Pitching to media and securing coverage is one of the most common things we do in PR but, it can take some time to start doing this effectively. If you haven't had much success in converting your pitches to coverage in newspapers or magazines, you’re not alone. Someone who has been on the receiving end of oodles of PR pitches is Katarina Kroslakova. Katarina has been the editor of the Australian Financial Review’s Life & Leisure and Luxury magazines, a columnist for Harper’s Bazaar, is...

Jennifer Hawkins is a trailblazer in the PR industry. She’s the CEO of not one but two integrated agencies in the US – Hawkins International PR and Maverick Creative - which specialise in PR, social and digital execution in the luxury travel, wellness, lifestyle and hospitality sectors, among others. With her head office based in New York and staff dotted around the country, Jen’s clients are located worldwide, from South Africa to South America, Los Angeles to London, Boston to Bermuda. Jen...

Ever dreamed of taking your PR career to Australia or England? As the world starts to reopen, there’s never been a better time to shake things up with an exciting overseas PR adventure. And if Australia or England are on your hit-list, this will give you insight into some of the opportunities (and challenges) in front of you. Ishtar Schneider (US) and Laura Craggs (UK), associate directors at Edelman in London, know a thing or two about the highs and lows of expat life in Australia and the...

Looking for a way to make your product stand out when it arrives in the hot little hands of journalists or influencers? Sick of sending out products and getting little to no response from the recipient, let alone a social media post or media coverage? There's a good chance you're missing some crucial steps when it comes to concept creation and execution. Making a creative mailer truly unforgettable is one of Nastasia Marjanovic's superpowers. As PR and Talent Director at Straight UP PR, she...

Is reading one of your favourite hobbies? Does the thought of being able to work with your favourite authors, shape the trajectory of a book release or getting your hands on the latest page-turners before anyone else, spark joy? If so, consider a career in book publicity. Veteran book publicist Andy Palmer has lived and breathed books for more than 30 years, promoting thousands of titles for the world’s biggest names in publishing. We discuss his tips for nabbing a book publicity role, an...

Ever wondered what it takes to make it in the fast-paced world of television publicity? Or how to build your own PR agency from the ground up? Karen Eck went from ABC intern to globe-trotting international media manager before starting her own publicity agency, Eckfactor, almost two decades ago. We deep-dive into Karen’s long and illustrious career and talk about attributes for success, striking out on your own, and what it’s like to be the unlikely face of social change. You'll find a...

Do you use Wikipedia in your brand strategy? If not, now might be the right time to start. To discuss why, I'm joined by Rhiannon Ruff, Wikipedia expert and co-founder of digital brand reputation agency Lumino. Rhiannon has been helping brand managers and communication specialists get the most of this powerful platform for more than a decade. She shares tips for how you can harness its value for your company or client, what to do when you discover inaccurate information on there plus how to...

From Virgin Atlantic in Australia and the US to various tenures at the United Nations in New York, Paris and Amsterdam, Belinda Gurd has held some impressive communications roles which would make most of us (me included...) a little green with envy. In this episode, she shares how she steered her career from a degree in design to two of the most high profile companies in the world. She discusses the bold career swings she made, the lessons she learned finding a PR role in New York and, the...

Are you looking to transition into the role of a PR Account Manager? Already in the position but would love to know how to gain a competitive edge to make your mark? Expert PR trainer and mentor, Amanda Little, has been running PR training courses for more than a decade, helping emerging PR managers and leaders accelerate their careers. She's dipped into her pot of gold to share her most valuable nuggets of information and set you on the path of productivity and success.  You'll find a...

Have you ever felt like creativity just wasn’t your strong suit?  Are you someone who struggles when it comes to developing ideas or problem-solving? My guest, Wade Kingsley, is an expert creative wrangler and has helped thousands of people tap into their creative side. He shares his simple tips for bringing more creativity to your projects, debunks the myth that you're either a strategic or creative person plus challenges you to lead with what's possible, not probable. You'll find a...

Landing a new job that requires you to be responsible for the domestic PR for an international brand can be a little daunting. How do you start making a name for yourself and your brand, in your market? Julie Jarratt has been the Communications Director for Cathay Pacific Airways in the Americas for almost a decade and the strategic mind behind the PR decisions in that region. She shares her insight on how you can fast-track your way into being a valued, productive and effective domestic PR...

Want to pivot into a public relations career? Don't have any PR internships or work experience under your belt? My guest, Winston Chang, just did that and there's no reason why you can't either. Find out how he transitioned from a high school teacher to a PR professional and what his secrets to success are. We also discuss why you need to leave your ego at the door, how to position your previous skills as relevant and transferable, and the tactic which gave Winston a competitive edge.  ...

