SPM is hiring!

February 2, 2017

As we grow our client roster for 2017, we are also expanding our staff to provide outstanding account service, creative ideas and stellar execution for our all our restaurant, food, retail, CPG and lifestyle brands. We are currently seeking a senior account executive and a social media strategist.

Do you have what it takes to join the SPM team? Read on:

Senior Account Executive

Candidate will be part of a cohesive and creative account team and will have frequent opportunity for client and agency leadership. Work will include media relations; writing; account organization and management in conjunction with team; PR strategy and planning; industry research; and social media analysis and recommendations.

Candidate will assist in the development and execution of client PR plans, will have exposure to editorial and crisis communications training and is encouraged to bring new ideas to the agency and its clients. Candidate will have supervisory roles on account teams, overseeing assistant account/account executives and interns.

The requirements to be an SAE at SPM Communications are:

Previous PR agency experience.
Bachelor’s degree in public relations, journalism or a related field from a four-year accredited college or university.
Minimum of four years PR experience and social media expertise.
Past management experience, agency experience and background in retail, restaurant or food PR is preferred.
Candidate should be well-versed in AP style and familiar with PR measurement and research tools, including Cision.

Please send resume and two writing samples to Mary Kate Jeffries at marykate@spmcommunications.com.

Social Media Strategist

Working alongside the agency’s PR teams, candidate will provide cohesive social strategy and campaign elements for our restaurant, retail, lifestyle and CPG brands.

SPM’s social media strategist will:

Lead social strategy recommendations and campaign execution across all agency accounts
Interface with clients and provide them with social strategy expertise and solutions
Stay abreast of emerging social and digital trends and platforms while educating agency team members
Display exceptional written and verbal communication skills and able to communicate complex social/digital concepts
Collaborate effectively with colleagues and clients across a range of industries and skill levels
Execute measurement/reporting metrics across digital programs and platforms

Reports to: VP, Account Directors and Supervisors

Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing or a related field from a four-year accredited college or university
A minimum of four years’ social agency experience
Expertise in social, digital and SEO and as well as constant pulse on emerging trends and technologies
Proven expertise in developing successful social campaigns using the PESO method to maximize results
Strong content marketing/visual story telling skills
Experience with Adobe Creative Suite a plus
B2C experience preferred

Please send resume to Loren@spmcommunications.com.

New Year, New Clients!

January 30, 2017

The first month of 2017 has flown by, and it’s no wonder – SPM has been working to onboard a host of new clients in retail, restaurant and CPG. A little more on each…

Joining us in our retail practice is At Home, the home decor superstore. We will be working to raise awareness of At Home’s amazing selection of on-trend home furnishings that range from bedroom sets, dining tables, mattresses and patio furniture to pillows, throws, vases and kitchenware to seasonal and outdoor.

In our restaurant/CPG category, we welcome Russo’s Restaurants, which operates Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, featuring fresh, made-from scratch, authentic New York-style pizza and Italian family favorites with no preservatives or additives. The company, which has about 50 U.S. and international locations, also recently rolled out a gluten-free frozen pizza line in U.S. grocery stores.

We are also feeling the love from Cookies By Design, the original cookie bouquet company that we are helping to launch their line of huggable, lovable Build-A-Bear cookie bouquets, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Other recent 2016 additions to the SPM family of clients include … Lemi Shine, the non-toxic, citrus-powered household cleaning products brand that delivers a “Clean Freak-approved” clean without harsh chemicals; La Madeleine French Bakery & Café, famous for its “maison-made” soupes, salads, sandwiches, entrees, breads and pastries, prepared fresh from dozens of original recipes and served up in a charming, warm, casual atmosphere; and Pei Wei, the Pan-Asian fast casual leader with a “flavor with purpose” mission.

Welcome to all, and we hope to ring in many more years together!

Lessons on being a mentor/mentee

September 15, 2016

According to Forbes, the Miami Herald and a variety of other publications, mentoring is crucial to employee development and engagement. At SPM, I have been incredibly fortunate to have had a great mentor from my first day.

