Our class had the honor of having public relations and communications consultant, Renee Cossman, do a short lecture for us. With an extensive background in public relations and has worked at the three largest pr agencies in the country, Cossman had a lifetime of experience to share with us. Throughout the lecture, Cossman touched on many areas of PR including the different aspects of the industry, how agencies are operated, and the necessary skills and qualities to be successful in a public relations career.
Agency Organization
One of the areas Cossman was able to go in-depth on was how pr agencies are operated. Many of the agencies are held under an umbrella agency that disperses and suggests jobs and clients to the agencies for them to approve or deny jobs. The umbrella agency offers the same services to companies that are interested in working with one of the umbrella agency's agencies; offering them a chance to determine a company they would like to work with based on services and interests. This was interesting because I was unaware of the many intricate parts that back the agencies. To be able to see just how many pr agencies are held under one overall company gave a greater picture to just how competitive the pr world is. With all of these companies going after clients, the industry is crowded with potential.
"You still have to be able to write if you are going to do PR"
- Renee CossmanNecessary Assets
Towards the end of the lecture, Cossman went down a list of qualities that are needed to be successful in a pr position. Amongst networking, media sense and creativity, being able to write was on the list of suggested qualities. The ability to convey your message effectively and receive the intended response from your audience all comes down to how the message is crafted. Another quality that was emphasized was diligence. Cossman told of how stories and events aren't always interesting at face value and that it is up to the publicist to make the event interesting enough for media sources to deem it a newsworthy story.
Closing Thoughts
The lecture Renee Cossman gave was very helpful. Cossman was able to give insight on the industry on an aspect that was seemingly foreign to many of us in the audience. Knowing how pr agencies function will benefit many of us that are still in the process of deciding between agency and freelance. This information gives more information to better make that decision.
Aspiring Artist Development Consultant who has pursued this ambition via a global entertainment
promotions and production organization, blogging, producing YouTube content, music creation and production, and as a radio personality and production engineer on Denton, Texas’, community radio station. Forecasted career platform is advancing in the entertainment industry as a senior consultant to artists imaging, branding, and product marketing. Primary interests and competencies are inclusive of public speaking, artist development, social media, marketing, blogging, sound, and production.
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