Amanda Clark discusses her career in public relations. As a senior publicist, she manages branding and media relations for clients in the music industry. Her typical day involves finding opportunities to promote clients and keep their brands relevant. This may include responding to current events that feature clients. Clark emphasizes maintaining positive relationships and looking for mutually beneficial partnerships between clients and companies. While public relations involves long hours of writing, Clark believes it is a growing field due to its importance in times of crisis. Not all publicity is good, so determining the right approach depends on each client's goals.

1. Public Relations in a Nutshell
Amanda Clark interviewed by Carly Rogers

2. “What is the correct terminology?”
• Practitioner, Professional, or Publicist?
• Depends on field/company
• Corporate=Practitioner/Professional
• Entertainment=Publicist

3. “What do you do?”
• Marketing and branding
• Music releases
• All genres of music
• Working with media/Building relationships
• Building brands

4. “Where do you fit into your company?”
• Work for Webster PR-Kirt Webster: CEO/President
• Company based in Nashville; office in Kentucky
• Senior Publicist directly under CEO
• Reports to CEO

5. “What does your average day look like?”
• Changes daily
• Wake up looking for opportunities to grow brand/promote client
• Trying to stay relevant to what people are talking about

6. “Examples of ‘Staying Relevant’?”
• Clients who have/will play at SeaWorld
• SeaWorld has been in the news
• End to breeding program
• Clients respond positively
• SeaWorld appreciates publicity Wants to continue to hire client

7. -On Mutual Benefits
• Looking for “mutually beneficial opportunities”
• Opportunities that would profit the company and the client involved
• Publicity for company  more work for client

8. -On Maintaining Positive Relationships
• Asking for favors comes with maintaining equal opportunity
• New client wants opportunities
• PR Publicist has to deliver “the goods”

9. “What Is Your Personal Definition of PR?”
• Being the voice of a client
• Brand protection
• Developing brand identity
• Maintaining positive relationships

10. “What’s One Difference About PR Than Your
Original Expectations?”
• Very public
• Always was very shy
• Everything you write is written for the world to see

11. “What Are The Harder Aspects?”
• A lot of hours/time consuming
• A LOT of writing
• Can’t always make everyone happy
• Have to love Public Relations

12. “Is PR a Sustained Field or Is It Growing?”
• Growing!!!
• Not as recognized as most aspects of companies
• Often first to be cut, but always first priority in times of crisis

13. -On Examples of Difficult Decisions
• Some companies request “keeping things quiet”
• Forced to make ethical decisions
• Who you work for vs. What’s right for the public
• Determining the best avenue to venture

14. “Is all publicity good publicity?
• Depends on client’s goal
• Sometimes negative publicity is good for certain brands
• Most brands desire positive reputations

15. Conclusion
• Public Relations workers can be referred to by many different titles
• Manages many clientele and helps maintain positive name for brand
• Daily work: typical day is never “typical”
• Always trying to keep clients positively relevant to public
• Mutually beneficial opportunities for both client and company
• Maintaining positive relationships (in general) is KEY
• PR is being the voice of your client and building the brand
• PR isn’t always easy; you can’t make everyone happy
• PR will continue to be a growing field
• Not all publicity is good publicity

16. Special Thanks
• To Dr. Trowbridge for the incentive of meeting Mrs. Amanda Clark
• To Mr. Lee Willard of Straight 8 Entertainment for the connection
• To Mrs. Amanda Clark for her time and information
• To the class for being a good audience