Team Building

Posted on 03. Mar, 2012 by

On Friday, our team headed up to Stowe Mountain Resort to ski and ride for the day together. We take a day away from the office two times each year to have some “forced fun”. I even hiked a bit in search of powder stashes with some of the younger set – which I have not done in years!

We had a little picture challenge for the day. The photo with the most likes on the PMG Facebook page gets a $25 gift certificate or donation to the charity of their choice. Initially I was going to put who took the picture, but that may make for an unfair advantage (you’ll all vote for my pictures – right, mom? ;) ) We’ll total up the likes on Monday, March 12th and update on who the winner is at that time.

All photos will be uploaded by Monday morning, 3/5.

Good luck, PMGers!

Apres Ski at Hourglass - Stowe Mountain Lodge

Travel Agent, Personal Shopper… Publicist?

Posted on 20. Feb, 2012 by

One of the things that I love about my chosen profession is that I never know what the day will bring. Ever.

As a publicist you live and die by the news cycle and how your client’s story can dovetail with it. Sometimes it works, and other times it just does not.  All of your learned  communication skills come into play. But, some days you just need other skills. Something that is mandatory for the job is that “can do!” attitude. I often find myself working outside of my traditional roll to get the job done.

Today was one of those days. It started out normally – coffee, reading the paper, putting my sons on the bus to school. And then, I went to the office where all bets were off. A client’s plane was delayed and he called stating that this will cause him to miss the interview our team had set up for him this afternoon. That led to a string of calls and emails to get him rebooked out of another airport about an hour away, the additional expense of a ticket approved, and production of the segment he was filming pushed back.

After everything had settled, we find out that the new connection is delayed. This gives us only a 45-minute window to get the segment taped before the crew has to wrap after he lands. Oh, and he checked a bag. Ticktock… these are the moments when you do feel every minute counts!

We look to reschedule the connection. No go. That is the earliest flight going into LAX. Great [note the sarcasm]. We try and negotiate with the producer (who could not be nicer) – can we have another representative of the client be part of the segment? No. Can we hold the crew? No. Can we move the shoot closer to the airport to maximize our time? Yes! Now to find a location near LAX that will fit the bill – from Vermont. Thank goodness for Google Maps!

Meanwhile, we track flights, make sure that all of the other activities we have booked for the client are confirmed, update those involved in ground transfers, etc.

And then, we wait.

The location changes one two more times, the flight is delayed again, and the number of sent emails regarding this matter are well into the (high) double digits. And then, the flight lands. The client/talent gets to the location too late – so they go with our suggestion of using another representative of the client which they filmed just in case. They film. They wrap. It’s done. We collectivity breathe.

After the shoot, we’ll follow up with the producer to be sure they got what they needed and offer to get them anything else.

The ideal situation is when we can be on site for any client/media interactions. It makes helping with logistics easier. But, budgets and time constraints don’t always allow for the “ideal”.

Before you know it, your day has evaporated. What you have to show for it, hopefully, is a happy client and a great product – a press hit, in this case on a major show that will help generate more attention around the cause or product.

When I hear people say “that’s not part of my job description”* I cringe. If you choose to work in PR, everything from getting a glass of water or cup of coffee for a client who is prepping for an interview to having to be a personal shopper for a client who lost their baggage before a national morning show appearance — and in my case today, being a travel agent is inside the scope of your work. Just get it done. It’s really good advice for anyone who wants to advance their careers.

*It should be noted that I have NEVER heard anyone at PMG say this. People Making Good are also People Making it Happen! Thanks, team!! :)

PR Works.

Posted on 10. Oct, 2011 by

I got the following email from a client on Sunday as I was driving back from Boston. This client recently moved their business over to PMG after working with a “big city PR firm”. We’ve been on the case a short while, and are passionate about the products offered, the person behind the brand and really think that we have some interesting story angles to offer up to the press. In this short time frame we scored some local press that has moved the client’s business. Getting emails like this from clients just make my day. Thank you, client, for taking the time to send this. It meant a lot.

And yes, PR does work. You just have to find the right people and agency that gets you and your product. I like to think about it like designer shoes (of course! ;) ) – sure, they’re cute, but certain brands do not fit me as well as others. Find an agency that fits YOUR brand and personality.