Blogs are a useful tool for building a brand's credibility and authenticity on a particular topic but creating an engaging, compelling blog takes a little practice. Former journalist and General Manager of Ovato Communications, Kerrie Murphy, shares insight on integrating keywords, the value of backlinks, how to capture the attention of your audience, and how often you should be posting them. Plus, we discuss the best way to start the writing process and whether every company should produce...

The public relations sector is fast-paced. Burn-out is real. It is incredibly easy to feel like you're getting lost under a mountain of tasks and deadlines and for creativity and strategy to go out the window. Wendy Cole, a productivity expert from iMastery, teaches how you can set up your work environment to become more productive and focused. She shares her tips on limiting distractions and prioritising tasks, provides insight into why it's so important not to work from your inbox, and...

Do you want the inside scoop on what life is like working in a PR agency (the things they don't tell you at college/university)? This episode covers why PR agencies are utilised by companies, the services they provide plus gives you an overview of some of the industry jargon you will need to know. You'll discover what will be expected of you on a daily/weekly basis, some of the challenges you may face plus, learn some tips and tricks for making a mark. My guest, Kerrie Murphy from Ovato...

You may have crafted the perfect pitch and managed to secure an interview for your spokesperson but if they can’t communicate the key messages succinctly, navigate challenging questions or come across as an engaging interviewee, all that hard work can be lost. Shelly Horton, a well-known Australian TV presenter, experienced journalist and MC, draws on her decades of experience to conduct media training through her company, Shellshocked Media. Shelly shares her tips for conquering nerves and...

If you want to produce maximum exposure for an announcement, you should be utilising a brand's social media channels to communicate those messages alongside your media relations activity. Allira Carroll from Tonic PR and I provide a quick overview of how you can leverage these channels effectively as part of your PR strategy. We also discuss the role social media can play within crisis communications, how to drive awareness for the channels themselves and why your social media assets can...

The key to building media relationships according to Kerrie Murphy, General Manager of Ovato Communications and former journalist, is research, research, research. This episode explores why research is so important, what you should consider before establishing new media connections, the information journalists are interested (and not interested) in learning from you plus why some journalists aren't responsive to PR contact and how to counteract that. You'll find a summary of the information...

Public relations has a reputation for being a competitive industry and it's easy to fall into the pattern of feeling compelled to push yourself beyond your limits. Many of us feel we need to balance workplace expectations with client expectations and our own personal professional expectations and that can often lead to our mental health being compromised. Psychotherapist Katie Feder and General Manager of Palin Communications Karina Durham discuss the value of self-awareness, vulnerability...

Nicole Smith, Senior Global Communications Officer at the International Rescue Committee in New York, is responsible for developing programs that amplify the voices of women around the world among many other things. She is often required to translate complex technical information and data from humanitarian efforts in 40 countries into external-facing communications materials. The content she develops needs to be relatable and understandable, delivered in an engaging package and it has to land...

As Cathay Pacific's Communications Director for The Americas, Julie Jarratt wears a lot of hats as an aviation PR specialist. She's responsible for the internal and external communications for the region, as well as corporate social responsibility, community engagement, stakeholder management and crisis management, to name a few. Julie shares the types of projects you would manage within an aviation communications role, provides insight on how the Covid pandemic has impacted the aviation...

Whether it's to secure media coverage, inform strategic campaign decisions or build your credibility as an industry insider, trends are a powerful resource to harness. Jennifer Hawkins, Founder and President of Hawkins International PR and Catherine Colford, Managing Director of sister communications agency, Maverick Creative, have made it their business to be in front of the curve when it comes to identifying and developing trends. Their clients benefit from the global lens they apply to all...

Naomi Ross from Sydney Design Social joins me to provide a succinct overview of the elements you should include in a social media report. Naomi also discusses the value of reviewing historical data and trends, the point at which your results should inform a strategy review, plus why you should never gloss over unsatisfactory results in a report. You'll find a summary of the information featured in this episode here: https://www.theprpod.com/post/social-media-reporting

Developing a spokesperson into an industry-respected thought or opinion leader can benefit the brand awareness of a company immensely. To explore why, I'm joined by Samantha Dybac, founder of The PR Hub and podcast host of Influence Unlocked. We cover the challenges and opportunities of developing a thought leader, whether it's imperative they have social media platforms and an existing media profile plus, how to manage expectations. You'll find a summary of the information featured in this...