Most Important Skills for a Global PR Manager at a Global Footwear Company
Olivia's biggest challenge as a Manager, Global PR is navigating the inherent tension between journalist responsibilities to their audience and the need to present the company in a "positive way that is also honest." This requires a constant "song and dance" to balance these competing priorities, a key aspect of public relations that Olivia highlights as requiring skillful relationship management.
Public Relations, Journalism, Media Relations, Communication Skills, Relationship Management
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Olivia Nelson
Manager, Global PR
Publicly-Owned Footwear Company
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
N/A
Creative Writing, Journalism
Apparel, Beauty, Retail & Fashion
Communication and Marketing
Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. Building positive relationships with journalists is crucial and challenging, requiring a balance between honest storytelling and promoting the company's image.
2. Public relations professionals must understand the different priorities of journalists (serving their audience) and businesses (positive storytelling).
3. Navigating the potential tension between a journalist's need to inform the public and a business's need to maintain a positive reputation is a key skill in PR.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
I'll be honest: working with journalists can be a tough part of the job. It's also the biggest part of my job, so you find a way to make it work.
As a PR person, we have to remind ourselves that a journalist's responsibility is ultimately to their audience. Ours is to tell the stories of the business and to try and do so in a positive, yet honest, way.
I think PR gets a bad rap for spin, and in my experience, that hasn't been the case. It's very much about striking a balance with journalists.
It's a bit of a song and dance of getting them a story their readers will be interested in, while also telling a story that benefits the business's reputation. There's often a push and pull, but I guess that's the "relations" part of public relations, right?
You have to figure out how to work with all sorts of people, some of them occasionally difficult. Reminding myself that their responsibility is to their audience helps bring me back down to earth in those moments when it can feel tough.