Southern Company
Supports the execution of public relations and media relations strategy for Southern Company Gas subsidiary, Nicor Gas.
Fosters a positive public perception of the company through effective public relations that influence public opinion, promote programs, community involvement, customer support and more.
Develops appropriate media relations strategies, crafts media-related materials, provides counsel to company leaders on media relations strategies, conducts interviews and oversees the development and execution of media outreach to maximize accurate and balanced coverage.
Implements public relations plans with tactics including press releases, social media, special events, speaking engagements, media pitching, community outreach, earned media opportunities, shared media opportunities and more. Serves as a primary 24/7 media contact and company spokesperson.
MAJOR JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:
Functional Expertise
- Coordinate strategy development, positioning and write messaging for earned media including writing and distribution of approved press releases, media advisories and statements, talking points, social media posts, etc.
- Develop and maintain good working relationships with regional and local media who cover the company and work to maximize accurate and balanced media coverage to deliver important information to external constituencies.
- Work closely with leaders to provide incident response to routine media inquiries as well as unanticipated events, controversial issues and other critical incidents.
- Serve as company spokesperson for both proactive and reactive media inquiries, earned media opportunities, etc.
- Identify opportunities to influence public perception through audience engagement and assist in developing plans and providing execution of social media messaging that drive website traffic, highlight community impact and manage Nicor Gas brand awareness.
- Monitor and archive relevant media coverage and keep accurate records of media inquiries for internal reports.
- Provide planning and execution support as needed for media-facing events and executive speaking engagements.
- Train designated leaders on messaging and techniques for dealing with media interviews.
- Other duties as assigned including media monitoring and coverage analytics.
Business Acumen
- Ensure media and PR plans align with business units’ objectives and are consistent with corporate goals.
- Position Nicor Gas executives as energy and subject matter experts with media.
- Track and analyze media coverage and communicate how coverage may potentially impact the company’s business.
- Implement or drive process improvements.
- Monitor trends and innovations in PR and media relations and keep a pulse on companies in the natural gas industry.
Engagement
- Collaborate with business leaders and peers across the Southern Company Gas enterprise to achieve PR goals.
- Coordinate information sharing and communications activities with other departmental leads, business units, and other functional groups.
- Role model honesty, respect, organizational values and fairness towards all.
Driving Results
- Analyze media coverage to determine impact/outcomes of media strategy. Monitor progress against metrics/deliverables and create reports on key metrics.
- Increase digital/social media presence and grow engagement on various platforms.
- Hold self and others accountable for results.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education, Certifications/Licenses:
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in public relations, Communications, Journalism/Media, Marketing or similar combination of education and work experience.
Preferred:
- Advanced degree or APR (Accredited in Public Relations) or ABC (Accredited Business Communicator) certification; Active role in industry organization such as PRSA or IABC. Utility communications and media relations experience.
Required:
Related Work Experience:
- Minimum 5 years.
Preferred:
- Core Public Relations, Media Relations, Community Relations, Crisis Communications, Official Spokesperson on camera. Executive communications experience (speechwriting, presentation support.)