Category: Ketner Group Culture

Ketner Group is currently seeking a proactive and diligent intern for the Spring 2018 Semester to support our team, with the possibility of being invited to stay on for the summer term. The paid internship would begin in January 2018 with a flexible schedule of 15-20 hours per week. The intern will have the opportunity to work alongside our fun-loving, collaborative group while gaining real-world agency experience supporting B2B clients.

Qualifications:

• Must be entering or in their senior year of undergraduate studies
• Possess strong writing and communication skills
• Willingness to work independently in a fast-paced environment
• Organized and detail-oriented
• Previous public relations and/or communications internship experience is a plus, preferably with an agency
• Ability to learn quickly and adapt to our team’s work culture

Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Researching media and analysts
• Editing and/or writing client press releases and marketing materials
• Managing editorial opportunities
• Compiling award and speaking calendar
• Building media lists
• Crafting blog content for clients and internal use
• Developing social media posts for client and internal use
• Participating in staff meetings
• Assisting with other duties as assigned

Application instructions: Please send resume and cover letter, along with writing samples to Adrienne Newcomb at [email protected]; no phone calls, please.

This blog post was written by our intern, Jenna Jordan.

Hello everyone! My name is Jenna Jordan, and I am Ketner Group’s new intern. This is my final semester as a public relations major at the University of Texas at Austin and I am so excited to be spending it with Ketner Group.

I was born and raised in San Antonio, and stuck close because I am a family girl. Although I only have a brother, I have more than a handful of cousins, aunts and uncles who always find themselves together each weekend. Besides spending time with my family and studying for class, you can find me reading, exercising, swimming, or FaceTiming my incredibly neurotic but lovable dog, Scout. While I’ve stuck close to Texas all my life, I do have the travel bug and hop on a plane whenever I have the chance. This summer, I was lucky enough to visit Cancún and New Orleans, and I am already making plans for Europe next year.

Before joining Ketner Group, I interned with a local Austin nonprofit and assisted the founder with coordinating events, increasing membership and running social media. This past spring, I was an intern for a lifestyle public relations company here in Austin. With my team, I juggled about eight restaurant and hotel clients, all in different stages with distinctive needs. I got to try my hand at pitching to media and was included inclient communication, which was an insightful way to see both the client and the agency side of public relations at work.

During my freshman year at UT, I was convinced I wanted to be a publicist for celebrities in Hollywood, but once I realized the number of long nights that came with that career path, I turned my attention to what I was learning in class. On top of public relations, taking business and creative writing classes showed me that I not only love writing, but I also love marketing, and seeing how marketing and public relations interact.

Coming from an office of less than 50 people, I didn’t think I would join an even smaller agency – but I’m so glad I found Ketner Group! Just by our team meeting on my first day, I can tell everyone here is hands-on and interested in the work they do.

I’m so excited to kick off my semester with B2B and retail technology, especially with the holiday season fast approaching!

Lebron James famously once said, “I’m taking my talents to South Beach.”

But this isn’t about Miami. Or basketball. Or my next multi-million-dollar contract.

In fact, this post is about moving to another iconic place – a wonderful, scenic little island famous for its coastline, culture and pints of heavy black beer. And while there is no South Beach in the North Atlantic, I could not be more excited to be the lone Ketner Group team member calling Ireland home for the next 12 months.

Over the past few decades, Ireland has emerged as a cultural hot spot, benefitting from a booming tourism economy driven by golf, ancient castles and Guinness. Now economically humming once again, after a sharp crash in the recent global recession, Ireland is a destination not just for those seeking leisure on a grand soft day, but for the international technology firms that benefit from a highly educated workforce, low corporate tax rate, and welcoming population.

As an Irish-American armed with a passport from both nations and a background in retail technology, it’s fascinating to see how the country has changed from the first time I came here as a young child. Of course, sheep still create traffic jams on country roads the width of your driveway, but there is a buzz in the air of Dublin and Ireland’s other cities as its global potential starts to be recognized.

From Facebook to Google to Airbnb and Apple and so many more, Ireland has recruited some of the world’s most important technology companies to its shores. Of course, with Brexit leading to concerns about access to the European market, many more are expected to follow. The Irish-American business bond is catching up to the personal bond created by waves of Irish emigrants to American shores. The Irish culture of innovation is threatening to catch up to the rich culture of its history, a promising premise for the country, and for those who are lucky enough to call it home.

Of course, it’s only been my home for less than two weeks, but I can’t wait to play my small part in keeping that connection strong and growing.

Hey everyone—my name is Greg Earl and I’m the new Account Executive at Ketner Group.

Prior to working with the fine people of Ketner Group, I was an Account Coordinator at Lois Paul and Partners (LPP) a technology and healthcare PR agency in Austin. There, I honed my skills in content development and social media for large clients like Kodak and Philips Healthcare, as well as smaller startups. Before that, I was an intern at Edelman where I focused on technology clients in the software and analytic spaces.

Originally from New Jersey, I came to Austin to attend the University of Texas, where I graduated in 2015 with a degree in public relations. While in school I held various PR internships, including one at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport where I fulfilled my dream of holding a giant pair of ribbon-cutting scissors.

