Before they depart for their next adventure in PR, we’ve asked them to reflect on their experience here at Quinn & Co. Public Relations (Q&C).  Our final Interns Rock! series post is from Nick Schweers:  

My internship at Q&C in the real estate division has been an extremely rewarding experience. What I appreciate most about this opportunity is the assignments I’ve completed during my quick four months here.

After a short two weeks at Q&C, I already drafted up five pitches for major magazine publications. I started the process by researching editorial ideas and worked with my supervisor to come up with a direction for my pitches. After writing the pitches, I sent them to targeted journalists at the publications hoping I’d score a placement.

From that moment on, I completed multiple projects from the beginning research phase to the final product for multiple clients, gaining several media placements for my portfolio. It is always extremely motivating that the Q&C teams trust interns to go further than simply building media lists.  Plus, they are always willing to help in the beginning, middle and end phase of the writing process, providing helpful tips and tricks that I will take with me, after I graduate in May.

This internship allowed me to use all the skills I have learned the past four years in college, and see them come to life in an agency setting. I am so happy that I am surrounded by professionals who have mastered the fundamentals of public relations; eager to share their talents with the interns and help us grow professionally.

If you pitched your Mom to be nominated for “Best Mom in the World,” what would be your subject line?   Check out our ideas for Q&C’s #1 Moms:

1.    World’s #1 Mom – Embarrassing Her Kids by Singing and Dancing in front of Friends

2.    World’s #1 Mom – A Woman Full of Wisdom.  She’s Always Right

3.    World’s #1 Mom – Her TLC is Better Than Any Modern Medicine

4.    World’s #1 Mom – Home Cooked Meals Every Time I Come Back Home

5.    World’s #1 Mom – Blurting Inappropriate Comments in Front of Friends

6.    World’s #1 Mom – Taught Me to be a Lady & Never Told Dad about the Lil Miss Mischief

7.    World’s #1 Mom – Can’t Cook or Bake but Boy Does She Know How to Shop

8.    World’s #1 Mom – Being Your Valentine Whether You’re Single Or Taken

9.    World’s #1 Mom – Best Bear-Hugs Whether I’ve Been Gone for Months or Hours

10.    World’s #1 Mom – Raising Her Daughters to Stand on Their Own Two Feet

11.    World’s #1 Mom – First to Call on My Birthday and Sing Hilariously Off-Key

12.    World’s #1 Mom – Cheering You at Your Best & Comforting You at Your Worst

13.    World’s #1 Mom – A Tribute to a Mom Who Died, Six Years Before Her Daughter Came to Understand the Many Gifts She Gave Her

14.    World’s #1 Mom – Still Kisses Me Goodnight Saying  “Sweet Dreams, Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite”

15.    World’s #1 Mom – Always Knows What To Say When the World is Upside Down

How would you pitch your Mom for the “Best Mom in the World?”

To all the Q&C Moms, we love you for putting up with us each and every day.
Happy Mother’s Day from Quinn & Co.!

Before they depart for their next adventure in PR, we’ve asked them to reflect on their experience here at Quinn & Co. Public Relations (Q&C).  Today’s Interns Rock! Series is from our MVP Danny Giametta:  

I have learned so much in my path towards becoming a PR professional during my internship at Q&C.  One of my favorite experiences was assisting with travel client EL AL Israel Airlines’ National Hamantaschen Eating Contest.

Initially I thought I would just be there to help the event run smoothly, from helping prep the stage to posting branded collateral and preparing contestants.  I also helped the team introduce contestants and EL AL’s representatives to the slew of attending media for interviews.

However, as the start of the event approached, we soon realized two contestants were missing and the client told me I was the man for the job!  I knew it was time for me to take the first place title for my Q&C family back at the office.

Could I beat professional eating champion Will “The Champ” Millender?  He already had more than a dozen eating competitions under his belt, and I was quite the newbie to professional eating!  As the contest commenced, I tore into the hamantaschen mound with cheers of support, especially from Florence Quinn.  Before I knew it, the agonizingly long five minutes were up and the epic competition was complete.  I had only managed to devour six cookies, while “The Champ” gobbled down 24!

Although I didn’t win, this was a great experience in learning how to set up, run and execute an amazing event.  Check out the feature on EL Al’s National Hamantaschen Contest from The Wall Street Journal here.

