The Conroy Martinez Group won a Bulldog Stars of PR Award for “Small Agency of the Year” in 2011.
Length of PR career (so far): Well, so far, I have been working in PR and Marketing for 38 years—a lifetime!
Your most memorable campaign: We launched Minute Maid’s Simply Orange Juice in Florida and timed it with National Nutrition Month. We had lots of dieticians sampling the orange juice around the state—even in the capital. We also created the “World’s Largest Bowl of Oranges” and had live “oranges” walking around – all of which ended up in 67 TV markets. It was fun and very successful for the client. It flew off the shelves!
Biggest complaint about social media: It is too much information coming at you 24/7. People can say whatever they like—fabrications, possibly lies – and consumers are not sure what to believe.
Best thing about working at my agency: My team is truly the best. Besides being true professionals, they are fun to be around. Plus, we have interesting clients who are doing meaningful things and have a story to tell.
C.L. Conroy and Jorge Martinez with Kate Hudson at the Women’s International Conference for which her firm handled the PR.
Most interesting thing about your job: It is different every day and every week. I get to meet the most creative people who are making a difference in their company and in the community.
Number of meetings you were in last week: 12
Most poignant professional moment: It was very early in my career. I publicized the opening of a friend’s restaurant, The Big Cheese, in all the local media. One of the owners called, begging me not to do any more publicity because he had so many customers waiting in line, he couldn’t handle the pressure. That is when I knew, at a micro-level, how effective publicity can be.
Favorite way to de-stress: Boating.
Last time you didn’t do any work all weekend: When I was sick in bed with a really bad cold.
C.L. Conroy and Jorge Martinez earned the Latin Builders Award for Marketing Agency of the Year
Number of 2 a.m. calls from a client this month: None. They wait until the decent hour of 7:30 a.m. to call.
Worst PR crisis in the news this year so far: Oh, so many to choose from! The NRA facing a barrage of high school students and their parents clamoring for gun control; Facebook’s data breach; The White House revolving staff door, not communicating as one voice, etc.
Nightmare client in 3 words: Does not communicate.
Best advice to a PR student: Internships are key to learning what you like to do. Work as many internships as possible in your junior and senior years of college. Also, pay attention to the writing classes. If you are a poor writer, you will not go far.
What do you read daily? The New York Times, The Miami Herald, South Florida Business Journal, and countless PR and Social Media newsletters and blog posts.
Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) Conference in Washington DC with C.L.’s colleagues from Ireland, Denmark, Portugal and Mexico
Most misunderstood thing about PR: How we work with journalists to create interesting, relevant stories and content.
Last book you read: The Man Who Invented Christmas
Cocktail of choice: Champagne
Favorite movie this year: The Post
Your first “real” job: I worked part time at a department store during my senior year in high school. I was 17-18 and thought that retail hours were not for me. Then I got into PR.
Your next big adventure: My next adventure is to serve as President of the Public Relations Global Network for 2018/2019, starting in May.
