Last September I joined the PN family as a monitoring specialist in Porter Novelli Radar. Working in Radar isn’t your everyday PR job. We don’t pitch journalists and we don’t write press releases. Heck, we don’t even work on an account team! That begs the question…what do we do?

The best part about PN Radar is that we constantly answer that question in different ways, but this is how it usually works:

• Client A calls one of our account teams. Crisis!
• After a member of the account team briefs us on the situation, we analyze every relevant social media post, print article and broadcast hit about the client and current issue.
• We use those data to glean insights and compile a comprehensive report for the client and account team.
• The account team typically uses the report to brief the client on the current media environment and how they’re being discussed. Based on what’s out there, the account team advises the client to help them through the crisis.

 When I started working in Radar, I couldn’t have been more excited. I also couldn’t have been more nervous. Radar was an entirely new creation at Porter Novelli. No one was 100% sure whether it would be a success or not. I knew I was lucky to have this job but felt I could just as easily lose it. What do you do in this kind of situation? These tips can be applied to almost any position, but here’s what I’ve learned so far:

•  It’s going to be a bumpy ride. It’s rare anything new will run smoothly the first few times. Learn from it. Refine the process. To this day we are still tweaking the way we do projects and format our reports. Rather than running from the obstacles, tackle them head on—they’re bound to come up no matter what. Make the best of those challenges!
• Ask questions. If you aren’t sure what to do, don’t be afraid to ask. Remember: your company created this function to see it succeed, so they want to help you. Asking questions opens up a dialogue and can help define your role in the organization. Figure it out as a team – it’s a lot easier than trying to figure everything out on your own.
• Challenge yourself. Always push to do more than you’re asked. Not only can it improve the way you’re viewed in the organization, but it can also boost the image of the entire company.
• Don’t be afraid to try something new. You’re in a new position, so the doors for creativity are wide open. Have a great idea? Tell someone about it and try it out!
• Be flexible. Embrace this one. You’re helping to define what your job is – be ready for that description to change every so often and adapt to those changes. Being flexible is the best way to take on those obstacles I mentioned before.

It all boils down to letting your excitement override any of your misgivings. Doing something completely new and out of the norm is scary, but it can be the best experience you’ve ever had. It certainly has been for me.

– Kaylea Notarthomas 

Photo from: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1280072

By Amanda Coppock

In my time as an intern at Porter Novelli, one of the areas I came to love was media relations. While some enjoy this function of PR more than others, at one point or another it is a skill that we will all have to master. Like any skill, with media relations, practice makes perfect. Sure, at first it can seem like an overwhelming and daunting task, but once you begin establishing relationships with reporters, it becomes more comfortable.

Through my experience with media relations, I have developed a few key steps for writing pitches:

Developing a Tailored Pitch

1.    Identify reporters and outlets that have covered similar stories in the past.

2.    Develop a pitch that is specific to the reporter, especially if they have covered a similar story in the past. If the reporter has covered a related story, call it out at the beginning of the pitch to let them know why your pitch is relevant to them.

3.    Identify the story idea from the beginning of the pitch – do not make them search for it by placing the information too far down in the pitch.

4.    Make the pitch work for the reporter – let them know why it is relevant to their audience, what interview opportunities exist and how they can get more information.

Developing a General Pitch

1.    Start with the story idea – let the reporter or editor know what you want them to do from the opening of the pitch.

2.    Grab the reporter or editor from the beginning – use statistics, provide an interesting fact, make a local connection, etc.

3.    Don’t forget the important stuff! – see number four above

The pitch is where you catch the reporter’s attention and make him interested in what you have to say. I find that the strongest pitches are those that are tailored to a reporter or outlet with an interest or recent coverage related to your topic. Sometimes, tailoring a pitch to a previous story may not be possible, so a general pitch will be the route you have to take. Either way, you have to hit the high points and grab the reporter’s interest.

Your internship is a time for you to gain a wide variety of experience, and pitching is likely to be a part of it. One of the reasons I was able to do a lot of media relations as an intern was because I expressed my interest. Don’t be afraid to let your manager know what you enjoy and to ask to do more in that area – you might just become an expert along the way!

