Pepsi & the Royal Affair

So yesterday, I received some AMAZING news!!!  The Pepsi Refresh Everything has selected the Royal Affair as one of their featured Community programs.  This means that if I can gather enough votes  for my idea, then they will grant me $5k to produce the event!

As soon as I received word, I hit the ground running.  I already established a Facebook event and published the link on Twitter to get all my followers to vote!  This would be such an amazing opportunity for me and such a rewarding experience for these high school girls.

ROYAL AFFAIR 2011

First off, let me say that I am extremely proud of myself for designing our logo this year.  With an awesome tutorial from Gary Simon, I was able to create this masterpiece..j/k...it does look pretty good though.

Anyways, this is Sapphire Ink Public Relations' 3rd Annual Royal Affair and I am super excited with the  tremendous support we are receiving from the beauty and fashion industry. Although we had our share of mishaps and set backs, I think this year may be one of the best. We are honored to work with our fabulous stylist, Lakeisha Massey, again.  She does such amazing work and is truly dedicated to the cause and making each girl feel special.  

Teaming up with the She Is Me Program this year was such a wonderful opportunity because the founder, Mrs. Bessie Winn-Afeku, has been such an inspiration and supporter of the event since day one.  From providing feedback to assisting with recruiting volunteers, she is truly a gem.

As we get closer to the event, anxiety builds, especially since there is still quite a few thing we have to get done. During the next three weeks, I have to search for:

* food sponsors (to feed on the day of the event and at the reveal party)

* transportation sponsors (to transport the girls to the event)

* event rental sponsor (furnish the studio rental)

* additional professional volunteers (last year a few MUAs and Hairstylist didn't show up)

* follow up with the media

* collect additional clothing (to fill up the free boutique)

Can I do it?  YES!  Each day I will update my journey!

I'm Back!!!

I've been gone for a minute...but I'm BACK!  So much to share...so stay tuned!

PR: The Experience

Throughout the course of this year, I have been a part of some pretty amazing projects.  Whether it was organizing a nonprofit event or attending an event with a client, it has been a wonderful experience!

Former Client Exit Sports

Exit Sports is a social networking site geared towards sports.  My company was responsible for constructing a media kit and creating a buzz in the Atlanta market.  While retaining them as a client, I arranged photo shoots, constructed a 8-page media kit, and landed them a meeting with the inaugural Georgia State Football program.

During ATLPRPros Fall Meetup

Panelist @ the ATLPRPros Spring Brunch

 I have had the honor of meeting some amazing people involved in the entertainment and fashion world.  With Atlanta becoming the home to several movies, designers, and entertainers my market share will surely increase.  The ATLPRPros is a group of Atlanta publicist that share opportunities and offer advice through various platforms, including the quarterly brunch.  I have gained a wealth of knowledge from veteran publicist, such a DeeDee Cocheta of ABC Publicity.

NARIP Distribution Panel in Atlanta

Since I am always meeting aspiring singers and rappers that are trying to break in to the industry, I decided to attend a NARIP panel discussion on music distribution for independent artist.  The room was packed with singers, songwriters, and producers that have a passion for this industry.  This was also a great way for me to connect with some potential clients seeking a media kit or press release!

My Business Partner, Charlisia Nwachukwu, and I at Sheen Magazine Launch

Client Charla Ruschell of CR Clothing Co,

CR Clothing Fashion Presentation

CR Clothing Fashion Presentation

CR Clothing Fashion Presentation

Worked with fellow publicist, Janelle Langford of Urbansuite PR to arrange a fashion presentation for my client at the Sheen Magazine Launch party.  Although Sheen has been around for year, they celebrated the release of their national syndication.  With over 300 attendees, this event provided great exposure for my client to be featured on several blogs and it will also be featured in the spring issue of Sheen.

Freedom Monologues flyer

Youth as TLC

Cast of Freedom Monologues

Due to my love of working with youth, I have taken on the job as the Youth Group Leader at my church.  With most of my youth looking for a place to release stress and express themselves creatively, I try to incorporate the arts into my teaching.  This event i produced was entitled the Freedom Monologues, since it was Black History month.  The children were given to opportunity to pick their favorite African American and tell their story in a talk show setting.  I have everyone from Maya Angelou to Micheal Jordan.

