With digitalization came a massive wave of transformation that changed the face of the Public Relations industry to a scale that it had to expand its channels to engage with audiences through various social platforms. Various types of content are created strategically and implied effectively to ensure the brand’s success to differentiate from its peers. Propelling a dedicated team to fulfill the needs and surpass clients’ expectations is Robyn Bordes.
As the CEO of Illumination PR, Robyn implies a modern approach to public relations by implementing innovative methods to produce real results that contribute to the overall growth and success of the clients’ brands.
Illumination PR is a lifestyle, boutique PR firm that values and drives a work culture with ethics, dedication, honesty, and perseverance of its entire team.
The Journey
Robyn’s journey began when she was 13 years old; her first job was at a local restaurant in her hometown in NJ as a busgirl. From an early age, she always wished to open a restaurant called Robyn’s Nest. She was sure to be in the restaurant industry until she realized that she could do more things in her career. Later, Robyn got into various business sectors from development, web design, and event planning, which led to public relations.
Public Relations got Robyn excited as she witnessed the growth in the business through the eye of the media. She knew she was bringing her skills to the table that moved the needle for the business. She says, “It was tremendously rewarding for me to see others excited watching their business take off. My business grew very quickly, and the challenges for me were just that my business grew very quickly. I was a one-woman show and had some big names to start my business. I was learning and growing at the same time.”
Mission and Vision
Robyn’s vision for Illumination PR is to build a younger generation of publicists and managers to work with me and ultimately grow into bigger opportunities while advancing and managing deals, press, and social media content for everyone on its roster. When she started her journey at the firm, she focused on public relations; however, as she grew and got connected to more celebrities, she realized that management is what she thrives.
Robyn always wanted to give more to her clients, which drove her to be successful in negotiating deals and being creative about deliverables and brand deals. She doesn’t like to say no to the clients and always finds a way to continue their success and creatively bring in opportunities to build their brand and exceed expectations without stagnating.
Impactful Pioneering Expertise
In the pursuit of being the best, Illumination PR always strives to be cost-effective for everyone, even if it means customizing a package for a new business to enable them the opportunity to have PR, even as a start-up business. Robyn always puts herself in the position of a new business owner, knowing the importance of PR; her team and she build packages for all brands and people to ensure that everyone can have PR, even for a shorter term or at a budget-friendly rate. She believes that everyone deserves the chance to see their dreams come true.
Technological Implementation
Robyn expresses that Illumination PR has a diverse age range and demographic on its team. Anytime something new comes out technology-wise, at least one, if not all, on its team starts to research to see if it has the potential to become a source of revenue. If the technology has the potential, the team over familiarizes themselves with the platform to continue innovating their entire roster. Once they know that new technology can be monetized, they start suggesting it to brands when they are doing their outreach.
Only If
Robyn wants brand development to have criteria of education or a specific length of internship that people must have before getting into PR or management. She has experienced a certain client issue that frequently occurs; clients come to Illumination PR after spending thousands on other publicists who couldn’t deliver or garner any press. It frustrates Robyn because this issue makes it harder for companies to be trustworthy. She says, “It’s even more frustrating in the industry she works, but more importantly for the businesses that believe in the people they hire until they have exhausted their savings trying to make it. That’s the change I would like to bring to this industry to protect business owners that are just starting or businesses/brands that are trying to grow to the next level.”
Setting Up Goals
Looking ahead, Illumination PR plans to expand more into the travel industry, electric car market, and additional innovative products. The firm has had great press and awards generated for international properties that it has worked with. It is already seeing Amazon start to broaden its influencer database. Robyn is excited to be a part of the initiative from the start, as it intends to give brands a new platform to advertise and influencers an existing platform to monetize.
Guiding the Next Generation
In her advice to budding entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into the PR sector, Robyn says, “Intern. Intern, Intern. This is a market that you want to make sure is right for you. It’s a lot of hours. It’s constant availability. Make sure you are going into the field you are interested in for the right reasons.
“An internship will properly prepare you for the field and for the type of clientele you want to work with. In speaking at colleges nationally, I saw a void in what they teach you for PR, as opposed to what you learn from working in PR. There needs to be that level of experience and understanding that you can truly only get from an internship,” Robyn concludes.