MEET OUR SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER - FLEUR MICHELL
Tell us about yourself and your role at The Connect Agency?
My name’s Fleur I’m the Senior Account Manager and Content Editor at Connect. I oversee the PR management of my clients and also supervise written work such as content formation, articles, press releases and pitches. Previously I was a journalist for women’s magazine titles including New Idea, Woman’s Day and Take 5, and was also a corporate content writer and TV producer. Wanting to move into PR, I started at Connect in 2016 and am still here. It is a fantastic job and place to work!
What brands and talent are you currently working with?
I have an amazingly eclectic range of clients from national brands to individuals. My current clients include leading weight loss brand Jenny Craig, Diversified Communications food events, Cluey Learning online tutoring, Bella Management diversity-led modelling agency, model-diversity campaigner Maria Thattil and country music singer Jason Owen.
What changes in the industry have you noticed or experienced since starting your PR career?
One big change is that a lot of communication is mostly done through email these days. So, people really need to be on point with how they communicate in their writing. However I still like to pick up the phone and talk to people – it’s still very helpful to communicate with people voice to voice! Also since COVID we are all now used to Zoom meetings which were never really a thing before. I have noticed no one dresses up for them anymore though!
What is a campaign you are proud of? One of your career highlights?
I have loved working on the latest weight loss campaign for Jenny Craig – Max Up 2022/2023. As part of this campaign we were tasked to engage celebrity ambassadors who wanted to change their lives by losing weight and keeping it off for good. We enlisted mega star Casey Donovan and our own Jason Owen who both underwent the program for months and have lost staggering amounts of weight. Not only did we help change Casey and Jason’s lives, the feedback about their achievements in the media and public has been extremely well received which has been great for the brand.
What keeps you busy when you aren’t working with Connect?
Spending time with my lovely family and kids who are 12 and 10. Plus my loveable rascal of a dog – a cheeky whippet who can’t stop chewing my shoes!
Tell us something about yourself that we may not know?
I am a massive foodie! I love trying out new foods, restaurants and bars as much as possible. The more unusual the better. That’s why I also love working on Diversified Communication’s flagship food events each year – Naturally Good, Fine Food Australia and Thinkfood Live. There are so many incredible products always featured, it’s so interesting and fun. I’ve tried everything there from camel milk, to volcano water to roasted crickets!
What makes you tear your hair out in the world of PR?
When people don’t respond to email pitches! I know there’s information overload these days so I get it, but a polite response is always very much appreciated!
With the world of PR being a specialty of yours, do you have any tips for brands on how to ensure a successful collaboration?
The number one key for brands is to effectively communicate all their “news” to their PR agency. Media want to know what’s interesting or different about your brand and what is the latest. News hooks that say something outside the obvious are vitally important.
What do you love most about your work?
I love the challenge and achievement of getting news about a client’s brand into a media outlet, as it’s very competitive in today’s media landscape. I love spreading the word about all my clients as they are all so unique with such amazing things to offer. I believe in all of them, so it’s very rewarding.