 

Royal Affair Attendee

Beauty Professional

Royal Affair Attendees

Royal Affair Attendee

Personalized CDs created by The Studio B Photography

 Everything that I do is with purpose, especially when it comes to empowering young ladies.  This year will mark the 3rd annual Royal Affair event where my company along with several beauty and fashion professionals, treat deserving girls to a day of empowerment and pampering.  Last year's event was even televised on CBS Atlanta Better Mornings.  With the ability to apply everything I learned over the course of this year will allow me to make this event bigger and better.

Publicist on the Scene

As a publicist, I must build a maintain relationships in the industry.  Check out some of the events that I have attended:

Russian Standard Mansion Party

MCing an event

Sheen Magazine Launch Party:  courtesy of Ben Evan Photography

The Atlanta Steeplechase :: courtesy of the OMGbooth

SIR Magazine Cover Launch w/ Lifestyle Blogger Arkeedah :: courtesy of C Mitch

 

 

 

Snytch Magazine Launch Party

Business Plan Development: Expert Opinion

According to John W. Mullins, a professor at the London Business School, “ an economic downturn is a great time to start a business (Mullins, 2009).  With the uncertainty of employment, many Americans are turning to creativity or opportunity to establish their own companies and find their entrepreneurial spirit.  In Georgia alone, there were over 720,000 small businesses in 2010 (Gaebler, 2010).  As a startup company, these businesses will seek funding from investors through the use of a business plan.  A business plan is typically viewed as a way of getting funding from an investor or a business loan, but in actuality, a business plan allows a company to organize its purpose, goals, and technicalities.  This course definitely allowed me to get my PR company, Sapphire Ink PR, in order.

Mobile Marketing & Commerce: Cellular Diversity

A cell phone is a universal device that surpasses age and ethnic barriers.  It opens lines of communication and unites people around the world.  Although the ultimate purpose of this mobile device is to communicate, certain features are more attractive to specific demographics.  Recently, cell phones have become the easiest and most efficient tool to market a product.  

 

Utilizing this gathered information from my subjects, I will cater my marketing campaigns to target an interested demographic.  Even if the subjects did not want to receive unsolicited advertisements, they didn’t mind getting an application that consolidated all of their interest in to one place.  That would require me to conduct further research to determine exactly what person will be attracted to the services and opportunities my company has to offer

Digital Marketing: Wiki

i really enjoyed the Digital Marketing class because it provided several different applications and techniques that I can use to grow my business and its online presence.  I actually created this blog as a part this course and I have decided to continue to track my progression as a publicist through my post. 

The main assignment for this course was to create a wiki-style web page using  Google Sites.   The public relations industry has experienced drastic changes within the past decade due to the introduction and continuous growth of social media.  Whether utilizing a blog, social networking site, or a Wiki; social media has become a vital part of any successful public relations campaign.  The entry that I submitted, addresses the relationship between Social Media and Public Relations.

Benefits of social media - public relations from kat odin on Vimeo.

Entertainment Media Publishing and Distribution: Self Published

Cover of Memoirs of a Plusanista

Establishing a business strategy for a digital media publishing company seemed difficult at first.  Having to build a company from the ground up is not easy, but once i decided on the mission statement, company description, and the product everything flowed.

I also had to create a self published book or product that we would produce, I was a little confused about what i would write.  After thinking about my love of fashion and all things curvy, I decided to publish a photojournal entitled Memoirs of a Plusanista. 

Advanced Entertainment Law: True Calling

As a child, I had my mind set on being a judge because I love the fact that they made the final decision regarding situations.  As I grew older and realized that being a judge was a bit boring, I decided to focus on becoming an entertainment attorney.  I obtained an internship working with an entertainment attorney my final semester in undergrad, which allowed me to realize my calling.  I have always loved helping people and building relationships, so when I discovered the world of entertainment/fashion PR, I knew where I belonged.  Entertainment attorney Evita Kaigler, Esq recognized her calling after reading Donald Passman's All You Need to Know About the Music Business.

Attorney Evita Kaigler, Esq

I had the pleasure of meeting Attorney Kaigler back in 2009 when she served as a panelist for the She Is Me Program’s "Women in Entertainment" panel. After hearing her words of wisdom and encouragement, she inspired me to strive for greatness by focusing on my vision.  With such passion for her career, there was no doubt that she will leave her mark on the entertainment industry.

With such a youthful appearance, it hard to believe that she represents artist like hip hop artist like Big K.R.I.T.  She has even designed a program, Future Music Attorneys, for college students and law students that aspire to become entertainment attorneys.

