by Zoey Hutton
“If you did not ask a question or make a comment, that was a missed opportunity,” Elizabeth DuChene, MA, PCM, AMA-CPM, better known as Belle DuChene, expressed to the UNI PRSSA Chapter at the closing of our meeting. I’m not sure there could have been a more fitting statement for DuChene to make, as she is the queen of taking advantage of every opportunity. Every Monday in Lang 346, UNI PRSSA gets the chance to hear from public relations (PR) professionals. This is a great way for college students to learn more about the different paths we can take with a PR degree after graduation. On this specific day, DuChene spoke to us about “Fashion PR: A Niche Industry.” Before going to the meeting, I wasn’t sure there was going to be much that I could take away from it. I am a PR major with a special events emphasis, so I didn’t think that a topic like fashion was relevant to me (and honestly, I am probably the last person anyone should take fashion advice from). In hindsight, I was so naive to think in such a way. During the meeting, Duchene told us about her past involvements, which included working events during fashion week, being an adjunct professor at the University of Iowa, Simpson College, and the University of Northern Iowa, working at Meredith Corporation while serving as a project manager, and so much more. One thing in particular that stood out to me was her micro-influencing agency, Belle DuChene Media + Management (BDMM). BDMM specializes in all things PR, helping micro-influencers create strategic plans that go further than what just social media shows. While introducing some of the influencers she works with, she noted that everyone has their own style, or niche, if you will. DuChene knows that it is important to bring a little bit of you into everything you do. Different Public Relations Routes A PR degree is so versatile. There is something for everyone in public relations. Whether every business knows it or not, their business would benefit immensely from having a PR specialist on their side. DuChene’s micro-influencing business is proof of it! While I know that public relations can be quite broad in a big picture sense, UNI offers three emphases of study in PR: strategic, special events, and sports. Each emphasis is centered on PR, but varies in focus. Maybe you enjoy structure and strategic planning, everything sports, or all the steps that go into planning an event – PR offers something for everyone! The strategic track focuses on the fundamentals of PR and is exactly what it says it is: strategic. Some choose this route because their niche is helping others succeed. Corporate life is where some strategic PR majors find themselves later in life. The sports track focuses on sports teams and individual athletes themselves. Some choose this route because they have a love for all things sports. Some sports PR professionals may find themselves promoting or putting a positive spin on what might be a disappointing sports season in press releases, keeping tension between teams and media outlets light and positive, or creating media strategies to boost a teams’ fan base. Personally, I am a public relations major with an emphasis in special events. Event coordinating really intrigues me because I like structure and planning. Event planning is so satisfying because I get the chance to watch my plans, visions, and big picture ideas come to fruition. It is one of the best feelings! Who knew you could actually make a career out of something you truly enjoy? I thought it was too good to be true until I joined PRSSA. Learn More About UNI’s PR Program Even with a specific emphasis in PR, life can take you to amazing places and may take you far from what you imagined. No matter the route, PR gives you soft skills that can be applied to pretty much any career you want. Be like DuChene - find your niche and don’t make the mistake of missing any opportunity because you were too afraid to ask a question or make a comment! To learn more about UNI's PRSSA chapter, hit the "about" tab on our website, and for more information on the UNI’s PR major program, click the link below! https://chas.uni.edu/cm/majors/public-relations Make sure to check out the other blog posts on Setting PRecendents to gain even more insight as to what PR at UNI looks like!
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