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Q&A with Tara Murphy of 360 Media, a boutique public relations, event planning and marketing firm specializing in entertainment, lifestyle and music clientèle
June 9, 2008
A
tlanta Woman: What are the skills one needs to succeed in public relations?
Tara Murphy: To me the skills needed to succeed in PR is ultimately drive, great
instinct, an attention to detail, creative thought and the ability to not only see but to create
the bigger picture. PR is also a very relationship based business so being able to
develop and establish relationships where you don’t always want something but rather becoming a
friend and a credible source is key. I also think for us, we always under promise and over deliver
and that is a skill that keeps clients coming back time and time again.
AW:
Are there differences in working for a PR agency versus corporate public relations?
Murphy: I have never worked in corporate PR and that was by choice. From an
outsider looking in that world, to me the difference seems vast. I have the ability to be as
creative as we want without the limitations of certain corporate guidelines, structures and
protocol. Its been interesting too because over the last number of years we have established
ourselves as being able to help corporations bridge the gap from corporate to general market and
even lifestyle public relations outreach. It is a new niche that we have tapped into. It’s
been exciting for an unconventional “rock ’n roll” agency -- as many say we are -- to dabble in
that world while being allowed to write in our style, offer non-traditional solutions and even
exciting partnerships or strategy that may not have been implemented for them before.
AW: What is the
best way to enter and succeed in PR?
Murphy: I am a firm believer in internships. I think they are
imperative. Not only do they give you hands on experience they open the door to people that
you would otherwise not have access to. Prior to me getting my first job, I had interned at four
companies all in the entertainment field looking to gain knowledge, experience and it also helped
me hone my interest to entertainment PR. We love interns here at 360 and many of them go on
to become full-time employees. To me it is a great way to learn, show what you’ve got as well as
just shine if you go in thinking I can make this something. It is also a great way to test the
waters on both sides to make sure the agency is a good fit and you are a good fit for a potential
employer. To succeed is to be ahead of the game, know your stuff and that includes the industry,
the local market, your client, and most of all, who and what you are pitching.
AW:
What are any future trends that you see in public relations?
Murphy: Future trends that I have seen in public relations are pretty
interesting. For us it is all about strategy, more bang for the buck and working a bit more
out of the normal scope of PR. For example, we are a PR firm but we now also do event
planning, media buying and grassroots marketing. I think success comes in the ability to
offer services that may not strictly be PR but will help the entire PR package. I also think
it is important to recognize that sometimes clients only hire PR agencies and we have to be that
entire marketing team or event planning team under that one budget. So becoming an integrated
agency that can keep up with trends and technology while keeping that client happy and reaching
mutual goals is important. It is a big trend, agencies offering more services and becoming a
one-stop-shop.
AW:
Your agency does a lot of entertainment work. Is there a special skill set needed to
succeed in entertainment PR?
Murphy: I don’t think a special skill set is needed for entertainment work.
I do think knowledge of the industry, trends in all fields and really keeping in the know on
culture, media, celebrity and how it all relates is important. We aren’t saving lives
here but we are impacting culture, communities, trends and businesses and I think keeping that all
in perspective is important.
AW:
What is the best career advice you ever received?
Murphy: The best advice I was ever given was to “go with my gut” and “never take a
client just for the money.” The business can become crazy and you can have so many outside
influences that sometimes knowing the right thing to do, the right client to take or what the next
business step to make can become very difficult. So now, I take a moment and reflect on my initial
reaction and use my intuition to move forward and it really has never steered me wrong.
Regarding the later, while money is important, I have to believe in clients and the work we take
on. Early on there were a couple of times that we needed cash flow and I took on some clients that
we didn’t see the greatest results for and I realized then that the team was not into the project
and it was our credibility at risk. So, now we take what we love and money is secondary.
AW:
Tell us about yourself and how you got into the business.
Murphy: I always knew that I wanted to be in entertainment but wasn’t sure what
area. I went to school at Elon University in North Carolina and as mentioned worked many
music-related jobs, did every internship under the sun and eventually moved back to Atlanta. As the
years progressed I realized that I was drawn to PR in the music world and began doing PR for a
record label, which then moved into PR for shows, bands on tour and festivals. I started 360
Media after doing a freelance project that opened the door for other business and it just continued
coming. We will be 13 years old in January 2009 and we have been very lucky to start in the
entertainment field here in Atlanta very early on. 360 has grown into a 9-person staff and we
have expanded our umbrella to cover music, entertainment and lifestyle and all that falls under
that umbrella.
AW:
Why did you decided to open up your own shop What are the benefits and downsides of owning
your own agency?
Murphy: This is an interesting question because at the time I just didn’t know any
better and had no idea what I was getting into starting a business. 360 has grown organically
and to me I can really appreciate all it has to over more now than I did in the beginning. There
are many benefits to owning your own agency. Some that stand out for me are that I can create my
own schedule, I can pick and choose the clientele we are affiliated with, I have the ability to
hire the team that is going to make us shine and I can call the shots as to how we as an agency
want to make an impact. The downsides are it becomes a business. You get taken out of the creative
side and the things that drive many of us, and you end up having to deal with the bottom line, the
nuts and bolts of operating a company. It is also one’s lifeblood. It is your name, blood,
sweat and tears that go into it and sometimes it becomes hard to balance life/work being a small
agency…but I am trying.
Tara Murphy began 360 Media in 1996 from the basement of a friend's house. Since that time,
the boutique agency has grown to become a major player in the entertainment / lifestyle / music PR
field of Atlanta. Murphy's true sense of passion for her business and commitment to her clients,
combined with her unbeaten “gut instinct” prove her talent comes naturally. Prior to launching 360,
Murphy was the PR Director for two large independent record labels and worked heavily in the
concert promotions industry. Those connections in the lifestyle and entertainment world made it a
natural choice to launch 360 Media.
