Rising Stars
01 Linda McIntyre,
Account Manager,
Consolidated Communications
What made you get into PR?
Being addicted to AbFab and the prospect of guzzling endless bottles of champers was the initial attraction but now it’s really that warm fuzzy feeling of a result.
What do you enjoy the most about working in PR?
The chat. And the variety. Every day is different.
What have been the biggest PR challenges that you have faced and how did you get over them?
Being flung in at the deep end as a press officer for Railtrack was my PR baptism of fire, but as with anything, you can learn so much from good old on the job experience.
What do you respect most about your boss?
Will’s erratic bouts of madness and he’s a real fox when it comes to writing proposals.
Which personal quality do you think makes a great PR?
Being adaptable, understanding, patient and creative.
What is your biggest single weakness and how do you intend to address this?
Being single. Aww, and believe me, it’s being addressed. That and time management, so much work to do and not enough hours in the day.
What annoys you about bad PR and bad PR practitioners?
That it affects the way the industry is viewed. We work quite hard and we don’t like that bad PR brush to be used on us.
How far do you want to go in the business?
Bet you say that to all the girls; the whole way.
02 Karen Morrison,
Account Manager,
Citigate Smarts
What made you get into PR?
It’s dynamic, it’s full of young people and working at an agency gives you an insight into so many different types of businesses.
What do you enjoy the most about working in PR?
Seeing a story that I’ve developed for a client, which has captured the imagination of the media and has been used across the board, by lots of different people. Reading it on the train, it’s sometimes hard not to shout out, “I did that!”
What have been the biggest PR challenges that you have faced and how did you get over them?
Every day presents a new PR challenge, be it client, media, or management related. The ability to keep your cool helps in this job, as do Saint Jude’s gin and tonics.
What do you respect most about your boss?
Like a lot of the team at Citigate SMARTS, she worked her way up to the very top, starting at the bottom.
Which personal quality do you think makes a great PR?
Tenacity and resilience are a good start.
What is your biggest single weakness and how do you intend to address this?
Are you serious? There are things I’m just not as strong at.
What annoys you about bad PR and bad PR practitioners?
People in our industry who make out that PR is fluffy, easy and not the disciplined, professional business that it is. PR is a profession that many people think is dead easy. Until they try it.
How far do you want to go in the business?
Right to the top.
03 Ejay McEwan,
Account Manager,
The TFF Agency
What made you get into PR?
I graduated from the University of Stirling with a degree in marketing and sports management and then took a year out travelling the world. During that time I worked on placements in a great fashion PR company in Sydney, Australia, and an events company in Barbados. When I returned to Scotland, I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do.
What do you enjoy the most about working in PR?
Life is never dull, especially working within an agency that specialise in the sectors that I have a true passion for: fashion, health/beauty, lifestyle and entertainment. One minute we can be working in London with Ortak co-ordinating celebrity ambassadors for the Baftas, the next minute we are speaking to beauty editors about the new treatments at One Spa.
What have been the biggest PR challenges that you have faced and how did you get over them?
I think the biggest PR challenge that I face is that of delegation and learning to let my team take responsibility. I am a stickler for attention to detail and I love speaking to all the journalists and being hands on and thus it’s difficult to let go of a project.
What do you respect most about your boss?
The way she juggles all aspects of work/life.
Which personal quality do you think makes a great PR?
It’s got to be their general personality. If you don’t have the ability to bond or relate to people at a personal level, what hope do you have of placing a news story? A strong creative personality who can take a dull release and turn it into something exciting and inspiring is more of an asset to a PR business than anything else.
What is your biggest single weakness and how do you intend to address this?
I can’t help but say ‘Yes’ to every task. I hate saying no to anything, and I guess this relates back to my ‘delegation’ issues, which I am conquering. We have taken on several new account managers and account executives in the last year, so in many ways I have been forced into dealing with this.
What annoys you about bad PR and bad PR practitioners?
We believe that to truly excel in a market one has to specialise in that arena, the way other professional industries do. Tessa was criticised for her comments relating to this issue earlier this year, but I think this exemplified the parochial attitude up here. In every major city across the world PR companies specialise. There are those who concentrate on the political arena and corporate finance, those who choose the technology markets or manufacturing and indeed those who concentrate on fashion, lifestyle and beauty. To suggest that one could PR a beauty product as easily as a ball baring is absurd and, in my opinion, offensive to the many specialist journalists who have built up a lifetime of experience in their fields. We are not referring to PR companies who have separate divisions; we are referring to those practitioners themselves who claim to be the ‘jack of all trades’ across an abundance of markets.
