What do Netflix, Nike, Gulf Air, David Foster, and Paris Hilton have in common?

Marina Mathews has represented them all.

Netflix. Nike. Paris Hilton. Gulf Air. David Foster. People may recognise some of these names as the best in the business and well-known in their industries. But what do these five share in common? They are connected by one name—Marina Mathews.

Everyone not in the know, would be scratching their heads in wonder: Who is Marina Mathews? The short answer would be that Marina Mathews has worked behind the scenes to manage their profiles in the media. The longer and more accurate answer is that Marina Matthews is the founder and CEO of Marina Mathews Communications, one of Southeast Asia’s top reputation management agencies, that represents CEOs, celebrities, authors, artists, and entrepreneurs in the region.

Singapore Business Review had a quick chat with Marina as she gave us an inside look at what it is like to be a publicist for high profile clients.

“I had a 25-year career in the public relations industry,” Marina explained. “On a personal front, I've also represented a number of celebrities whilst working with them as well, from the famous music producer, David Foster, as well as the Cat Daddy himself, Jackson Galaxy, and I'm sure a name everyone would recognise, Paris Hilton.”

ABCs of a publicist

In her quick chat with the Singapore Business Review, Marina shared details on how she works with her clients..

“It really starts off with doing a personal brand evaluation. Before we can embark on any sort of campaign, we must have a starting point,” Marina explained.

Essentially, that means studying their personal brand, both online and offline. It also helps to know what the client is capable of, gauging their unique skills and what you can do to elevate their personal brand.

For example, clients are given speaking opportunities. Publicists should be able to know how their clients present, weighing if it is a skill that needs nurturing. Marina said that publicists should continue to ask themselves if these skills are something their clients are good at and if this is something they can maximise on. These are something that would set a good foundation for personal brand analysis. From there, Marina said it is better to figure out the clients' passions, their pursuits, as well as the message they want to get across.

It does not matter if the client is a banker with a passion for the arts. A publicist must learn to highlight what their clients are interested in and get them to share it with their audience.

The twin challenge

As a publicist, Marina is aware of the great power she holds for her clients. She shared that there are twin challenges that arise with being a publicist.

First is when representing a business or an entrepreneur who has yet to make its mark on the industry. Marina said the important step is establishing a foundation for them. In establishing this foundation, a publicist must first ask the client: “What is the message you want to share?”

“What do they believe in? And how do we get that across to their audiences, not necessarily, their customers, whilst at the same time, communicating the same message to their team, as well? So we're looking at both internal and external communications,” Marina explained.

The second challenge arises when working for an entity or a person who has already made a name for itself.

“For example, if someone is known for a certain talent or an area of business, publicists must ask themselves: How do we amplify their message?,” Marina said.

When working with famous clients, Marina said that she does not fully assume which target market would appreciate her clients, even if she has a certain grasp of the demographics her clients are engaged in.

She recalled the time when she was working with Paris Hilton in Singapore. Marina first thought that most of her fans would be teenagers or people who tend to follow pop culture. It was to her surprise that whilst in an event, she found Paris and herself mobbed by not just teenagers but older women, as well as a few men, all wanting to be close to the celebrity in their midst.

“It's really trying to understand the individual and what it is that they want to get across. At the end of the day, it really comes down to helping others. Because if you're meant to be, or would like to be a thought leader, it's really about giving back to others, and what are those things that you're doing in order to do that,” Marina said.