PR Pros: Zoe Beard of Bitmovin On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro

An Interview With Dina Aletras

Remember (for most of us!) that it’s PR, not ER.

The phrase “We’re saving PDFs, not lives” is circulating on TikTok, but in PR we use the phrase it’s PR, not ER. It is great to be motivated and want to do a good job, but if we make a mistake, then for many of us, nobody will die. PR can be fast-paced and stressful, but do not let it come at the expense of your mental, emotional, or physical health.

Have you seen the show Flack? Ever think of pursuing a real-life career in PR? What does it take to succeed in PR? What are the different forms of Public Relations? Do you have to have a college degree in PR? How can you create a highly lucrative career in PR? In this interview series, called “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro” we are talking to successful publicists and Public Relations pros, who can share stories and insights from their experiences.

As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Zoe Beard.

Zoe Beard is a PR and Communications professional with 8 years of experience in B2B technology. She delivered integrated communications campaigns for global conglomerates and dynamic start-ups. Currently, she is the Senior Manager, PR & Communications for Bitmovin, a global leader in video streaming solutions.

Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Like many PR professionals, I initially wanted to be a journalist. I did a couple of internships with The Guardian Newspaper and realized it wasn’t for me. PR seemed like the natural, alternative career because there’s content creation, creativity, and the buzz of getting your client’s or company’s story in the news. I first did a marketing and social media internship at a university business school, then spent six years working at a B2B communications agency before beginning my role at Bitmovin.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?

Professionally, getting Bitmovin featured in places such as The Associated Press, Business Insider, the Daily Mail, Euronews, International Business Times, Sifted, and Yahoo Finance which feels pretty impressive for a mid-sized company in a very niche industry. We’ve punched above our weight in terms of coverage.

Personally, it was getting married to my husband in a vineyard in Bulgaria, which was a huge party with our family and friends.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

While undertaking my internship with a university business school, I sent out a social media post with a typo that turned the word into an expletive. I received a very panicked call from someone asking me to correct it! It was a good reminder about the importance of attention to detail! Proofreading is a skill that I had to work on at the start of my career; tools like Grammarly weren’t what they are today!

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

My role has shifted due to the ongoing convergence of PR and Social Media. When I joined Bitmovin, my role primarily focused on media relations and increasing brand visibility. That’s still a big focus of my role, but social media also plays a much bigger role in my day-to-day role. I work in the media and entertainment technology sector, and I would say overall, it’s an industry that’s still catching up when it comes to utilizing social media and being creative with it. The most interesting and exciting project I am working on is making our social media channels primarily video-first, which can include customer case studies and testimonials, as well as more introduction videos for blogs and research-led content.

I am a millennial, so I am probably slightly too old for TikTok! However, it’s undeniably a channel that more B2B brands need to be exploring. I have been experimenting with TikTok content on my channel and had some semi-viral videos (!) I am now trying to bring more of that content to Bitmovin’s LinkedIn, where appropriate, and I am also implementing a strategy for a company’s TikTok account. It’s a learning curve, but what I enjoy about social media is that it rewards risks and experimentation, and it scratches the creative itch in my brain.

You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Curiosity — I would say I am quite a curious person. I like learning new things and trying new things out when I can, and I get such a buzz when something new works. I try to soak up new things, especially important for social media, and draw inspiration from different sources. Outside work, I am interested in traveling, cooking, and learning new things. My husband is half Bulgarian, so I have been learning that for the past few years, and I am also starting to get into playing tennis. I also have a subscription to Masterclass, where renowned leaders from across fashion, sports, and business share their leadership skills. I am trying to instill the advice that resonates with me professionally and personally.

Respect — I also always try to remain respectful, even if I disagree with someone or something doesn’t meet my expectations. I have been in situations or witnessed situations before where colleagues have been belittled or made to feel small because of a mistake they made. Being kind, understanding, and respectful are the bare minimum traits of being a good person, and the best leaders are the ones who understand this.

Humility — Successful leaders are also about owning mistakes and listening to constructive feedback. If I make a mistake, I will take responsibility for it. It’s always an uncomfortable feeling knowing when you’ve messed up, but I have always found that people respect you more if you can admit it when you’ve made a mistake, and they’re more willing to help you fix it. You should never throw someone else under the bus, especially if you’re a leader; your team will lose respect, not trust you, and become demotivated. I have had instances where I have said or done the wrong thing, and each time, I owned up to my mistake, apologized, and helped find a solution. These experiences are always humbling but a reminder that we aren’t perfect. Mistakes do serve as a great lesson, even though we may not enjoy them at the time!

Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. For the benefit of our readers, can you help articulate what the different forms of PR are?

PR has evolved and changed in the last few years but there are a few core disciplines, and I can speak about the ones I have experience in. Strategic communications is the foundation of all PR programs because all PR programs should be coordinated in a way that supports the company’s overall objectives. Media relations also remain a fundamental part of most PR programs, and it’s building a good relationship with journalists and ensuring your company or client is visible in the news, which can be achieved through press releases, pitching interviews or op-eds, and reactive pitching.

Internal communications is something that I started when I joined Bitmovin. I think internal communications had the unfair label of being seen as PR’s less cool and exciting sibling. However, the COVID-19 pandemic showed the undeniable value of internal communications, especially during a crisis. You need a good internal comms team to help deliver relevant messages to internal stakeholders that cu through the noise and ensure that a company’s employees are engaged and informed. Internal Comms also facilitate two-way dialogue between the employees and senior internal stakeholders.

