Traveling With Lola

“New York, New York.” Leading up to my research trip to New York City, I must have listened to that song by Frank Sinatra 100 times or more. But I couldn’t help it. I was so excited for the opportunity to not only interview C-suite executives in the media capital of the world, but I was also thrilled for the chance to explore the city that never sleeps, especially since I hadn’t been there since I was 10 years old. All I can say is that my expectations were exceeded and when I arrived at midnight that Monday of Spring Break, (I bought a cheap flight to save money LOL!) I had no idea what the next week had in store for me. 

I guess I should first give some background of how I ended up in New York alone for my thesis project. My thesis project with the Schedler Honors College is creating a student-run public relations firm on UCA’s campus. I wanted to create a student-run agency because there is a lot to be said for “hands-on” real-world experience for students, especially as they look for jobs as they are transitioning from university to a full-time career. I was inspired to create this firm after I learned the hard way in my internship that sometimes class work doesn’t always transition to real-world requirements of a job. I have worked in the marketing industry for over a year now and I think that working in a student-run PR firm when I first got to UCA would have made my transition from school to career much easier. With that being said, I knew I needed to travel to New York to interview some “big-time” executives of the larger PR and marketing firms in the city. 

My objective was to get an inside look of how these larger PR firms operate, including their internal structure, client acquisition, hiring processes, marketing tactics, etc. in order to apply this information to the creation of an agency on campus. The first interview I was able to secure was with a UCA alumnae of the School of Communication who works in the entertainment industry in New York, what a coincidence! After chatting about his time at UCA and his experiences in school, he provided insight into his work with the Creative Artists Agency, a big-time talent-management company that works with publicity for influencers and celebrities. He told me about how PR and brand management plays a role in his agency and he also told me about all the celebrities he works with on a daily basis! SO. COOL! It was fascinating to meet with a UCA alumnae just a few years older than me who traveled so far from Conway to now work with huge, global celebrities. It really shows that UCA’s tagline is accurate: Go here. Go anywhere! #RollBears. 

Throughout the rest of my six-day trip, I had the opportunity to meet with a diverse array of professionals, from a CEO of a startup-focused PR agency to the top two largest PR agencies in the city, Edelman and Prosek Partners. Though each agency has noticeably different culture and procedures, I noticed consistent themes across these interviews. The main ideas I took away from these interviews include: 

1. Good public relations professionals stay updated on the news and recognize relevant trends for their clients. 
2. In marketing, you’re not selling a product. You’re telling a story. 
3. Compatibility between clients’ needs and an agency’s culture is important. 
4. BONUS: PR has the ability to create real change in the world. 

Outside of the corporate world I found myself in, I still had time to explore the city. I visited the MET museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Natural History Museum (I am a museum nerd if you couldn’t tell), Central Park, SOHO district, Wall Street, Manhattan, and so much more. I averaged walking over 10 miles a day according to my Apple Watch, but I feel like I didn’t even see a fraction of all that NYC has to offer. Overall, I am grateful I had the opportunity to visit New York as part of my research in the Schedler Honors College, and I am grateful to have received an URGE grant to help fund my research. Long story short, I would return to the Big Apple in a heartbeat. Just like Jay-Z says in his classic “Empire State of Mind,” “Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there’s nothin’ you can’t do, now you’re in New York!”