Archive for Q&A
Q&A Friday: Richard Ouyang
Posted by: | CommentsRichard Ouyang is Associate Director of Digital Strategy here at Peppercom. You can find more of his digital musings here or follow him here.
Q. What drew you to digital and social media?
A. I like the innovation that it enables. Just about anything you can dream up in online technology can be created and I find that exciting. Social media is how people communicate, but more than the platform is finding compelling ways to participate in the ever-changing environment.
Q. What skills should today’s PR students be sure to master if they are interested in a career in digital?
A. Managing a brand is different than managing your own profile so if you’re looking for a career, look to see how brands are interacting with their communities. The world of digital is quite broad so there’s room for everyone from web producers, to user experience experts to interactive designers. Understand that PR and social/digital is more than just conversing, but is also understanding how all the pieces fit together.
Q. Care to divulge one of the biggest mistakes you made earlier in your career?
A. Since the digital landscape is constantly evolving, mistakes can turn into ground-breaking ideas. I can speak to it broadly, but I would say that underestimating how many moving parts go into an online program has caused some headache. I would also say that everyone has underestimated the size and scope of a project and it’s part of learning.
Q. How has the prevalence of digital and social media changed the PR landscape in recent years?
A. Every brand understands that social media is a large part of how people share information. PR has found itself squarely in the middle of helping manage and influence conversations. As the world gets more sophisticated with technology, this will continue to evolve how brands and consumers/audiences interact.
Q. What one piece of advice do you have for those just starting their careers in PR?
A. I’m a digital guy, but I would say that people coming into PR need to understand the tools they use, such as social networks, and how that would apply to brands. I think one of the greatest strengths the incoming workforce has is the native use of technology (meaning it’s always been a part of your life).
Q&A Friday: Steve Cody
Posted by: | CommentsSteve Cody is co-founder and managing partner of Peppercom Strategic Communications. You can find him here, here and here. And sometimes here.
Q. How did you know that PR was right for you?
A. I didn’t. My undergraduate degree was in journalism. My goal was to be the next Woodward or Bernstein. My Northeastern University co-op jobs taught me that, while I loved the news, I did not like news people. So, I went to my advisor who suggested public relations. I sent out hundreds of cover letters and resumes and was fortunate to land at Hill & Knowlton.
Q. What’s the biggest mistake you made in your young career?
A. One big mistake I made early on was not realizing that, in responding to a reporter’s questions, I could be quoted as a client spokesperson. Not realizing that the typing I was hearing in the background of a call with an AP reporter was, in fact, my words being taken down, came as a huge surprise the next day. Happily, the client was pleased. My boss, however, read me the riot act. I’ve never made that mistake again.
Q. Other than starting Peppercom, what has been your greatest professional accomplishment?
A. I was just named one of Northeastern University’s 100 most successful alumni (it was done in recognition of their 100th anniversary).
Q. What one piece of advice do you have for those just starting their careers in PR?
A. Read voraciously about as many things as possible. You’re only as smart as what you know, so make it your business to know as much as possible about as many things as possible.
Q&A Friday: Sara Whitman
Posted by: | CommentsSara Whitman started at Peppercom as an intern ten years ago, and today is a Senior Director. She manages a mix of consumer and corporate accounts, and also handles staff management for the New York office and agency recruiting.
Q. You started at Peppercom as an intern- what do you think has contributed to your success?
A. Determination: I’ve always set the bar high for myself and I aim to outperform my own expectations. There’s nothing like a sense of self-accomplishment and taking pride in your work.
Dedication: I love Peppercom. I love the culture, the teams, and the work. I don’t want to let anyone down and I like striving to do the best work I can for our clients and for us as an agency. We have a great reputation as a firm and I want to add to that as much as I can.
Flexibility: This is on my part and on Peppercom’s part. It’s a give and take. I put everything I can into my work. In turn (and actually well before I even knew what I was doing in this industry), Peppercom offers amazing flexibility. I have a wonderful family and am able to raise my kids the way I want because of the flexibility I have at Peppercom. It’s the best of both worlds. In this same category of flexibility though is something I think is very important. I really do look at what we do as teamwork – both within the agency, with our clients and with the media (or should I say external audiences given the fragmented and dwindling media) – and I think I’m a decent team player. I’m not in this for the glory – if I am, I’m in the wrong business! I’m most satisfied when I know the work was done well, the team scored killer results and the client is thrilled. There’s a lot of expectation and entitlement I see and hear about among industry employees. That’s an attitude people need to check at the door.
