How Effective Collaboration Enhances Brand Partnerships

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TRANSCRIPT:

DOUG: Sarah, what is one best practice for effectively integrating social media into PR campaigns?  

SARAH: It’s a great question and it’s so relevant right now as social media just becomes even more important in our world, that really what we have found is that ironically, being in the communications business, it is about the communication between the teams. It really is. I’m not a technical expert, we have amazing teams who handle it, but I can tell you, observing the communication between the PR team and the social media team, and there is so much crossover and having an understanding and respect of each other’s jobs and sort of seeing the support and collaboration there is a game changer.  

DOUG: And while you might not be a self-described tech person, probably most of the people you’re dealing with and working with aren’t doing art like the piece behind you that’s going to be in a New York gallery show soon enough, but from your experience, why do seasoned PR professionals tend to be more collaborative than newcomers, and how do you cultivate that mindset among newcomers?  

SARAH: It probably relates to all areas of our lives, right? The longer you do something, the more experienced I would say, the more confident you feel about it. And with confidence and experience and practice comes that, you know, lack of fear. And I do think the fear is what perhaps is what happens early on. We’ve all experienced that and then you become maybe a little bit more territorial or not as clear thinking or as collaborative, maybe fighting for your patch.  

DOUG: Yeah, and I think it’s important as leaders to make sure the newer employees, the less experienced among us feel comfortable to share what they’re saying. I always say when I hire someone, if you have a thought that you don’t share about something we’re doing at work, you’re cheating the company and you’re cheating yourself because that’s what it’s all about and that’s how you learn. So, it’s really important to try and create that kind of environment. And collaboration also involves multiple perspectives. Do you have strategies to help merge that dynamic effectively?  

SARAH: You know, strategically thinking and collaborating and integrating that into our culture, it’s, you know, from the highest level to the lowest level that is so important that that philosophy penetrates everything we do.  

DOUG: Yeah, and just on a different twist, I mentioned the art piece that you had behind you. And congratulations on that. You do a lot of work with art and museums, and our recent survey of TV producers found art and culture to be one of the topics they’re most interested in covering. What are some of the keys and insights that you have when you’re trying to get coverage for, say, an art institution? And obviously there’s that local audience but also trying to get visitors to travel there to see it as some of the work that you do is involved with.  

SARAH: I mean, it’s one of my absolute favorite areas and a great area of growth for BPR is working with art institutions, with artists, national, international, local, you name it. I really get so much pleasure out of it. And in a way, I think it’s a lesson for people who are coming out of college. For example, I have two fine art degrees, and yet I went into communications and founded a PR agency and always had that feeling I sort of failed as an artist, but just to play the long game and to integrate that and that education I never I knew or could have imagined that it would integrate into my life the way it has now. Not only do I get to physically practice making art, but the respect I have for artists who have succeeded and to see the wall, you know, the work in museums. And that just gives me such great joy because of this journey that I’ve had, and I think maybe drives me even more to promote them and have them get the success they so deserve, because it’s such a tough journey.  

DOUG: Yeah, it really is complicated and don’t quite give up because many artists don’t get discovered until much later in life and they become famous. Grandma Moses is a painter who is famous for no one knew about her, I think till her late 70s or something, and then she became a huge success.  

SARAH: I’m going to say about the arts and culture. I so agree and the interest is so welcome. And I love our sort of collective growth in the it’s getting the respect and the interest it’s so deserves.  

DOUG: Yeah, and it’s interesting because in broadcast, I know local station from our surveys and information, they shy away from getting into the political dogfight. That’s not where they want to be. They’re like, go watch cable if that’s what you want. We want to give you news you can use. So, they are looking for more uplifting, positive content to share as a way to attract viewers in this environment. Another area that media often wants to cover is celebrity PR, and that can be challenging when it comes to ethical reputation. Can you maybe share a little bit of your experience about working with celebrities, and what are ways to avoid some of the possible pitfalls?  

