Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Jones-Mitchell.
Jennifer, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I began my PR career as an intern at a global agency in midtown in the mid-1990s. That internship grew into a full-time position on their strategy and editorial services team where I focused on writing brand messaging, executive media training and developing launch plans for the dot-coms that defined the decade.
After a few years, an Atlanta internet entrepreneur called me to help run PR for his interactive marketing agency and launch a number of new companies he was developing. I remember the job included functions of PR I hadn’t yet led so, it scared me a little. While talking to a mentor about whether I should stay where I was comfortable or take on the new role, she gave me some career-defining advice. She said, “if it makes you a little scared to do it, you should do it. The fear means you will be challenging yourself and trying something new. That’s how you grow and improve.”
Sure enough, she was right. So, in 1999, I took the position as PR Director and led strategic media relations for the interactive agency for seven years. During that time, I helped launched three new companies and co-wrote and co-produced an animated feature film (made by the animated arm of the interactive agency). In fact, it was my PR experience that brought Academy-Award winning actors to the cast. See, we weren’t getting much response from Hollywood agents when we tried casting the voice over for the film. First, I tried to get media support, leveraging the angle that we were making the first independently-produced animated film. The media didn’t care. So, we created a teaser video. It didn’t have much to it. But, it was just enough to convey that a studio nowhere near Hollywood with first-time filmmakers was making an animated movie.
Social media didn’t really exist yet, so we placed the video on a few movie message boards. There was no website or any information on the film, just the name at the end of the teaser video. By the next week, it had been shared by hundreds of people and the reporters who’d previously declined our story were inundated with emails from movie fans asking about it. We ended up with a six-page spread in Animation Magazine, front page stories in Variety and Hollywood Reporter and a three-minute segment on CNN. Casting was much easier after that.
By 2006, it was time for my new challenge, so I accepted a position as the Vice President of PR at an Atlanta ad agency that wanted to build out a PR group. Again, following my mentor’s advice, I accepted the role for the new challenges it would bring. But, the greatest challenge was how PR was changing. Soon, I was blogging about social media and how it would transform marketing, PR and advertising. In fact, I wrote an op-ed for PR Week in which I suggested the three practices must start blending together because with social media, the customer was now the media. I got hate mail from the purists who believed in separation of church and state when it came to PR, Marketing and Advertising. That only encouraged me to speak and blog even more on the subject.
By 2009, a global PR agency in Atlanta hired me as the SVP, Digital Communications where I helped develop some of the first branded social media campaigns and define the best practices for community management that brands and agencies use today. It was an incredible opportunity to travel around the world and help B2C and B2B clients adopt social media programs. After a couple of years, I moved to another global agency in town to lead their Consumer Practice Group (focused on media relations) and their Social Media Group.
In 2013, I started to burn out a bit and spent the next three years consulting out of my home. I had terrific clients and it was fun work. But, it wasn’t unusual for me to go several days without ever leaving the house. After a while, I missed being around other people.
So, by 2016, I was ready for the hustle and bustle of agency life again. That’s when I was asked to lead Brandware PR as the agency’s president. As with every role that came before, I knew there would be new challenges to take on and once again, I let that drive me, knowing I would stretch and grow and ultimately become better at the job I love to do. It’s been a terrific ride and every day presents new opportunities and little victories, which is what PR is all about.
As far as the future goes, I see my industry on the cusp of yet another redefinition as augmented and virtual reality, along with live video, will once again transform branded story-telling and influence. So, now, I’m gearing up for a whole new ride!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There have absolutely been challenges. But, that’s the way you know you are growing and learning.
Early in my career, I learned when you can “do your job with your eyes closed,” it’s time to move on.
Comfort is a tricky thing. It can lull you into complacency. And, complacency can lead to boredom and ultimately, poor performance and low job satisfaction.
You don’t need to be hyper-ambitious to want to be the best at your job. But, to be the best, you must embrace obstacles and challenges for what they are: opportunities to learn something new, to get better at what you do.
I think the greatest challenge for me has been to remember that the job is supposed to be hard. It’s the hard that makes it great. If it was easy, everyone would do it. (Yes, this is a direct quote from A League of Their Own. It was true in that context and it’s true in this one.)
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Brandware PR is an independently-owned public relations and social media marketing agency.
We are most known for creating coverage, content and conversation that sets our clients apart from the competition. Let’s face it, the internet has commoditized everything. Whatever product or service you offer, someone, somewhere is offering something similar. In a sea of sameness, we define your difference and give customers a reason to choose you.
We work across a variety of categories, but we currently specialize in Automotive, Home and Outdoor and Financial Services/B2B categories with a focus on media relations, social media marketing, content marketing, influencer engagement and crisis communications.
I’m proud of the fact that we are lean and effective. We don’t waste our clients’ money and we don’t get mired down in bureaucracy. We know how to drill down to the most newsworthy story angles and how to create the most compelling content to drive conversation that converts calls to action.
What were you like growing up?
I am the youngest of four kids. Our parents were both entrepreneurs, so we were the typical latch-key kids.
We had chores and pretty much had to entertain ourselves. I grew up in East Cobb and was generally stuck like glue to my older brother for most of my childhood. We’d build forts in the woods and go fishing on the lake in our neighborhood. We’d cross Lower Roswell Road (without permission) and blow our allowance at the arcade and skating rink.
All four of us would also play games, largely based on the movies and TV we watched. After watching 9 to 5, we’d pretend to be secretaries dealing with a mean boss. Or, we would re-enact whatever scene played out on Charlie’s Angels that week. (My brother was cast as both Bosley and the villain.)
We were all pretty competitive with each other and in sports. My dad was a big athlete, so my brother and sisters played basketball, tennis and soccer. We all swam. In fact, that was the one sport in which I excelled – probably because it didn’t require much hand-eye coordination, something I severely lacked. Apart from swimming, I was more interested in reading, writing and acting. I was a part of Cobb Children’s Theater as a little kid and played roles in drama club in high school.
I was also a worker and started working at McDonald’s by fourteen. I was too young to work the grill, fryer or register, so I would clean dishes on weeknights and on weekends, I was the biscuit maker. I’d get up at 4am and walk the mile and a half to McDonald’s to start work by 5am on Saturdays, 6am on Sundays. By 16, I was the weekend opening manager at Arby’s where I worked until high school graduation.
PR was actually top of mind for me as a kid. My parents used to throw these beautiful holiday parties. Everything was decorated in twinkle lights and shining silver platters. I remember my parents’ friends telling me I should go into PR. At that time, I wanted to be an archaeologist like Indiana Jones or a reporter like Woodward and Bernstein (after seeing All the President’s Men.) So, later while attending Oglethorpe University, I saw an Intro to PR course. Remembering what my parent’s friends used to say, I signed up.
Turned out, they were right on the money because I fell in love with PR from that first class to today.
Contact Info:
- Address: 7820 Roswell Road,
Atlanta, GA 30350 - Website: www.brandwarepr.com
- Phone: 770-649-0880
- Email: jjonesmitchell@brandwarepr.com
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