In the office, I’m known for…

Katelin - In the office I'm known for my love of puzzles—and not the type you leave on a coffee table for weeks! I get excited about measurement, insights, and new tools to solve a problem and piece together solutions. I will always make time when a team member pings me with a challenge.

What drove your interest in the public relations industry?

Katelin - Shortly after I graduated from university in 2013, I worked full-time in retail
management at a boutique store in downtown Ottawa. During that time, a
clothing item “went viral” after a celebrity wore it on a reality TV show. Our
parent company could not keep up with the surge in demand and had no clear
messaging for consumers.
This was my first experience with the power of celebrity and social media, but
more than that it was my first time exposed to the risks that come with a lack of
consistent brand messaging. To support my store staff, I took it upon myself to
draft a reactive holding statement and Q&A. This move effectively helped
mitigate consumer concerns and ease the burden on store staff. It was incredibly
satisfying for me to be able to manage the situation with strong and consistent
messaging. I knew I’d caught the PR bug, and within two years I was enrolled at
Seneca College in the PR and Corporate Communications professional program.

Can you share a memorable moment that impacted your approach to public relations?

Katelin - Early on in my career I supported a client through a global recall for a flagship
product. This meant late nights and tight deadlines while being up to my eyes in

the negative news cycle about the recall. It wouldn’t be the first time I supported
on crisis communications, but it was the first time I truly understood what it
meant to maintain resilience in the face of crushing news cycles and client
tension.
I was still very new to the industry, having just finished my internship at North.
The experience was eye opening in many ways and there were times I questioned
my move into PR. But the greatest lessons came from watching my senior
leadership – leaders here at North who are still some of my greatest mentors –
stay calm, celebrate wins where we could, and double down on enabling positive
team dynamics and recognizing our teams’ efforts with compassion.
That experience still grounds me when I think about the type of leader I want to
be for my teams and direct reports, especially as we’ve grown to better
understand the mental health impact of news and social media analysis in an
always-on industry.

What are the most pressing challenges facing public relations today?

Katelin - Public relations professionals still face an attribution and measurement puzzle, a
challenge that has been pretty consistent over the course of my career. As digital
channels, and social media and influencer marketing have matured, PR ROI is
often evaluated through traditional metrics like impressions and placements.
While these quantitative measures conveniently sync metrics across agency
partners, they leave out the qualitative analysis that is key to understanding true
PR impact.
More recently, we have been working with our clients on new ways to quantify
this qualitative assessment, with benchmarks or KPIs that can help better position
how a PR campaign performs. Examples that have been around for a while
include “Share of Voice” and “key message analysis,” where we can score earned
media results against a set of criteria to provide a quantitative summary of the
quality of secured PR results.
On the attribution side, any PR professional who has been asked to connect PR to
direct business impact (such as increased sales) knows that this continues to be
top of mind, especially knowing the cost of measurement through tactics like
brand lift studies or affiliate marketing. As a numbers gal who loves a good test-
and-learn approach, I’m excited to see how this evolves in the years to come.

How can businesses effectively adapt to the evolving landscape?

Katelin - Artificial intelligence in particular has revolutionized this and every industry. To
adapt, businesses have to invest. North is part of the Publicis Groupe and over the
course of the past few years, we've invested in embedding AI tools into our
everyday workflow to help uncover efficiencies and spark creative problem
solving and discovery. And in March, Publicis acquired Moov AI, Canada’s leading
artificial intelligence and data solutions company, and there is a lot of excitement
internally over this new chapter of growth and creativity.
 
While change can be a challenge, I believe that adapting to the evolving landscape
is about focus and understanding what is authentic and ownable for your brand in
order to shape direction. Beyond that, I think leaders can encourage curiosity and
empower subject matter experts among their own teams to uncover
opportunities they may not have considered previously. A core philosophy here at
North is that good ideas can come from anywhere, but in my experience it’s
important to balance that notion against a fallacy that ideas must come from
everywhere.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in the PR industry?

Katelin - Stay curious. Ask questions. Read news outside your immediate client industries.
Take inspiration from brands and creators you admire. Remember that every
peer, client, and customer comes from a perspective and set of experiences that
is wholly their own and this unique context shapes our interpretations and
everything we do. We can often provide the most value by asking thoughtful
questions, listening, and making space to sit with what we’ve learned, especially
in a world that is always moving at a rapid pace.

Why should marketers allocate more budget to PR?

Katelin - In the nine years I have been at North, my role has evolved into an integrated
communications role as I support clients across PR, influencer and social media
marketing. This kind of integrated communications specialist and strategic
counsel is becoming increasingly important, breaking down silos across lines of
business and IATs to help clients craft seamless, integrated campaigns.
PR is often brought into the campaign planning when many strategic components
are already locked, which means that our clients are missing out on the valuable
strategic advice that we can bring to the table during the campaign strategy
phase. We identify blind spots, spot opportunities, support with insights and
research, and help brands ensure that their approach and messaging aligns across
multiple channels. By nature of our discipline, we always have our eyes and ears
on shifts in media and consumer sentiment. By setting aside a portion of their
planning budget to have PR leadership at the table, clients and brands benefit
from our expertise and insights as integrated communicators.

What is the most unique job you’ve had?

Katelin - Outside of my PR career, I teach aerial dance and fitness at a studio in
Mississauga. While the apparatuses themselves are unique (though, excitingly,
growing in popularity!), what has been truly unique about the role to me is the
opportunity to spark creativity and confidence among my students. You provide
the tools, techniques and environment for students to learn movements and push
their boundaries safely. It’s a joy to watch them blossom through their own
determination and hard work.

Do you have a suggestion for a Communications or Public Relations person we should interview? Let us know.

Other interviews in the series: