ME 52-30: PR Skill Set Stretches Across Green and Social Planes

While considering herself more of a novice in the field of public relations, Yvonne Ho has managed to translate her skill set from International Relations studies to real life applications. Now a consultant for Accenture, the basic principles of marketing and putting the audience now plays an even more significant role.

Yvonne Ho

Managment Consultant

Accenture

What site(s) do you have to visit everyday for Marketing news?

Wall St. Journal and CNN.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?

Facebook, Shirt.woot!, greentechmedia, USGBC NCC

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

Vision--having a general idea of what they are striving towards.

What the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost everyday and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

Social Media--everything and everyone is connected on social media. This movement has spanned a multitude of countries and cultures and is constantly growing. Either hop on the bandwagon or be completely left behind.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

Green-corporations big and small are adopting the whole "green" and "sustainable" marketing strategy. And why not? It's good for the planet and green is a great color.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of marketing specialty?

Get bogged down by the negative publicity (if any) your clients are getting, even if it's partially you're doing. There will always be haters, so just keep those creative juices flowing and eventually you'll get out of the slump.

What' an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?

Privacy--with businesses constantly trying to get into the minds of the consumer, sometimes it goes to far and borders on violation of rights.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?

Half and half. Some brands are strong enough to be recognizable across cultures, but in order to be comletely effective, some localization needs to be incorporated. It's a way to keep cultures separate and unique.

Best piece of advice you have received?

Pack light. A lighter suitcase goes a long way.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?

A writer. i was always scribbling random (and most of the time strange) stories in notebooks. To this day, I still have a vividly overactive imagination, but have realized that (my) writing is not going to put food on the table.

Is Marketing more of an art or science?

You need both.

To tweet or not to tweet?

You can tweet if you want to, but just know that most people really don't care about what you're posting!