Public relations may be his M.O., but this month’s TJA team talent, Keller Perry, has more to him than that! Get to know Keller’s background and what he loves most about PR and working at TJA.Â
1.) What college did you graduate from? Major?
Arizona State University with a major in Journalism and Mass Communication, Digital Media
2.) Where did you grow up?
Mesa, AZ
3.) What got you interested in the marketing/advertising agency?
My first internship was a PR position at an agency in the Valley. I was immediately hooked by the fast-paced, no-one-day-is-the-same culture and the broad opportunities a public relations career had to offer.
4.) What are some challenges you face in your role at TJA?
Staying ahead of the game with media. Doing the research, getting to know contacts in the media and figuring out what a reporter will be interested in, and then providing them with the content or source right when they need it.
5.) What success have you had in your role at TJA?
Placing a story for a client that makes a tangible difference is always a win. With some of the media stories we secured, the PR team has helped sell out events, make reservations and put butts in seats at happy hours.
6.) What is your favorite part about your job?
I love that every day is different. I could be prepping a client before they go on camera at a news station one day, writing a press release another day and then having happy hour with a reporter the next day. The variety each day brings keeps things interesting and keeps me on my toes.
7.) What do you know now that you wish you knew at the start of your career?
That there isn’t a formula to this job. You get out of it what you put in, and there are always more ways than one to get to a solution.
8.) What are some tools you use everyday that are specific to your role at TJA?
There are the PR and media-specific tools, like News Exposure to track client media hits and Cision to search journalist databases. News consumption also is important, so I use feedly and am constantly reading headlines on local news websites.
9.) What’s trending now in your department? What do you see happening in the future?
I see the gap closing between PR and digital media content creators. The foundation of the job will be the same: get your client in front of people’s eyeballs. But the way we do that, whether it’s an in-depth newspaper article or a behind-the-scenes video on Facebook, will fall under our department’s responsibilities.
10.) What kind of work were you doing prior to TJA?
Unsuccessfully selling real estate.
11.) What would you tell someone who wants to start a career as a Public Relations Junior Account Manager?
Know your grammar, practice your writing and make as many connections as possible. In this line of work, you’ll never know when you’ll see someone again.
