By Allison Zullo
Almost every company or business needs a public relations representative, and Santa Claus is certainly no exception.
Yeah – Santa Claus, you read that right. With Christmas just a couple days away, the cheery holiday season is in full swing and Santa is on everyone’s mind. My PR-focused and Christmas-obsessed brain is no exception, so I’ve been thinking quite a bit lately about what it would be like to be the PR Director for Mr. Claus in the North Pole.
It would definitely be interesting, and involve a lot of seasonal work. But here are a few other qualities that would be integral to working in PR for Santa.
A passion for Christmas.
Christmas is not only Santa Claus’ business, but also his passion, so it is crucial that his PR director shares this love. This will make his or her job much easier and way more enjoyable, and is true for every other job in every other industry. If you don’t love your job or are passionate about your company, then your job will be far less exciting and your work will suffer.
A knack for crisis management.
Nearly everyone in the world has been trying to prove that Santa Claus does not exist for hundreds of years now. As Santa’s PR director, a large part of the job would be refuting these claims, all while preserving the identity of Mr. Claus and encouraging people all over the globe to believe in his existence. And if all else fails, bring in Olivia Pope to the North Pole. Crisis management is an important skill to have in the world of PR, since it is a crucial part of preserving a company or business’ brand. Every brand deals with some sort of crisis, but the public will hardly hear about the crises of good ones because they deal with them smoothly and effectively.
Creating and maintaining a personal brand.
Santa Claus’ personal brand was created long before his PR director came along; from his big belly and red suit to his jolly personality and love of milk and Christmas cookies. Therefore, he or she would most likely be maintaining Santa’s personal brand by making sure he stays consistent with his actions, and would have to think long and hard before rebranding and changing many sacred traditional brand elements. Consistent and creative personal branding is important in a company’s PR strategy today in order for it to stay relevant. However, completely rebranding a company is not a simple task, nor one to take lightly, so be sure to think long and hard before going through with it.
Stay organized.
Between keeping track of the naughty and nice kids, what presents each child wants, and which presents go to which child at which house, Santa’s operations can be quite complicated. In turn, his PR director’s job and daily operations, particularly close to the holidays, can get a little (a whole lot) crazy, so it is absolutely crucial that he or she, in addition to the rest of the North Pole, stay organized. The skill of organization is another that is integral in all types of PR jobs, and all jobs in general. You can be so much more effective and efficient if you’re organized, and it’s pretty easy to do, too.
Working in PR is certainly not an easy task, but it’s a fun and rewarding one if you have the skills and the passion for PR and the company or business for which you are working. And if you have a love for Christmas like I do, maybe working in PR for Santa Clause is your dream job. If you’re interested, submit your resume and cover letter, along with your Christmas list, to Santa Clause at the North Pole. I know I already have….
Happy Holidays, everyone!
Allison is a sophomore majoring in strategic communication and minoring in sports management and marketing. She is also completing a social media certificate. After graduation, her dream job is to work in sports PR. Follow her on Twitter at @allisonzullo!