Off the back of the NZ Best in Beauty awards last month where Luci Marshall and Renai Hagstrom were recognised for their outstanding PR talents, we thought it would be timely to delve into what it takes to receive an honour like this.
BD interviewed a range of influencers, media and bloggers to get their point of view on what makes a great (and not-so-great) account manager.
A great account manager is…
- “Someone who sends a press release with all the information in the first instance - high res images, product info and pricing. No need to follow up for further info. It's surprising how often this doesn't happen!”
- “Someone who is polite, personal and to the point. The three P’s.”
- "Someone that acknowledges your coverage of their product - just a simple thank-you email is all that's needed (although some even send thank-you treats which while not necessary is definitely appreciated!)"
- “Someone who understands the nature of deadlines and can accommodate last minute requests.”
- “Someone who asks how I’d like to receive communications and understands we all have different preferences.”
- “Someone that follows up a launch event with everything I need (release, images) plus potentially some of the key learnings or hero details shared at the launch.”
- “Someone who tries to form a genuine relationship with you by showing an interest in what’s happening in your life. Taking the time to catch up with me rather than firing me press releases goes a long way!”
- “Someone that at least attempts to imagine how their product or content will fit within the titles I work for and pitches relevant ideas if necessary.”
- “The best account managers know what media actually need: high resolution images, full product information, RRPs, stockist details, on counter dates etc. We send a thousand emails already; chasing simple details just adds to your to do list and may mean we don’t feature the product!”
- “Someone quick and agile in terms or responding to requests.”
- “Someone that sends everything regarding a launch in an email and pre-empts any questions I have.”
- “Someone that is sympathetic if I can’t make a launch and follows up with an offer on how I would like to receive launch communication i.e. “If you can’t make the launch would you like for me to take you through it over coffee at another time that suits or is it easier for me to just pop the product and release in a bag for you?” (Obviously not everyone can do this but offering alternatives makes my life easier)”
- “Someone that knows my name, my interests and details about my life outside my work, or that takes the time to learn them”
…and the not-so-great:
- “A PR that constantly follow-ups requesting an answer to a pitch. Sometimes we are too busy to reply to every pitch we receive, but if we're interested in it, trust us we'll get back to you!”
- “Someone who asks if a product from their client was featured in the latest issue, and if so, can I send them a PDF!”
- "Someone who spells my name incorrectly...like come on"
- “Someone who doesn’t understand follow-up etiquette. Unless your email is SUPER time sensitive, please give me at least a week (maybe even two) before following up.”
- “Someone that’s nitpicky with coverage. Sometimes I get responses to unpaid coverage like “such a shame the website credit wasn’t included,” or “why didn’t you also include this?” – unless it is a paid partnership, any publicity should be appreciated.”
- “Someone that doesn’t understand coverage is never guaranteed and constantly hounds and gets disgruntled if nothing eventuates.”
- “Deluges me with irrelevant press releases then follows up two or three times demanding to know why it hasn’t been placed or when it will be.”
- “Someone who automatically expects coverage in exchange for sending me their low value product. While I like to keep content authentic some PR take the mickey.”
- “Someone who doesn't bother to be personal e.g mass emails with a ‘hey there’ greeting – at least try conceal it and use mail merge name tags…”
- “Someone who calls me to follow-up if I received a pitch…it’s just awkward – If I didn’t respond it’s most likely not a fit for anything or I’ve filed it away for later”
- “Pitching is my absolute bugbear- I’ve never picked up something from a pitch. I can think for myself and sometimes they can be quite condescending.”
- “Someone who doesn’t try and understand my follower demographic” (and by the same token – magazine readership)
- “Someone who has never met me but calls me hun in an email”
- “When PR offer up talent for Q&A’s and then send them back unedited, biased or completely lacking in talent and useful information”
- “Someone who asks for PDFs because they don’t have media monitoring – this is not our job.”
- “Someone who sends me press releases but never product – or even worse if I show interest in trying it off the back of the release, they tell me to borrow it to shoot from a colleague. I do like to try products before recommending them.”
- “I find it insulting when I give products coverage and then the PR asks for me to send a copy – go buy it yourself and show your support for the title like we support you!”
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