Recently, our Q&C’ers shared an article from AGBeat about a breakout trend for 2012: visual storytelling.  Captivating consumers visually is more important than ever, especially with an influx of images streaming in our everyday lives through numerous mediums such as smartphones, tablets, apps and social media components that are now commonplace.

How can we target our audience through visual storytelling?  Provide end users with an experience that will keep them coming back for more, whether it is a mesmerizing Facebook timeline, unique and creative pinboards on Pinterest, or a sleek and well-designed app.

Our client JetSetter is known for showcasing the most stunning images of travel locales around the globe. The brand utilizes Pinterest as a platform to display a plethora of alluring photos with pinboards such as ‘Tantalizing Pools,’ ‘Feeling Beachy,’ ‘Dream Homes,’ and ‘The Great Outdoors.’ For more Jetsetter visualizations visit: http://pinterest.com/jetsetterphoto/.

Definitely check out the full article here for seven reasons supporting visual storytelling as a breakout trend.  Which reason is most compelling to you? Have you seen visual storytelling leading the way for your business?

Before they depart for their next adventure in PR, we’ve asked them to reflect on their experience here at Quinn & Co. Public Relations (Q&C).  Today’s Interns Rock! series is by the lovely Giovanna Moscoso:

Clipping and media lists, are two of the things I expected to do when I first accepted Q&C’s internship.  Pitching media, working with social media and creating press releases is much more of what I had the opportunity to do, and it feels great!

As an aspiring public relations professional, my main goal has always been to obtain as much experience possible in the industry.  With this in mind, I’ve completed a series of internships throughout my college career gaining experience in the various industries of the PR world.   One of the biggest differences between past internships and Quinn & Co. was the guidance I received from my supervisor and everyone on the team, my first day I was asked “What do you hope to get out of this experience, and how can we help you?”

Writing and social media were two of the main areas I was looking to strengthen.  Next thing I knew, I was creating social media posts daily for two clients Sky View Center and Sky View Parc and drafting press releases on luxury residential buildings.  What were once weaknesses are now two newly acquired skills to add to my resume.

I will never forget looking at my calendar and seeing that I was scheduled for a meet and greet with Florence Quinn, president and founder of Q&C.  That day, in addition to talking about her background in the industry, Florence actually wanted to hear about my experience and my opinions.  We discussed the topic of digital media and how PR is constantly changing; it made me feel like I was part of the staff, part of the Q&C team.

As my internship comes to an end, I will miss brainstorming in the dream room, huddles to discuss new trends, meetings with my supervisor and team, and laughs with the A-team.  Ultimately being part of a team, where your opinion matters.  I am truly grateful for the experience, advice and new skills I’m taking with me as I go out and get that entry-level position.

Below are some quotes from the team that I’ll always keep on the back of my mind:

“Your passion will always be your key to success.  Remember if you are not making mistakes, you are not pushing yourself!”  – Florence Quinn, president and founder of Quinn & Co.

“Never be afraid to ask questions, leave your ego at the door and most importantly, always stay positive.” – Suzanne Rosnowski, partner in the real estate division of Quinn & Co.

“Open up to new experiences and challenges, you will always gain something great from it.” – John Frazier, executive vice president in travel at Quinn & Co.

“Always think outside the box, and believe in yourself.” – Tathiana Rosado, senior account executive at Quinn & Co.

“Write down your goals, and you’ll see how you accomplish them.” – Allyns Melendez, vice president of operations at Quinn &Co.

Before they depart for their next adventure in PR, we’ve asked them to reflect on their experience here at Quinn & Co. Public Relations (Q&C).  Kicking off the Interns Rock! Series is Jessie Kramer:

I have always had a passion for travel, which is why I knew an internship at Q&C would be perfect!  At Q&C, I am a member of the travel team, where my opinions and ideas matter, and when it comes to travel I have so many ideas!  All interns are invited to join company-wide brainstorm sessions, where we are encouraged to voice our creative ideas for clients.  As an intern, I was initially hesitant to speak up, and then I remembered that I am a part of the team.  I shared ideas and was so happy that I did! In addition to overcoming my shyness, my ideas were pitched and are now part of the client’s PR plan!  I never knew how rewarding it could be to potentially see an idea come to life in an industry that I’m so passionate about.

In the April 2012 issue of O’Dwyer’s, Quinn & Co. is profiled among top social media firms for our creative and strategic initiatives when developing integrated public relations programs.