Will There Be a Happy Ending?

Posted on 05. Oct, 2011 by

The news is out: Friendly’s Ice Cream is closing just over 60 locations and filing for bankruptcy. They operate just over 500 locations, so this means that one fifth of their restaurants will close. The retail ice cream operation (what you see in the grocery store) appears that it will remain the same.

Sure, this is a big deal. Especially to those who will be or have lost their jobs as a result. But if you are to look at Twitter this morning, you would think that the watermelon roll, Fribble and Friendly Frank are no more. Not the case. Companies have come back from bankruptcy and have retooled to become a stronger player on the other side. Let’s hope this is the case for this family restaurant.

In the past months, I have noticed that Friendly’s is more present on social media channels. They have taken to Twitter, are active on Facebook, and have mounted a campaign called High Five. They also have YouTube and Flickr accounts. They have changed up their menus in an effort to become more contemporary. What more can they do?

Here are my “High Five” suggestions that can be executed immediately:

  1. Re-establish yourself as a fiber of the community. When I was growing up, just outside of Boston, I can remember going to Friendly’s or Brigham’s for ice cream after soccer games with my team. The ice cream giants were often the sponsors of kid’s sporting events and would give out free cone coupons. Well, if I got a free cone, my parents easily had to buy cones for the rest of the family… and before you knew it, we were having dinner there because it was just “easier.”
  2. Consider ditching breakfast. There is no rule stating that you have to serve up three meals a day. Your operations costs will drop significantly by decreasing the number of hours that you are open per day. I may be wrong, but you are not turning every table at any of the locations at this time for breakfast.
  3. Hire a tactical PR firm. Get out there and get some good news press. People think that Friendly’s is closing for good… show them differently. Win the hearts and minds of the consumer, and they will reward you by coming in.
  4. Let ‘em have it – straight from the horse’s mouth. Use your existing channels to communicate direct to consumer. Let people know what’s going on. As of this morning I have not seen any Tweet of Facebook posts about the news. People who are posting on the channels to Friendly’s are not being addressed. This is NOT the time for radio silence.
  5. Empower your employees. Each location is unique from employee to physical plant to consumer. Figure out what will work best (within reason) and then have your employees execute it. Many hands make for lighter work – and in this case, I’m sure there are some employees who know of a way for their location to be more successful. Tap in to that resource.

The cherry may have fallen off of Friendly’s “Happy Ending Sundae”, but this need not be the end of an institution.

Meet Our Summer Interns: Brittany Kirvan

Posted on 11. Aug, 2011 by

This summer we have seven new additions to our PMG family! Our interns are special to us, that’s why we want to feature them in our blog. Each week we will add a profile of an intern so you can get a sense of who they are and what they are doing here at PMG. Feel free to ask them questions and leave feedback. These interns are ready and excited to share what they have learned so far!

Editors note: This is the last profile in our series of intern profiles.

 

PMGer: Brittany Kirvan

On Twitter: @brittanykirv

Position at PMG: Intern with PMG associate Elizabeth Hagwood 

Background?  I graduated from Champlain College in May with a B.S. in Mass Communications.  Shortly before graduation I decided that I was going to continue to live in Burlington; it is beautiful up here and Vermont is such a unique place.

I am a huge foodie—and so is Vermont.  One of my goals is to own a restaurant and a bakery.  I have so many ideas surrounding my dream: menus, décor, names, events, mental images, etc.  This venture is far down the road but I have not given up.

Why are you doing this internship? As a recent graduate I need to continue to expand my experiences outside of the classroom.  Studying communications gives you a broad understanding of all of the fields within communications itself.  But that’s just it: a broad understanding.  The best way to learn what any career is like is to dive in headfirst.  That is how I ended up at PMG—I wanted to learn more about public relations and what it is actually like to work in it.

What do you expect to gain from this internship? I have been experiencing what it really means to work in public relations.  There is so much you can learn about from a textbook but it is a whole different story when applying the techniques you read about to real life situations.

What have you learned so far? Oh, the Things I Have Learned:

  • How to create killer media lists
  • Writing pitches that are short, sweet, and attention grabbing
  • Follow-ups are just as (and usually more) important than the initial pitch
  • And much more of course…

Interning at PMG has also taught me that not every “nine-to-five” job is so conventional.  I used to imagine that working a job, Monday to Friday, at the same time every day would drive me insane.  This has proven to be a complete misconception.  Everyone at PMG seems to really enjoy the work they are doing, and, while they are very serious about what they do, they have a lot of fun doing it.