Q. What do you look for in entry-level candidates?
A. An avid learner: This business requires the ability to grasp many different subject matters very quickly. You have to live, eat and breathe the clients’ business and a love of learning is essential. It also provides a great base for strategic thinking and planning.
A news junkie: Going hand in hand with that is being a news junkie. Wanting to know about what’s going on in the world of business, politics, culture, society, entertainment, etc. is critical. We have to align the news of our clients with the news of the world and a person in this business has to be able to connect the dots. A natural love for the news should be a given.
A strong writer: The number one complaint I hear from management and from clients is that writing is not as strong as it could be. The industry tends to attract really smart, outgoing people who, for some reason or another, have a tough time with clear, concise and compelling writing. Some of that can be learned, but without a strong core, it’s very difficult.
Has a roll-up-your-sleeves attitude: I like people who will do what it takes to get the job done – big or small. Those who are resourceful and can figure out how to make things happen are indispensable. Negativity and defeatism don’t breed success.
Q. What are you most proud of professionally?
A. There are so many things I’m proud of that have involved so many people. I’m proud that I’m still here after 10 years! I’m really proud of some of the long-standing client relationships I have. I’m incredibly proud of being able to say I’m part of a firm that has had so many external successes with clients – but even more proud that I was part of helping to build the team to make that happen. I’m proud that a significant chunk of our staff are people who also started at Peppercom as interns or JAEs. That’s a huge accomplishment that we should all be proud of.
Q. What one piece of advice do you have for those just starting their careers in PR?
A. Think about your professional network from day one. The people you meet and help out now can become people who will do the same for you later. You never know where people will wind up and what doors they might open for you in the future.
Q&A Friday: Jackie Kolek
Posted by: | CommentsJackie Kolek is senior director at Peppercom, where she provides overall strategic direction and account management for several of the firm’s key clients, and leads PepperDigital, Peppercom’s social media consulting offering.
Q. You lead PepperDigital. What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned in that endeavor?
A. Listen first. You can’t just build a blog, Web site or launch any other digital effort (Twitter, Flickr, etc.) without first really listening to your target audience. You need to hear what they are saying and where, and then tap into that existing dialogue. It’s really not surprising when you think how we attack traditional media as well – first you read what a reporter is writing and then try to tap into their interest base. This is even more critical with it comes to digital media.
Q. What qualities make a young PR professional stand out to you?
A. Being proactive and polished. It’s really important that young PR professionals take the steps necessary to get the information they need to do their jobs. Too often, someone is confused or unsure and they wait for someone to come to them. Those that ask a lot of questions, come up with new ideas to do things better or different and show a genuine interest in our accounts are the ones that shine. Likewise, I need to feel confidence that I can out them in front of a client. Those who are too quiet scare me.
Q. What was one of the biggest mistakes you made in your young career?
A. Focusing too much on getting promoted. A career is a journey and you need to focus on doing great work, the rest of it will come.
Q. What one piece of advice do you have for those just starting their careers in PR?
A. Read, read and read! You have to read all kinds of things – magazines, books, newspapers, blogs, etc. Not only will it make you better at your media relations skills, it improves your writing and also enables you to have conversations with all different kinds of people.
Q&A Friday- Ted Birkhahn
Posted by: | CommentsBy Alicia Wells
This is the first in a series of interviews with PR professionals who share their perspective on their careers and the world of entry-level PR. Ted Birkhahn is Peppercom’s chief operating officer and is in charge of client services, working with several others to lead new business development and integrating Peppercom’s three offices. Before joining Peppercom, Ted was the Press Secretary for the New York City Department of Buildings in Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s administration. Previously, he worked as a reporter at WOR-AM Radio and as a production assistant at 1010 WINS Radio in New York City. A graduate of the University of Vermont, Ted plays hockey and considers himself obsessed with WWII.
Q. How do you determine potential in the entry-level candidates you interview?
A. A lot of it has to do with chemistry coupled with relevant experience and expertise. While the latter two are critical, chemistry will often make or break the deal.
Q. What is one mistake or misstep you most often see young professionals make?
A. The biggest misstep is when they’re in a hurry to advance. Ambition is great but it has to be grounded in reality. When a young professional becomes obsessed with getting a promotion, they often become totally distracted and the work suffers. Staying focused on the work and providing value to the organization is still — and will always be — the fastest route to promotion.
Q. What has been your greatest accomplishment professionally?
A. Finding a career path that I enjoy — one that is challenging, fun and affords me enough time to be with my family.
Q. What one piece of advice do you have for those just starting their careers in PR?
A. As hard as it may sound, use the recession to your advantage. If you can get things accomplished in this type of an economy, you can do anything. If approached in the right way, challenging times have a way of making you a stronger person and professional.
