Feature Friday: Kristina Amaral.

• Brea: Tell me about yourself.

Kristina: Hi there! I’m Kristina—a graduate of Rutgers University and I work full-time as a PR professional in the big apple! I pursued degrees in English and Journalism & Media Studies, along with a minor in Digital Communication, Information & Media. I dream big and hope that with enough hard work, strategic thinking and constant thirst for learning, I will be a leading marketing and PR icon!

• B: Congratulations on being named PRWeek’s 2013 Student of the Year winner! What advice can you give PR students who hope to enter in upcoming years?

K: Thank you so much!! I strongly encourage applicants to be strategic & innovative. The best marketing campaigns are innovative and usually ignite the spark of an upcoming trend. Push yourself to think outside the box when creating the concept and keep the client’s business goals at the forefront.

However, innovation is just the idea, the execution must be as strong—each tactic should be linked with strategy and purpose. From there, create an idea that is scalable—it can be a global/national initiative but could also be scaled to a smaller local/regional level. No matter what each component must be strategic so do lots of research!

• B: You’ve worked with some big name companies! How did you land your current position at Taylor and what are your responsibilities as Account Coordinator?

K: I initially interned at Taylor during the summer of 2012, in which I worked on Procter & Gamble’s Thank You, Mom campaign during the London 2012 Olympics. I learned a vast amount and had the opportunity to network with talented professionals. After the PRWeek awards and graduation, I kept in touch with my mentors there and the HR manager—luckily, an opportunity became available and I was top of mind! It was a blessing.

As an Account Coordinator, I coordinate and distribute press materials, pitch media personnel and secure positive placements for our clients, develop robust media lists, research, analysis, fact sheets, and manage communication with partners for client activations and events.

• B: What do you consider the most challenging aspect of PR?

K: In my opinion, the most challenging aspect of PR is the most exciting—it is what attracts me to the industry: it’s always evolving. Target audiences, social media platforms, strategies and client business-goals are constantly shifting and changing with time and trends. This creates a challenge for PR professionals because they need to be on their toes, always adapting and learning to properly cater to their client’s objectives while setting a precedent from a marketing perspective.

• B: I LOVE the motivating Audrey Hepburn quote in your Twitter background. (I actually have that quote as the screen saver on my phone lol) What keeps you motivated?

K: Hahha, thank you! I love Audrey Hepburn—she’s classy & inspiring.

My future keeps me motivated, along with incredible support from the loves in my life (family, friends, BF). Although I am an advocate for living in the moment and learning every second of the day, I frequently think of my next steps and where I would like to be (notice how I didn’t say, ‘where I should be’). This applies from career goals to personal goals.

 How I look at it is, you have to live with yourself everyday—day in, day out. I never want to look at myself in the mirror one day and say “what if.” People always say they need to find themselves, and I strongly disagree with that statement. There are so many career and personal opportunities’ in this life, all you need to do is choose and run with it. The vision of my future and the ability to change is what motivates me to pursue my passion.

• B: Do you have any “side” projects going on right now or any planned for the future?

K: Great question—I’ve chatted with a good PR friend on starting a blog. I’m also considering doing PR pro-bono work for small businesses in my hometown. A lot of ideas are running through my head….I’m still developing the strategy for each, but stay tuned and I’ll let you know when things hit the ground running!

• B: This month is Women’s History Month. Using  only women in pop culture, how would you describe yourself?

K: I’m theatrically and facetiously dramatic like Raven-Symone from Disney Channel’s teen sitcom series, That’s So Raven, honest and clumsy like Jennifer Lawrence, refined and endlessly seeking knowledge like Natalie Portman and an advocate for philanthropy and compassion like Angelina Jolie.

• B: What song best describes your life right now and why?

K: “Fly” by Nicki Minaj featuring Rihanna. I could write a volume on the obstacles and criticism, the self-doubt and uncertainty I’ve faced lately (professionally and personally) but this song gives me hope and encouragement. Through this quarter-life crisis, I realized “I am not a girl that can ever be defined” and although “I hear the criticism loud and clear” I “become alive in a time a fear.”

Adversity propels me to move forward. The song inspires me to conquer challenges and thrive for what I truly am passionate about.

Connect with Kristina: Twitter | LinkedIn

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