Preparation (And Experience) Is The Key To Handle The Unknown

I received such a nice compliment this week from an influencer: that I was a calming presence - because I was able to share my own story and what to expect, and how it would feel. And I was able to because I had been there, done that, many many times. 

This week I was in Chicago for a very early morning Satellite Media Tour (if you are in the know, SMT). This was for a client we had secured a TikTok influencer to spearhead a comprehensive campaign involving content creation, PR, and retail point of sale. The overall campaign activation is actually an incredibly great case study of how a brand can build a really robust campaign using both old-school traditional tactics and newer digital marketing to drive to retail. But I digress.  

The influencer was more than prepared. He had practiced for hours and had his talking points down pat. He had done media training. He looked good. The display was awesome and perfectly fit the campaign. The studio was dialed in to make him as comfortable as possible. But there was one thing we could not prepare him for, that he was going to have to experience for himself - being live, on-air. Thrust into not only the spotlight, but also of the unknown: what spin will the questions be, how soft or loud is that voice in my ear, dear god what is THAT accent, will I remember my talking points, look into the camera, don't forget to smile. And you have to keep going no matter what and feel very alone in front of that camera. It is A LOT of pressure. (He, by the way, rocked it - check for yourself!)  

I do my own share of media interviews, including one just Friday night, and I will tell you, it is a lonely world where you can swiftly sink and drown, or you can swan dive and swim effortlessly through the process to cheers. Like all things seemingly in life, the better prepared you are, the easier it is. But I still get nervous and have that lovely stomach pit of ice before live interviews and speaking engagements. My husband has learned to give me room when I am prepping as I need to have absolute quiet to focus. I have had the experience of giving awesome interviews, ok interviews, and one so so bad, that people said to me "oooh sorry, oomph that was a rough one" - which is NOT what you want to hear after being live on-air and really really screwing up in front of tens of millions of people. At least it was before the time you could become a meme. 

Until you go through a live media interview, you just have no idea how it truly feels to be in the spotlight like this. You feel very alone, and disconnected all miked up with just a producer's voice in your ear telling you that you will be live in 30 seconds, to speak intelligently to someone you have never spoken to before. You have an idea of what they will be asking, but they don't tell you all the questions as they too are often prepping up to the last minute. That 5-minute chat on air feels like forever - and it feels like no time at all. And after - oh the relief of having made it to the other side! You get a runner's high.  

You know that feeling, right? (shoot me a note and share the last time you felt that moment of triumph!) If you haven't felt it in a while, then I highly suggest you go do something that stretches your boundaries. 

As an agency, we really get what our brand clients - and the talent we hire - are going through because we use the same marketing tactics to market ourselves. We know how to best prepare for most - if not every - potential good or bad outcome, and we can be that same calming influence for you as your brand ventures into the unknown world of pop culture partnerships.  

 In our team at Hollywood Branded's article round up this week, you will:

• See which Peloton instructors are taking over social media, and see how building your employee's brands can positively impact yours. 
• Learn how to replicate strategies that mobile game makers successfully use to market their platforms.
• View some highlights from my interview with Ann Bennett, the Founder + CEO of Renegade Marketing, and learn why a successful marketer needs to learn how to authentically stand out.
• Read about why Travis Scott is an ideal brand partner, and how he manages to engage with Gen Zers to make everyday brands "trendy" and cool.
• Check out which products have gone viral and how your brand can leverage TikTok for similar success.

- Stacy Jones, CEO at Hollywood Branded

Find me @StacyJonesBrand