Want PR? Understanding the New Media Landscape’s Impact on Design Industry Public Relations - Summary Slides - Elizabeth Blitzer, Kristin Giese, Andrew Joseph, Christina Juarez

1. WANT PR?
Understanding the New Media
Landscape’s Impact on Design
Industry Public Relations
Moderator: Clinton Smith
Panelists: Elizabeth Blitzer, Kristin Giese, Andrew Joseph, Christina
Juarez
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2. WHAT is PR?
PR is all about networking and “connecting the dots” via
– social media
– introductions
– events
– coordinating with book publishers
– coordinating with product manufacturers: they are always
looking for ways to connect with and engage with designers
– positioning you as an expert for the press
– interacting with your peers and the local design community
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3. WHAT is PR?
* Only you know *what* you want to achieve; the PR person’s job is to
help make the contacts to get you there.
* PR is all about leveraging. We use our clients for mutual support—
what can they offer each other?
* PR is the hustle every day to partner, collaborate, and create your
own platform if others don’t want to cover you.
* PR can be like a trophy wife: she makes you look good, gives you
credibility, can get you into events, but is expensive and doesn’t
necessarily put money back into your pocket immediately.
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4. GETTING STARTED WITH A PR AGENCY
* We will ask you first about your business: we want to see what
*you* are about. Then, having established your point of view, we
can make matches with editors, publications, manufacturers, and
so on.
* First, what are your objectives 2, 5, and 8 years out? Once we
know that, we can, together, come up with creative tactics that
will get you where you want to go.
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5. BRANDING IS A JOURNEY
* It can take several years before your first major placement.
* Don’t fixate on publication or licensing. It doesn’t pay to enter an already-
saturated market. What will surprise people, what have you *not* seen so
far? Focus on looking for the NEXT big thing.
* The relationship between client and PR firm is the major thing—it’s like a
marriage. It’s not just one way: what are *you* doing for the relationship?
* Clients must deliver what PR people need to do their work—a dynamic
relationship is where the magic happens. The most successful partnerships
are where we connect personally.
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6. BRANDING IS A JOURNEY
* Do your homework: really *know* the blogs and publications and manufacturers:
where do your ideas and your work fit in with what they do?
* Look local! Connections with the local community—retailers, editors, and so on—are
particularly important.
* There’s a difference between *famous* and *successful.* The designers doing the
most work aren’t necessarily the ones you see out in the media all the time.
* Don’t be impatient. Flitting from one PR firm to another after only a few months, based
on instant results, won’t be productive for you in the long term.
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7. FEE STRUCTURES
* Fee structures vary from firm to firm.
* They are typically based on the scope of work required: creative consulting, outreach,
networking, etc.
* Some firms also work on a commission basis: particularly those who film, TV, and product
placements, who may also be paid by the production companies.
* That being said, PR people will sometimes be flexible about fees for clients they
particularly want to work with, or clients who are temporarily having a tough time: dollars
won’t always be the single deciding factor.
* PR people, like you, are typically running a small business. So they, like you, must make
enough to cover expenses, pay employees, make a profit.
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8. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
* On a national basis, it’s probably most advantageous to have a PR firm based in Los Angles or New
York. If your primary goals are more local or regional, you may do best with a PR firm from your area.
* Your website is your business card. It’s where you tell your story, and create dynamism for your brand.
* Social media are very, very important to leverage for public exposure.
– Pinterest for an older audience
– Snapchat for a younger audience
– Instagram to tell *visual* stories
– Facebook to tell *more complete* stories
* Model yourself after people you like on social media, then connect with them.
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9. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
* Use hashtags cleverly to extend your reach—in a *targeted* way, not just by adding as many as possible.
* Manufacturers are specifically looking to partner with designers who have a big social media following.
* But don’t overexpose your projects on social media, because that might undercut your chances for magazine
coverage. Show details and teasers from projects on social media, but save the major photos for print. Then you
can do a bigger social media blitz after print stories come out.
* Your PR person can help you choose what to photograph and what projects to send to whom: always have a
strategy.
* Show houses are wonderful opportunities for designers: there is no client involved, so you can do your best work,
and there are so many stories to tell about them.
* Not everyone will get published, but there is something PR firms can *do* for everyone.
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