Marketing guru, Seth Godin has intrigued us with another blog; in which he writes about “self marketing might be the most important kind.” "What story do you tell yourself about yourself?"

“Do you have an elevator pitch that reminds you that you're a struggling fraud, certain to be caught and destined to fail? Are you marketing a perspective and an attitude of generosity? When you talk to yourself, what do you say? Is anyone listening?” Kezi did an exercise whereby every  team member had to read the blog and write a 30 second elevator pitch marketing themselves to the team, they had to sell their skills and attributes to the team / clients.

To read this blog-please visit

www.sethgodin.com

Keri-Ann Clark

Pitch to client: If you trust me with your brand, I will live, eat and breathe it.  I will come up with interesting ideas and angles that are on strategy and will bring results.  You will hear from me constantly as I pushback, ideate or simply share yay’s.  I work fast, act fast and become part of your team.  I put results on the table.

Pitch to team: I will troubleshoot, ideate and strategise. I will not think for you or tolerate lazy, lizard brain.  I will help you refine your work, add value and celebrate your yay’s.  I will quickly tell you when you have dropped the ball and how to get it up in the air again.  And even through you may be in a puddle by the time I am done, I will always have your back.

Candice Dunn

Who is Kezi: Kezi Communications is a fast paced deadline driven environment.  Our daily, weekly, monthly objective is to service our clients in a way that no other communications company can. We pay attention to the finest detail and think out of the box.  Our ideas are creative, wild and exciting – just when our client’s think the job cannot be done.  There is no such thing as ‘cannot do’.

Why me – AM for GIBB and BN.  If everyone was the same and thought the same way, how boring would we be … Clients like GIBB and BN wouldn’t require the skills of a PR company and I wouldn’t exist at Kezi … So what value do I bring to the table?  I am organised by nature making sure that everything has its place and ensuring that client deadlines are being met. I am a loyal person to both my clients, friends and family.

Your need for an AM who can handle breaking news deadlines is just what I want and can handle.  Previous working environments taught me to organise and prioritise for superior time management skills I wouldn’t have succeeded without mastering these skills.  Considering the demand of deadlines within Kezi, I see multitasking skills as especially important in a PR/communications career.  May track record is above average in client retention and service delivery which has led to as much as a 67 percent increase in generation of sales from the year I took over at previous employment.  In summary, I believe I have their required skills and experience you seed to be a true Kezian, as well as a positive attitude toward constructive criticism and personal learning’s.

Margie Macintosh

Do you know how companies get articles or editorial into newspapers and magazines that are not paid for advertising?

Well that falls under PR – and that is what I do.  I take information from my client, whether it is corporate or project related, turn it into a story or article, and submit to the relevant focused targeted media whether it be newspapers, magazines or on-line, where I know it will be used/featured absolutely free and gratis to the client.  This is particularly unique strength of mine, as I achieve success where others fail.  I can see the potential, pick out the correct angle, choose the correct media, and submit to the correct people, thus achieving better results than most.  I represent a company who pride themselves on being “can do – just did” kind of people.  We offer full service marketing, communication and digital PR.  Can we set a meeting up for next week so that I can show you proof of my results and some examples so that you can clearly see what I can offer you.  There is so much more to PR and I need time to explain.

Maryke Willis

This is not a rhyme, but more of a riddle.  About a young woman, who knows her fidget from her fiddle.  Writer by day, poet by night.  She is pedantic about spelling and wrestles until its right.  She likes learning from the ants, but also likes to dream.  As an only child, she prefers the term “team”.  She sometimes frowns, and sometimes she worries.  But don’t be alarmed – she is just in a hurry.  Random, reader and little offbeat.  She is your girl if you want something neat.  Sensitive, she knows, but to the needs of others.  She is who she is – she wears not covers.  If she were an animal just for one day, she would be a butterfly – a worm that has come a long way. Now for the answer, I know you’ll get it right.  Who is this girl, writer by day and poet by night?  Nothing rhymes with her surname or with her name.  But Maryke Willis, in a nutshell, is the answer to this jest’ game.