Hi! I’m Kaylea Notarthomas and I’ve been having a blast interning at Porter Novelli Atlanta since September. Aside from my professional life, I am a musician. I sing, am a pianist of 18 years, and also have experience playing the French horn, mellophone, marimba, vibraphone, djembe and viola. I’m big sister to three wonderful siblings and a proud native of Syracuse, NY (Go Orange!). A self-proclaimed nerd, I love nothing more than curling up on the couch with a good book and mug of hot chocolate.

When I was 11, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. A year later I was told I had thyroid cancer. As a diabetic and cancer survivor, I’m a passionate advocate and strive to raise two things: awareness about the diseases and money, money, money to fight for cures. My hope is that one day in the near future, no child—no person at all, for that matter—will ever have to suffer through the challenges I faced.

I graduated from the University of Georgia (Glory, glory!) last May with a dual degree in Public Relations and Psychology. My most thrilling PR moment as a senior was winning an honorable mention as a member of UGA’s 2011 Bateman Team.  The Bateman Case Study Competition is sponsored by PRSSA. To even be selected for the team is an enormous honor, especially because the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication has a history of success in the competition. Our talented 5-member team ran an entire campaign—from research through evaluation—on a small budget over the course of about five months for a national client. The experience was the perfect capstone to my college career and a great way to jump-start my adventure in the real world.

When I graduated, I knew I wanted to build a career in public relations. What I didn’t know is that I would end up embarking on a PR journey far from what I expected. The summer after graduation I got an email from one of my professors (Thank you, Dr. Jones!) asking if I would be interested in applying for a position at Porter Novelli as part of a new media “command center,” now known as PN Radar. I didn’t even have to think twice. I am thrilled to be working at PN and excited to see what lies ahead.

– Kaylea Notarthomas

Hi all!

I’m Haley Winther: a big sister of five, movie and popcorn addict, recent grad of The University of Georgia and the first-ever Omnicom-Grady Fellow to join the Porter Novelli team!

What is an Omnicom-Grady Fellow, you ask?

This year, for the first time ever, Omnicom introduced a new fellowship program in partnership with the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at UGA. Fellows spend six months interning with a variety of Omnicom agencies based in Atlanta, including BBDO Atlanta, Porter Novelli, Ketchum and Fleishman-Hillard. The goal of the fellowship is to provide interns with a well-rounded, learn-it-all experience encompassing the public relations and advertising industries. (What they preach in Grady is true—it’s all about integrated marketing communications!)

I started at Porter Novelli at the end of January, first joining the Brand and Reputation Management Practice, and soon I’ll move onto the Tech practice and then to Health and Social Marketing. I cannot begin to describe how much I’ve learned in only one month—and a short month at that! From PR plans to client meetings, media monitoring, trade shows and briefing books, I feel like the fellowship has already accomplished its goal in showing me what the ever-evolving and hyperactive world of public relations really looks like.

But what I’ve loved and appreciated most about PN is its culture. In my first month, I’ve witnessed Woo Week, (during which people do crazy things* to win the affections of their secret Valentine), met Porter Novelli’s new CMO, participated in Mardi-Gras trivia and learned more acronyms than I can even remember. EOD, TOC, ST anyone?

The teamwork, passion and tenacity of the staff of Porter Novelli are like nothing I’ve seen at any of my previous jobs. Without exception, everyone here is beyond helpful, welcoming, and fun! Working at PN has made my transition from college to the working world much smoother than I ever imagined. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to start my career!

If you think you’re up to the challenge of joining the talented PN team in Atlanta, apply here!

Best wishes & Go Dawgs!
Haley

*One of those crazy things during Woo Week!

Ok, who here is a UGA student? If you said, “me!” then this post is just for you. I’m sure you’ve heard about tomorrow’s ADPR Connection 2011 at the Tate Center and if you hope to one day have a career in advertising or public relations, I hope you plan to attend. Porter Novelli is sponsoring this year’s event along with fellow Omnicom agency BBDO and UGA’s PRSSA and AdClub.

Look out for some of your favorite Porter Novelli Atlanta team members (and several UGA alums) throughout the event and be sure to introduce yourself. Jana Thomas, a senior vice president at PN Atlanta and head of the health and social marketing practice, will give the keynote during the luncheon on the future of social marketing. Yes, that’s social marketing, not social media. If you’re not sure of the difference, you don’t want to miss this!

