Meet the Team: Alexa
Why did you want to join the IMC team? Last year I really wanted to find an internship where I would be able to learn a lot, and that would challenge me. I didn’t know that I would be joining such an amazing team and getting my first job in PR!
What is your favorite thing about Public Relations and Social Media? I love that PR works so well with social media. I think that so many people can benefit from using social media every day no matter what type of business they own. It is a great way to show off your business and it’s free! So it’s a win win. I love being on social media and finding out all of the trends. When I tell people that I am on Facebook all day at work, they don’t understand how hard I am working for businesses!
What does your day to day look like? Every day at IMC is different! We have a diverse set of clients and I love working with everyone. Whether its making up some social posts, newsletters, or blogging for a client I am always ready to work. We love to go out and grab lunch from local places, and sometimes we work as a team in the conference room. There are always new things to work on!
If you could be in any city in the world right now where would you be? I would be in Florence probably! It was an amazing experience to travel abroad and as much as I do love CT, I love Italy even more.
How many pairs of shoes do you own? I own probably over 50 pairs, but I honestly wear about 10 of them! I love finding them both fashionable and comfy making them perfect for the office! (Which you should checkout our Instagram to see our future Tuesday Shoesday posts!)
Lightning round:
Favorite food: Tacos
Cat or dog: Cat! I have a fluffy fat cat named Buddy
Pen or Pencil: I use pens all the time, but I like that pencils can erase your mistakes!
Beach or mountains: Beach
Instagram or Facebook: Instagram
Most-used app on your phone: Facebook!
Two words friends would use to describe you: Bubbly and ambitious
Favorite hobbies? I love to play tennis, horseback ride, and go diving
What are you currently watching: Scandal and The Office
In 2016, you’re most excited for: Starting my senior year of college and going on amazing tripsWhat’s in My Desk?
A professional woman’s toolbox is her space at the office. We spend most of our week here, and we always make sure that we have early single thing that we need. Combined with the items in our purse, we can survive any day. If you need some inspiration for your own desk, take a peek in ours!
Here are Alexa’s desk essentials! Can you tell she does PR and social media?
- Sunglasses: It’s always a good idea to be ready on the go! My Ray Ban’s are my go to glasses.
- Its all about the Image! I keep a business card or two in my desk for a quick reference to numbers and emails.
- I open most of the mail that comes through the office, if you don’t have one of these, I highly recommend one.
- I’m always ready to staple!
- A good pair of scissors is perfect for creative projects.
- My iPhone: I always have this with me, no matter where I go, you never know when good Instagram or Facebook content pops up! (Love my Lilly case?)
- Stickies: organization is key, cute organization, even better!
- I love to highlight, take notes, and mark pages. We all have our go to highlighting colors. Mine is definitely pink.
- Paper clips: I’m obsessed with trendy office supplies, if you can’t tell! Find them at Target.
Up next is Kate! Her desk matches her professionalism and classic style. All of the essentials of a boss worthy workspace.
- Gotta stay hydrated! I love drinking water from my hot pink Image Marketing tumbler.
- This scented lotion from Bath and Body Works was in a gift bag from one of our clients. It’s the perfect floral scent and keeps my hands soft – double win.
- A signed contract is still sitting on my desk from a new client that joined us last week. It’s waiting to be filed away!
- Even though I’m not good at creating lists, I try to think that this cute notepad inspires me to write notes to myself!
- I keep an eyeshadow palette at work for those crazy mornings when I don’t have time to do it at home.
- I’m obsessed with these black Kate Spade sunglasses and keep a pair with me at all times.
- We always have a candle burning in the office, and this mini one doesn’t take up too much room on my desk.
- My Rotarian Magazine comes every month and I leave it on my desk so I remember to read it!
- I prefer the old school calculator with the big buttons for when I’m calculating hourly rates and media buys!
- Of course my Payless Comfort Plus kitten heels in this pretty yellow for summer. Usually I kick them off under my desk but I actually have them on today!
Jenna, our graphic designer, is amazingly organized!
- This little mosaic dish holds all of my miscellaneous supplies – paper clips, binder clips, hair clips – you name it!
- I swear by Aveeno lotions – this travel size is perfect for keeping my hands moisturized throughout the day.
- Fine point pens are a necessity for sketching out logo & layout ideas for clients. Micron pens are a personal favorite of mine & these Stabilo pens have a wide range of bright colors that make adding in a pop of color easy-peasy.
- Pink hand-sanitizer that comes with a cute saying? Yes, please. Clever packaging can make all the difference in sales.
- Burt’s bees chapstick is both functional & sustainable. This tinted lip balm hydrates my lips and adds just enough color to complete my professional look. #savethebees
- This mini sewing kit comes in handy when a loose thread, ripped seam, or missing button threatens to ruin my day.
- Colorful post-it notes & notepads help keep me organized throughout the work week. I use them to write down project deadlines, color #s, & daily reminders.
Our Intern, Katherine, already has her desk essentials ready to go!
- A ruler, to satisfy any artistic cravings, or even if I need to measure / draw a straight line.
- Sharpies are my go to marker for labeling things.
