Kempten Taylor is the Director of Communications at Green Olive Media (GOM), located in Atlanta, Ga. She is a 2006 Graduate of Georgia Southern University. Kempten earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Relations.
Q: What is Green Olive Media?
A: Green Olive Media (GOM) is an integrated design and marketing firm, specializing in brand development. The ideal client is a hotel or restaurant that is under construction. Green Olive Media will help them name the company, design logos and graphics for it, and create the opening event for the establishment. Graphic design and public relations services comprise Green Olive Media.
Q: What’s a typical week like?
A: No week is ever typical. Since you’re not dealing with just one client, you have a variety of different things to do on any given day. Typically I have 10-15 meetings a week. Half of the meetings are with clients, where you review their plans and get approval for communication pieces such as press releases and email campaigns. I handle everyone’s media and advertising buying, which consists of shopping around and finding the lowest prices possible for the best services available. I am also in charge of the internship program at GOM, where we have two interns each semester. In addition, I deal with new businesses and business development. I do a lot of presentations for potential clients and frequently take potential clients on business dinners.
Q: How many hours per week do you usually work? Is it common to take work home?
A: I work 50-60 hours per week. It is very common to take work home and my Blackberry is a necessity. Since I work with clients from the hospitality industry, I must be reachable at all times. Their hours require them to work odd hours, so if they need my assistance during those times, they know they can count on me to answer their calls and emails.
Q: Tell me about a project you worked on that you are especially proud of.
A: One project that I am especially proud of was the rebranding of Riverdale, Ga. The campaign we constructed and carried out was called “Faces of Riverdale.” In 2007, the city of Riverdale had the highest crime rate in the state of Georgia. People did not want to move there, open businesses there, and were even hesitant to visit the city. Our campaign focused on bringing out the positive aspects of the city and creating awareness for where it is located. GOM created billboards, planned community events, and highlighted success stories of Riverdale residents to draw attention to the community and show it in a positive light. In the end, we recreated the image of Riverdale. Green Olive Media won awards for public relations and graphic design for their work on this project.
Q: How important is writing in your career?
A: Writing is the most important aspect of my job. If you have good writing skills and are a strategic thinker, you will be successful in the public relations field.
Q: What three tips would you offer someone just starting out in PR?
A: 1. Think about what you really enjoy because when it comes down to it, you need to be interested in what you’re doing. You should decide if you want to work with an agency or a corporation because they are completely different.
2. Never stop writing. Now that I’m doing managerial things and not writing as much, I realize that it is very hard to get out of the groove. Although you may have other responsibilities, make sure you never stop writing.
3. Know your social media!
Q: What do you do to keep current in the PR industry?
A: One of the most important things is to read a lot. I read about 60 magazines a month. I also read newspapers such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The best thing is RSS feed. This way, you can have all of your favorite publications sent to you automatically. I am also active in the Atlanta chapter of PRSSA. It is nice to go to meetings and hear people who have been in the business for many years talk about their experiences and ideas.
Q: What do you wish you would have known before starting your career in PR?
A: I wish I would have known that client relations would be so difficult in regards to proving measurements. You need to be able to show return for your investments. Also, I have to deal with some people who have strong personalities and are difficult to work with.
Q: Did your education prepare you for working in PR? How?
A: Yes, I believe so. Georgia Southern has one of the best public relations programs. Since I am in charge of the internship program, I have dealt with students from many different colleges including the University of Georgia and Duke. In my experience, I think the interns from Georgia Southern are the most knowledgeable.
Q: What has surprised you the most about working in PR?
A: What surprised me the most was the amount of hours it takes to get a story placed and to be successful in the business. We must assess if we are generating a profit for the company and if the money earned was comparably greater than the number of hours dedicated to work. It takes more than I ever thought it would to be successful in the industry. With the agency world, you can never stop. People are constantly trying to get in touch with you and there are always deadlines that must be met. Also, journalists are procrastinators.
Q: How has PR changed since you entered the field?
A: The biggest and most important change that has occurred in public relations since I have entered the field is the integration of social media. When I started my job, nobody was talking about social media. Now, it is such a huge part of my job. I’m constantly buying books and figuring it out. Right now I’m playing a catch up game and it’s hard to keep up with what’s next.
Q: How does technology affect your daily work?
A: I use social media every day. Also, I could not do my job without my Blackberry.
Q: Do you have an area of specialization? What?
A: Yes, my specialties are food and beverage, hospitality, and municipalities. I work with a lot of celebrity chefs. To give you a feel of a day in my life, I’ll give you an example: I was working with my client, Puff Daddy on the opening of his new restaurant in Atlanta. He told me to contact the media and bring in as many people as possible to cover the opening of the restaurant. I contacted companies who flew their employees into Atlanta and media came from all over to capture the opening of the celebrity’s restaurant. On the day of the opening, Puff Daddy didn’t show up.
Q: When your company is hiring for an entry-level PR position, what makes a candidate stand out?
A: First and foremost, impressions are made in the first 30 seconds. What you do in those 30 seconds determines a lot. Be prepared and bring a resume and writing samples. Make sure you speak properly and do not use slang. The more real-life experience you have, the better. Also, we look at potential employees’ social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. We look to see you are posting relevant information such as public relations articles and field-related blogs. If we see you are promoting yourself and your knowledge in ways like this, we feel like you will do so for clients as well.
Q: What professional organizations are you involved in?
A: PRSA- Georgia Young Professionals Board, Atlanta Press Club, American Marketing Association, Slow Food USA, Southern Foodways Alliance, James Beard Foundation, Board of Peachtree Road Farmers Market
Contact Kempten Taylor and visit these websites:
- http://www.linkedin.com/in/kemptentaylor
- http://greenolivemedia.com/
- http://greenolivemedia.blogspot.com/
- http://twitter.com/kemptent
Q: After interviewing this person, are you (the PRCA 3711/4711 student) more or less likely to want to have a career in PR? Why?
A: After interviewing Kempten, I am more likely to have a career in the PR field. I enjoy working in a fast-paced work environment and I like seeing the product of my hard work. A couple of drawbacks of the industry are the long hours and difficult people that you encounter. I also feel that to best prepare myself for the industry, I must become an expert on social media.