What’s it like working with your mentor? Working with Elizabeth is great!  Among many other things, she has given me some very great tips on how to improve pitches and follow ups to be more eye-catching.  Luckily Elizabeth is a foodie, too; often we are exchanging recipe ideas and helpful tips for the kitchen.

Do you have any tips for future interns on PR, writing press releases, pitches, etc.? Pitches need to be short, sweet, and catchy, but they need to answer the essential questions before they are asked (think who, what, where, when, why!). Also, reread your pitches over and over before sending them out—don’t be afraid to read them out loud to make sure you’re not missing anything.

Don’t be discouraged if you do not get immediate responses from your pitches—you are going to need to send out a round (or four) of follow-ups.  Depending on the timeliness of your pitch you may need to do multiple follow-ups over a few weeks or even over a few months to stay on top of the radar.

Don’t forget to have fun but take your internship seriously!

Meet Our Summer Interns: Thomas Renner

Posted on 11. Aug, 2011 by

This summer we have seven new additions to our PMG family! Our interns are special to us, that’s why we want to feature them in our blog. Each week we will add a profile of an intern so you can get a sense of who they are and what they are doing here at PMG. Feel free to ask them questions and leave feedback. These interns are ready and excited to share what they have learned so far!

PMGer: Thomas Renner

On Twitter: @tarenner

Position at PMG: Intern with PMG associate Kristena Morse

Why are you doing this internship? Half way through my first semester of my freshman year I realized that if I ever was going to conquer the PR world I would need to get some out of school training as soon as possible. Also given the current job market and the fact that you need experience to get any good PR job I thought it would be a perfect time to start building my résumé.

What do you expect to gain from this internship? So far I have already learned so much from my mentor Kristena Morse and from other PMGers. I hope to gain more knowledge about the business, the ins and outs of dealing with clients and the press. I am really hoping that after my time at PMG I will have gained all the experience I am going to need to land an awesome PR job.

What are your views on PMG? I love PMG, I really do, everything that they stand for, the people who work for them, the clients. The atmosphere at PMG is the best I have ever experienced in a place of work. I think the way the firm has decided to specialize in certain areas instead of trying to take on everything has really led to the success of PMG. I love coming into the office to work and actually miss not being there when I am not scheduled! PMG is a great place to intern and work. Being an intern at PMG is just like being a member of the team, and I think that is part of what has made my experience so great, I am actually working on accounts not doing coffee runs!

What’s it like working with your mentor? I love working with my mentor. Kristena has a great personality and always is  very understanding, it also helps that she has some cool clients. I do not believe that my experience at PMG would be the same without my mentor, the direct guidance and information that I receive from her is key to the success that I achieve and my learning path.

Do you have any tips for future interns on PR, writing press releases, pitches, etc.? At first writing a good pitch even a good subject line can be difficult. Even when you think you have written the perfect pitch there still could be something wrong with it. Those are the times when you will end up going back and forth with your mentor to try to fine tune the pitch. Although it may feel like you have not accomplished anything it is all a learning process.

Meet Our Summer Interns: Brittany Southwick

Posted on 10. Aug, 2011 by

This summer we have seven new additions to our PMG family! Our interns are special to us, that’s why we want to feature them in our blog. Each week we will add a profile of an intern so you can get a sense of who they are and what they are doing here at PMG. Feel free to ask them questions and leave feedback. These interns are ready and excited to share what they have learned so far!

PMGer: Brittany Southwick

On Twitter: @brittsouth

Position at PMG: Intern with PMG associate Tom Kupfer

Background? My name is Brittany.  I am a Public Relations Major with one semester left at Champlain College.

Why are you doing this internship? After completing three years of my education with Champlain College I was anxious to put my knowledge to the test. I enjoy a professional work environment and felt that I was ready to step into the industry. I want to build my resume and strengthen my portfolio. A textbook can only take you so far; working in the field is a great opportunity.

