Looking into the story of our very own Account Director, Claire Misalucha, and the experiences that have shaped her and brought her to where she is today.
No one can truly predict how one’s life might turn out, or the different twists it may take. This is especially true for M2.0 Communications’ very own Account Director, Claire Misalucha. Through her expertise, she’s been able to lead our team through our greatest successes.
Her insights are unique to her journey and have been essential in helping the company grow. There’s no simple way to describe it; her years of experience are a complex network of learnings that make her more than just an Account Director.
At the heart of it all is her simple philosophy: learn, learn, learn.
Shifting tracks
Claire is a testament to the fact that it’s never too late to shift tracks. In college, she’d taken up hospitality. It was to follow along with what her parents had wanted, especially considering the fact that hospitality was a popular course to take at the time.
However, she’d already known from there what she’d really wanted; to pursue marketing and communications. While she did see her course in hospitality through to the end, she never lost sight of her goal.
After graduation, Claire took a job in the hotel industry to make good on her degree. At the same time, she took up a masters in her true passion: marketing communications. It was this master’s degree that gave her the opportunity to apply to the firms she’d wanted to work for.
That’s not to say that her undergraduate degree and job in the hotel industry were simply sidelines. As it turns out, having that unique perspective helped her navigate the PR landscape with more ease than others who did not have her experiences in hospitality.
“The [hotel] industry taught me how to manage guests. Now, in PR, I’m managing clients! It was able to prepare me, since I learned how to deal with different people,” she said.
A new day, everyday
When it comes to the day-to-day life of an Account Director, Claire stated that the first thing she (and all the other account managers) does in the morning is read the news. Whether it’s online news or a physical broadsheet–it’s of the utmost importance that she and her team stay on top of what’s happening.
“When I’m meeting with my friends, [they tell me that] they have to detox from social media. For us working in comms, it’s hard! We always have to be in the know of the latest trends,” she said.
Claire brought up that while everyday starts with the news, what comes after is always a surprise.
“There’s no day that’s the same. There’s no template, no formula, which is what I like! Because everyday, I’m learning something. Everyday, I’m creating something, which is what excites me.”
Learning and unlearning
In line with reading the news each and every day, Claire brought up that the most important takeaway she’s learned through her work in the PR industry so far is this:
Learn and unlearn.
Considering how quickly the PR landscape shifts and evolves, it’s of the utmost importance to learn what’s trending right now, and unlearn what no longer works. This is the key to crafting campaigns that leave an impression.
Along with this, she highlighted that it’s important to know when to take risks.
What worked yesterday might not work today, and vice versa. When trying to break into the public’s consciousness, you need to know how to make some noise and drum up conversations.
“At the end of the day, what you want is results. For us to be able to get that result, sometimes it requires us to go out of the box,” she said.
The shape of the future
When asked about where she can see herself moving forward, Claire noted that she can see herself doing this for the next 5-10 years of her life. It’s what she’s always wanted, what aligns with her interests, and what she’s great at doing.
Along with this, she’s also excited to see what the future of marketing itself looks like. With AI on the rise, she shared that she’s been learning how to adapt new technological advancements into her everyday work.
Overall, Claire’s passion for her job and dedication to the industry so far is what’s propelled not only her career, but this company forward. With how she keeps an eye on the way the PR landscape shifts, she’s certainly on top of trends in all the ways that matter.
ALSO READ: Ask the Expert: A Look Into Media Relations as the Heart of PR
M2.0 Communications is a PR agency in the Philippines that helps brands tell meaningful, data-driven stories. Find out how we help our clients tell their stories by visiting our case studies page.
