Thursday, June 16, 2011

Heroes and ... part deux

PR is a difficult function, particularly within a watch company.  Before I started doing PR for DOXA, I thought it would be sunshine and public events.  Meeting famous people, handing out watches, smiling for the camera, champagne and parties!

In reality, PR is often doing a thousand things at once for just as many people.  Please and thank you are sometimes words you can go a long time without hearing.  Long days spent in trade shows, unfamiliar hotels, and dubious food. So it can be challenging at the best of times.

Since I started the blog nearly a year ago, one of the first companies to respond back to me was Eterna/Porsche Design, and Manon Abplanalp, their Public Relations Manager was always there right from the begining.  Press releases, product information, and it is important to mention - the first watch to be in the 15 day review!  Manon is a PR Super-Hero!


MCT watches is a unique company - producing only a few pieces a year, they have to try a bit harder to get their message out there.  And at the forefront spreading the good word is Sophie Bonnet.  You would search high and low and not find a better ambassador.  Sophie is a star!  We met briefly at the Ramada in Basel and I now understand what it must be like to have coffee with a famous person with all of the people she knew stopping by to say hello and bend her ear.  Clearly a very good person to know.


And what about distributors?  I will say that my whole perception of distributors changed when I spent some time with Dan Lewis.  Dan and his company are responsible for several key brands in the US and Canada including Azimuth, Paul Picot and others.  I went expecting to see some watches and have a brief chat, but Dan took the time to introduce me to everyone he could.  And instead of me explaining the blog to the watch companies, it was Dan!  I suspect that Dan might have been a motivational speaker at one time because he had everyone's attention, including mine.


I think what is unique with these folks is that they are genuinely interested in what they are doing, and this clearly shows through.  As I said before, this blog could not really be what it is without people like this sharing of their time - thank you!

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