Attorney Kaigler with client Big K.R.I.T,  BMI Executive Byron Wright, and manager Jonny Shipes

I loved the passion that Attorney Kaigler expressed during our interview.  You can tell that she truly loves what she is doing and enjoys sharing her love of music with others. She stressed creating opportunities.  This advice can be applied to any career because life doesn’t always throw things your way, so you have to go get it.

Product & Artist Management: Spilled Ink

As a woman pursuing a career in the entertainment industry, I only saw it fit to interview someone that was in my shoes at one point in their life. With a growing number of female executives, I am eager to learn what it takes to conquer this industry.  

 

Tia Ascar, CEO of Spilled Ink

I had the honor of interviewing Tia Ascar, CEO of Spilled Ink LLC.  Recently, Ms. Ascar and I worked on a project together for deserving teenage girls, which is when i began to appreciate her knowledge of the entertainment industry.  The world of artist/product management appears to be a very glamorous, but after our interview, I have a new found respect for managers. 

Before venturing out to do music showcases,  Tia was working for Grammy Award Winning Producer Dallas Austin as his Office Manager, Bookkeeper and Publishing Administrator.

Throughout her work history, Tia’s success in the industry has been driven by the following principles: the continuous pursuit of top-line results, the successful achievement of all assigned goals and objectives and an unwavering dedication to operating in the spirit of mutual respect and teamwork.

Negotiations & Deal Making: Seal the Deal

This assignment allowed me to explore my inner negotiator by discussing a time when I had to work out a deal.  For me, negotiating is a part of everyday life, but it is completely different when it comes to business.  As a publicist, the network of professionals that I have established  prove to be very beneficial to my success.  Due to the relationships that I have built, I was able to find a last minute venue for my annual nonprofit event and work out a great rate.  The venue owner agreed to my terms of donating 75% of the fee, in exchange for advertising and inclusion on marketing collateral.  Utilizing a few negotiating techniques such as:

• Preparation: I researched the area and comparable deals offered by other venues, this gave me more bargaining power
• Timing:  Since the salon recently opened, they were looking for ways to get their name out
• Humility:  Although the owner was new to the industry, I didn't take advantage of her by name dropping or making her feel inferior

“Thinking about something leads to confusion, but thinking through something leads to clarity.”    

Speaking with CBS about event :: courtesy of Studio B Photography

This remains to be completely true in the world of communication.  During negotiations I often find myself speaking off the top of my head, but when I really focus on a solution and analyze possible outcomes, everything works out for the best.  

Entertainment Business Finance: Money, Money, Money, Mo..ney

Math has never really been my cup of tea, so when I realized that I had to take business finance, I sort of had a panic attack.  Don't get me wrong, I love money, but the thought of creating a company budget is scary. I like Frank "Kin" Hubbard's idea of finance: 

“The safe way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket.”  

That's why interviewing CPA Erica Clark was such an insightful experience.  Clark is the Financial Director for Saint Jospeh's Mercy Care Services.  Although Saint Josephs is not an entertainment entity, it is relative to my life as a publicist because I enjoy working in the nonprofit field and it is one of my company's niches.  Despite having no desire to become an accountant, I understand that numbers are important to all businesses, whether established or developing.  As a fairly new company, I never put much thought into the education and training required for an individual to “balance my books.”  Mrs. Clark definitely provided a “real world” view of her business, which created a great story.  I think one of the most shocking facts is that CPA’s have the opportunity to make so much money.  Who knew dealing with other people’s money, could have such a high return.

Business Storytelling & Brand Development: Turning Points

My mother says, "in order to know where you are going, you must remember where you came from."  As the child of two immigrant parents, I have always appreciated the value of life.  After hearing some of the survival stories and financial struggles they faced as a child, I learned to never take a day for granted.  This assignment allowed me to share my story, while relaying the purpose behind my company (video below).  

After reviewing some of the videos of my fellow classmates, I realized that everyone may have faced different struggles and dealt with different situations, but the experience had a significant impact on their life.

Project Management: Rocking the Green

Rocking the Green Poster

Excited about the opportunity to work with other like minded individuals, I was assigned to a five person team for my Project Management course.  During this course, our team, Maximum Capacity, was responsible for creating a family and community event for the Sand Trap Country Club.  With five high-skilled professionals assigned to their specific niche, we created a flawless proposal beating out eight groups and landing us the  best in our class.

