Count me in: A new, self-professed geek

As my internship with Nereus comes to a close and I take my position as Account Coordinator, I look back and I am able to understand and appreciate the distinct differences between my new focus, technology PR, and other public relations areas.

Tech PR, where to begin? Having a background in what I now call “soft tech,” working for clients such as AT&T in promoting the iPhone and broadband services, I have a new found respect for my team’s ability to continually produce quality, creative work for “the other side” of the tech PR world.

It is a side that is rarely seen as glamorous, but is always exciting. It is an acquired taste I have decided, like your first sip of black coffee. It’s hard to swallow at first, but you just keep drinking the stuff until you start appreciating its flavor and its (caffeinated) impact; in the end, you can’t bear to deprive yourself of the liquid adrenalin for even one day.

Enough with my coffee analogy, the moral of the story is that high-tech PR is much the same way. It presents a challenging learning curve at first, but you gain an appreciation for working with technologically advanced products or, as is often our case, consortiums that many everyday consumers have limited understanding of or simply don’t know exist. You take this client, which can often be mind-bogglingly multi-faceted, and you transform it into a tangible, understandable and relevant topic for audiences ranging from electronics manufacturers to everyday Joes.

From the outside looking in, it may seem to be a dryer area of the PR industry. We don’t host press wine-tours like the foodies or elaborate fundraising galas like the non-profits, but once you look past those bells and whistles you will see that technology PR houses some of the most creative people in the industry. I know I have.