Regional Conference Highlights: Y Are You in PR?
Georgia Southern University recently hosted its Regional Conference, “Y Are You in PR: A Study of Generation Y and the Profession,” giving attendees the opportunity to learn how to reach and motivate different generations.
While gaining useful information, students applied their newly found knowledge throughout the event with interactive workshops.
Keynote presenter, Kathryn Potter, senior vice president of marketing & communications for the American Hotel and Lodging Administration (AH&LA), shared tips on ways students could prepare for generational diversity.
- People communicate based on their backgrounds. Know all generations.
- The rate at which stories hit and spread is lightning fast. You have to monitor many forms of media.
- Tweak your style to fit the generation’s management style.
Additionally, Jenny Schmitt, founder of CloudSpark, a communications strategy company, gave an in-depth look at each generation — from Baby Boomers to Millennials. Students learned many characteristics of each generation and also what brings the generations back together. Grasping the characteristics of each generation was an insightful journey that came with some appreciated takeaways:
- Consider how your generational outlook affects your work and your life.
- Create an age-based profile of your team, your staff, your clients, your current and target consumers — even your family.
- Align your strategy to target the core values of each generational segment. Match your message to their motivation.
- Apply your understandings to help you navigate, create and innovate others.
“Y Are You in PR?” examined the generational differences in public relations and the workforce.
What advice do you have for Millennials entering the public relations industry? How do you adapt to work with those in other generations?
Yasmine Horton is special events coordinator for Georgia Southern University’s PRSSA Chapter. You can follow her on Twitter @YasmineHorton.
