Pia Gladys Perey – The Importance of PR In An International Context
Pia is back to discuss the importance of PR and its role in an international context. PR is an international tool that if used correctly could really help any company.
Summary
- Pia discussed briefly in Episode 7 that Angelina Jolie wore her dress on the Red Carpet. For her it was life changing and it became her saving glory.
- According to Pia, PR will come if you offer a strong product, a story, a strong experience.
- People often underestimate PR, yes it could be very expensive. However, according to Pia, after your product, PR is the second most important thing.
- Pia is 50/50 when it comes to social media, she is old school and has so much respect for the traditional media.
- Some people become bloggers and influencers not because they’re good at it, but because of the perks and freebies.
- Even celebrities sometimes become spoiled that’s why Pia loves Angelina Jolie because she buys dresses.
Key Points
- PR is important in building a company’s brand. It is quite expensive, but if done right, companies will benefit from it.
- Having thousands of followers on Instagram doesn’t make a person an influencer because nowadays, even likes can be bought.
- Even if a celebrity wears or endorses your product, but you do not have a good product or there’s no story behind it, it wouldn’t work.
Resources
- piagladysperey.com/
- outsourceaccelerator.com/podcast/episode18
Transcript
Derek: Okay, welcome to the outsource accelerator podcast, my name is Derek Gallimore. Today, we have, my good friend, Pia Gladys Perey back with us.
Pia, we actually had a great chat with her in episode 7, if you haven’t heard episode 7, please do go back and listen to Pia’s origin and it’s a great story, and I am really in awe with this girl.
So, Pia, today we are discussing PR, so Pia is in the fashion industry, she has her own label which is coincidentally called Pia Gladys Perey. And a key aspect of the fashion industry, obviously, is the PR and we explore her thoughts on PR but also how it works on an international level and also how it’s changing, so, enjoy.
If you want any of the show notes, if you want the transcripts, if you want any more information, then please go to our show notes and that is at outsourceaccelerator.com/podcast/episode18, for this episode. Enjoy.
Derek: Welcome back Pia.
Pia: Hello.
Derek: And today I just want to talk a little bit about, just really quickly, about your experience with PR, and I see you as a bit of a master of PR and the logo PR, and I have a little bit of an insight into that. And you briefly touched on that before that one of your big breaks was when Angelina Jolie wore your dress on a red carpet, and I realize I know very little about PR and how it works.
And it’s an amazing tool there if you use it properly. And also, a very sort of international tool because if someone sees that on an American, in Europe, on a red carpet, and you have a company in the Philippines producing that, it almost removes all borders.
Pia: Yeah, it does.
Derek: So, and now, I mean I follow you on Facebook, everyone should follow you; what is your handle on Facebook?
Pia: It’s Pia Gladys Perey, my IG is Pia Gladys Perey. Perey is p-e-r-e-y, people never know how to pronounce it or spell it.
Derek: People should follow because there are just like some stunning shots in there, so many people on the red carpet.
Pia: Quite a handful luckily, yes.
Derek: Can you give a sort of insight into the effect that has, then if you are having Angelina Jolie wearing your dress; is it life changing? Can it make or break business or…?
Pia: It is life changing, especially at the time that it happened, because it was like when the Wall Street crashed, that’s when I had Angelina Jolie wearing my dress, it was like my saving glory. I mean, how is this a small company going to survive something as catastrophic as that? Right.
But I think she put it out there, but even if somebody as Angelina Jolie wears something or endorses something, if the product is not great or there is no story to it or if she simply don’t believe and just do the business just for the sake of doing the business, then it’s not gonna work.
So, I think with me, PR will come when you have a strong product, so, I always say that have that first, a strong story, a strong experience to offer, a strong product and then people will follow, people will pick up your product, your service or whatsoever, because it’s chain reaction.
And the great thing about PR which people actually sometimes underestimate is that, yes, PR is very expensive, but it is after the product, it is the next most important thing, more than your business skills. Because you can hire someone to manage your business side, but to have someone tell your story and reach out to people that would play a great role in the success of the brand is just very important. Because if you have a great product and nobody puts it out there then you won’t make as much money.
Derek: Is it evolving the world of PR because probably when you started, it was the more traditional paparazzi but now there is all the Instagram, influencers; it kind of splintered a lot more, yeah?
Pia: Yes, I am a bit 50/50 on social media because I am a bit old school and I have so much respect for the… Sorry, I don’t mean to offend anyone but for the lack of a better word, that traditional, old school media or whatever. A lot of people now just come up with a page and IG and just decide that they are gonna be a blogger or an influencer.
And don’t get me wrong, some people are really very good at it and I have benefited from that. But, there are some people who are just like… Don’t do something because it’s a trend or because it’s cool.
Those influencers, the successful ones, are really good at what they do and then the others do it because it’s cool.
Derek: And there is just people that are gaming the influencer game to have a business out of that game, you know what I’m saying
Pia: Yes, the business and the freebies, the perks that goes with it.
Derek: Yeah.
Pia: And I have seen some people who are like that, especially in fashion, and it’s just like a bit, sometimes, a bit shocking rather disappointing but, yeah.
Derek: Is that bigger in Manila then other places, like my experience in Manila is, there is a lot of this PR thing and influencers, and people having freebies, and needing to keep all those people happy.
Pia: Manila is a bit strange because its good and sometimes bad, because in Manila, it’s a very small community to everyone, so you have to know the right people.
But, I think what you were saying is that we are getting a lot of freebies and all that, it’s not just here, it’s everywhere, and it’s so big in the US, bigger than here. So, people just deliver or sometimes you don’t even ask for it, the celebrities just get it. And then I think they become so spoiled and this is why I love Angelina Jolie so much, she buys dresses. And some…
Derek: Just for the designers?
Pia: Yeah. And some celebrities gets so spoiled or the influencers, and some which makes me sometimes questionable; what are they doing? Why are they doing it? Are they really good at it? Or…
Derek: Or do they influence.
Pia: That’s the thing and then you see they have like, what, three thousand followers. There is this girl who bought the Chanel and then puts on Loui Vuitton, and suddenly she is an influencer.
Derek: And they buy their likes as well, they can buy their audience.
Pia: Yes. That’s why they say now that likes doesn’t really mean, that you have a huge following because you could buy it, it’s better to have a real interaction.
Derek: Interesting. Thank you pia.
Pia: Thank you.
Derek: Okay. I hope you enjoyed that podcast with Pia, another good conversation and good insights from Pia who really does have an incredible international foundation of knowledge now, spanning primarily, Australia, the Philippines and the US but also other parts of the globe where she is selling her pieces. And it’s interesting to discuss the other changing trends of PR and influencers, and how social media interacts with that.
If you want any of the show notes, go to our website, if you want any information on Pia, go to our website, and you will find the full show notes, the full transcripts at outsourceaccelerator.com/podcast/episode18, for this episode.
Independent
