By: Jessie Jilovec
On Feb. 8, public relations professional Suzanne Droese spoke at Baylor PRSSA’s meeting. She is the principal of Droese Public Relations in Dallas.
Droese PR deals with luxury public relations or things Droese said “are not really necessary” such as fashion, lifestyle and décor products. She started this firm with two other people in 2007 and bought them out three years later. Some of her many clients include Outdoor Voices, Soul Cycle, and Southern Tide.
Droese PR has clients all over the world from places like Moscow to Mexico and across the U.S. She said one component that is important to success in luxury public relations is using social media.
“Social media engagement is huge,” she said. “It’s all about what you’re going to see on Instagram and all the other social media channels. You need to study people and see what they’re doing. In PR, you need to stay on top of trends.”
She said another aspect important to public relations is research. Being effective comes from being knowledgeable regarding a product or client — she said knowing a client is important because a publicist has to advocate for what is best for a client.
“Public relations is a very intimate experience with a client,” Droese said. “You need to be able to know them, how they think and what’s important to them. They’re going to call you when the very best thing happens… they’re also going to call you when something bad has happened.”
“The most important skill for a professional to have in public relations is the ability to write and communicate,” Droese said.
“We can write up a pitch or do a press release, but once they open that email, I have about three sentences to get something across for them to continue reading or to click,” she said. “Many of the people I am most impressed with when I see their resumes are people who have good writing skills.”
Due to the rapidly changing nature of public relations, she said it is vital to be able to depend on co-workers to help each other.
“You just have to have faith in the people you are working with that they can help you so you’re not in completely over your head,” Droese said.
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