Delage noted that 2019 is a big year for her and her PR company. “We are launching our new website to kick off spring and we are celebrating our 25th anniversary in the industry. We are also looking to expand by adding a new member to our team and are looking to branch out into Europe. It’s an amazing feeling and we look forward to continued growth,” she said.
The Canadian PR queen is working on a major event in Toronto in August, in an effort to celebrate their 25th anniversary. “We are looking at throwing an event in Los Angeles and New York for Canada Day, so stay tuned for more information,” she hinted.
This past fall, Delage hosted a networking event at The Lately in New York City. “It was amazing. The response and the love I got from the United States in 2018 was and still is incredible. I am so grateful, they welcomed me the way they did. I am French Canadian and we dream about these things because they don’t happen to everyone. The one piece of advice I have is to follow your dreams and hustle, if you do, you can do anything,” she said.
On the future of PR in the next five years, Delage said, “There are more and more people becoming their own brand, that’s why PR is more relevant than ever. This being said, we need to be more strategic about everything we do and post online. You can’t become famous in 24 hours, you need to go back to the basics and understand that it’s important to follow the proper steps in order to get your message out.”
Regarding any new technological developments in the field of PR this year, Delage said, “I do not see as much when it comes to new technology but you will see more development in the way PR professionals do things. PR people need to be more and more creative for the clients and think outside the box in order to get them the exposure they need.”
She continued, “You also need to have a strong game plan with your client and ensure that they really understand what it is you do and what the expectations are. This all needs to be clearly stated from the initial conversation because these days the media circuit is getting smaller and smaller.”
When asked what technology Delage used her in PR career, she responded, “I am on social media 24/7. In order to help manage that, I use Buffer to schedule my posts and Boomerang to schedule my email via Gmail. These two tools are essential to keep everything organized in a timely manner daily.”
Delage added, “I also heavily rely on my Google calendar. If I don’t input my meetings or anything else I have to do, I will forget about it. My intern also introduced me to Trello which is a really good tool to keep your entire team in check when you have specific tasks and deadlines.”
For aspiring publicists and public relations professionals, she said, “Be prepared to hustle and work hard 24/7 because this isn’t a 9 to 5 job. In movies and TV, you see the glamorous life of a publicist, which may involve red carpets and magazine shoots, but what you need to understand is that this doesn’t happen overnight. You need to network and you need to learn to be on top of your game every day, weekends included.”
To learn more about Karyzma Agency, check out its official website.
