Unlocking Potential #15: Q&A With Donna White

Donna WhiteOnce you’re on a social platform long enough, you get to see the changes and improvements people make in their lives. You get to see some people transition to becoming a linchpin.

Donna White, when we started following each other on Twitter, was making a name for herself. Now she’s regularly writing at PrimeTime and making a positive ruckus in the world of PR.

I’m happy to have her as the 15th participant of my Unlocking Potential series.

Without further ado, welcome, Donna.

Q: What’s Prime Time all about? What inspired you to pursue PR?

Donna: I wanted to be a journalist so studied it at university, but quickly discovered that I didn’t have the personality to survive any trash talk from a newsroom editor. What can I say? I’m a positive person. So, flicking through Guardian Media jobs in desperation, I came across a graduate position at a PR agency. It required creativity, communication and people skills – the same things I’d been studying for. So I took the plunge and, four interviews later, I got the job. A hop, skip and a jump later into in-house comms for a UK charity, I’ve recently switched over to digital marketing.

Prime Time started because I love writing and had lots of opinions about the industry and new campaigns that I wanted to comment on without securing approval from managers, directors and clients. It was my personal space where I could test my ideas – and set myself up as a PR champion and influencer. Two years later my baby is in its terrible twos and still going strong. #Proud.

Q: How might people be viewing PR wrong? Why would anyone think ill of such an amazing profession?

Donna: Anyone who thinks PR is service which should be viewed in isolation is clearly mistaken. It only works to its full potential when complemented with marketing and digital.

Integration is key and if brands are using multiple agencies for various campaign components, they should be clear on ways of working. Failing this, just hire a fully-integrated agency. See Q10 below for more details.

Q: What marketing advice do you find yourself giving most often?

Donna: Ensure your brand has criteria as to what conversations it should and shouldn’t get involved with – aka if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say it at all!

American Apparel and GAP never cease to amaze me that they risk their reputation for a cheap tweet.

Also, don’t leave social media to your juniors unless they’re well-trained and trustworthy. It’s a series of mini windows into your brand values and, given enough chances, people will look. Don’t let them catch you undressed.

Q: I was chatting with a friend the other day reminiscing about a time when PR was all publicity and then the story of PR turning into an integrative effort. It’s pretty clear PR is an ever shifting definition. Where do you see PR just a few years from now? Will social media be at the helm? Will we return to more publicity stunts instead of strategy?

Donna: In a few years time it won’t matter what department ‘content’ is coming from, as long as brands have plenty of it and a plan to share it with the world. PR will still have its place – otherwise I’m out of a blog – but it won’t be execs selling in pretty press releases to journalists who don’t want to know. It’ll be organisations with shared values teaming up to create a bigger story that shifts people’s perceptions, attitudes and actions. A bigger splash in the pool.

Having said that, although people are becoming tired of stunts (‘Oh, is that a pair of Paddy Power pants in the air advertising betting on the Grand National? Yawn’), they’re still changing the algorithm of the industry by evoking some sort of  emotion. But, once you’ve got everyone’s attention you have to cultivate that interest someway – and long-term strategies are key.

With regards to social, despite networks offering advertising, these platforms work best when used by agencies for organic quick wins: launching hashtags, sharing stories and getting involved in bigger conversations. There’s still a sense of achievement of stumbling upon a neat tweet and sharing it amongst your friends / peers.

Q: How can brands get a grip on social media? Can you use a brand and one platform as an example?

Donna: It’s important for brands to understand that not every social media platform is relevant for them. I’d much prefer to see a brand I love showing off great social skills on one channel, rather than a few poorly.

What’s really made me smile in the last few months is the idea of ‘insane honesty’.

Take US diner chain Arby’s for example. When it accidentally forgot to feature Pepsi in one of its adverts, it quickly released an additional video apologising for its mistake. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and makes the most of the opportunity to great effect. The proof in the pudding – it scored more than 1.5m YouTube views in a week.

Q: What’s a brand you’re in love with? Why?

Donna: I love to hate Lego. I can’t remember exactly how the love-hate relationship began. It probably started blocking up my news feeds with smarmy stunts. But, my personal feelings (jealously mostly) aside, I have to salute its communications team. It’s developed a rhythm for reactive PR and is fab at seeking out opportunities. Why? It’s secure enough in its brand to have some fun with it. Yes, the Lego bricks will always have to have certain dimensions, colours and perceptions. But, the boss doesn’t have a cow when these things are ever-so-slightly manipulated It understands that UGC is a pleasure worth any pain.