I remember sitting down in front of her desk (without a clue as to what PR actually was) and within five minutes, I knew she was someone who’d be very important to me over the coming years. I’ve learned countless lessons from my mentor, but perhaps the most important is how to be a good mentor to others. Here’s what I’ve learned:

A good mentor should be a champion, an advisor and when necessary, a critic.
You’re never too old to be a mentor or a mentee. And age has little to do with the roles.
There is great responsibility with a mentor/mentee relationship – both people must actively establish and maintain trust.
Mentorship relationships require devotion and time which are luxuries that come too infrequently, but they are nonetheless vital to the relationship.
A mentor creates a safe place for a mentee to be authentic and then celebrates the authenticity.
Being sought out as a mentee is incredibly flattering, but nothing beats being a coveted mentor.
And sometimes, you accidentally dress alike 🙂

Who have been the most important mentors of your life?

Step away from the day-to-day to refresh client relationships

May 12, 2016

A day at Taco Cabana’s company retreat helped refresh our team’s creativity, enthusiasm and client relationship.

This past week I attended a client conference in beautiful Marble Falls, Texas. While I was there I was struck by the importance of giving our clients our undivided attention – and I’m not talking about compartmentalizing your day to check off each task – I mean true, full, 100% focus on one client.

It almost seems like a foreign concept these days as we are pulled in a million directions so often by multiple clients, various campaigns, emails, calls, agency partners, meetings, travel…the list goes on and on. But during my 48 hours with my client, I was able to fully immerse myself in the brand once again. Not only did I receive tremendous insight into the brand’s future plans (my mind swam with ideas) and the vision for the coming year, but I had the opportunity to reaffirm my affection and loyalty.

It can be easy to get bogged down in our to-do lists and deadlines. Taking a day or two to live and breathe one client at a time can remind us of all of the wonderful and exciting opportunities that are within our reach and why we do what we do.

And because so much of PR is about building relationships, it’s also an opportunity to strengthen bonds with your client. Just like with any relationship, quality time is a must for success, so I encourage my colleagues to take a day, just one day, to focus energies on one client at a time to see what new ideas can be discovered.

A new view on Periscope

April 14, 2016

periscope blog post

I wanted to share some coverage we got for Austin’s Pizza today with the Austin American-Statesman, as it was a first for me and the team. We pitched food writer Addie Broyles on Austin’s Pizza’s new frozen grocery line, and she requested the item to do a live taste test on her Periscope, which she also shares on her Twitter.

She does this weekly on Wednesdays, and I wanted to flag in case it would be a fit for any other new products we are pitching. I was very happy to see she liked the Austin’s Pizza products, but the two she reviewed next, she wasn’t a fan of. So she’ll be honest, but its works out well if she likes it.

Note: the Periscope video only stays active for about 24 hours if the user selects replay. Even though I missed the live version while on a client call, I was able to view it later because Addie tweeted a link to an archive that I was able use to show the client. Here’s a link if you want to check it out.

Perhaps other journalists are doing something similar – something to keep in mind and watch for.

Brands connect with consumers with timely donations after storms

January 7, 2016

Needy North Texas pups were sitting on a mountain of food after SPM and “i and love and you” teamed up to donate after the recent tornadoes.

Our clients are always looking for ways to serve their communities and create a genuine connection with their customers. Sometimes these initiatives are strategic and planned months or years in advance. Other times, they involve quick and decisive action to address a pressing need. It’s these instances when our clients must be flexible, agile, and ready to jump right in.

That was precisely the case when tornadoes tore through North Texas on Dec. 26. As relief efforts got underway, news reports of displaced pets and the need for pet food and other supplies grabbed our attention. Though most everyone in corporate America was on holiday break, we knew our pet food client “I and love and you” would step up to contribute.

Within a few hours after we reached out to them, this responsive and company mobilized its resources (including our team at SPM) to deliver several hundred pounds of pet food and treats, toys and other items to animal shelters in the affected areas. These items helped feed animals in the shelters and went to owners who needed help feeding their “fur babies”.

We loaded up our own SPM vehicles with media samples from the office to donate to shelters in the storm-ravaged areas.

Not only did “I and love and you” make a difference for animals across North Texas, they formed new relationships in the community and reinforced the existing bonds with their current loyal customers. The warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from helping those in need is a nice bonus, too.

The smiles on volunteers’ faces when we dropped off the donations were all the reward anyone could want!