Since my move to Austin, I’ve loved nearly every aspect of the city and state. However, sometimes I can’t help but get upset thinking about the toughest parts of the move: the lack of good pizza, White Castle, pork roll and bagels. However, I’m still glad to be an Austinite and I think I’m well-adjusted to the lifestyle. Despite my initial best efforts, I’ve fully accepted “y’all” into my vernacular (it’s too efficient not to use) and no matter how strong the urge is to GTL and Beat that Beat Up with DJ Pauly D at the Jersey Shore, I do my best to remain calm and go to a record store instead.

Outside of the office I spend my time enjoying the food, drinks, music and activities that Austin has to offer. I love visiting the breweries around town and responsibly trying every sour beer or stout possible. Eating is also an important extracurricular activity for me— when I’m not eating Cane’s, I’m hunting down the city’s best food and Austin’s greatest mozzarella sticks. I used to be proud to say that I’ve tried nearly every BBQ spot in the Austin area but with the recent release of the updated Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ Joints list, I realize I still have many more pilgrimages on the horizon.

Getting to know the team and the clients here at Ketner Group has already been extremely fun and rewarding. I’m looking forward to continuing the exciting work that has me ready to go to work each day with this great group of people.

Hi everyone! My name is Stacy Lan and I’m excited to announce that I am the new Account Coordinator for Ketner Group. I recently graduated with a public relations degree from the University of Texas at Austin, which means it is time to drop my textbooks and enter real “adulthood.” This will be my first full-time job and I couldn’t have asked for a better team to learn and grow with.

Throughout college, I was lucky to have five different public relations internships. I look at each of those experiences as stepping stones to get to the place I am today. My freshmen year, I started off by learning to pitch to media through a remote internship. I then became a social media marketing intern for a startup company called Hooked. During the summer of my junior year, I was a corporate communications intern for Children’s Health in Dallas, channeling my love for writing by contributing to their daily newsletter. A year later, I interned for Weber Shandwick, a global public relations firm, working with clients ranging from consumer to technology. It was through this internship that I discovered my love for telling each client’s stories and sharing their brand in a unique and influential way. Finally, I ended my college internship career at Hahn Public Communications, where I gained more skills and experience working with clients.

So what do I enjoy besides writing news releases and pitching to media? I love to travel the world and take in whatever sounds, sights and smells (okay…maybe not all smells) that come my way. I also love taking my camera with me to capture these moments to remember. Other than traveling, I like to explore home in the great city of Austin. To me, the best part about Austin is that after you eat all the delicious tacos and barbecue, you can hike it all off at the most beautiful trails and lakes. I also volunteer in East Austin, mentoring children and teaching them bible stories with an organization called Mission: Possible!

When I met the team at Ketner Group, I could tell that each person is valued and everyone is treated like family. With a group like that, powerful storytelling and incredible results can be achieved. I’m thrilled to be a part of this team and can’t wait to see where this new chapter takes me!

Account Coordinator – Ketner Group PR + Marketing

Job Description: We’re looking for a motivated and dynamic team member who is passionate about media relations and content development. The role of Account Coordinator (AC) will have limited day-to-day client relationships and will report to Account Managers. An AC on our team should be a team player, but also be highly dependable to adhere to project and client timelines on an individual basis. Ketner Group looks to its ACs to support Account Executives and Account Managers execute on our PR campaign strategies and tactics. The ideal candidate will also help maintain Ketner Group’s stellar reputation in the commerce/retail technology trade media space.

Responsibilities:

• Assist Account Managers and Account Executives with staying on task for PR campaigns on assigned accounts
• Execute media relations activities, including developing media lists, press release distribution, proactive pitching/media relations, editorial calendar management and speaking opp/award research and management
• Develop relationships with our existing press and analyst contacts in the retail/commerce industry, including retail trades and national/business press;
• Cultivate new media relationships with appropriate media and analyst contacts on assigned accounts
• Write content pieces such as press releases, articles and case studies
• Participate in client calls and meetings
• Help to brainstorm fresh, new campaign ideas for all KG accounts
• Execute on social media tactics as needed for assigned accounts
• Support Ketner Group team in new business activities and research
• Contribute to Ketner Group social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and blog

Candidate Qualities:

• Strong writing skills, be prepared to submit writing samples
• Confidence in handling media relations, including pitching trade and national media contacts
• Effective communications skills, including the ability to clearly articulate the status of PR program/campaign activities to clients in person, over the phone or via email
• Excellent research skills in finding appropriate media contacts, collecting supporting data/information for copywriting, identifying client award and event opportunities and conducting client competitor research
• Ability to be self-accountable, self-motivated and proactive in staying on task with daily activities

Candidate Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism or marketing
• 1-3 years of PR experience (including internships) in an agency, brand or corporation
• Retail technology or brand PR experience a plus, but not required
• B2B and/or B2C experience highly valued, but not required
• Experience with executing on social media tactics
• Experience with Vocus, Hootsuite and Harvest a plus

To apply email your cover letter, resume and three writing samples to [email protected]