For want of a cliché it operates firmly outside the Lego house.

How many brands are confident enough to turn a complaint from a seven-year old girl into a compliment – by releasing a range of inspirational female figures? It’s probably the same as the number of brands which can create a BAFTA-winning self-titled movie.

Q: What advice would you give to someone wanting to be a PR pro?

Donna: Don’t forget to PR yourself. Find your niche. and own it. Whether it’s social media tips, a great relationship with a national journalist or in-depth knowledge of a specialist sector, position yourself as the go-to person and share your accomplishments when it all falls into place – for the clients or your business.

Q: Do you have a few life lessons you learned from your work in PR?

Donna: Don’t be intimidated by your position:

Have an idea or want to critique your client’s strategy but you’re just a junior in the company? It doesn’t matter. Ok, don’t shout it out during a crucial pitch, but find someone in the agency who you trust and be open with them. It’ll not only show you’re engaged and invested in the project, but will boost your profile. Even if nothing comes of it, I believe a CEO and a junior should be able to have a productive conversation. After all, we’re just PRs.

There’s been times when I’ve had that gut feeling to speak up and either missed the opportunity to speak up or didn’t communicate my point clearly. I remember in the first few weeks of my first PR job, I was involved in a government health campaign pitch prep workshop and the idea the seniors were leaning towards didn’t feel right. I broke up the conversation which took place around a large conference table, commented and it was dismissed because ‘what did I know?’ We lost the pitch but it didn’t matter to me. I’d stayed true to myself.

I wished I’d remembered that money when – fast forward a few years at a new agency – I’d made a fool of myself selling in a non story (roast dinners rarely make the news) at the request of my boss who hadn’t completed a sale in years. I knew it wasn’t a productive use of my time and the angle wasn’t working but didn’t speak up. So I not only damaged some journalist relationships by sounds like a plonker on the phone but also found it hard to justify my results.

Invited to a meeting but not sure why? 

Talk to your boss and ask them what you can present, share or ask in the meeting. If you can’t do things, explain you’ll be taking notes. You want people to know you’re not just there for the tea and biscuits.

It’s PR, not ER:

As far as I know, no one’s ever died from an incorrect press release or missed coverage opportunity. Take your job seriously, of course, but don’t take it home with you.

Q: What are some habits you have that keep you ahead of the marketing game? 

Donna: I follow the trail to see the bigger picture. If I spot a unique campaign on one of the 20 national, industry or blog sites that I read most days, I’ll research what people are saying about it and do some digging as to whether the agency has simply recycled an idea or has pushed the boundaries. It takes time but it makes my blog arguments stronger.

Q: Would you tell us a story of when a risk you took ended up becoming a success of yours?

Donna: Last year I left a permanent agency role for an in-house temporary contract at a national charity. It meant stepping down from a management role but I believed in the charity’s vision.

I went in there with nothing to lose but one goal: do the job (slightly) better than my predecessor.

I used my agency experience to create strategy documents and PR plans they’d not seen in a while and, when the chance came up to squeeze a digital internship into my day job I took it. It showed I was passionate and helpful, at the cost of a few early mornings and late nights.

But, that was my stepping stone to make it into digital. Now, I have two core skills under my belt. No looking back.

Q: If you had unlimited resources and time what would you do?

Donna: I’d work for myself and start my own consultancy: Prime Time.

It would (no, it will) offer clients an integrated service – PR, marketing, digital etc. But, to add jam to our bread and butter, we’ll have freelance PRs and copywriters to hire out and a recruitment division to ensure we’re introducing an outstanding range of diverse individuals to the fold.

Being a mixed race woman in any sector isn’t easy. I always want to champion diversity, equality and rising stars.

Q: Where can people find you and your passion, your work, your art?

Donna: You can catch up on the latest Prime Time (PR In My Eyes) news and views on www.primetimepr.co.uk.

Alternatively, follow my industry, soap opera and fitness ramblings on Twitter (@dmhwhite), Pinterest (@dmhwhite) and Instagram (@dmh_white).

 

Stay Positive & You Heard It Here

Also at PrimeTime, you view my guest post on Facebook’s hidden feature that (most) brands are missing out on.

Are They True Loyalists

EPSON scanner imagePromo lovers might not be actual brand advocates. People offering free samples at the grocery store are always exhausted because they experience first-hand someone coming up five times in an hour not because they love the brand, rather, they want free food. It takes a toll on brands when they invest time, energy, and rewards to so-perceived “loyalists.”

My advice is there needs to be a check in place before you treat someone as if they are a brand loyalist.