- Scotch tape, because I make a lot of mistakes!
- I leave an extra pair of sunglasses at work, in case I forget mine at home.
- These pens have been my favorite for years!
- This travel-sized lotion is the best for if (when) I forget to lotion in the morning, and it smells like coconuts, which reminds me of summertime.
- A pretty daily “to-do” list so I can visualize everything.
- Highlighters give me life. I have to highlight all of my utmost important notes. I like small one’s, so they don’t take up too much space.
- This flash drive has my entire life backed up. I’m big on backing things up.
- Mini Post-It’s are cute reminders to help me prioritize.
We hope you gained a few new ideas to stock up your desk!
Meet the Team: Our New Intern Katherine
We are so excited to welcome our new intern Katherine to the team! She has been a great asset to us in the past few weeks, and has caught on quickly with all of our projects that we are currently working on! Katherine is going into her junior year at Fordham University, studying communications and marketing. She grew up 30 minutes away from IMC, in Farmington, CT. Here’s a little bit more about her:
Brand Yourself
You hear the word branding all of the time, and its usually about a company. A brand is what makes that company stand out, and the emotional connection that a person feels toward a brand. It’s the reason people pay $1,000 for a pair of Jimmy Choo’s, instead of buying a no name pair of heels, or spend some extra money at Target instead of heading to Walmart.
But what about a personal brand? Everyone has one. Even if you don’t own your own company, you still have your personality and a way that people perceive you. read more…
Behind The Design
At our office, we are always coming up with designs, logos, and infographics for our clients. The designer behind all of that work, is Jenna!
Jenna has been working for IMC for almost a year, and has designed over 50 projects for our clients. She graduated from Marist College in 2015 with a double degree in Digital Media and Studio Art, with a concentration in Graphic Design. Before joining our team, she interned at Crazivity Design Studio in London, and Redbook Magazine in New York. read more…
Landing an Internship in Marketing and PR
There are so many things that PR and marketing majors need to experience while in school. From networking events, to clubs and organizations that are for your major, such as the PRSSA. One of the most important experiences is to find an internship, or two, while still in school.
Internships help you get real world experience and use all of the skills that you learned in class. You can start small, and then as you gain experience, apply to some more prestigious or competitive positions. If you need some help figuring out where to start, here are 5 tips to finding a great internship in college:
Social Media Spring Cleaning
Winter is coming to an end and spring is right around the corner. Spring cleaning is something that you can not only do around the office, but also on your social media pages.
When it comes to cleaning your social media pages, it’s all about updating your content, and looking at all of the posts that were interacted with the most! If your cover photo and profile picture are over 6 months old, it is probably time for an update. We are updating our clients’ pages from winter themes to spring themes! You want to make sure that your page doesn’t look outdated, it can turn people away from liking your page.
5 Tips for Planning a Successful Corporate Event
At IMC, we’ve planned an event or two!
In our experience, a corporate function usually requires a little more brainstorming to keep it flowing, fun, and fabulous. Since we’re currently in the midst of planning a couple of these events for our clients, we thought it’d be the perfect time to share a few of our tips!
CT March of Dimes
Our founder and managing principal, Kate Sirignano, has always been involved in numerous philanthropic endeavors, but none have been as close to her heart as the March of Dimes.
Since the birth of her son in 2014, Kate has become very involved with March of Dimes, and was presented with their 2015 leadership award at a special dinner ceremony this past weekend.
Last fall, Kate served as the 2015 Chairperson of the Signature Chefs Auction, which raised a record-breaking $115,000 and once again has signed on for 2016.
Kate added, “I am honored to be able to serve as the Chair of this year’s Signature Chefs Auction and to support the March of Dimes in their incredible endeavors. My own son was born 15 weeks premature, weighing just over one pound, and underwent multiple surgeries and medical procedures during his 112 day stay in the NICU. The March of Dimes supported us in numerous ways during a very difficult time and we are humbled to be able to help pay it forward in support of other families who benefit from this wonderful organization.”
On Saturday, Kate, among other volunteers and donors, received the Leadership Award at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Spirit of Giving Celebration.
Kate wants to thank March of Dimes Connecticut for a wonderful evening and for honoring her with their 2015 leadership award.
Forty Under 40 Recipient
Today is a great day! Not many people can say that on Monday mornings sitting at their desk, but for me, it’s the start of what’s going to be a fabulous week!
The February issue of Connecticut Magazine comes out this week and I’m so honored and grateful to have been selected as one of the Forty Under 40 recipients for 2016.
One of the points that was mentioned in the article was that we are adjusting our client focus a bit to work with luxury and lifestyle brands, something that I’ve been passionate about for a while now. However, unfortunately over the last few years, I’ve gotten away from working directly with clients as much, but that’s about to change. This Forty Under 40 recognition has made me realize that I miss meeting with new clients to help them achieve their marketing and personal growth goals.
So the bottom line is that I want to network with new brands, new companies, new clients to see how we can help grow and promote them. Are you a business owner, a marketing VP, or a public relations director? Call, drop a line, or connect with me online – this winter is the start of a great year and I want you to be included!
