Public Relations guru Stephanie is excited to be a WWPR member and
Co-Chair of the Professional Development group
Background in Public Relations
Stephanie currently works at The Reis Group, a boutique public relations agency that focuses solely on health, healthcare, and social issues. She’s been with the firm for seven years since graduating from college with her degree in communications (after doing a million internships!) The most challenging part of her job is making tough decisions—whether it’s a recommendation to a client or a response to a reporter—and avoiding typos while doing everything as quickly and efficiently as possible! The most exciting part of her day is always different—it could be writing a blog about a patient’s personal health story, pitching reporters on a breaking news story, brainstorming creative ideas for a campaign launch, or securing a keynote presentation for a client’s CEO.
Becoming a WWPR Member
Stephanie joined WWPR several years ago to connect with and learn from other PR professionals. She believes WWPR is a really strong organization and the leadership has always come across as very thoughtful, well-organized, and resourceful. She joined the professional development committee to get more involved, help out, and meet new people. She believes the saying is true, “you get out of it what you put into it”. The more involved she has become in the organization, the more valuable it has been.
Keeping up on PR trends
To keep up on the latest PR trends, Stephanie joined Michael Smart’s “Inner Circle” group, a training and coaching program for PR professionals, that focuses heavily on media relations. Listening in on his monthly webinars and reading his weekly emails helps her keep up with trends. He is always exploring new strategies or new ways to approach tried and true tactics. In addition, she attends PR events and award ceremonies, like the Platinum PR Awards Gala in NYC last month, which helps spark ideas for future campaigns.
Trends in Public Relations
Stephanie sees two trends in public relations: data and owned content. She believes data is increasingly important for news coverage, and it’s expanding beyond customized surveys and published research. Organizations can analyze their internal data to create news nuggets. Secondly, she sees that as publications cut their news staff in half, and earned media coverage is harder to place, it’s important to pay attention to owned content and think creatively about how to break through the noise to engage your target audiences.
Favorite Things to Do
Stephanie loves FOOD and exercise. She chronicles her foodie adventures on Instagram (@DC_licious), and recently ran her first 10-mile race, the Army 10-miler. She also love ClassPass (great variety in workouts!), checking out fun events or new restaurants in the city, and traveling as much as possible (this year was her “year of the bachelorettes”).
New Role with WWPR
Article was written by Florence Sumaray, Digital & Marketing Communications Expert; WWPR Member
Stephanie is excited to dive into her new role as the Co-Chair of Professional Development with WWPR! Their committee is brainstorming events for next year, so feel free to share any ideas or suggestions! Stephanie.Wight@WWPR.org.