Last week, AMP3 held its annual CAMP3 summer PR bootcamp, virtually! With 45 campers in attendance, four guest speakers and the entire AMP3 team on board, we successfully zoomed through the event (no pun intended) and were so thrilled to provide an opportunity for students during these uncertain times. It was a refreshing reminder that there are still many ways to stay connected and learn, you just have to get creative!
Virtual Event Kickoff
Alyson Roy, co-founder of AMP3, kickstarted the first day with an overview of the agency and the three-pronged approach taken when working with clients. This led everyone into a session with Nicole Colasanto, AMP3’s Media Relations Specialist. She discussed the art of pitching to editors and moderated a Q&A session with our first guest speaker of the event, Gabrielle Prescod, Senior Fashion Market Editor at BUSTLE. Gabby emphasized the importance of maintaining strong personal relationships while adapting to the changing times. With a very limited amount of face-to-face interaction at the moment, she acknowledged how difficult this has become and encouraged students to keep in touch with industry professionals through emails, virtual zoom sessions and hopping on phone calls every so often. Additionally, Gabby’s advice for making your pitch stand out in an editor’s overcrowded inbox was to ensure the story aligns with the publication. Taking that extra step to research previous stories published by an editor and making a connection in the pitch goes a long way.
AMP3 PR Client Work
Case studies showcasing AMP3’s work with clients were another integral part of the bootcamp. Megan Reeves, Senior Account Executive, and Ashley Lutzker, VP of Accounts, both presented videos and behind the scenes footage of what it’s truly like to plan social media, celebrity and influencer events. Campers were given the opportunity to plan their own event for Derma-E, all the way from choosing a venue to designing the perfect flower wall for an Instagram moment. Samantha Grant, AMP3’s Account Manager, discussed influencer marketing and moderated a Q&A where we were joined by guest speaker Lissette Calveiro, influencer and social media coach. Lissette’s main career focus at the moment is creating content and acting as a coach for other influencers as the industry is ever-changing. She emphasized that a crucial part of the job is an influencer’s ability to transform their audience and encourage them to act. Lissette’s final piece of advice for anyone interested in breaking into the influencer space is to establish your own brand. Cohesive content comes much easier to creators with a strong grasp of who they are and what they want to represent.
Fashion Stylist Insights & Intern Queen
We welcomed everyone back for the third and final day of CAMP3 with lots in store! Marissa Birschbach, AMP3’s Account Coordinator, led a session on the basics of celebrity placements with guest speaker and celebrity stylist Amanda Lim. As someone who first got into styling at her Nylon Magazine internship, worked as a freelance stylist for many years and recently ventured off into her own business, Amanda has seen it all. As she navigates the current climate of the styling industry in the midst of a pandemic, Amanda’s advice for anyone looking to work in fashion is to remain conscious and intentional. Holding brands accountable for sustainability, representation and inclusivity has deservedly become increasingly important. Last, but certainly not least, we were joined by the amazing Lauren Berger, also known as The Intern Queen. Campers in attendance were able to ask Lauren for advice on entering a virtual job sphere and how to stay in touch with professionals during a pandemic. She reassured students that it truly is all about communication and being open-minded. If you show up and step up, employers always value someone who wants to be of service. Lauren encouraged everyone to check out her free services, Intern Queen and Career Queen, for more tailored advice and content.
This year’s CAMP3 will surely be one to remember. The virtual event allowed us to offer the bootcamp to PR students all over the country, and even one in Puerto Rico! Now that we officially have one virtual Zoom event successfully under our belts, we look forward to what’s in store for the next one. Thank you to all of the team members here at AMP3, the guest speakers and every camper in attendance who made this possible!
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