The daily grind of this profession is spotlighting the companies you work with.
PR people, in fact, work precisely to bring out entrepreneurs and businesses, projects and events, initiatives and products. And they do this by standing behind the curtain, casting their eyes between the cracks to observe the media successes they have won as they perform in front of the audience.
In this series of interviews with people who are part of our team we want to shift the spotlight for a moment and point it at those who work in the field every day in this boutique. Today we leave the floor to Angela Suriano, who joined this team in February 2022.
- Angela, what were the steps you took to come to embrace this profession?
I have always been a big devourer of magazines. The newsstand, even as a child, has always been a place of wonder for me. I used to count the days until a new issue of my favorite books would come out - like the Giornalino and the Corriere dei Piccoli! - I would read them to the last line and treasure them like treasures. As I grew up, it was natural to imagine that one day I would also contribute in some way to bringing those beautiful pages to life, and that's why I never had any doubts about what I wanted to do: first as a journalist and then as a PR person, today I can proudly say that I succeeded!
- What aspects of this work do you love most?
Every day I find that there is always something new to learn or a new challenge to measure myself against. I never feel like one day is the same as the day before. Communication and PR push me to be curious and explore areas that are unknown to me, because every stimulus can turn into a cue, and every cue into a new project. Also, this work has taught me to step out of my comfort zone-it's amazing what you get when you try to have a little extra courage!
- How important do you think writing is in this profession?
Fundamental, but being able to write is not enough to be a good PR person. It is right to have one's own style, but also to be aware that writing primarily serves goals: one must be able to shape it according to the object of communication and the target audience one wants to reach, and above all, it is not a learned knowledge: writing also evolves, improves, changes, and is enriched.
- What does it mean to you to create a media relations effort? And what are the most challenging sides?
It means not so much initiating, but cultivating relationships in three directions: with one's clients, with whom it is essential to establish a relationship of collaboration and trust; with journalists, becoming an invaluable support and help in their work; and finally with one's team: observing the work of others, creating opportunities for comparison and exchange is one of the most useful and valuable resources a PR person can have.
- Tell us about your future goals
Of course to continue doing this work always to the best of my ability, never losing the enthusiasm I felt the day I got the first result. I would like to feel that adrenaline all the time!
- What advice would you give to a young person who wants to enter this profession?
The same ones given to me by the people who have played an important role in my professional life: study hard, challenge yourself without ever taking anything for granted, don't be afraid to measure yourself against projects or realities that seem out of reach compared to our abilities, gain study- preferably work experience-abroad, read a lot and inform yourself continuously.
