How to Survive in the World of Entertainment Public Relations [National Conference Session Recap]

Courtesy of Katie Smith
Courtesy of Katie Smith

Session: Living the Life: Entertainment PR

Presenters: Priscilla Clarke, President, Clarke & Associates, LLC (@pclarkepr); Nicole Garner, CEO, The Garner Circle LLC (@thegarnercircle)

Recap: Priscilla Clarke from Clarke & Associates, LLC described her company as non-profit mixed with entertainment. She made sure to add stories from her public relations career as examples for what to do and what not to do in certain situations. Nicole Garner represented The Garner Circle, which was named one of the most progressive companies in the city of Atlanta. To break the ice and get the session attendees more involved, there was an exercise to show an example of how to broaden your mind and think on the spot.

Clarke and Garner discussed the differences between publicity and promotion. Publicity is like the front cover of People magazine, while promotion is similar to the back cover they said. They wanted students to understand that knowledge of crisis management is essential. Both Clarke and Garner referenced “Scandal” to give an example of satellite media tours and product placement relevance.

Takeaways:

  • Sometimes statements will be manipulated just for a news story and you will have to fix it.
  • Don’t assume your client knows how to act or speak in front of a camera.
  • Don’t assume your client will want to do something that you’ve already secured for him or her.
  • Teach yourself how to have some kind of strategy or understanding of social media even if your university doesn’t offer classes in social media.

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Katie Smith is a senior at the University of Oklahoma. She is a public relations major with a sports and entertainment public relations concentration. Follow Smith on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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