Jessica-Anne Wheeler

I am a publicist.  Just not the ordinary kind.  I don’t do half measures, I don’t do failure.  Don’t take this as a sign of being unshakably stubborn – it’s just my relentless pursuit of doing things differently, quicker, smarter and with more punch.  It’s not just about getting media coverage – my job and my skills means I wear more than one hat in any given day – publicist, negotiator, writer, strategist, developer, researcher, marketer, designer but above all … it’s my curiosity that sets me a part.  I want to know everything.  I like to know how things work, how your part fits in my puzzle and how to get the job done better.  I need to know how trends fit into my industry, how to exploit opportunities and how to set clients, and myself, apart from the infamous ‘grey fuzzy’ stuff that gets lost in one of the most competitive industries in the world.  I bore easily, I am demotivated by red tape, predictability and short-sightedness, but I thrive on a challenge that stretches my ability, forces me to learn and allows me to wake up every morning not knowing how the day will turn out.

LJ Swart

It might seem a bit arrogant but I am a very confident PR consultant that’s been successful on various levels in the industry, never shying away from a challenge I come up with solutions that ensures I have my client’s backs. Various, diverse levels of expertise that goes hand in hand with my PR qualifications gives my client’s peace of mind. A supplier that is available 24 hours of the day and that fixes a problem regardless of what the challenge poses, is a very brief way of summing me up.

Ceri Jane Oakes

Since I started working in 1978, I have been involved in many aspects of business which began with data capture and then followed computer software development, computer training, secretary to an MD, Socks Brand Manager, assisted on sock designs, Barbie Licensing Manager, qualifications in aromatherapy and reflexology, managed a music related magazine, owned my own weight management franchise and also qualified as a Body Stress Practitioner.

This was all achieved over a period of 32 years – might I just add that I am now 18 165 days old! 

So I can help you with computers, typing – over 100 words a minute and 99% accuracy, training, secretarial duties, marketing and design, effective running of a company, body and foot massages, teach you to eat properly and help you get rid of your stress.

Aurelle Franks

I love being challenged- I love proving to myself that I can do things. These types of accomplishments drive me, no matter how small. One challenge I am still yet to experience is getting my Masters degree (it’s on my List of things to do before I die) so I’ll find the time mentally in December to begin this and start 2011 off with a bang. I work best under pressure- burning the mid-night oil; heart palpitations and panic help me get things done properly. At the tender age of 23 my life is my work and my work is my life-  I will always go the extra mile to keep people happy- and I hate conflict (but can stand my ground if I need to- so beware).  I love learning new things, growing and becoming better at everything I do.  To live is to learn and just like everyone on earth- I do not know everything but every day is an opportunity to discover, make mistakes and above all learn from them.

Mbali Mokoena

Purpose driven, ambitious, reliable, and honest and a hard worker are just a few words that describe who I am.  I am a young woman with dreams of pursuing my career in Public Relations, I love taking on new challenges and I am not afraid of change.  My work is good but better when I am under pressure.    You need me so why not hire me?

Publicity misinterpreted, Public relations misunderstood

According to Seth Godin (www.sethegodin.typepad.com/seths blog) most PR firms do publicity, not PR. Publicity is the act of getting ink. Publicity is getting unpaid media to pay attention, write you up, point to you, run a picture, and make a commotion. Sometimes publicity is helpful, and good publicity is always good for the ego... but it is not PR.

People often confuse PR with Publicity. It is important that companies understand what they specialise in, so that it can be easier for them to educate their clients about the difference between the two. The aim of public relations is to protect an organisations or individual’s reputation, it is also the long-term strategic planning that businesses and organizations undertake to build awareness and relationships with the public. On the other hand publicity is referred to as free media; the goal of publicity is to get attention in online and traditional media, news coverage, features articles and talk show interviews etc.

Publicity is useful for small businesses because it is focused on getting exposure while keeping costs down. Many companies (small businesses) hire publicity firms because they need to get exposure in order to grow or to be successful. People who work for publicity companies often have the task of “paying attention to the smallest detail, ” this is essential in publicity companies because if the wrong message is communicated, the client will not be happy and the public will have a different corporate image about your client  and about you. 

Clients never really know what they want and this becomes a problem for most publicity companies because they need to work on assumptions, however this is not the greatest step to take for the publicity companies because if you don’t do what they want, you are bound to work like a headless chicken, hence it is imperative that you MAKE your client know and understand what they want.

This industry is huge and is growing and ongoing. If you fail to deliver as a PR or Publicity company, you are bound to lose your client to your competitor; therefore as a publicity company you need to be creative, unique, you need to have a personal and professional relationship with your clients, the media and the public and you should never be too busy for your client.  Press releases should be more than just interesting. According to Seth Godin’s blog, if you send a boring press release, your publicity efforts will probably fail, but PR already. These are truly wise words from a wise man.

In conclusion, what is the difference between publicity and PR? Publicity is designed to keep you in the news and PR is designed to keep out.