Industry Watch: Public Relations Agency
February 2005

Q&A with Adrienne Arieff, Principal, Arieff Communications

Q: How did you get into Public Relations?
I studied communication and marketing at American University in Washington D.C. I took international studies and lived and worked all over South America. I worked at the Versace showroom. When I eventually got laid off, I had the scary but exciting opportunity to start on an entrepreneurial path when a friend in San Francisco hired me to do PR for a skin care line. Other people contacted me. Word of mouth helped me to develop a full client roster, and I decided to start my own company.

Q: What does a typical workweek look like for you?
It's pretty similar to what it was when I worked for an agency. I'm strict about keeping a schedule. I have a lot of meetings with clients in New York and in Los Angeles. A lot of media calls. Then there's just the business administration side, which takes about 35-40 percent of my time. On top of all this I also do a lot of writing and editing.

Q: What are some of the unique challenges you face when working for high profile clients?
I still can't believe I'm running a company. So when I have a client who is brand conscious, I feel I really need to be much more accountable with my strategies. We keep the clients up to speed with what we're doing. They need to know we're doing the best we can.

Q: You were featured in the highly rated The Girl's Guide To Starting Your Own Business. Let's talk about that.
The gist of the book shows you don't have to be so fearful about starting a business. I think it's about not thinking about it too much and just going for it. I feel it's better to think less and work more. If you're approachable, friendly and confident in your decisions, you can start your own business.

Q: How have you changed since the beginning of your career?
I really focus on the storage piece now. I don't throw anything out.This helps a lot when former clients come back. Also, I have contracts for everything. This helps a lot when clients say they didn't agree to something. I take the business end of my business very seriously, especially now that I have my own company.

Q: What changes do you predict for the PR industry over the next year? What aspect of the PR industry do you think will be fastest growing in 2005?
There are so many different sectors. People are always hiring - tech, consumer, lifestyle. PR is a less expensive media tool than advertising. Small to medium companies use public relations for brand awareness. Very large companies use advertising. One of the fastest growing markets is in novelty products. You see a lot of interest in magazines and television in things you don't need - things you get for friends but not for yourself - customized napkins, high end luxury sex toys. Also, design for home furniture is very popular - it's like the new fashion industry. Architectural Digest is hot. Shopping malls used to be about clothes. Now they're about home stores.

Q: In general, what are some of the best practices you see being used today by PR practitioners?
New data bases. Media maps. Excellent writing is a huge part of public relations. Taking the profession seriously. Being very clever in making things stand out in a crowded marketplace and in ways to position products.

Q: What skills or characteristics do you feel are most critical for success in the PR field?
You really need to know your product or service before you talk about it. You need to be approachable and flexible. Excellent writing is important. Being able to correct things asap. Clear thinking. It's really important to have an excellent boss or mentor somewhere along the line - someone to help you keep your feet on the ground, guide you in a direction where you can stay solid. Lastly, you don't have to live in New York to be in this business. You can be a big fish in a small pond. With today's technology, you can do this job from anywhere.