What do you expect to gain from this internship? I have expected to strengthen my writing and organizational skills. I also think I am going to get a pretty good idea of what it is like to work for a firm and focus solely on Public Relations, without Marketing or Advertising thrown in the mix.

What are your views on PMG? I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with PMG. I am proud to represent a company that represents socially responsible businesses.  My one concern for working in the PR field is having to represent clients with view points that are different from my own. PMG makes that dilemma easy by eliminating the challenge and providing a variety of clients that stand for great causes.

What’s it like working with your mentor? I thoroughly enjoy working for Tom because he provides great direction and has a wide array of knowledge to share. He has helped me strengthen my pitching skills and has a great sense of humor to make the experience more enjoyable.

Do you have any tips for future interns on PR, writing press releases, pitches, etc.? My advice would be to just dive in. Take advantage of every opportunity; get to know your co-workers and the people that you work with. Everyone you meet is a potential contact and Public Relations is about establishing and maintaining good relationships.  As far as writing press releases and pitches: edit, edit, edit. Explore your creativity and all of the different ways you can tell a story. My greatest challenge has been to come up with numerous ways to pitch one story. With the help of my mentor, towards the end of my internship I have definitely seen a growth in my ability to push my pitching further creatively.

Meet Our Team: Kristena Morse

Posted on 21. Jul, 2011 by

Over the next few weeks months, we will profile each PMGer to give you a better sense of the firm and those behind our social media channels and working on behalf of our great clients. We encourage you to start a dialogue through the comments section if you have additional questions for our do-gooders.

PMGer: Kristena Morse
On Twitter: @kristenamorse
Position at PMG: account executive

Favorite Music? I’d like to think that I’m pretty open-minded when it comes to music, so my music collection is always growing and changing. I love everything from jazz and blues to hip hop and R&B. About the only thing you won’t find much of in my collection is country (although I will admit I went through a brief country phase in high school). Some of my most-played albums lately include Ray LaMontagne, Coheed & Cambria, Jonny Lang, Dashboard Confessional and a variety of mixed albums that my sister made for me. :)

Favorite TV? Some of my favorite shows include Modern Family, So You Think You Can Dance, and almost anything on the Food Network (I love to cook!) or The Discovery Channel. If I’m not watching any of those or if I’m not tuned in to the news, there’s a good chance you’ll find me watching some sports game or catching up on highlights via SportsCenter. :)

Favorite Teams/Sports? Oh, I’m a sports nut! As a huge baseball fan and Michigan native, my heart will always belong to my Detroit Tigers. Other than baseball, I love college basketball (March Madness is one of my favorite times of the year!) and college football.

Favorite Foods? I definitely don’t have a favorite. I love to eat… and I love trying new foods. Burlington has an awesome variety of restaurants and it seems there’s always a new one to try!

Favorite Quote? “Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” — Benjamin Spock

A favorite websites: Pandora and/or Grooveshark get me through the day. Other sites I visit daily are: The New York Times, CNN, Washington Post and Burlington Free Press. I’ve also got about a dozen PR blogs that I skim through each day. Some of my favorites include: PR Squared, Social Media Explorer, prTini, PR at Sunrise and PR Breakfast Club.

Meet Our Summer Interns: Heather Barrett

Posted on 15. Jul, 2011 by

This summer we have seven new additions to our PMG family! Our interns are special to us, that’s why we want to feature them in our blog. Each week we will add a profile of an intern so you can get a sense of who they are and what they are doing here at PMG. Feel free to ask them questions and leave feedback. These interns are ready and excited to share what they have learned so far!

 

PMGer: Heather Barrett

On Twitter: @hbarrettsays

Position at PMG: Intern with PMG associate Tom Kupfer

Background? My name is Heather.  I am a Mass Communications major entering my last semester at Champlain College.

Why are you doing this internship? As a Mass Communication student, I have taken a variety of courses in marketing, advertising, and public relations.  These courses have provided me with the base knowledge in each section, but I found myself wanting a hands-on experience.  With an internship, I knew that I would learn more than I ever could in a classroom, and that the knowledge would be invaluable.

What do you expect to gain from this internship? From this experience, I expect to learn more about working for a public relations agency.  Working for more than one client, I expect to learn a variety of tools to better fine tune public relations to work for each individual company.  In addition, I expect to improve my writing skills.

