He's the daddy to hundreds of young PR people (what, literally? -
Ed), he's no slouch when it comes to stripping off, and if you want him
to listen to you, try barking. Meet Ian Lipner, account manager at
Washington, DC's Stanton Communications.
Tell us something interesting about yourself: I moderate an online PR
forum aimed at people in the first 10 years of their PR careers
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/youngprpros). Discussion includes career
advice, media relations strategies, and your standard over-caffeinated
internet rants.
What was your best pitch? Immediately upon taking Homer (my Labrador
mix) home as a puppy, I constructed a website detailing his development
for friends and family, complete with weekly growth photos.
I realized that I truly needed to justify my efforts among friends who
were concerned about my apparent surplus of free time. So I called up
several pet food companies and pitched them on the concept of including
Homer's website among their online content as a testimonial to their
products.
A marketing manager at Natura Pet Company thought it was a great idea,
and Homer ended up eating free food and treats for his entire
puppyhood.
What was your biggest screw-up? Referring to Forbes as the
industry-leading weekly business magazine in an e-mail pitch to
Fortune.
What's the most daring thing you've ever done? In college I slid into a
way-too-stuffy study hall right before finals, wearing nothing but a
dress shirt, boxers and black socks, ran up to a piano, and pounded out
Old Time Rock and Roll, wailing a la Tom Cruise in Risky Business. This
obviously foreshadowed a career to be characterized by the
overenthusiastic, attention-seeking behavior that makes each one of us
in this field so valuable.
If you could work for one company, what would it be? I would work for
the Chicago Cubs as media relations director the year they win the World
Series. That should give me about 25-30 years - at least - to bone up on
sports marketing.
Who would you most like to work with? Cleveland State Law professor
Daniel Forte, whose words regarding the "hijacking of Islam," according
to a September 25 Washington Post article, formed a rhetorical basis for
President Bush's special address to Congress. Regardless of my own
political viewpoints, I thought President Bush's speech was among the
most stirring and inspiring I've ever seen from an American president.
Forte's contribution helped Bush's speechwriters attain a rare
combination of forcefulness and grace, and renewed my belief in the
power of words, and the value of being a communicator.
Name one thing about your past people would be surprised to learn: I was
once a purveyor of cased-meat products. I spent my college summers
selling jumbo hot dogs at Wrigley Field, and was well-known among
season-ticket holders for my obnoxious, but effective pitch, "Who wants
my wiener?"
