Emily Hallie, Communications Director at Condé Nast Britain
Date Posted: Tuesday 8th January 2019
DIARY directory recently caught up with Emily Hallie, Communications Director at Condé Nast Britain. Having held global communications roles at Diageo, SABMiller and Unilever, we caught up with Emily during her first year at Condé Nast to find out why she chose to venture into the media sector, how the changing landscape has evolved her PR role and what are her biggest challenges.
Give us a breakdown of an average work day...
I wake up at 6 AM and the first thing I do is check press cuttings for anything urgent. I’m in Vogue House with a coffee for 8 AM to check emails. I spend the majority of my time in meetings! I’m responsible for communications across Vogue, GQ, GQ Style, Vanity Fair, Condé Nast Traveller, Tatler, Glamour, House & Garden, World of Interiors, WIRED, Condé Nast Johansens and Brides magazines so monthly check-in meetings with the editorial teams are important. At 1 PM I try to get out and meet journalists for a quick bite to eat, and late afternoons I always keep free to do work. Then it’s suddenly 7 PM and I’m headed to a work event or home to bed – both sound really good depending on the day!
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My first job was in global media relations at Unilever, the consumer goods company with 400 brands across 190 countries. I had a boss who took me under his wings and I learned very quickly how to navigate proactive and reactive media relations in a fast-paced environment.
What appealed to you about this particular role in the media sector?
With the changing media landscape, magazine brands have now opened themselves up to other revenue streams - how has this affected your PR role?
The evolving media landscape has completely changed my mindset. The ability to work across print, digital and events confidently requires great focus and agility. Press offices are now thinking like newsrooms. At Condé we aim to lead the news agenda not just react to it. Communications professionals need to be more well-rounded as a result and understand the daily news agenda.
Biggest challenges in your role?
Multitasking – whether it’s Vogue or World of Interiors, I am endlessly discussing one project in between another, picking up the phone to one client while responding via email to another. I’m constantly pushing myself to focus on the essential while building a team around me that is high energy, agile and strategic.
What do you love most about your role?
I work with the best editors and publishers in the industry and they challenge my way of thinking. I continue to learn an incredible amount from each and every one of them.
What's coming up for the titles you work across?
February issues are on-sale – 2019 is going to be an exciting year for Condé Nast Britain. Stay Tuned!
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