Tag: Ketner Group News

Adrienne Newcomb, Account Supervisor, Ketner Group

Employee Spotlight: A Q&A with Adrienne Newcomb

Posted on | by Ketner Group

Ketner Group has officially opened an office in New York City, and we sent Account Supervisor Adrienne Newcomb up to the Big Apple to take the lead on the new location. As one of our most talented and hard-working team members, we know the New York office is going to be in good hands. That being said, moving to a new state and opening a new office can be a huge undertaking. We sat down with Adrienne to ask her about her thoughts on the big move.

KG: What sparked your decision to move to NYC and open up a new KG office?

Adrienne: Growing up, I always thought I’d live in NYC one day – I think this began with The Baby-Sitters Club (a quick refresher: Stacey was from NYC and lived there until she moved to Stoneybrook; in book #18, the BSC members visit the city); however, I never actually visited until I joined Ketner Group and came to NRF in 2016. Since that first trip, I’ve been dropping comments around the office such as, “Whenever you’re ready to open an NYC office, just let me know.”

Last year after NRF, Jeff and Catherine called my bluff! They asked if I’d seriously want to move to NYC and open an office. I was in shock, but game for a new adventure. I’d been in Austin since I started at UT in 2006 and was ready for a change. NYC seemed like the perfect next step for both Ketner Group and me.

KG: What new opportunities are available to you and KG now that you’re in New York?

Adrienne: It might sound cliché, but the opportunities are truly endless in NYC. From networking to new business to talent and building stronger media relationships, NYC is the perfect place for KG’s own HQ2. In a few short weeks, I’ve already found myself at several networking events and new business prospects are quickly flowing in. I’m particularly excited about building a team here in NYC; the talent pool is huge, especially for PR.

KG: What has the transition to New York been like? What’s been the biggest difference working in NYC versus Austin?

Adrienne: On a personal level, it’s still a bit surreal. I’m currently subletting, and my dog is still in Texas with my parents, so it feels like an extended vacation without all of my normal day-to-day responsibilities.

Transportation. That’s the biggest difference. I LOVE not needing to drive (I don’t love losing my MetroCard…can’t wait until they get everything switched over to digital). Austin really needs to get on board with the whole rail system thing. The one caveat is that you have to be more thoughtful and intentional about your tasks and errands; I can’t just hop in the car and drive to the store every time I need something. Laundry is probably a close second; I used to do laundry daily. Now, I find myself trying to see how long I can go between washes.

KG: How’s your new office? 

Adrienne: Jeff and Catherine gave me the freedom to choose our office. Knowing that I wanted to live uptown and definitely didn’t want to work in midtown, my options were a bit more limited. But I found a great place at The Yard: Lincoln Square. More than any of the other co-working spaces I visited, I felt like it best matched Ketner Group’s vibe. I’m currently in a shared office with a dedicated desk, but will be moving into a private office once we begin expanding our team. And there’s dogs! And espresso! What more could you need?

Adrienne’s view from the office window

KG: What is your favorite part about living in New York so far?  

Adrienne: Right now, everything is new and exciting so it’s hard to choose one favorite part. I love checking out new restaurants and stores, exploring new neighborhoods, making new friends and reconnecting with old ones. In case you were wondering, my least favorite part is grocery shopping, which is disappointing because I actually love going to the grocery store! And it’s not the prices, as you might expect. The problem is the crowds. It seems no matter when you go, it’s a madhouse and the shelves are half empty (maybe a few of our clients can help with that?). I might become a grocery delivery convert, after all.

KG: What are you looking forward to most about living (and/or working) in New York?

Adrienne: Personally, I’m looking forward to finding an apartment! Currently, there are very few listings for March, so I haven’t been able to see many places. As far as work goes, I’m really looking forward to building our team here in NYC and having the ability to regularly connect with our long-time media contacts in person.

Meet Adrienne Newcomb

Posted on | by Ketner Group

adrienneHi there, Adrienne Newcomb here! I’m the newest addition to the Ketner Group team. I joined Ketner Group this month as an Account Manager and so far, everything is off to a great start!

I’m originally from Fort Worth (not Dallas) and have lived in Austin for close to nine years now. Like many others, I moved to Austin to attend The University of Texas at Austin (Hook ‘em), and when my four years at UT Austin studying public relations were up, I couldn’t quite find it in my heart to leave.