A key example is the creation and implementation of a Facebook contest we developed and executed for Real Estate Weekly’s Most Influential Woman in Real Estate competition.

We were charged with the creating a contest to gain viewers’ interest and drive participation. To get our creative juices flowing we started an all-out brainstorming session. As a team we came up with the idea of a two-round contest, first a nomination round followed by a voting round.  We designed a plaque to be engraved for the winner, as an added incentive to participate in the contest.

Facebook contests should be fun and simple, so we developed an easy nomination form that allowed viewers to nominate a woman in real estate, who they felt conveyed value and leadership. Once the nomination round was completed, we announced the five nominees with the largest number of votes to the Facebook world.

Our next task was to encourage the community to vote, so we promoted the contest through Real Estate Weekly, email blasts and word of mouth.  We strategically used Facebook by posting information about each finalist, so that we continued the engagement with Real Estate Weekly’s fans.  More importantly, voters learned more about the women and who they were voting for as the most influential in real estate.

Overall the contest drew 50 nominations, more than 2,000 votes and acquired over 250 Facebook likes within a month.  The Real Estate Weekly’s Most Influential Women in Real Estate competition was quite the success.

What’s your favorite creative media campaign you’ve read about recently?

1) Come prepared. This covers a lot! Bring a portfolio of your work from classes and previous internships if you have them. This will allow you to get specific about the experience you have and your writing skills by showing the work as you discuss it with the interviewer.

Research the company. You should have an idea of who the clients are, the number of people working at the company, who you will be meeting with, etc. Nothing screams “I’m half-hearted about this internship” more than someone who hasn’t even Googled the place they’re interviewing for.

You will be asked about previous work, school, club, volunteer and internship experience. Mentally prep yourself before the interview to know the important points you want to make. Simply saying that you built a media list at your last internship doesn’t give me a good indication of your skill set. Tell me what you built that list for, what type of media you were researching, how you helped the account person, and the ultimate result. What did you learn?

2) Dress appropriately. Come to the interview in business dress. First impressions are a big deal and you want the interviewer to pay attention to what you have to say, not what you are wearing. Dressing the part shows that you are taking the opportunity seriously. You should also steer clear of loud jewelry and flashy makeup. I heard a story of a candidate who had bangle bracelets on that kept banging on the desk in front of her, and all the interviewer could remember from the interview was the bracelets.

3) Be yourself. Nerves can get the best of us. We can speak too quickly, stutter and ramble if we get nervous in an interview. Take a deep breath before you get to the office so that you can best represent yourself in a calm and collected manner. Public relations is a high-stress job, and showing that you can remain cool under pressure will set you apart from other candidates.

Being yourself is also paramount so the interviewer can pair you with the appropriate supervisor. Supervisors want to know who they will be working with and how their direct report works best. If a candidate acts one way in an interview, and completely different while on the job, it’s not doing anyone any good. Interns aren’t expected to know everything or be “perfect” at public relations (no one is!), so admitting your struggles and what you want to learn is OK. That’s why we have internships – so you can improve your skill set and eventually apply it in your career.

4) Write a thank you note. This should be a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised. Write a thank you note or email to everyone you interviewed with, and make it something personal and different for each person. A template thank you note doesn’t show a lot of originality or that you put a lot of effort into it.

We’d love to hear your internship interview tips as well! Feel free to leave a comment below.

And best of luck to all those on the internship hunt!

With a strong, cohesive team of 40 employees, we’re finding ourselves to be listed among incredibly good company. The top 25 list includes some of the city’s biggest firms.

O’Dwyer’s has been ranking PR firms for 40 years and bases measurement on current client lists and net fees accrued for PR counseling and time spent preparing and placing stories in media. Check out the full list of ranked NYC PR firms here.

The week was infused with a multitude of exploration as Anna served as the photographer and DJ for Dwight Brown of The Huffington Post for a jaunt around the entire island of Puerto Rico.  Additional highlights included attending the Puerto Rico Open golf tournament with the lovely Wyndham Rio Mar team and working with the Puerto Rico Tourism team to host a golf outing and lunch with an array of golf-centric journalists!  In a nutshell, this Caribbean jaunt was the ideal convergence of business and pleasure despite acquiring her lobster glow!

If the picture looks familiar, it should.  She’s the top rated photo from The Huffington Post homepage feature about the trip: http://huff.to/GPycER