Since my specialty is public relations and marketing, I was responsible for creating a plan outlining all of the task, such as press coverage and marketing collateral (I designed the event poster).  Although I was not the project manager, I was still responsible for ensuring that my portion of this proposal was complete, while helping my other team mates stay on task.

This assignment allowed me to focus on my strength of creativity and work on my time management skills.

Executive Leadership: Strengths, Weaknesses, Goals...OH MY!

The Atlanta Food Rave, August 2010

 After completing the Leadership Skills Assessment for the Executive Leadership class, I discovered that while I am highly effective in my leadership ability, I have areas that need improvement.  I also have a couple areas, such as attitude and people skills, where I can focus a little more energy to reach my highest potential.  Comparing my current leadership ability to those mentioned in Maxwell’s Developing the Leader Within You, I am well on my way to reaching what he calls “people development.”  On this one-year quest to become an influential leader, I remembered to stay focused and not neglect any skills, while trying to perfect others.

Completing this program has definitely allowed me to work on my weaknesses addressed last year.  I have created a better vision for myself and my company, as well as improving on self discipline to focus my energy on progression.

In the beginning of the program, I came up with a couple organizations that I wanted to work with, but due to my community involvement and business development, I decided to focus on personal growth and relationship building.  I have been staying pretty active in the Atlanta PR community and I even joined the ATLPRPros group!

Public Relations & Social Media: A Budding Relationship

Social Media is changing the way that companies interact and engage consumers.  In the field of public relations, it is essential to any brand to incorporate various platforms in to the their companies digital campaigns.  Three of the most popular social media platforms include:

Twitter: A social networking website that allows users to share thoughts and interact with followers through 140 characters.

-       Once you have created a profile, begin following other publicist and media contacts because you will be able to update them about client news, while casually pitching a story.

-       Since public relations is all about establishing and maintaining relationships, do not hesitate to get personal with your followers.  They will be more likely to notice professional tweets, if you can relate on a personal level.

-       Make sure that you are an active user.  Although you may tweet on consistent basis, if you are not partaking in conversations or discussions, then you are not capitalizing on the full potential of the site.

YouTube:  A video sharing website that permits users to upload, share, and view videos.

-The first step for any company or brand is to setup and customize a channel.  This works extremely well with up and coming brands because it allows them to gain exposure and brand awareness on an international basis.

-Unlike other websites, YouTube offers a free analytics that will allow you to monitor viewer’s information.  It shares their demographics; community and tracking data that will help you gear future content to cater to viewers.

-Sometimes you have to attract the users to your channel.  YouTube makes it easy to upload, embed or share links to videos through other social media platforms.

Facebook:  A social networking site that connects over 600 million users around the world

-Utilize all available applications to incorporate your blog and other social media site to your Facebook business profile.

-Start product or fan pages for clients.  This will allow potential consumers to link an image with the brand.

-Take advantage of the advertisement opportunity that Facebook offers.  They allow you to target your ads to a concise market.

Networking is KEY

As a child, we create images and ideals of “what we want to be when we grow up,” but sometimes life throws us a curveball!  If you were to ask me in high school what I would be doing at the age of 25, my response would be completely different from my reality.  I had every intention on attending law school and pursuing a career as an entertainment attorney, but undergrad allowed me to uncover my true passion.  Required to take a mass communications class for my Justice Studies major, I was introduced to the field of public relations.  Completely intrigued by this new world, I conducted my research and insisted that my advisor change my major immediately.  Just a few credits short of obtaining my degree, I was directed to focus on graduating.  Determined to work in public relations, I began reading articles and books about this foreign field.  After landing my first internship in Atlanta, I knew I was destined to be a publicist!  A couple years and several internships later, I was definitely ready to being my career as a PR Pro!  Wanting to hone in on my skills in the entertainment field, I decided to enroll in Full Sail University' Masters in Entertainment Business program.


Establishing Sapphire Ink Public Relations in 2009 was definitely a rude awakening.  I interned with several publicist, but now I was going to be on my own.  That is when I realized that networking is key.  Through the various internships I held in undergrad, I was able to utilize connections to gain inside information and attend exclusive events that created a presence for my company in the Atlanta market.  Even though I am obtaining my Masters in an online program, I find that it is imperative for me to develop the same relationships with my classmates because we will be working in the same industry.  Since I am a publicist, I may find a potential client or employee, just by interacting with those around me.  


Stay Tuned for future confessions...