Interview: @DoItInPublic AKA Joy Donnell of 720 PR

Professionals I Love: Interview with Joy Donnell

Twitter, being the great connector tool that it is, helped me find Ms. Joy Donnell of 720 PR one afternoon. Joy's tweets included some very interesting articles, as well as RTs of other resources I began to follow as well. Joy's digital citizenship, that is, her retweeting of helpful resources and pertinent information, contributes to the #pr community on Twitter. Since she's in a field I'm very interested in, I wanted to ask her more. She very graciously answered a few questions for me, which I thought I would share here...

Besides agency experience, what do you look for in a candidate?
Job continuity is always fantastic to see. I also love to read about publishing; such as articles that the candidate has had published, blog writing that has acquired a following, great association memberships and volunteerism. [Before an interview,] I like to review a portfolio with the resume and cover letter (as well as see it during the sit down interview).

How have you found are good ways to get contacts in the media?
Get as many contacts as possible by face to face interaction. So, going to journalist mixers like those held by MediaBistro, LA Press Club, and PR Newswire can be great ways to meet journos. Another great way to build contacts and end up with things to add to your portfolio is doing pro-bono PR for a nonprofit, especially if it's a celebrity-heavy event. It gives you something great to talk about, you build connections with talent managers and other publicists and you work closely with producers and journalists. After you obtain that connection, don't forget to send a nice thank-you, like cookies or chocolates.

What are your favorite parts about working in celebrity branding? The biggest drawbacks?
Every day is different and you're constantly challenged to think outside of the box. Branding is a broad term for almost anything commercial that extends the client's image, so you really get to stretch out and try new things. There are virtually no rules.
The biggest frustration can be when you approach a brand that the talent had previously expressed a desire to work with, only to find that the talent or management have changed their minds about working with that brand.

Does a good grasp of social media mean a lot to you as someone working in entertainment, or are there other skills you'd rather see in a candidate?
Social media is lovely, but it means nothing without the fundamentals. I mostly like to see that a candidate knows how to form a strategy then craft a story, pitch it, and land it in a way that all parties walk away happy.

For more insights, good articles and advice, follow Joy at her handle, @DoItInPublic or visit her website that includes articles, speaking engagements and more: http://www.doitinpublic.com/

Iron Man II Remembers Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein

I, like millions of people across the United States, was waiting with bated breath for the "Iron Man" sequel to come out this weekend. I saw it and it did not disappoint me, whatsoever. However, this is not a movie review blog, but a PR blog, and I found something that was very interesting and I wanted to talk critically about here.
Adam Goldstein, known as DJ AM in Hollywood and in this movie, passed away in August.
When he appeared in the movie, I was curious to see how it would be handled in the credits.
A simple "in remembrance" plaque before the credits? A line at the very end?
Neither. The acknowledgement of AM's passing was sandwiched between technical kudos and the designer of Robert Downey Jr's suits.
The nature of whether or not it was disrespectful is definitely open to interpretation, but I found this placement to be in accordance with how AM's passing was referenced by the makers of the film: lightly mentioned but never exploited. Jon Favreau stated in August that "We tried to make it respectful, and for people who know him, they’ll get a kick out of it, and for people who don’t, it will sort of slide by without much notice..."
I would say they succeeded. In a Google search, there are very few articles dedicated to his appearance in the film. There is almost no critical mention of the usage of his likeness. I think Favreau and the creators accomplished their goal of respect, at least from the standpoint of a fan of AM's. There was nothing more than a small and collective "oh" from the packed house when he came on the screen, and it was barely noticeable.
I think it was important for the filmmakers to handle the situation this way. To cut him out would be an expensive but also an evasive maneuver, to someone whose bit had already been publicized beforehand. Instead, they created a subtle reverence that honored him and his talents rather than exploiting this as his "last appearance," as other films with late stars have been wont to do.
Publicity handled right, along with the exquisite product placement in this film.
Say what you will about the plot, but from a publicity standpoint? I give this film two thumbs way up.