Meet the team Alyssa Owens

Tell us about your experience to date and your background

My interest in public relations budded when I was exposed to the industry during a university internship at the head quarters of luxury clothier, Brooks Brothers in New York City. After I graduated, I pursued a role with a firm where I focused on clients across the luxury and fashion industries. After two years in Manhattan, I decided to move back to Canada, where I went to university, and worked for an agency in Toronto that similarly specialised in luxury and lifestyle clients. I had the opportunity to work across a broad range of well-known brands including Charlotte Tilbury, Ted Baker and Thomas Sabo.

After several years in Toronto I decided that a trip over to Europe would be an exciting adventure and touched down in London three years ago. After extensive research into the UK PR agency landscape, I knew that The PHA Group would be a great fit and I eagerly accepted the opportunity.

What was it about The PHA Group that enticed you over other agencies?

What attracted me to The PHA Group is the entrepreneurial spirit and journalist approach that lays a clear foundation for the company. Previously in my career I had the pleasure of working for several British brands, but I was less familiar with the specific media landscape in the UK. I felt the best way to kick-start my career here would be to learn directly from colleagues who have worked as industry leading journalists and I was excited to be a part of a firm that had so many names from the national media outlets.

It has provided an environment to learn and grow from those with outstanding talent and expertise.

What do you find most compelling about the clients you work with?

I find the diversity of clients I work with and their dedication to improving their industries the most exciting aspect of my job.

For example, my current client SharkNinja, a leading home technology brand, has a customer centred approach to their product development unique to the industry. They have over 125 real consumers test and provide feedback on their products during the design phase before anything is put on the market. This ensures that every item they launch is a solution for real problems people face in their homes. They are also doing something innovative for the home tech industry this year which I cannot wait to share with the press and their readership!

If you had to choose two of your favourite projects you’ve worked on during your time at The PHA Group, which ones would they be?

Every year, Path to Success the charity that supports female Paralympic athletes hosts a Wheelchair Basketball Tournament to raise the crucial funds needed to cover the cost of coaching, training, travel, equipment and specialised sports wheelchairs for the sponsored athletes. I had the pleasure of competing in last year’s competition for the charity and cannot wait for the 2020 event which will support the charity’s Path to Tokyo campaign. This campaign supports their aspiring athletes with eyes on the Tokyo 2020 games in four major disability sports: Para Powerlifting, Para Badminton, Wheelchair Basketball and Wheelchair Tennis.

I am also very proud of my work with a luxury yacht charter to launch their new app. The yachting industry has not adopted technology as quickly as other industries have and our client was keen to work with us to show the benefits of their app to both the owner and the person requesting the charter. We arranged a press trip for six journalists aboard a superyacht to show them firsthand how our client was making yacht charter easier and more accessible. This successfully garnered them positive media coverage in national newspapers, luxury magazines, and industry media titles.

The project is a great example of The PHA Group’s excellence in experience management.

How do you measure your PR impact for clients?

I love taking a bespoke and tailored approach to measure impact with all clients. At our initial brand immersion meeting, discussing goals and agreeing on what the client is trying to achieve is at the top of the agenda. This is different for every client and should reflect the specific needs of the business, so we ensure goals are then quantified and monitored regularly.

Project goals can include general brand awareness, driving traffic to the brand website, investor relations, sales generation, thought leadership, brand profiling and coverage within and out of the client’s industry. At the heart, we always measure success based on the specific goal the brand is trying to achieve at any given time.

How does working at The PHA Group differ to other agencies?

Along with the variety of clients within my department, the internal culture is unique at The PHA Group. I feel continuously encouraged to challenge, improve and develop my own career, as well as the team surrounding me.

I’m in a privileged position where I can learn from the best and embrace my entrepreneurial spirit. The PHA Group provides an environment filled with passionate and enthusiastic individuals I get to work alongside every day.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

I love working with start-up companies and entrepreneurs and providing them with the brand recognition they deserve. It is rewarding to see the clients I work with advancing within their industries and giving them the credibility to voice their passions and values.

If you would like to find out how PR can connect you with the right audience for your business then please get in touch with us today.

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