From agencies to in-house, fashion to publishing to beauty – has done and seen it all. Currently a consultant at Cav Con as well as MESHpr, a company she founded in 2014, Cavanagh is undoubtedly one of Australia’s most experienced PR lifestyle professionals. As such, BEAUTYDIRECTORY decided to pick Cavanagh’s brains on everything from her career path to the changing PR landscape and the effect of bloggers and influencers on the industry.
You've had vast experience across communications and public relations. Can you tell me a bit about your career history?
Originally I wanted to pursue a career in film production or journalism, however, an opportunity came up at my brother Mark Cavanagh’s agency, Cav Con. It was meant to be a temporary thing and I ended up doing a six year tenure! Following that was a stint in London at Yellowdoor – run by retail guru Mary Portas. Thereafter I was keen to experience in-house marketing roles in publishing and fashion, and worked at yen magazine and gorman respectively. In 2010, Mark and I decided to join forces again and relocate from Paddington to a cool new office space in Surry Hills, where we still reside today.
In your career, you've done both agency tenures as well as senior in-house roles at yen magazine and gorman. How does in-house compare to agency work?
In one sense in-house roles offer more diversity and an eye opener to the operational side of business beyond PR / marketing. That said, the buzz of agency life is somewhat addictive. In addition, the variety of working across a number of brands / categories as opposed to the one (in-house) focus keeps things interesting. Mental agility and an ever-expanding network of contacts are also great aspects of agency roles.
Does PR and communications differ vastly when it comes to fashion, publishing and beauty?
The mechanics are similar and translate across the sectors, but there is an obvious shift in focus. One key difference [is] the beauty industry tends to have larger budgets (at least the major brands with whom we’ve been fortunate to work [with]) which often means more lavish ideas and concepts can be brought to life, and more facets of the greater marketing pie explored.
How has the PR industry changed since you first started out?
Significantly! And it continues to evolve fairly rapidly. There is no doubt that ‘digital’ was the great game changer, and it continues to be as we all explore the many possibilities. It’s exciting, but it has also meant our scope of work has increased tenfold as these new avenues for marketing continue to expand. Social media channels are but one aspect, and the potential here alone is vast.
What are the key differences?
The rising power of brand-directed custom content, and harnessing commentators and influencers as opposed to simply focussing on traditional media outlets and standard media relations activity. The power too of the consumer to broadcast their voice and how this impacts on the way brands have to behave is a key difference.
How has social media changed the way that people think about PR?
Metrics… metrics… metrics. I can’t remember the last time a client presented a healthy budget and simply an overriding brief to create a spectacular event! Once upon a time it didn’t extend too much beyond the immediate participants. Now, it’s about extending this experience via a whole range of new media avenues. And brand executions are just one aspect of the greater PR pie!
Are you finding that smaller organisations want to engage PR for specific campaigns rather than in an ongoing capacity? How are you responding to this?
Project basis PR is the new norm and retainer relationships are rarer these days. It’s always best to offer a project-based option when pitching to a new client. Extending this, smaller organisations might have more limited budgets… so you have to be strategic, identify the best channels and focus on those. Great cut through is possible without splashing money above and below the line and across all the opportunities that exist if you harness the right media platforms.
Which "old-school" PR skills do you believe are still the most important today? Why?
Relationship building across media and industry, and good writing skills. Good writing as the primary communications tool is simply fundamental, although [it] seems to be losing ground as a priority in today’s fast media landscape. I am also a firm advocate of never burning bridges.
How does having a smaller agency (like MESHpr) versus a bigger agency (like Cav Con) change the type of clients you work with?
Only perhaps in the scale of execution is there a noticeable difference, in as much as Cav Con has worked with many big global brands over the years. But at the end of the day, no matter the scale of the agency or the size of the campaign, it’s about communication and relationships – and this never changes.
Has the rise of bloggers and influencers affected the way modern day PR works?
Yes, beyond what we anticipated. There are also blurred lines between editorial and advertising content in the core sense. These sectors used to be ‘church and state’, however, the rise of new media sectors and the role of say bloggers has seen a definite shift. I believe we are still in a phase of correction and learning in many ways as these various forces align.
What do you think the future of the PR industry looks like?
Increasing specialisation, more potent experiential activations where consumers interact or engage with brands on truly influential levels, and incorporating the consumer’s voice in the greater marketing dialogue to greater degree are all part of this evolution. Kit and Ace are doing some very interesting things in this space.
What would be your top advice to an up-and-coming PR consultant?
At ground level, use your internship opportunities wisely and seek to build real relationships above and beyond merely making an impression. Keep across the changing media landscape as much as possible. It is evolving rapidly and it is paramount as an industry professional that you keep abreast of the developments. Complacency is the enemy here. Also, be conscious of building relationships wherever possible. You will rely on these just as much as strategic knowledge to implement successfully and consistently. Resist the urge to become a media focus yourself if you are truly dedicated to the profession of meaningful brand building campaigns.