You may not need to go to the extreme of only rewarding those with tattoo’s of your logo, but there needs to be some type of way to decipher between someone signing up for your promo (and it’s their 23rd sign up for a promo today) and someone who truly cares about your brand that they are only signing up for your promo.

You’ve got to see the bigger picture of those who subscribe, retweet, enroll and purchase. Just as it takes a toll on the gal handing out pizza samples at the grocery store, it takes a toll on the brand’s social media presence. Time, energy, and communication gets spent where it doesn’t convert.

 

Stay Positive & Avoid The White (And The Too Colorful) Noise

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Systems For Remarkable Expire

Systems For Remarkable Expire

One source of remarkability comes from over delivering on a promise you’ve made. It’s a process that can often be systemized, but certainly not long-term.

Over the long run, a system for remarkable becomes the system for expected, for average, for normal… none of which are in the game plan for success.

It’s on you and me to consistently check systems, to monitor and redirect and add and update. It’s on us to retain a system of remarkable.

If you’ve done something the same way for a while now, it might be worth asking how you can do it a bit differently.

 

Stay Positive & Remarkable Is A Process, Not Just A Product

Match Making (Pitches, PR, And Relationship Principles)

Connection

I wish I could say I failed to research people before I met them and I lost out on an opportunity because of it, but it’s not true. I may have missed pieces of information about a person that, hindsight 20/20, I could have used in conversation with them (like telling Seth Godin I’ve seen a photo of his action figure riding a pink angry unicorn), but typically I’m able to bring up two points in every conversation.

1) Something they’ve done that I admire

2) Something of theirs that we can both connect on

These two points are essential to match making with journalists, PR teams and clients, as well as someone you’re going to have coffee with.

When you’re applying to an agency or any job, you do your research on the company: their history, their clients, their goals… anything and everything you can find online or in their brochures (are brochures still a thing?).

Why would you treat a journalist you’re pitching to, a client you want to do business with, a friend of a friend you’re meeting for the first time with any differently?

You don’t.

A journalist will be more likely to cover your story if you start by acknowledging a piece they have written (check box #1) and how you two both love the book she referenced in that story (check box #2).

Not only do you establish a connection with the person, you add credibility to yourself, you show you care because you wouldn’t take the time to research and prepare if you didn’t, and you build trust with that (now) special someone.

The twist is the two check box process works to your advantage in another unique way. It shows you whether or not you want to work and connect with this reporter, that agency, or this guy’s friend.

If they’ve created nothing remarkable and you can’t find a node to connect on, are they a person you want to be investing in?

 

Stay Positive & 7 Billion People In This World, You’ve Got The Right To Be Picky

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What The Successful Believe In

Keep On Keeping On

It’s only Tuesday and I’ve been reminded

1) relationships are everything. They build and attract new business. They provide insight you would have not received (or you would have learned the hard way) had you not made the connection. You will know if you’re on the right track in work and life based on the praise from those you’ve connected with. Nothing is more energizing than an hour spent turning a stranger into a friend or an hour spent with someone better than you.

2) you must have a definition of what’s good enough. Too often we work toward perfection and either never ship the product or we ship it too late. When it comes to logos at Aly Asylum, they have to pass the tattoo test. “Would you tattoo this logo on your arm?” If the answer is yes, then it’s good enough. Ship it.

3) ignore the naysayers. It’s on you to establish a mental and emotional filter, to allow and accept personal and helpful feedback while shutting out the negative, the criticism, the feedback many will call “constructive.” It helps to surround yourself with people who have a sort of forwardness to their personality. They act as a reflection of how something is, not how something should be or isn’t.

Now let’s get on with the week, develop some relationships, ship something daily, and shun the trolls.

 

Stay Positive & Keep On Keeping On

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Unlocking Potential #14: Q&A With Rob Shapiro

Rob Shapiro

I’m glad I went down the path of Journalism as well as PR. Without my passion for journalism, I may not have come across Muck Rack, and, by extension, Rob Shapiro.

Rob does what everyone linchpin needs to do: connects, creates, and crushes it.

If you’re clicking into the Unlocking Potential series for the first time, you can always go back to read the past Q&As with remarkable people here.

Without further ado, welcome, Rob!

1) What got you into entrepreneurship? (What’s your story?) Why entrepreneurship?

