- 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?