There’s also crisis communications to protect a brand. People often associate crisis communications with when an organization at the center of a social media storm and the comms team comes in to clean up the mess. However, most crisis communications teams develop clear and consistent plans for crisis communications. Their goal is to pre-empt any risks to the brands and assign clear roles to internal stakeholders in the event of a crisis.

I mentioned earlier that social media and PR have converged, and social media arguably falls with the remit of PR as it relates to building a strong brand presence. Alongside, sharing content with followers, social media management includes building relationships with customers, prospects and partners, social media advocacy, paid social and ensuring everything feels consistent and supports the company’s business objectives.

Where should a young person considering a career in PR start their education? Should they get a degree in communications? A degree in journalism? Can you explain what you mean?

I would argue that experience and a genuine interest in PR are more important than the degree you take. I know people in PR who have quite diverse degrees backgrounds spanning biology, media and communications, business and history. I know people in PR who don’t have degrees. When I was at university, I studied English with a minor in North American Literature and Film, but what got me my first job in PR was my extracurricular activities. I was a member of committees, wrote for the student newspaper, had work experience at newspapers, and I had my own blog. I now mentor young people who are looking to get their first role in PR, and I always tell them to highlight what they’ve done outside of their degree. Every young person who wants a career in PR should be trying to get work experience or internships with PR agencies, building a portfolio of work that demonstrates their writing skills, design experience, and social media acumen.

You are known as a master networker. Can you share some tips on great networking?

I am primarily a remote worker, so I don’t always have the opportunity to network as much as I did when I worked in the office full-time, but I try to expand my network through different programs. I have participated in mentoring and reverse mentoring programs, enabling me to meet new people virtually. Whenever I am in the office or at industry events, I arrange coffee and lunches with people to maintain relationships and make new connections.

Lead generation is one of the most important aspects of any business. Can you share some of the strategies you use to generate good, qualified leads?

It’s notoriously difficult to link leads directly with earned media because its main purpose is brand visibility. Of course, with PR, there is also the desire to drive people to our website, and that’s why it’s super important to have a good marketing operations team who have the systems in place to track someone’s journey from their visit to your website to when they become a customer!

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your opinion and experience, what are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Pushing boundaries doesn’t always mean reinventing the wheel: The other day, I was watching Anna Wintour’s Masterclass on Masterclass, and she said something that struck me: Our job as a leader is to push boundaries in a way that people understand but can’t see until you show them.” Now, Anna was speaking in the context of Vogue, one of the most influential publications that identifies and sets global trends. However, it made me think about how PR people can push boundaries without reinventing the wheel. Pushing boundaries doesn’t always mean doing something that’s never been done before; it could mean persuading your client or company to try something they haven’t done before. Every client or company has different boundaries, and as PR people, it’s our responsibility to identify them and encourage them to push past them and do something different, even if it’s not groundbreaking.

2. Recognize the importance of giving back

When I was at university, I was always getting involved in new things to expand my horizons and upskill, which I still do to this day. Currently, I sit on the board of trustees for Sheffield DocFest, one of the largest documentary film festivals in the world. I also volunteer as a mentor for Bridging Barriers, which matches young people from ethnically diverse backgrounds with mentors so they can kickstart their careers. I also provide PR support for my friend who founded CAIR London, a navigation app that helps Londoners travel on London Underground routes with the least air and noise pollution. All these roles are voluntary, and although they support my professional and personal development, I also do them because I want to give back and support good causes. It is important to me, and we should all do it if we can.

3. Your younger peers can be a great source of wisdom

As a mentor for Bridging Barriers, I am mentoring people who are primarily Generation Z and they have taught me just as much as I have taught them. When I started mentoring a couple of years ago, I knew that TikTok is a huge social media site amongst Generation Z. However, I did not realize how younger generations use it like a search engine. Many of my mentees told me they would search for career tips and advice on TikTok, which was when I realized how I could build a presence for Bitmovin on TikTok with developer-focused tips. PR and Marketing tactics are always evolving, and the younger generation can help you understand how to leverage new platforms.

4. Be a good person

It is self-explanatory. Be kind and empathetic, treat people with respect and be a person of integrity.

5. Remember (for most of us!) that it’s PR, not ER.

The phrase “We’re saving PDFs, not lives” is circulating on TikTok, but in PR we use the phrase it’s PR, not ER. It is great to be motivated and want to do a good job, but if we make a mistake, then for many of us, nobody will die. PR can be fast-paced and stressful, but do not let it come at the expense of your mental, emotional, or physical health.

Because of the role you play, you are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I would love for there to be a way to fund free therapy for everyone. I think there is much more awareness about mental health but I think everyone would benefit from therapy to help them through tough times or even if someone needed to offload every now and then.

This was really meaningful! Thank you so much for your time.

About the Interviewer: Dina Aletras boasts over 20 years of expertise in the corporate media industry. She possesses an in-depth understanding of growth, strategy, and leadership, having held significant roles at some of the UK’s largest media organizations. At Reach PLC, the UK’s largest tabloid publisher, she served in various director capacities. Additionally, she held leadership roles at The Independent Magazine Group and DMGT. Her extensive knowledge spans editorial, digital, revenue, sales, and advertising.

Upon relocating to Switzerland, Dina took on the responsibility of managing and promoting the international section of Corriere del Ticino — CdT.ch pioneering the English page “onthespot.” She also was the Co-Editor of Southern Switzerland’s first official Italian and English bilingual magazine.