Change for the Better
Jeremy Pepper is not afraid of change. In fact, he's made a career out of evolving and adapting to new environments.
Pepper recently joined the San Francisco office of Weber Shandwick as group manager and online communications specialist after running his own agency, POP! Public
Relations in Scottsdale, AZ; he had worked at agencies before becoming his own boss. For Pepper, the new opportunity was a change for the better.
"Sitting in Arizona, I was not going to be able to affect change as well - or as easily - than being in the Bay Area working at a large firm," he says. "While I was working
with great companies that did get it, to help PR move forward I needed to be in a PR city."
The fact he is even in PR also a testament to his adaptability. His educational focus was philosophy at the University of Arizona, concentrating on social and political
philosophy with an emphasis on business and medical ethics.
"Well, I also was a columnist at the college newspaper and philosophy was logic-based and writing-intensive - so it does fit into PR," he says. "I realized I did not want to
become a professor, and a friend working at Edelman at the time suggested PR. I had run many successful campaigns on campus, so it seemed a good fit. Plus, I was good with
people, could get information on the phone, and could write."
Writing has been a staple to Pepper's fame within the PR blogosphere. His witty and stylish POP! PR Jots (http://pop-pr.blogspot.com) celebrated its third anniversary
on July 2. The blog is considered one of the top 20 most popular PR blogs and is ranked in the top 15 percent of the world's most actively linked blogs (you can double-check
those stats at http://www.pubsub.com/lists.pr).
For Pepper, blogging requires a serious time and energy commitment.
"It takes an hour to two a day, and it is not always easy to keep up," he says of his blogging. "I differ, though, from other people and do not feel a need to blog everyday. I
only blog when I have something to say, not just to blog."
Blogging is also a key focus of his Weber Shandwick duties. "I counsel clients on blog outreach and consumer generated media programs," he adds. "I work with the company on
proposals to include smart, proactive outreach in new media that is not just 'launch a blog' but is thoughtful, and strategic."
Contact: Jeremy Pepper, [email protected].
Stuck in Charge
When asked how long he had considered setting up his own agency, veteran PR executive Jay Stuck cheerfully replies: "For only about 25 years!"
A quarter-century of planning seems to have paid off for Stuck, who opened in BrandGuy, Inc. last June in Palm Beach, FL. "This is the time to hang up my own shingle,"
he says. "Business opportunities are great and there are lots of group who are hungry for professional PR."
However, BrandGuy Inc. is not a PR-exclusive agency; advertising and marketing are part of the services mix.
"I've always been a generalist," explains Stuck, whose most recent role as vice president of global brand marketing and communications for ADT Security Services
incorporated PR, advertising, corporate communications and online marketing. He also managed the company's sports and event marketing, most notably the ADT Championship LPGA Golf
Tournament.
Prior to ADT, he was director of communications for the health services corporation GHI and director of communications at the American Bureau of Shipping (his
office was on the 106th floor of Tower Two at the World Trade Center - he left the organization six years prior to 9/11). He also served on the board of directors of the
National Crime Prevention Council.
But being his own boss is not exactly a weekend at the seashore - especially when it comes to pitching his services to disinterested parties. "You need to have the drive and
the willingness for having people say 'No!' to you," he acknowledged. "The world is not waiting for another PR agency to open. But after 30 years, I've become used to rejection
in all different types and forms."
However, Stuck is also getting affirmative responses to his new venture: The furniture design company Goodwin and Company and the Delray Beach Film Festival have
already signed on as clients. Stuck is keeping his eye out for new clients, whether they rule the Fortune 500 or work out of a garage.
"I pass my business card to anyone, from taxi drivers to maitre'ds," he says.
Contact: Jay Stuck, [email protected].