How far do you want to go in the business?
TFF is like a family and one day I would like to head up the family. There are just too many exciting projects on the go to consider anything else.
04 Jo Dain,
Senior Consultant,
EURO RSCG Leedex
What made you get in to PR?
I wanted to work in a creative media industry. I therefore chose to do a journalism degree at Bournemouth University. After several work placements I decided that PR was for me. I knew that long lunches and champagne rarely existed. What attracted me to PR, and in fact still does today, is the opportunity to use my writing skills on a day-to-day basis. Although the PR mix is much more than media relations, journalists still appreciate a well-written press release.
What do you enjoy most about working in PR?
Working in a PR consultancy can be very diverse and fast paced. One day I can be working on Bank of Scotland Corporate, the next it’s Burger King. It’s an environment I thrive in, and I like the fact that if your skills are solid enough they can transfer across different markets and industries. In fact, transferable skills are the prerequisite of working in this industry.
What do you respect most about your boss?
Anyone who has ever met my boss, Brian Beech, will tell you how friendly and approachable he is. No matter how busy he is he will always take the time to help you out. Oh, and his enthusiasm is infectious.
Which personal quality do you think makes a great PR?
Flexibility. Time management is key in a fast-paced industry such as PR, but there should always be room for flexibility. Some of the best PR ideas are reactive ones.
What is your biggest single weakness and how do you intend to address it?
When you enjoy your job it’s hard not to get involved in your client’s business to the extreme. Due to the work I do for the Bell’s SFL sponsorship I now have a healthy obsession with Scottish football, and working on Bank of Scotland Vehicle Finance means that I know the C02 emission of almost every car on the road. It makes for interesting dinner party banter.
What annoys you about bad PR and bad PR practitioners?
Over-promising just to win an account is something I find really annoying about some PR companies. Not only are they giving the industry a bad reputation, they are also letting the client down by giving them false expectations. PR is now more professional than it has ever been and as a result work needs to be accountable and measurable.
How far do you want to go in the business?
I’d like to stay with Leedex hopefully continuing to move up the ranks. Although my managing director can rest easy, I’m not after his job. Not yet, anyway.
05 Joanne Spence,
Account Manager,
the BIG partnership
What made you get into PR?
I’ve always been interested in the media since high school and made the decision to study communications. From the creative aspect to the actual pitch, I knew it was a career I could see myself in.
What do you enjoy most about working in PR?
I love to write and I love to talk to people – two key ingredients for working in PR. I like being challenged every day and constantly pushing my creative abilities to the max.
What have been the biggest PR challenges that you have faced and how did you get over them?
Six months ago I started work on an account which involved targeting property journalists in London. This is an area of the media which is saturated by thousands of press releases every day so it needed a huge amount of creativity to make it stand out from the crowd. Initially, I targeted the local press then moved on to trade and worked up to pitching feature ideas to the nationals. I’m pleased to say it was a strategy that worked, and cuttings in The Sunday Times proved it.
What do you respect most about your boss?
The company is very close knit, and the directors’ doors are always open. I have worked with all three on various accounts and have learned a tremendous amount from each. They listen to their staff and encourage career development.
Which personal quality do you think makes a great PR?
Tact. Knowing when to speak and when not to is essential.
What is your biggest single weakness and how do you intend to address this?
Chocolate. The stresses and strains of working in PR mean that I quite often reach for the sweetie jar.
What annoys you about bad PR and bad PR practitioners?
It astonishes me when I speak to journalists who say they have been let down by a PR contact who has taken too long to get back to them. This is an industry where you always have to be on the ball and be ready to react to whatever situation arises.
How far do you want to go in the business?
I want to go all the way to the top, and the good thing is that I actually work for a company where that is a possibility.
06 Jane Smith,
PR Account Director,
The Business PR
What do you enjoy the most about working in PR?
I work on several charity PR accounts and it is nice to know that I’m doing my bit to help out. No day is ever the same, and it’s great to meet new people all the time.
What have been the biggest PR challenges that you have faced and how did you get over them?
One of my clients receives quite a lot of negative press about a historic issue. You just have to put on a brave face, be open about the facts and try to make the journo see what a good job the organisation does these days.
What do you respect most about your boss?
Having the courage to start her own business and her ability to suggest creative ideas for campaigns.
