#4PRQs for: Alex Myers of Manifest London
For the penultimate #4PRQs (Four PR Questions) on MK, I'm featuring Alex Myers. Alex is a Founder and CEO at Manifest London. He works across both consumer and B2B marketing, but his experience stretches from fintech to food & drink. "Ego can be a limiter to learning, as well as collaboration," says Alex.
What was your way to the industry?
I blagged my way in, really. I was working as a trade features writer and was interviewing a Commercial Director from a live venue technology firm, Gamestec. They asked me if I knew anyone who could run their PR and I just jumped at the opportunity. I think it helped that I built my own version of PR in-house, before moving agency side to deliver that for others.
What is the biggest mistake of junior people you employ, and how can it be fixed?
We are always looking for people who ask the right questions, rather than those that think they have all the answers. I think ego can be a limiter to learning, as well as collaboration.
We are always looking for people who ask the right questions.
How can PR graduates take advantage of the social and digital platforms, in order to gain the attention of the agencies and other potential employers?
I think sharing opinions and questions - and asking people about the purpose of campaigns rather than just straightforward praise will get you noticed. The number one thing I'm looking for from junior candidates is curiosity.
The number one thing I'm looking for from junior candidates is curiosity.
What is the most undiscovered area in the industry that could be used as a dissertation topic?
I'm not sure it's undiscovered, but the area I'm most fascinated by at the moment is behavioural economics. It's a discipline that blends psychology and economics, which makes it a big influence on communications. Understanding the biases we all have is fascinating, but it can directly influence brand strategy for the majority of businesses. Read Misbehaving, by Richard Thaler and Thinking Fast & Slow by Daniel Kahneman.
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Make sure to follow Alex on Twitter. You can also visit Manifest's website to see their work. The final #4PRQs will be published next Friday.
#4PRQs (Four PR Questions) is a weekly series on the blog. I am on the mission to help PR graduates (including myself) make right decisions about their future careers, by asking industry leaders for an advice.
Would you like to give me a feedback or feature in the series? Drop me a line to kl.marcel [at] gmail.com or tweet me @marcelkl. Thanks for stopping by, have a splendid day!