EPISODE 12: HOW TO STRATEGIZE AND BUILD A GAME CHANGING BRAND WITH BEE BROWN
Live Date: August 9, 2021
Show Description: On today's episode, Heather welcomes fellow public relations specialist and entrepreneur Bee Brown. As successful women who come from different backgrounds in PR, they connect on how valuable their different perspectives can be and how important it is to build those connections between other professionals in the industry. They discuss strategy versus tactics, three factors to identify when it's time for you to invest in PR, and the importance of shifting your narrative away from what is traditionally in the media. Bee provides insightful advice to both those looking to grow their brands and become game-changers in their respective fields.
This Episode Will Teach You:
The difference between strategy and tactic
The three factors to identifying when it's time to invest in public relations
What PR professionals look for when determining if they want to sign a client and represent them well
The biggest mistakes clients make when it comes to strategy
The importance of shifting the traditional narrative and finding what makes you stand out
The value of having different perspectives and having those uncomfortable conversations
Biggest Takeaways:
Heather and Bee discuss the importance of building a network of individuals that bring a wide variety of perspectives to the table. With Bee running a Black-owned agency, they explore how individuals who look different, whether it be skin colors or gender, have endured different experiences and how valuable those experiences can be when it comes to public relations. It is essential to take those opportunities to learn from others and get out of what feels comfortable to see change.
Heather and Bee talk about why it is essential to stray away from the traditional and fill voids within the industry they serve. Brands that are going out of their way to shift the narrative ultimately stand out and gain more recognition for it. It is all about getting above the noise and figuring out what will make your brand stand out to the public. Whether that is making a bold statement or discovering what is missing for your target audience, it all comes down to being strategic with your brand.
Heather and Bee discuss the value of investing in public relations and what goes into successfully building the basis for your company. Strategy is the blueprint for your business foundations. Whether that involves your financial, PR, or culture, your business needs something to stand on to be successful. Strategy defines your long-term goals and gives you the path you need towards achieving your brand mission.
About the Guest:
Brittni Brown is a public relations specialist and founder of The Bee Agency, a public relations firm located in Detroit. Having a strong passion for helping others, Bee has shifted narratives and served as a voice for innovative and socially responsible brands. After starting her own curriculum course, Bee-coming Your Brand, Bee aims to help coach entrepreneurs map out their goals and define who they are. With over ten years of experience, Bee has been named one of the top 25 African American PR Millennials to Watch by Huffington Post and aims to represent game-changers in their respective fields.
Quotables:
"There are some things that I can't learn from anyone who looks like me, and that is the whole honesty, and even if they do, it's like, I wanna have a different perspective as well because that will make me a full rounded professional, founder and worker." Bee Brown, 11:59
"It's taking those brands who are changing the traditional of different industries that they're in and saying, nope, we are going to go a different route because we know there is a different void that needs to be filled and we want to be that brand that is shifting that narrative of the traditional." Bee Brown, 17:38
"There's gotta be something that separates you because there are gonna be other people doing the same thing you're doing." Heather Adams, 19:17
"Strategy is like building a house; you need a foundation for your home to stand on." Bee Brown, 22:57
"Strategy, I believe, is very important because it is something that your business or your brand can stand on if social media was taken away." Bee Brown, 23:31
"Strategy defines your long-term goals and how you're planning to achieve them. In other words, your strategy gives you the path you need towards achieving your brand mission. Versus tactics that are much more concrete and are often oriented towards smaller steps and a shorter time frame along the way, they involve deliverables, specific plans, and high-level goals." Heather Adams, 26:13
"Public relations is not something that you go and buy a red shirt, it's something that takes time, and it's a relationship, so just have an understanding of what that looks like." Bee Brown, 31:30
"If you want to get placements and interviews, it is what is newsworthy, so what's trending, what's going on in the world, and how can you tie that into what service or brand or product you're offering. Those things are important, and that's how you can create newsworthy content and newsworthy pitches." Bee Brown, 33:35
"Do whatever you want, that you sent your mind out to doing, but doing it ten times better." Bee Brown, 39:02
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