If it’s workshops you want, PN’s media guru Jodi Fleisig (formerly of CNN) and PN alum Nicole Harris (formerly of the Wall Street Journal) will walk you through the basics of media relations in “Getting to Know the Gatekeepers: How to Establish Media Relationships.” PN-intern-turned-full-timer Michael Gray will also tell you what to expect during your first few months working 40+ hours a week in “Six Months In: The Inside Scoop about the First Six Months on the Job.”

If you want to learn more about Porter Novelli Atlanta and our internship program, be sure to visit our booth during the career fair for more information.  We would love the opportunity to talk to you a bit more about who we are and to get to know you as well, so come on by!

Whether you’re at the event or following along from home, you can keep up with all of the action on Twitter with the #PNID and #PNUGA hashtags.  We hope to see you there!

- Meghan Kidd

Source: stock.xchng

When sending out an email in response to someone or requesting that they review a document, DON’T FORGET THE ATTACHMENT! It seems like such a silly thing, and yeah, people forget all the time, but if there is one thing that will make you look like a total rookie, it’s forgetting the attachment.

In such a fast paced work environment, it’s easy to become completely focused on other assignments, or get pulled into meetings where you can’t access your email for an hour or so. The last thing you want to return to is an email saying, “I think you forgot something…”

In a time-crunch, it can be easy to press send without properly reviewing, but before you click “Send” and shoot that email off into cyberspace, take a deep breath. Read over what you just wrote, and make sure any documents mentioned are attached. A quick once-over will give you piece of mind and save time in the long run.

—Sarah Colgrove

Source: The Stone’s Colossal Dream

Sometimes, old school is better than new school. Now, I don’t propose that we break out typewriters or completely take the office back to the 1960’s, but I have learned over my internship that occasionally it is more efficient to pick up the phone than to send a message over that new-fangled internet.

I have to admit that in this technical age, our generation is a little too comfortable sitting back behind our glossy computer screens, buffered by firewalls and spell check, as opposed to picking up the receiver and having a direct, real-time conversation-offline. I too have been guilty of a slight phone-phobia, occasionally even ordering my take-out online.

My roommate and I sadly realized, however, after waiting an hour and a half for our Chinese food, that online systems can be unreliable when it comes to time sensitive matters, such as ensuring your won ton soup and moo goo gai pan arrive before the end of the primetime lineup. This holds especially true when you are on a deadline in an agency environment.

Why send an email that might be ignored for days when a simple question could be answered in minutes over the phone? A quick, two minute phone call could save hours of digging through confusing websites or waiting on responses to emails, making you a PR hero in crunch time.

- Sarah Colgrove

In my years of internship experience, I have often wrestled with one question: what is the key to loving what you do? I know that I love PR in and of itself—writing, media relations, creating—so I’ve never doubted that I chose the right field. The main question I ponder is if it is more important to love the clients you represent, the tasks you are completing or the people you work with?

My past internships included a little bit of everything—from working with a client I loved but doing very little real PR work to doing tons of traditional PR work for clients that didn’t exactly pique my interest. One thing I have found at PN, is a great combination of clients I can easily get excited about and ones that require a bit more learning to fully understand. But ultimately, it is the culture of our office and the professionals I am surrounded by every day that get me excited about coming to work every morning.

I believe that a major part of PR is learning—if you ever stop learning at your job, it’s probably time to move on.  A challenge keeps you fresh and whether it’s learning new skills or learning about new industries, agency work has a way of keeping you on your toes. A major part of my PN internship has been learning new industries and applying my skills to new fields.

A firm or corporation is far more likely to be successful when its employees are satisfied. A corporate culture that I can mesh with is something that I have come to value more and more the longer I am in the working world. I feel very lucky to have found a firm where playing kickball, being on walking teams and having spontaneous fun are not such foreign ideas.

You spend a majority of your time at work, so it’s important to enjoy—dare I say love—it. Everyone looks for different things in a job, and like me, for most it is probably a combination of factors that make the job a good fit. As you begin looking for jobs and internships, it is important to know what you are looking for. For me, doing valuable PR work with people I enjoy working with and a sprinkling of cool clients is the perfect equation. What’s yours?

