It’s no secret that the PR World is a tough one; the profession was recently deemed the 5th most stressful job in America by Careercast. Add fashion into the mix, and you have a perfect storm of big personalities, long hours and constant change. That being said, there are definite rewards to being involved in this seemingly glamorous, fast-paced career, which explains why so many are drawn to the profession. Winston Ma is one of those PR pros that makes it all look easy; he can be found at any major event in the city, coolly schmoozing with Canada’s fashion innovators. As Account Executive at Lotus Leaf Communications, one of the foremost fashion PR agencies in the city, he works closely with a number of fantastic brands on a daily basis. Read on to discover how Winston got his start in the industry and his career tips for any aspiring practitioners.
Zoe: How did you get your start in the PR industry?
Winston: Like most fashion lovers, I worked in retail before my PR career began. For the longest time, I knew I wanted to work in fashion…just not on the sales floor. At the time, I didn’t even know what PR was! After researching different aspects of the fashion industry, I realized that perhaps PR might be “my calling”: I wasn’t afraid to talk to strangers, I was able to sell AND I loved talking! I applied to a 6-month internship program, got in and that started my career.
Z: What’s the best part of your job?
W: Being able to work with media outlets that you grew up reading and admiring. Ever since I could formulate an opinion, I’ve always been intrigued by the news, in particular. I grew up watching Peter Mansbridge and reading newspapers from front to back. At one point, I wanted to be a journalist. I have massive respect for editors/journalists and what they do. So to be able to be a part of that industry is a dream come true.
Z: What advice would you give to those looking to make a career in fashion PR?
W: Know what’s going on in the world. It’s an integral part of any publicist’s job to not only know, but truly understand what’s happening in the world. Knowing who the editors are in the major fashion publications, to the recent statistics on job outsourcing and the latest on the Bangladeshi tragedy, our job is to be able to communicate a message across boards: meaning, not JUST fashion, but business, politics, sociology and yes, even science.
Z: What does your job entail on a day to day basis?
W: It varies depending on the day, but typically emails to clients/colleagues/media on matters such as setting up an interview and coordinating a segment. My role as an Account Executive is to not only handle media relations but to also handle client relations as well, for example: ensuring that our clients’ wants gets translated to a realistic goal. I am also constantly in contact with media from across the board. It’s absolutely crucial to be in constant contact with them, or risk missing out on opportunities (though there is a fine line between being in contact with them and being a pest to them). The real beauty with the PR industry is that we’re not just a publicist (pfft, that would be boring), but on any given day we’re also a: creative writer, editor, journalist, blogger, social media manager, stylist, producer, on air expert, copy writer, accountant, travel agent, copy editor, and most importantly, brand guardian.
Z: Name 3 qualities that are a must for anyone entering the PR world.
W: 1) Detail oriented – We’re dealing with people trained on facts and weeding out junk news. It’s important that you’re sending out the right pitch to the right journalist. Or that your client impressions list is flawless. Even the most innocent of typos could damage your reputation with the editor/journalist/producer!
2) Perseverance – When the going gets tough…this industry is honestly not for everyone. But if this is really what you want to do for a living, keep at it. A pitch didn’t work with a major editor (hey, it happens to the best of us)? Find a new angle and pitch again. The most successful publicists are those who kept at it, and never gave in.
3) Work life balance – The PR industry can often feel like it’s consumed your whole life: work work work, even when you come home from the office. It’s crucial to have a balance, or face the risk of burning out really quickly. Join a gym (which I highly recommend!), volunteer after-hours, anything that will stop you from checking your inbox every two minutes outside of the office. It goes a long way to better health and peace of mind!
Z: How do you see the industry changing in the next five years?
W: Our industry will forever be linked with what’s happening in the media landscape. Whatever happens with media will make a huge impact on us. From the looks of things, editors are looking at ways to digitalize their content even more, and relying less on print. Our industry is also looking at ways to offer more digitalized content to both the public and media. With social media being a daily routine for most people in the Western world, I think it will play an even bigger role with how we as an industry communicate our clients’ messages to the masses. I also see a big shift with our industry on finally solving a conundrum that has stumped us for many years: how to quantify what we do and translate it to an actual sales figure to our clients? It’s great that a piece of coverage that we garnered in XYZ publication will have an opportunity to receive X-amount of readers, but what does it actually mean sales wise? I think in five years’ time, more and more agencies will start looking at ways to quantify their work and figure out the real value of a front page cover story.
By: Zoe Alexandra Torell, Toronto
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