SARAH: Yeah, and just to share some of our journey as an agency and how we’ve evolved from perhaps 25, 30 years ago. I mean, I really paid my dues working on the red carpet and slaving away in Hollywood, you know, and we’ve been able to represent talent to evolve into a much more corporate agency that represents perhaps more of the bricks and mortar of the entertainment industry. We get to do the fun projects, which are collaborations with talent. So, we may be representing a very corporate brand who wants a partner, who will be that talent piece to come in and work with them. I don’t just mean an endorsement because it’s there for meaningful partnerships, but again, having had that experience representing talent, I think helps us. I mean, we do so much of the negotiating at the table, which is, I think, for a PR firm, our involvement is huge from the early stages because I think we’ve worked on all sides of this. And, look, we do represent talent very selectively at the moment, our preferences for someone who is doing a project that is very creative or philanthropic. Those seem to be our areas, you know, doing conservation work or that sort of work. I’m not saying that premiers and all of that is very important work that we love, but it really becomes super interesting when you’re traveling with talent somewhere where you’re working on conservation or anti-rhino poaching, it becomes a much more meaningful, less transactional relationship. And you did say best practices. I think working alongside the legal teams, I’ve really learnt that to observe, to listen. And there are those lawyers who are great at handling it when it gets into a crisis. And those, perhaps, who have less of that and to just know, look, this is our bread and butter, we work with the media day in and day out. And we really respect and appreciate them and the legal teams that have that experience work so differently to those that don’t.  

DOUG: That is a big change, and we’ve noticed some of the things that sometimes clients will have not fully realized what they need the celebrity for. And then you’re sort of trapped because you have a contract, but now you’re adding things to it and you’re at their whim and some of them will be decent. Some of them will try and maximize what they can. So, you really need to be thoughtful and put everything on the table at the first meeting or otherwise you’re like, oh, and how about this? And I guess I can seek your opinion. My take is they’re generally not into doing favors at that level. When you’ve got a campaign, is that something you’ve found? I mean, obviously if it’s a passion project it may be a little different, but again, it still should be thought out to the full extreme.  

SARAH: Well, I suppose the more we can label our work passion projects, the better. You know, I think it’s what we were talking about earlier is integrating our lives are one they’re not separate when we spend how much time we do working. I mean, I’ll give you an amazing example of talent that is happening right now in real time that has blown me away. The story ran last night about John Powell, who has been nominated for many Oscars. He hasn’t won an Oscar, but he has been prolific. The, you know, scores, the original scores that he has created for motion pictures from How to Tame Your Dragon to Wicked. So, he is prolific and extraordinary. Now John has a nomination right now as an amazing composer for Wicked, but he also has and this has never happened, Wicked being the highest budget film at the Oscars, but also The Last Ranger, which happens to be the lowest budget film with a nomination at the Oscars. And five years ago, when the producers and the directors of The Last Ranger, which is about poaching and is an extraordinary British and South African film, they we were talking, and I’ve luckily been able to help them pro bono. This has been such a passion project, and I mentioned this project to John Powell and John volunteered and actually not volunteered, but, you know, paid for a lot of recording and expenses for the film. And it’s just wonderful to see this, you know, and to have an example of this with the highest budget and the lowest budget, and John Powell bringing his talent to this and to see, well, we’ll see what happens on March 2nd.  

DOUG: We know who you’re rooting for, that’s for sure. And I’m sure the audience is rooting for you, and they’ve gotten a tremendous amount out of this. Any final thoughts you’d like to add, Sarah?  

SARAH: Just to say, I think this is such an extraordinarily powerful industry and how much good we can do. And I think it’s not just as necessarily about having great, enormous breaking news stories, but just about how we go about our business every day and how ever little the story may be, you know, just to bring our creativity. And I think I’m just really learning to bring all my experience of life to my work and to my team. And I’m immensely grateful.  

DOUG: So, we’re grateful to have had you on the show. Thanks so much.  

SARAH: Thank you so much. I really appreciate what you do and how well you do it. So, thank you. Important piece of our work.  

DOUG: Yeah, very nice of you to say. Have a great day.  

SARAH: Thank you. Thank you so much. Take care.