Episode #9: Staying Positive During Covid-19 With Aira's PR Team
“It’s so subjective at the minute with what journalists want to do [...] There’s been conflicting or contradictory comments made. One person saying ‘Do this,’ the other saying ‘Don’t do that.’ Really, just make sure you’re doing your research more than ever.”
- Aoife O’Connor, Digital PR Team Leader
Originally, we intended to hop on a call to catch up on work and life with the Aira PR team. Instead, we decided to hit that record button and bring this conversation to listeners to talk about how a real PR firm is handling pitching under Covid-19 successfully. Quite frankly, we love how these creative geniuses have balanced client and reporter expectations seamlessly under this pandemic. Their insight serves as an inspiration for all PR’s during this time.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How they managed and pivoted client work post-Covid
The unique ways they’ve built relationships with reporters
How to stay light-hearted in your storytelling without being tone-deaf
Our guests are:
Shannon McGuirk, Head of PR
Aliyah Loughlan, Digital PR Executive
Aoife O’Connor, Digital PR Team Leader
Georgia Keenan, Digital PR Account Manager
Love the episode? Subscribe on Apple Podcast and please leave us a review on iTunes!
Timestamps
:33 -- Britt gives an intro to the digital PR team at Aira, and asks for them to give a brief overview of who Aira is.
3:35 -- Britt asks the team if they have changed their pitching. Aliyah talks about navigating media furloughs.
4:25 -- Jackie asks if they’ve been able to build new relationships during this time.
5:40 -- Jackie asks the team where they find out about webinars.
6:51 -- Britt asked if they had to re-evaluate any planned content campaigns (short answer: yes). They give a real example of a campaign they had to pivot from quickly.
12:10 -- Britt mentions how positive they’re being during this time. Shannon talks about how important it is for PR’s to maintain this level of positivity at this time.
12:50 -- Jackie asks if they’ve viewed a shift in their work over the last few weeks due to “Coronavirus-fatigue.”
17:06 -- Jackie asks for them to share any advice around what not to do during this time. This is where they discuss coming up with positive, light-hearted ideas without being tone-deaf.
19:16 -- Jackie asks how Aira approaches brainstorming during this time. They discuss an unrestrictive, all-team brainstorm they held.
23:33 -- Jackie asks them to take a step back and talk about their mention of sending gifts to journalists, and if they’ve relied on that during this time.
25:27 -- Britt asks how their clients are reacting to this new way of working. (Spoiler: they are reacting surprisingly well, actually!)
27:45 -- Britt asks for any final words of advice for PR’s struggling with their jobs at this time.
Connect with Aira
Connect with Jackie & Britt
podcast@weearnmedia.com
