3 Insanely Successful Fashion Publicists

It takes a special kind of person to work in the fast paced and cutthroat business of fashion, especially if you’re a publicist. You have to pay your dues, work your butt off and look chic all at the same time. These women did just that and ended up climbing their way to the very top of the industry. Hopefully, the stories of their success will be motivation enough to make it through one more day of emails and updates!

Source: Washingtonian.com

Industry Introduction

One of the perks of working in PR is having so many different industries to work in. While every industry uses media relations, special events, public speaking, community relations and the works, individual industries specialize in whatever your interests are! Let’s take a look at three general subcategories of PR:

Entertainment PR: Entertainment PR can be classified as a music PR firm, film PR firm, or communications department within a company. Names like VH1, NBC, and MTV have a Communications Directors or Director of PR to work in house. These are also considered entertainment PR positions. Working in entertainment PR requires a large time commitment. It’s one thing to be passionate about PR, but entertainment PR professionals must also be passionate and knowledgeable about the entertainment world. You need to know the latest trends in order to know how to market your own company and clients accordingly.

Fashion PR: Fashion PR can easily be misconstrued for the luxurious lifestyles of fashion PR professionals portrayed on TV, but that is not the reality. Fashion PR executes all of the general PR strategies within a designer name. Just like entertainment PR, it’s very important to be passionate about the brand you are working for. With passion, a fashion PR professional adjusts all projects to the themes of the designer. For example, Burberry uses its plaid print almost as a logo. Like any aspect of the fashion industry, you have to be thick-skinned. Be prepared to hear criticism, constructive or not, on projects you may have thought were the next best thing.

Lifestyle PR: Lifestyle PR is all about promoting living well. Lifestyle PR professionals work hard to convince their audience that their client has something to offer that will enable them to live better. One struggle within lifestyle PR is that what one consumer considers right, another consumer could consider wrong. Like any other PR professional, lifestyle PR experts know that it’s all about how the product or service appears to the consumer.

These are only three subcategories within the PR world. Many others exist, including non-profit, tourism, and political/government. The world is always changing, so who knows what industry you’ll land your feet in.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Alyssa Guckin.

Fashion PR No-No’s for the Rookie

We think it’s all glamour, lights, free goodies and celebrity events, but in reality, the fashion industry is much more. There are young ladies, and gents, across the nation looking to get their big break into the industry. While it is a very demanding and competitive field, Fashion PR can be very fun and exciting. 

However, there are many things you should not do when entering the field. While it is best to make an impression quickly in the industry, here are some tips on how to avoid common mistakes. 

• Make It Personal: Media want to feel exclusive. The worst mistake is to mass e-mail all media contacts with the same message. Take the time to address each outlet personally. They will be more likely to show interest in your alert. 
• Avoid Lagging:  Most media are on very strict deadlines. Taking a long time to reply is never a smart idea. Both industries are fast pace and require quick action. The sooner you get back to questions and concerns, the happier your clients will be. 
• Don’t Be Dull: Fashion is such a creative and fun industry. Use your creativity and stellar writing skills to draw in your audience. Avoid cliché terms and phrases and take the time to think of different ideas that will benefit the brand. 
• Be Relevant: Avoid sending pitches to outlets that have no interest or relation to the product. There is nothing worse than getting a pitch about women’s hosiery when you work at for a men’s shoe company. Keep it relevant and of interest to the reader. 
• Don’t Be A Grump: No one likes a negative publicist. It is your job to keep the energy and enthusiasm at all times. After all, you reflect your client and you want to be very personable and approachable. 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Andrea Jordan.