Winner: Sol Colom, Discovery Networks Latin America/US Hispanic Communications Manager
Sol Colom understands that Public Relations is an all-encompassing discipline where communications strategies, plans and activities always have to be linked to overall business results. Colom's area of work is one of the most challenging media landscapes in the U.S. where TV companies are not just competing for eyeballs, but they are also competing for attention from the very scarce media outlets still available.
This calls for a very strategic approach to media campaigns to make the most of them. In television, perception is everything and maintaining a good reputation with media, but especially with viewers, is key. As the person in charge of Discovery’s US Hispanic social media pages, Colom keeps a close handle on the pulse of the networks’ audience and as result is able to quickly react and suggest solutions that can quickly put to rest any possible controversy that may start to swirl online.
Also, she understands that in this day and age, measurement cannot be limited to just a number of impressions, which is the reason why she also uses the power of social media to give more traction to her campaigns. Colom also works closely with other business units within the company to understand their concerns and also keep them in mind as she develops a press campaign.
Colom consistently supported both Discovery en Espanol and Discovery Familia's key premieres by creating tailored social media strategies and press campaigns that resonated with the audience and helped increase visibility and engagement.
She also leveraged all talent available by creating social media assets with them (messages on camera, Q&A, behind the scenes clips) and executed successful blogger outreach campaigns that allowed Discovery to connect with a large group of influencers that share the networks' demographic. In 2014 she worked on a year-round campaign that helped Discovery US Hispanic enhance visibility and connect with its audience by providing resources about a variety of health and well-being topics.
Honorable Mentions:
• Angie Larsen, USANA Health Sciences
• Sam Moore, SSM Health Media
• Jon Sullivan, Aflac