1. What is PR in the Corporate World?
By Julia Igli
2. Tyson Foods Inc.
• Founded by John Tyson in 1935
• Headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas
• One of the world’s largest processors and marketers of
chicken, beef, and pork
3. Director of PR
• Gary Mickelson
• Manages media relations for Tyson
(helps provide other communications
and support
• Reports to the head of external
relations (Sara Lilygren) and she
reports to the CEO of the company
• Sara Lilygren is the highest ranking
woman of the company!
• https://twitter.com/TysonInfo
4.
5. Average Day?
• Communicating to reporters about what the company is doing
right
• Write news releases, speeches, questions reporters have
Example: budget cuts from federal government (temporary of the
meat inspectors… but you can’t run the plants without the
inspectors)
• Helps out with interviews and questions that may be asked
through building a relationship with the interviewer (create a
mock Q & A)
• “PR is doing all the ‘good’ for the company”
6. Educational Background &
Experience
• Degree: agricultural journalism from Iowa University
• Started off working for a newspaper at an ABC TV station
• Worked in TV news for 7 years as an anchorman
• Wanted job with better hours and better pay– applied for a
job in PR
Got the job because of the RELATIONSHIPS he built through his
previous experience in broadcast journalism
Company was facing a crisis and they needed somebody with an
inside to reporters
“The true core of PR is building relationships”
7. Ups and Downs
• UPSIDE: “I enjoy working with a corporation because I get to
work with so many facets of the company;
healthy, safety, product development, etc.”
• DOWNSIDE: The challenge
• DAILY ACTIVITIES: “come in with a list of projects, but you can
guarantee there will be many interruptions, short
deadlines, and demands. But, we have a great team”
8. Research
• “Research is happening ALL THE TIME. Although I’m not a
reporter anymore, it’s still just the same”
• Multiple sources, draft a statement, send it back out to the
other sources, make sure it’s accurate, change it
up, rewrite, run it by another level, and then send the info.
Out to the reporter.
• EVALUATION:
‘Teams Review’: sit down with a supervisor every year and say
how each person did, how they are responding, how well they
work with everybody, and then you set goals
Important to meet other PR people in companies connected with
Tyson i.e. PR people that work for Tyson’s customers
9. Skills… Traits… Misconceptions, oh my!
• Skills: Excellent writer, verbal communication
skills, relationship building
• “I think it’s great to know when to STOP talking”
Big misconception: “PR and marketing are not the same– it is
part of a marketing effort, but by large we are dealing with
issues management, either proactively or reactively”
10. Advice from the Experienced
• “I personally wish I had had more training on organizational
skills and budgeting”
• Minor in business
• Work on leadership skills
• Take reporting classes as an elective
• “In many PR situations you will be forced to work with reporters
and it is important to see how they work”
11. Definition of PR
• “Doing the right thing and using public relations to share what
you’re doing– if you aren’t doing the right thing, PR isn’t going
to help you at all”
-- Gary Mickelson
