For more on this topic, be sure to check out this post on Digital Natives vs. Immigrants.

Nowadays, it seems as though public relations professionals are everywhere. From wine tastings to product launches, they are the ones connecting the dots and making sure goals are met on both sides: the business and the consumer. Here’s why it makes sense to hire a PR professional for your business or personal brand…

Connections
Public relations is all about relationships. Seasoned PR professionals know that it has, and always will be, part of their job to network with media and influencers. Journalists and public relations people, especially in the lifestyle realm, enjoy a reciprocal relationship with one another. They each have something the other wants and needs to effectively to their job. The public relations professional or firm wants coverage for its clients and the media outlet’s life is made easier when an interesting product, business venture or other story is provided to them, with all the information neatly outlined in press releases and fact sheets. Most of the time, PR people and journalists are even friends. Either way, PR people provide access to an outlet that you may not have so easily available at your fingertips.

Ability to Cross-Promote
Public relations people are strategic, with an ear to the ground at all times as to what is going on in your city. This means that they are in-the-know when it comes to opportunities for exposure, whether that means the sponsoring of events, presence at (and access to) gifting suits and ability to cross-promote with other clients or initiatives of people and organizations in their network. For example, if your business is a gourmet catering company set to launch in the city, and your PR firm also represents a popular art gallery that is celebrating its one-year anniversary, your catering provided at the event will now be exposed to all of the media and influencers gathered to celebrate the now thriving gallery’s well-attended event. Similarly, a well-known author could hold a book launch at your new clothing store, drawing journalists and influencers to the store and exposing them to the space.

Writing Capabilities
Public relations professionals are good writers – it is a part of the job requirement. Their talent in the art of writing, and subsequent way with words, can make anything (i.e. you, your business or your product) sound like the best thing the world has ever seen. PR people have a knack for marketing as well, and know how to strategically craft a release to capture the attention of journalists, in everything from the email subject line, title and subtitle of the release. Furthermore, journalists (often bombarded with multiple releases per day) have zero patience for poor grammar, spelling errors or amateur writing. In other words, just because you received an “A” in high school English class, doesn’t mean you are the person best suited to craft promotional material.

Makes Your Life Easier
Public relations people save you time in doing things that may take you a while. They can whip together fact sheets (whereas it may take you days), can access journalists with a quick phone call (when you will likely have to plough through red tape), and have relationships with suppliers like printing houses and graphic designers who may offer discounts. In terms of marketing initiatives, where you and your team may waste countless hours in brainstorm sessions, PR people are able to think creatively and “outside the box” when it comes to both long-term strategies and accompanying tactics. PR people have seen it all and, even if you think you have come up with the best idea to market your business, it may in reality be so three years ago in the PR world.

Damage Control
It is the professional job of PR people to manage the reputations of their clients. A seasoned professional knows that his or her job goes beyond promoting their clients; they need to protect their client’s image as well and have been trained in the art of damage control and how to effectively manage any negativity surrounding your brand. A poor restaurant review can be turned on its head by a stellar media event, a lapse in judgment by a public figure can be mitigated by a strategically crafted statement for the media, and an accident or safety concern in your establishment can be addressed through access your PR people have to the media in addressing the public and assuring them that measures are actively underway to correct the problem or concern.

To see the article in it’s original post on Notable.ca, click here. 

Looking for a new job usually means the joyful process of interviews. While you should dust off your resumé, you should also polish up your wardrobe, since making a good first impression is a key part of nailing the position you really want. Being sharply dressed and well-groomed can be almost as important as previous experience and the number of degrees under your belt, or at least could fool them into thinking you look the part.

What you need to purchase to outfit yourself perfectly doesn’t have to cost a fortune, and all the pieces that you need are those that should be an essential part of your wardrobe regardless of where you work. Think of them as the basics – pieces that will take you from work to a date to jury duty.

Image Source: http://www.HM.com/ca

For Guys:

Guys need a nice pair of dress pants, a crisp dress shirt, and a stand-out tie. If you’re interviewing for the Vice President of International Corporate Banking, a jacket would definitely be appropriate. Check out the choices at H & M, where you can find a veritable rainbow of men’s superbly cut dress shirts for a mere $29.95, as well as jackets that range in price from $49.95 to $149. And you can easily pick up a nice designer tie at Winners or Marshalls that will only look expensive.

I love the Banana Republic Factory Store for finding really well made career clothes at incredible pricing. Sign up for their emails and you’ll receive a welcome discount offer as well as notification of upcoming sales events. And I always check out the clearance section where you can score some amazing deals.  Last week I found men’s suit jackets that were regularly $179 for a mere $39.99.

For Girls:

Image Source: http://www.gapcanada.ca

Girls can go with pants or a skirt, just follow some of the same rules. Basic black or gray bottoms and the ubiquitous crisp shirt. Check out the Gap for their ‘perfect shirt’ for $49.50, which offers a beautifully tailored fit and a quality which will last for years. Jazz it up with some bold jewelry or a bright scarf.

Don’t be afraid to shop in places you may never have thought of to score some great basics at unbelievable prices. Walmart has a fantastic selection of career dress pants and basic shirts from their George™ line, with a variety of pants in modern cuts available from as little as $20.

One of the most important things to make sure of before you leave the house – check that your shoes are clean and polished if necessary. One of my little tricks to spiff up a pair of black shoes is to grab a Sharpie marker and colour in any worn spots, just a couple of dabs of ink can make a huge difference. My mother always said you can tell a person’s pride by the way the care for their shoes.

Always carry extra gum or mints with you. There is absolutely nothing worse than speaking to someone and having to inhale their latte breath or remnants of the extra onions you got on your sub at lunch, but never, EVER chew gum during the interview. And NEVER wear flip flops – unless you’re interviewing at the Head Office of Havaianas.

Don’t Forget!

And don’t forget the most important thing to wear – CONFIDENCE! With enough of it, you’ll be sitting in the big corner office in no time at all, and your assistant will gratefully polish your shoes for you.

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