5 Things with Kevin Wong
Our team got to chat with Kevin Wong (he/him) @kwprime, the Vice President of Communications for @trevorproject. He let us in on the 5 things he wishes someone had told him before he started his career in Communications.
Kevin is a seasoned comm professional who works closely with The Trevor Project’s marketing and creative teams to develop 360-degree campaigns that promote the organization’s crisis services, resources, and partnerships, as well as its research, education, and advocacy initiatives.
He previously served as the Communications Manager for iHeartMedia, where he promoted iHeartRadio’s marquee music festivals, streaming music app, B2B partnerships, and more than 850 radio stations nationwide. Prior to that, he was the Public Relations Supervisor at Six Flags Great Adventure.
People work with people, not companies.
I learned this from my first Director, and it has rang true for every relationship since then. No matter where your colleagues and contacts end up in the future, if you are kind to them and thoughtful in your work, they will be more willing to hear you out and collaborate with you.
Sometimes the spokesperson is you.
You might have to share info on background or pinch-hit if your typical spokespeople have packed schedules. For time-sensitive press requests, it can sometimes be faster to do the interview yourself rather than missing the opportunity. For select crises, you may want to use your voice instead of a leader to put distance between them and the topic.
Lean into shared experiences.
For me, as an Asian American and LGBTQ person working in communications, bonding with people over shared experiences in the industry helped me navigate my own professional journey. What makes you unique can also be helpful in creating a network, finding mentorship, and even making lasting friendships.
You are not your metrics.
Neither impressions, circulation, or publicity value are exact. They are all based on estimates that fluctuate per monitoring service. Even though they’re estimates, these vanity metrics are one of the very few ways that clients, leaders, and colleagues can easily understand the impact of our work. Teach them about other ways to value your work, such as sentiment, perception shifts, awareness increases, and changing hearts and minds.
Everyone else has a goal, too.
Being mindful of others’ goals can help you hone in on the perfect strategy. Your CEO, stakeholders, or partners’ PR team might all have different goals, including specific target outlets, timing the announcement with an e-blast, or a need to announce on social. Also note reporters’ publishing schedules and editorial calendars – some writers have to write a high volume of stories a month, and your pitch can help them reach their goals.