Which personal quality do you think makes a great PR?
Imagination
What is your biggest single weakness and how do you intend to address this?
Wanting to take my new baby back to work with me. I’ll find a new client who sells baby clothing/furniture and get my daughter to model in photo shoots.
What annoys you about bad PR and bad PR practitioners?
They give the whole industry a bad name and make it more difficult for the good to stand out and be noticed.
How far do you want to go in the business?
One day when I have enough experience, and guts, I will start my own PR consultancy.
07 Mary Porter,
Account Director,
Profile Plus (UK) Ltd
What made you get into PR?
My mother was in PR when I was growing up and it always fascinated me. I loved seeing articles that she had helped to generate, and there seemed to be glamour and excitement attached to her job.
What do you enjoy the most about working in PR?
Each day is different. I couldn’t stand doing the same mundane thing every day. I love the fact that one minute I am setting up a picture shoot, the next I am meeting a client overseas and the next I am entertaining a journalist in a restaurant.
What have been the biggest PR challenges that you have faced and how did you get over them?
I think one of the most common challenges that PRs face is trying to get coverage for a client or product that is no longer newsworthy, and this is when we really have to think creatively. I used to manage PR for a top UK spa. While we got a huge amount of PR for the spa when it first launched, this made it difficult to get subsequent coverage. So we really needed a new angle. I came up with the idea of a spa aimed at adolescents and last year helped to launch Britain’s first teen spa. A great deal of coverage was generated in national broadsheets and magazines, and the client was delighted.
What do you respect most about your boss?
Her contacts. Robyn is a great networker. She seems to know just about everyone in Scotland and vice versa, which is, of course, very useful in the PR industry as she always knows who is doing what and very much has her ear to the ground.
Which personal quality do you think makes a great PR?
I don’t believe that there is one single quality to make a great PR person. A good all-rounder who is confident, creative and organised, as well as being able to master the obvious skills of writing, selling and communicating will excel in a career in PR.
What is your biggest single weakness and how do you intend to address this?
I can’t drive. I would love to be able to meet clients or journalists at the drop of a hat if necessary without having to negotiate trains and buses.
What annoys you about bad PR and bad PR practitioners?
PRs that over-promise clients annoy me. You have to be realistic. PRs that charge huge sums of money and don’t fulfil a promise give the rest of us a bad name.
How far do you want to go in the business?
I will continue to work in PR, and hopefully continue to progress, up until the point that it stops bringing me enjoyment. It is a stressful and demanding job and I believe you have to do it for the love, not the money.
08 Rachel Hills,
PR Account Manager,
Fifth Ring Integrated Corporate Communications
What made you get into PR?
After university I went travelling and secured some PR work experience. I really enjoyed the challenge and variety and was offered a job by the agency where I did my work experience.
What do you enjoy the most about working in PR?
Working with clients from the oil and gas, professional service and consumer sectors means every day is different. I enjoy the challenges of client management and get a real buzz from achieving the results to meet and exceed expectations.
What have been the biggest PR challenges that you have faced and how did you get over them?
In my early years in PR I was involved in handling a crisis at a theme park where a roller coaster had got stuck upside down. My role was to co-ordinate the media and manage the situation. This experience helped introduce me to crisis management and emergency response.
What do you respect most about your boss?
Kelly Kilner heads up the PR team. She is always on hand to advise and brainstorm ideas with the team, but at the same time she gives us the responsibility to get on with our jobs of managing accounts and developing new ideas.
Which personal quality do you think makes a great PR?
A great PR person needs to be able to juggle a lot of responsibilities, think on their feet and proactively come up with creative and workable ideas that meet the clients’ objectives. You need to be well organised.
What is your biggest single weakness and how do you intend to address this?
I am very inquisitive and like to know what is going on, but in PR I think this is probably a plus point. I also like sugary ring doughnuts, but will continue with this weakness as I like them.
What annoys you about bad PR and bad PR practitioners?
PR people who don’t know their media really annoy me. It is so important to talk to and meet up with journalists rather than relying on e-mail and press releases. At Fifth Ring we regularly conduct media visits to Edinburgh, Glasgow and London to meet up with our key contacts and develop new ones. I also think that there is no excuse for poor grammar or spelling.
How far do you want to go in the business?
There are a lot of new opportunities in PR and at Fifth Ring, especially since we opened our office in Dubai in the summer. I am keen to continue to develop and branch out into new areas of expertise.