By: Amanda Coppock

Picture credit: wandee007 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Okay, so the title’s a little cheesy. I’m here to provide tips on creating an impact at your internship that will stick even after you leave. In this economy, the best you can hope for is that you leave your boss and colleagues impressed with:

1. Your work.
2. Your skills.
3. Your (smiling) face. 

Here are some tips from me (and from my role models and fellow PN colleagues) that I have already used and plan to take with me as I swim into the sea of real-world public relations.

• Be friendly to everyone in the office, even those you don’t know. Introduce yourself.  Ask them about their job and background. It’s an easy way to get to know people and build relationships.
• Get connected on LinkedIn with your co-workers. That way, after you leave your internship, you still have an easy way to contact them. Plus, if you keep your resume section updated, they’ll see what you’re up to.
• Ask different co-workers out for coffee.  When I found out a few of my co-workers had a Spanish background, I asked each of them to coffee. They explained to me how they found a niche for Spanish in each job they had- and that was inspiring.  If somebody has a similar background as you, they’re likely a goldmine for information on how to use your skills in specialty areas.
• Get career advice from somebody at the top of the heap. Even if it’s a quick 15 minutes in their office, speaking to execs that have worldly experience may be the best decision you’ve made yet. Be sure to write up questions beforehand and talk them over with your advisor.
• Be open to doing anything and everything, even if it’s not something you’d list as a hobby, and pay close attention to detail. As my former boss said, “the devil is in the detail”. The small things you do will make a BIG difference in the end.
• Stay in touch with your boss and colleagues after you leave. Making lasting connections gets you places. And be sure to write (hand-written, Millenials!) thank-you cards before you walk out the door.

To close off my advice saga, I’d like to relay some advice from some of the brightest public relations professionals I know:  Remember to always keep yourself one step ahead of the game, stay flexible, and don’t singlehandedly try to cure cancer. Just talk about it like a pro.

- Rachel Krasnow

Greetings!

I’m Rachel Krasnow, and it’s a pleasure to say I’ve been working as the Health and Social Marketing intern at PN’s DC office for the past 10 weeks.  Time flies when you’re having fun… and working hard!  Although my internship officially ends in one week, I’ve got to a lot to say about my experience here.  At PN this summer, we’ve had a lot of laughs, a giant 6 foot map placed on my boss’ wall and the presence of Congress arguing about the debt ceiling just minutes away.

BACKGROUND: This fall, I’ll be a senior double major in Spanish and Journalism at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.  I’m from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and as you can see, I went from one Big Ten school to the other.  I’ve always loved to write- I began as a reporter at my college newspaper and gradually ‘crossed over’ to the other side.  I realized after interning at a public relations agency last summer that this is what I really want to do.

WHAT I LOVE: PORTER NOVELLI – that’s obvious, though.  I love my internship and the people I work with.  This has been the best working experience of my life, hands down.  Outside of work, I love to sing, write, dance and listen to good music (I’m an “old soul” according to one of my PN colleagues).  I like doing the right thing—which means spreading awareness on the diagnosis and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and Medicare’s preventive services is right up my alley!

WHAT I DON’T LOVE: Not being busy and impatient journalists.

MY DREAM:  I want to work in public relations while utilizing my Spanish, communications skills and passion for human rights.

WHY MY INTERNSHIP ROCKS:

1. I’m right in the midst of the nation’s capital. This means there is NEVER a dull moment.
2. My HSM team, Kendra Kojcsich, Ken Sain, Rosy McGillan and Laura Hanssen are all AMAZING professionals (and fabulous role models).
3. In the process of two and half months, I learned about 124673 different things.  I’ve seen how ‘real life’ public relations work.  I shook Michele Bachmann’s hand.  I’ve networked a LOT.  I’ve become an acronym expert: I know what RFP, DLD, NHLBI, COPD, CMS, HHS, SFI, IDIQ mean.  Most importantly, I’ve worked with talented professionals in the field, gotten valuable career advice, and have seen what it’s like to work at an award-winning public relations agency.

Look for my future posts as I share the wealth from DC!

-Rachel Krasnow