November 16, 2015
Aria welcomed Kristina Markos to the team this past October as an Account Director. While new to Aria, Kristina is anything but new to the PR game. She brings over 10 years of agency experience in PR, marketing and advertising, and has made her mark in three major cities – Chicago, Miami and Boston. We recently sat down with Kristina to talk about how she got her start in the industry and find out some of the big PR lessons she’s learned along the way.
Q: So, how did you first get involved in media?
A: In high school I worked for the school’s newspaper and as a news anchor in the AV club. I knew then that my career would tie to journalism somehow. After high school, I went on to study journalism as an undergrad at Bowling Green State University, and attended graduate school at the University of Toledo in Ohio.
Q: Now that you’ve been working in the industry a while, can you share your most embarrassing PR moment?
A: My second day working at The Factory Interactive in Miami, and at the ripe age of 23, I was tasked with collecting some video footage for my agency’s website. I assumed I would be behind the camera, and was stunned to learn, once onsite, that my boss wanted me to conduct an interview – live! To add to the initial shock, and not being prepared at all, the interviewees didn’t speak English very well. I was red in the face, stuttering, and just a mess through the whole thing. So embarrassing!
Q: You’ve come a long way since then, what would you say is the biggest PR lesson you’ve learned?
A: Over the years I’ve learned that PR is a lot more than just client service and getting good ink, it’s also about building relationships with reporters and really understanding where they’re coming from, so I am really thankful for that journalism degree! PR pros have to play the role of a journalist, ensuring their writing is up to snuff and that their fact-checking skills are on point. It’s also important to ensure that client story angles are clear and sexy. A lot of people forget that part, but it’s the most important lesson anyone can learn while working in PR.
Q: What’s the best part about working in healthcare PR and marketing?
A: Well, it’s certainly not boring because it’s a very busy field and healthcare is always changing! I also think PR and marketing pushes you to be a better professional because you’re constantly getting feedback. In this profession, you’re not allowed to get comfortable and that ultimately helps mold you into a better-rounded human being.
Q: Okay, last question: what’s a random fact people might not know about you?
A: In 2000, I was in New York with some friends and we were selected to be on MTV’s Total Request Live. The producers asked me to request a Mandy Moore (does anyone remember when she made music?) song live and when I finished, Carson Daly told me I did a really good job. I thought, I’m going to be a media superstar! Now that my MTV days are over, I’m happy to be at Aria.
Interested in learning more about Kristina and the rest of the Aria team? Check out our blog often, we’re always posting new insights about the crew!