What are your views on PMG? I was first attracted to PMG because they are devoted to working with socially responsible clients.  I also read the Q&A with Nicole and Ken before I applied, and I thought that my personal interests would connect with PMG.  After starting my internship in June, my impressions of PMG proved to be true.  PMGer’s are all extremely hard-working people who have a passion for public relations. I also really like having an office dog ☺.

What’s it like working with your mentor? At PMG part of the internship experience is to work hands on.  So, instead of fetching coffee for Tom, I have been able to create media lists, write pitches, and follow up directly with media outlets.  Tom always has a clear vision as to what needs to be completed, and is willing to provide valuable feedback.

Do you have any tips for future interns on PR, writing press releases, pitches, etc.?

  • Always work hard and do your best.
  • Remember that writing is a skill that takes a lot of practice.  A first draft will need to be edited, so be open to feedback!
  • Your mentors are busy, so it may seem intimidating to ask them for help, but don’t be afraid.  That’s what they’re here for! Pester away.

Meet Our Summer Interns: Selma Basic

Posted on 06. Jul, 2011 by

Meet Our Summer Interns: Selma Basic

This summer we have seven new additions to our PMG family! Our interns are special to us, that’s why we want to feature them in our blog. Each week we will add a profile of an intern so you can get a sense of who they are and what they are doing here at PMG. Feel free to ask them questions and leave feedback. These interns are ready and excited to share what they have learned so far!

PMGer: Selma Basic
On Twitter: @Selmander89
Position at PMG: Intern with PMG co-founder Nicole Ravlin

Background? My name is Selma Basic. I am a senior at the New England School of Communications (NESCom), located in beautiful Bangor, Maine. I am working on my Bachelors degree in communications with a concentration in Marketing. I chose the communications field because I get a chance to exercise many different aspects of the field, such as: advertising, marketing, public relations, graphic design, photography,  and video production – over the years at Nescom I have gained skills in all these fields. When I was asked to intern at PMG I was excited to be granted with an opportunity to increase my knowledge of public relations.

Why are you doing this internship? Last semester I joined the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), this organizations has really sparked my interested in the public relations field. Hence why I’m here! PMG is the hands on experience I’ve been looking for. From day one I dove right into writing press releases and doing media lists. PMG is giving me the opportunity to challenge myself and put my skills to the test! This is no internship where you run around fetching coffee and donuts for your boss… At PMG you do real work for real clients!

What do you expect to gain from this internship? By doing this internship I am gaining a variety of skills in public relations, which will help me continue to do well in PRSSA and eventually my career.  Is public relations the job for me? That’s what I’m here for to find out! I definitely have a passion for writing and PR is something I’ve always wanted to give a try.

What are your views on PMG? PMG stands for People Making Good, which is the first reason I wanted to know more about this firm. I like and respect the philosophy of helping promote healthy brands. PMG is an exceptionally comfortable environment where I feel free to be myself and express my skills. PMG is doing good things for good companies and I want to be a part of that.

What’s it like working with your mentor? Here at PMG I am surrounded by wonderful people. My mentor, Nicole Ravlin, being one of them. Nicole is super friendly, outgoing and most importantly, has a sense of humor. What’s a workplace when it’s strictly business 24/7? It’s no fun! Here at PMG we get our work done but we also know how to relax and enjoy ourselves; I personally find that extremely important in a work environment. As for working with Nicole, it’s great to have a mentor help you out! She always makes sure I know exactly what to do, she gives me some great advice on how to improve my work and she lets me enjoy some variety in the tasks I do.

Do you have any tips for future interns on PR, writing press releases, pitches, etc.? Future interns! If you are looking for an internship in public relations and you are within the Burlington area, I would definitely recommend PMG. So far I have written press releases, pitches, done plenty of media lists and am currently working on social media. Be aware that PR requires a little bit of everything I just mentioned. So prepare yourself to do some multitasking and lots of different projects. DON’T be afraid to ask your mentor for help! that’s what they’re here for. Also, remember to always revise your work. Make sure at least three pairs of eyes read your work before you send it out to a client. And last but not least, enjoy your internship! you are learning from people who are doing what you want to do in the future, there is no better way of learning than by following the footsteps of your mentor. Take all the mental notes you can, practice your writing skills, observe, listen, and always give your best!

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