We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jane Owen. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jane below.
Jane , appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.
Publicity has often gotten a bad rap.
Additionally a lot of people confuse it with marketing or advertising. It is neither.
Publicity or Public Relations, often called PR is the business of generating press and exposure for a client by liaising and communicating with Journalists, TV Producers, Podcast Producers, and all types of media, on behalf of the client to generate Press.
In addition to this core business model, PR often also adds to this any other ways of generating Press & Media attention. Publicity stunts are activities that get that attention. These days they revolve a lot around bringing in celebrities or influencers with a lot of reach. We also produce events for the same reason, to bring together the press and celebrities to pay attention to a specific client – that could be a company, a product, a person, a film, anything really.,
It is at its core a relationship based business. Because of this it’s not something that can be easily predicted. For example with advertising, you are purchasing a page in a magazine or a time slot on tv, you know exactly what you are getting. With PR you are working with unknowns, will the press be excited by the product, will it fit with what they are looking to cover that day or that issue? PR relies on their relationships to get the product in front of the right person but then it’s up to the editor or producer or journalist to say yes or no.
As a result a lot of PR people get accused of being scammers or talking a big game and not delivering. In reality it’s probably 50/50, some people who call themselves publicist are just scammers, some are just young and inexperienced so don’t have the relationships, and the other percentage the client has a product that is not interesting enough at that time.
However – We have found that our “secret sauce” gives us a higher percentage of results. This is something that has developed through the changing landscape of digital press, through the pandemic and through the changes at the top levels of the magazine and newspaper publishing world who are laying off people left and right.
Our divergent approach is to be the journalist ourselves, be the agent for the celebrity and be the proactive publicist creating as much interest as possible. Instead of reacting only to what’s already available with the client we generate interest. Often times even writing the magazine articles ourselves with the approval of the magazines. Talking directly one on one with the celebrity to find the authentic or “organic” relationship between them and the client. Imagining and then creating the events that will best serve the client and make the press pay attention instead of waiting for the right event to come along. All these actions when done simultaneously have proven to generate the best results I’ve seen in 20+ years in the industry.
Jane , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
JOPR: Elevating Luxury & Innovation in the Global Arena. At the intersection of fashion, film, technology, and lifestyle, we are the voice of luxury brands, cutting-edge innovation, and unparalleled talent. Our multifaceted approach spans Press, Communications, Social Media, VIP engagements, Events, and groundbreaking Brand & Creative Strategies. Culturally attuned and deeply connected, we collaborate with our clients to amplify their stories, leaving an indelible mark. At JOPR, our seasoned team of communication maestros is driving the conversations that matter today.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Word of mouth has always been the only way we have grown as a company. Our reputation is everything and we have grown from Happy Clients introducing us to new clients.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
When I started out I didn’t really pay attention to how I presented myself. I felt that it was the client that needed to be front and center and that because I was in the background I didn’t need to care much about my appearance. My own presentation didn’t matter only the clients. I felt my work would be good enough and no one would care how I looked.
I have learnt that it ALL matters. I am an extension of my clients. I need to be as presentable from the get go as possible. People make judgements right away from the start and why would you start off any relationship from a disadvantage. As Coco Chanel said “Dress badly they notice the dress, Dress well and they notice the Woman” it’s the same principle just replace woman with Work!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.janeowenpr.com
- Instagram: @janeowenpr
Image Credits
Jane Owen PR