The Decoder

Name: Sandra Fathi
Title: President and Founder
Company: Affect Strategies
Client Base Includes: Absolute Software, Proclivity Systems, ASME, Caron Treatment Centers, Valera Global, Luxoft, Hoberman Associates, CSI, Radware

Background
Although I have spent the past 15 years helping technology companies achieve their communications goals, my passion for the technology industry really began as early as sixth grade when I was put to work by my father at his semiconductor factory.  While it was not the typical way for a sixth grader to spend the summer, soldering transistors onto circuit boards sparked my interest in technology and innovation.

I officially began my career as a reporter at People & Computers, an Israeli affiliate of IDG and Ziff-Davis, and was instrumental in bringing the Internet World conference to Israel.  Later I became the director of marketing for Nokia and the director of corporate communications for RADVISION, a leading videoconferencing technology provider.  I also held senior positions at Edelman Public Relations Worldwide, where I quickly discovered that I liked the fast-paced and multi-tasking environment of agency life.

While at Edelman, I was also able to see how PR and marketing can immensely benefit small to mid-size companies, which eventually motivated me to start my own technology PR agency.  In 2002, I founded Affect Strategies, a public relations, strategic marketing, and social media agency specializing in high-tech and business-to-business companies.

In addition to my role at Affect Strategies, I am the current chair of PRSA’s Technology Section and the New Media and Technology Committee Chair for PRSA NY.  I also post frequently to the Affect Strategies blog, Tech Affect (www.techaffect.com).

It’s Business Time

What is one thing that you know now that you wish you had known when you first started in PR?
Early on in my career, I realized the importance of having good business skills, a concept that I feel is currently missing from many communications curricula.  In order to properly serve your client, it is crucial to know basic concepts about how a business works, ranging from how to read financial statements to knowing key strategies for reaching international markets.

As the playing field for PR is evolving, how do you advise PR professionals to build relationships and win ink?
These days it’s not just about ink.  Bloggers have become journalists and social media sites have become the publications.  Google is by far the most important media outlet on the planet for any company.  As technology continues to evolve, it’s important to stay on top of your game and constantly engage yourself in new vehicles and platforms in order to reach the right audience.  PR professionals now have the ability to bypass the media and connect with their target markets directly.  Understanding how to use and leverage these news tools/outlets for clients is a skill set that every PR practitioner has to acquire.

Do you think social media tools are helpful when working with the media?
Absolutely.  Social media gives us a window into what members of the media are working on or interested in both professionally and personally.  For example, if it wasn’t for Twitter, I wouldn’t know that New York Times technology columnist David Pogue is writing a new book.  We wouldn’t have had an opportunity to secure recent opportunities with ABC News and CNN Money with reporters who were seeking sources through Twitter.  Through social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook, and Ning, we are able to connect with members of the media on a daily basis, allowing us to build strong relationships and tailor our messages to their interests.

What tech and PR blogs/publications can you not live without?
I’m a news hound, but my everyday must-read would have to be The New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal blog, All Things Digital.  I also receive about 50 news updates a day between my e-mail, Twitter, and Google Alerts.

Everyone has pet peeves - what is your biggest professional pet peeve?
The worst offense for PR pros is poor writing skills.  Writing is one of the core pillars of our industry and I am often disturbed by the fact that many people don’t know basic grammar or understand sentence structure.  It seems that many professionals have become reliant on automated tools like spell-check and grammar correction, and that may have eroded their ability to write well on their own.

Up Close and Personal

Home state: New York
What’s the last book you read? Slumdog Millionaire

If you could have any one super power, what would it be and why?
Personally, I wish I had the ability to eat all of the junk food that I want with no consequences.  Professionally, I wish I could have ESP so that I could read people’s minds.

What song best describes you?
The song that best describes me is “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles.  I am always looking for the next best thing when it comes to PR and adopting new technologies.

Tags: pr advice, sandra fathi