a position where a client did something so heinous that you, as their PR rep, had to say, "Sorry, there's nothing I can do to fix this?"

Is the release-bad-news-on-Friday-so-it-doesn't-get-as-much-press thing true?

What's one example of a risky, out-of-the-box approach you took with a client's PR initiative that turned out to be really effective?

How does your employer evaluate your performance? Like, it doesn't seem like there's an objective metric you can point at to determine how good or bad a job you did spinning something.

Also on Jobstr...

Why do you think "PR people" often have a negative reputation? Do you think the profession attracts some, um, "difficult" people?

As a PR manager, are you expected to be available to your clients 24/7, or do they respect your space?

When you watch the build-up to the presidential election, can you see through all of the political spin BS? Do you think Obama or Romney is doing a better job in that respect?

Public Relations Manager

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Have you ever been in a position where a client did something so heinous that you, as their PR rep, had to say, "Sorry, there's nothing I can do to fix this?"

Is the release-bad-news-on-Friday-so-it-doesn't-get-as-much-press thing true?

What's one example of a risky, out-of-the-box approach you took with a client's PR initiative that turned out to be really effective?

How does your employer evaluate your performance? Like, it doesn't seem like there's an objective metric you can point at to determine how good or bad a job you did spinning something.

Also on Jobstr...

Why do you think "PR people" often have a negative reputation? Do you think the profession attracts some, um, "difficult" people?

As a PR manager, are you expected to be available to your clients 24/7, or do they respect your space?

When you watch the build-up to the presidential election, can you see through all of the political spin BS? Do you think Obama or Romney is doing a better job in that respect?

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