I’ve always liked building things – especially things that people value enough to pay for. I don’t know the exact moment I started playing with LEGOs (my mom and dad definitely do), but they were certainly my first creative outlet. I started my first “business” around 7 years old when I bought a snow cone machine from SkyMall (R.I.P) and sold cups of flavored ice at neighborhood softball tournaments. My next venture was to design and create prototypes of a combination bookmark/glasses case.  By high school, I was designing and selling t-shirts that featured our school’s basketball players in unique situations (like our starting five as the heads on Mount Rushmore). Making things and selling them to people who wanted them was not only fun, but just seemed the logical thing to do.

The real entrepreneurial bug bit me during my freshman year of college (majoring in graphic design/communications). I was heading home for Thanksgiving and tragically left my computer on my dorm room desk. Sitting at the airport, I needed something to do. So I bought the book with the coolest looking cover I could find– Gary Vaynerchuk’s Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion. I finished the book in 24 hours and quickly realized I wasn’t thrilled with the direction my life was headed. I had no idea what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be, and I absolutely could have been labeled as an emotional mess. At that moment (literally Thanksgiving night), I decided to transfer schools, focus my college studies on entrepreneurship, and build out my toolbelt with business and creative skills.  I wanted to be prepared for when I found my passion (whatever that proved to be), ready to cash in on something I truly loved.

2) A quick look at your LinkedIn/Muck Rack profile shows you’ve left a lot of breadcrumbs in the startup and marketing industry.  Where do you find your motivation to keep creating, keep connecting and keep making your mark?

I have a lot of energy and passion for achieving success.  But I still haven’t figured out exactly what being successful means. That makes it easier to continue trying to find opportunities and adding new tools to my entrepreneurial toolbelt. Frankly, I don’t know if I even want to have a definition of success. I’d rather keep hustling after the unknown.

3) What are some signs of a born entrepreneur? Any skills that define a destined business owner?

A long time ago, someone told me that you either build the product or you sell it. While there is some truth to that, I think that born entrepreneurs have an inherent knack for both.

Outside of that, it’s incredibly difficult to associate a specific skill with any enormous group of incredibly unique people. However, I think one of the skills successful entrepreneurs share is the ability to delegate. Most business owners understand they can’t do it all themselves.  Finding people who bring value to their organization or project is crucial for scaling anything.

They used to say in the civil war that the laziest people became generals because they often had great ideas but weren’t able or willing to go fight in the battlefield. I don’t think that’s directly related, but it’s a short story I’ve always found ironic and fascinating.

4) What are three habits every entrepreneur must develop to be successful in business?

There are a lot of smart, talented people in this world. I think what distinguishes entrepreneurs from everyone else is the ability to work harder, faster and smarter. If you learn how to hustle first, (the other two) more habits will come.

5) What do you regularly see entrepreneurs, business owners and startups fail to see and do? Essentially, what’s preventing them from being successful?

I don’t think there is enough true dogfood-ing going on in most businesses. A lot of entrepreneurs see a market need, fill it with their product, think their job is done and that the solution will continue meeting their customer’s needs. When a product is adopted into the market and the initial problem is solved, the customer’s needs continue developing and the product should too. For continued development, it is so important to sit down with those using the products and truly understand that user’s story (why/how they’re using the tools).

I know we’re all so busy, but it’s something I think more people could dedicate time toward in their day-to-day. It’s proven to be insanely valuable for me and actually saves me time in the long run. Knowing my customer definitely helps me make better decisions more quickly.

6) Do you have a business or life motto you follow?

You never know what you’re best at and capable of until doing until you try.

I’d still like to find out if I’m a really good NASCAR driver, I’ve just never had the chance. I always love a good challenge because it’s an awesome opportunity to find out about a new skill I didn’t know I possessed or identify an area where I could be stronger.

7) For readers who are unsure what their muse is, what would you suggest they do to find it?

Learn how to be alone. It sounds a bit depressing at first, but you can learn quite a bit about yourself if you’re willing to be your own wolfpack once in a while. Don’t be afraid to eat a meal by yourself without checking your phone every few minutes. Find a time to grab a coffee and stare out the window and have some serious “me time” to let ideas and thoughts bubble up to the top of you brain. Giving those thoughts consideration, no matter how obscure, can be quite energizing and quickly can provide a spark that can start your fire.

8) What makes a business or even a public relations or branding strategy remarkable?

This is a tough question to answer, because there are a ton of remarkable strategies out there. I think a commonality between them is that they are well thought out with the eventual customer in mind. Sometimes it’s so easy to think about good ideas for a business, but if that idea doesn’t resonate with your customer, it’s not gonna provide the needed bang.

For PR strategies, I think it’s all about providing value. Our company, for example, ultimately should be providing value to both the journalist and that journalist’s audience (hopefully their customer). Whenever providing value for someone else – in any facet of their life – it’s far easier to build real relationships. Real relationships quickly translate to customers.

