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13th Jun 2019
Pop culture has always portrayed public relations as a glossy career path, peppered with designer wares, elaborate parties and high-flying clients. Take Samantha Jones: she was powerful, had a penchant for long lunching, and was blow-dried within an inch of her life. Fictional? Yes. But aspirational? Absolutely.
PR, specifically in the fashion and beauty space, is undoubtedly an appealing industry from the outside looking in, but the reality is that there’s a lot of grit, hard work, and strategic thinking behind the scenes. Marie-Claud Mallat is an industry veteran who knows this all too well. Her hugely successful agency, MCMPR, looks after some heavenly clients (think Zimmerman, Bassike and net-a-porter.com), but both her and her team are constantly innovating, planning, and working around the clock to stay ahead in an industry that’s prone to such radical change.
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If you fancy yourself as a PR maven, or just love a really great career story, read on for Vogue’s interview with Mallat.
How did you get started in public relations?
“I completed a marketing and communications degree after finishing school while also undertaking a three-year retail management program with Myer. The duality gave me great theoretical and practical experience in all aspects of promoting and retailing products. Once my degree was in hand, I moved my focus into fashion design by completing a two-year full-time fashion diploma at East Sydney TAFE. This covered everything from design, pattern making, grading to manufacturing. I loved this course so much, and although I knew I wasn’t going to become a fashion designer, it cemented my love of fashion.
I met Nicky Zimmermann at fashion college and soon after completing the course, Nicky and Simone started their label, Zimmermann. They asked me to join them in-house to manage public relations – I was their second employee. I didn’t exactly know what PR involved, so I did some further study. I worked with Zimmermann on all aspects of their brand management.”
And what was your career trajectory like from there?
“After working in house with Zimmermann for a couple of years, I branched out and started representing other emerging Australian fashion brands. 25 years later my agency, MCMPR, still represents Zimmermann. We also represent a whole host of international and domestic fashion, lifestyle and beauty brands like net-a-porter.com, Loewe, The Outnet, and Sephora. We still have a big focus on PR, but what we do now is much deeper and more strategic.”
What made you want to open MCMPR – was it a natural progression?
“The biggest motivator at the time was to be self-employed and to create a work place that I liked going to everyday, where I would meet interesting and creative people. I wanted to be good at my job, so I took a risk with very little capital and started taking on brands. I worked hard to make a difference to their businesses, which helped them pick up key accounts, grow brand awareness and increase sales.”
Were you ever worried it wouldn’t work?
“Yes, I worried every day. Perseverance came as a result of the passion for my work. I love it. I did get overwhelmed at times, but I’d always dust myself off when I needed to. This attitude helped me to get through challenging times. Once I had kids, I wanted to be a good role model for them. Rather than giving up when the balance of work and business became difficult, I’d adjust and figure out a way to make it work.”
From your experience, what are some major changes you’ve seen?
- “Online shopping and digital publishing have changed things significantly.
- The rise of influencers as serious media channels to reach audiences.
- Public relations moved from something that happens at the end of the product process to the beginning. It’s way more sophisticated and engaging now, in my opinion.”
What do you think fashion and beauty PR will look like in five years?
“PR is merging more and more with marketing and strategy industries. We will not simply be talking to media and influencers to help shape brands; we’ll be talking directly to customers.”
What traits do you think are essential to succeed in the industry?
- “Professionalism.
- Perseverance and resilience.
- An inquisitive nature.
- A creative way of thinking.
- Ability to communicate clearly, both verbally and in written formats.”
What do you think it is that makes you a great leader?
- “Having a clear vision and communicating it to my team.
- Leading by example.
- Having courage.
- Being decisive.
- Collaborating.”
What’s been a career highlight so far?
“So many. The latest has been moving to our new headquarters in Darlington, Sydney. It puts a smile on my face. The fact that I get to work with great fun people every day is pretty great.”
What’s the hardest part about your profession?
“It never pauses.”
What’s the best piece of practical career advice you’ve been given?
“Take every opportunity to learn – you never know when that information may become useful. And hard work pays off! (My dad told me that).”
Any words of advice for those looking to get into the world of fashion PR?
“In PR, it’s easiest to work with products and brands you’re passionate about.”
Mallat is speaking at Vogue Codes 2019. Head to vogue.com.au/vogue-codes for event coverage.