I began my PR career as a communications specialist at Mental Health America of Texas (MHAT), where I had previously interned during undergrad. Much of my work at MHAT was spent planning events, raising funds and working closely with board members. Just before I decided to leave MHAT, I spent some time working with an ad agency on website redesign for the non-profit. Through that experience, I knew I wanted to the next stop on my career path to be at an agency.

I decided to take a leap of faith and quit my day job at MHAT without my next full-time opportunity lined up. Luckily, I quickly landed as an intern at what was then WPP Team Dell (and now PPR Worldwide), Dell’s communications agency of record, where I began my dive into two new worlds: agency life and enterprise technology. After a few months crash-course in both and working with a large, worldwide client such as Dell, I was hired full-time. During my time at PPR, I obtained valuable PR experience and was also introduced to the world of analyst relations. My experience included coordinating 1:1 briefing schedules for hundreds of influencers and executives at Dell World and managing the ins and outs of day-to-day activities and  client relationships.

Now for the fun stuff!

I’m a dog mom to Mackey, a red and white piebald, miniature dachshund who I adopted last year through a rescue group. Our favorite activities include snuggling on the sofa and strolling along Shoal Creek. Feel free to request photos and videos, I’m happy to share.

I’m also an aunt to two beautiful girls who are eight and almost two. They live in Fort Worth, but I usually see them once a month or so. Again, photos and videos available upon request. Speaking of family, I have an older brother and younger sister, making me the middle child. According to the experts, that explains a thing or two.

In addition to my fur and human family, I’m an avid reader (feel free to send over any recommendations, or we can nerd out over our recent reads), an aspiring home decorator and an overly involved Texas Ex.

And here I am, the newest addition to the growing Ketner Group team and now you know a little about me. I look forward to meeting you and getting to know you, as well!

The New Super Excited Intern

Posted on | by Ketner Group

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Hi, my name is Kamilla Rahman and as you can gather from the title, I’m the new intern for Ketner Group. I’m currently a sophomore public relations major at The University of Texas at Austin  hailing from the great city of Dallas, Texas.  I’m an account executive for Texas Tower Public Relations, the only student run PR firm on campus, working exclusively with non-profits in the Austin area. Additionally I’m on the social media committee for ORANGE Magazine and UT’s PRSSA chapter, as well as a member of the Texas Belles.

During my freshman year I interned with eduCAUTION, inc., a short film that enlightens the issues with the student debt crisis in America, helping out with promotions and event planning for the premiere at SXSWedu in 2014. The film gained quite a lot of attention from the media and other film festivals, and it was really rewarding to see my team’s hard work pay off.

After freshman year I became a marketing intern for Rahman Financial. I worked alongside my dad and the marketing team to refurbish their marketing strategies by researching potential clients, analyzing turn key technologies and redesigning their brochures and business cards. Though working for my dad seemed mundane at first, it was a great opportunity to learn about marketing in the financial world and about my father’s profession.

During the first semester of my sophomore year I worked as a marketing intern for UT’s Frank Erwin Center. I got the chance to work many special events including concerts and UT basketball games to ensure sponsored advertising ran during the events. During my time at the Erwin Center, I assisted the publicist with the Erwin Center’s Applause blog, grass roots marketing plans and much more. Sitting courtside at basketball games and up close to the stage at concerts made working at the Erwin Center an unforgettable experience.

Once the second semester of my sophomore year started, I was determined to find an internship at an agency. After weeks of stressing myself out from emailing a plethora of companies in the Austin area and sifting through tons of internship databases, I stumbled upon Ketner Group PR + Marketing. I emailed them, and I actually received an email back in a timely manner. Honestly, I was shocked. I was ecstatic when I received a phone interview. I was basically floored when I got a second interview. And I can’t even begin to explain my excitement once I was actually offered the internship.

I knew I wanted to intern at the Ketner Group the moment I had my phone interview with Kathleen. She was so sweet on the phone and made the interview surprisingly fun, rather than dreadful. Once I had my second interview with Catherine, I had the chance to meet Jeff and Sara. Everyone was so nice, and I got a chance to learn what retail technology really is, and what Ketner Group does for their clients. There is a lot of technology powering today’s leading retailers, and Ketner Group sits right at the heart of it!

During my interview I could really tell that everyone enjoyed their work and the people around them. And that’s the number one thing I’m looking forward to while interning at Ketner Group. For me personally and thinking about my future career and job, I think liking your job, the people around you.