9) What is the best way a business owner can get coverage by the press? Could you share an example of a business that did it right and got the spotlight?

Try your very best to build real, human relationships with journalists and people that can help tell your story. It shouldn’t be terribly different than any other facet of your business. You probably try to build real relationships with your customers. Why not do the same for the people that help you communicate those very same customers?

I constantly see business owners and PR people who assume their company’s unique story is that they’ve started a business. When you’ve got a unique founder or a product that’s truly first to market, that may work. For everyone else, we need to be more creative. If your business helps connect two groups of people that otherwise wouldn’t have found each other, you may be better off sharing the details of their success stories, rather than the fact that you’ve been trying to start this business for the last X years.

10) How do you make sure the best results are always achieved in what you do?

I put a lot of emphasis on instincts and critical thought. Instincts help you make decisions quickly and on an emotional level. To balance that, thinking critically about those emotions and instincts can be a logical and rational process. With that balance, I find that I’m able to quickly assess situations, be it from previous experience or foreseeing potential future events, and justify those ideas with more traditional and rational logic.

That being said, I’ve learned a ton on this from everyone I work with at Muck Rack – specifically our co-founders Greg Galant and Lee Semel as well as our Senior Vice President, Natan Edelsburg. When I first started at the company, I too believed that I always needed to produce the absolute best/perfect results (I’m definitely part perfectionist). They were quick to push me in directions that asked for less perfection and more experimentation. Instead of searching for the best idea that I assumed would produce perfect results, I’ve learned (and still work on) creating multiple ideas with various inputs and outputs, to produce a multitude of results. It’s a rather awesome process as we often find a few ways of accomplishing goals and producing multiple “best results.”

11) I know you well enough to know you’ve got a list of ideas and projects you would like to see to fruition in the future. What’s the project you would start first if you had all the resources available for it?

You’re absolutely right, and I’m incredibly lucky to be working on the team that gets to see Muck Rack to fruition every day – something I don’t plan on stopping for a while. I am a bit of a dreamer. I am constantly coming up with different ideas, but I’d actually prefer to think about who I’m working with, rather than what I’m working on. I want to work with the best – no matter what they do.

If you absolutely made me answer this question, I’d keep doing everything that I’m doing today, and start putting together some plans for a vineyard with an awesome selection of pickles and olives. I really love pickles, olives and wine.

12) Lastly, how can people connect with you? There a place people can go to see what you’re up to? Any way readers can show their support for you? (Shameless self promotion here)

Absolutely, I’m based in New York City and always down to grab a beer or cocktail to chat about any and all ideas.

I also use the internet to build relationships with people. You’ll find my Twitter account is a bit more Muck Rack/business focused.  If you’re interested in that world, follow me at @rob_shap. If you want to get to know me as me, head over to my Instagram account.

If you’re curious about what we’re working on at Muck Rack, want to chat through your companies PR strategies and how to build better relationships with journalists online, shoot me an email at rob@sawhorsemedia.com.

Definitely do not be shy (especially if you like pickles).

 

Stay Positive & Go Create Real Value For Real Relationships

Marketing Close To Pain

Remarkable Or Pain

When someone is in pain, they’ll do anything and everything for relief, and if you’re in the business of relief, the more you can charge.

Pain is a strong word, but then again, so is need, which is exactly what marketers place themselves in a position to fulfill.

It blows my mind how any podcaster can charge $1,100 a month for a podcast webinar series. It’s crazy how much some marketing conferences cost.

Likewise, it’s never exciting to hear the burger at the airport is $15 or the beer at a hotel bar is $9 a bottle. Yet, owners and businesspeople and marketers and podcasters alike can charge that much because they are in the proximity of pain.

The marketers who invest in the podcast webinar series are in desperate need to get to the top. The starving traveller, well, is starving.

Want to charge more for your product or service? Get closer to the pain, the need.

Or… or… go to the other end, the end of desire and passion and love. The end of connection and bragging and giving.

You have two options. Sell a mediocre burger for an outrageous amount because you’re close to the pain or sell a remarkable burger for a price that matches its value (sometimes even less because it’s a burger you want people to talk about, an experience you want them to partake in, and joy you want to share).

Fortunately for you the market for remarkable is wide-open, there are people there waiting to be blown away with an experience. The market for pain, however, is crowded. Good luck getting in there.

 

Stay Positive & Yes, Fulfill A Need, But Know Which Need You’re Fulfilling First

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