An agency that delivers outstanding hands-on, personal communication: The Prenner Group

The Silicon Review

The Prenner Group is one stop shopping for communications needs for companies, products and entertainment outlets of all shapes and sizes. The Prenner Group (TPG) is a full-service, strategy-driven public relations, marketing and communications practice representing a roster or experts, lifestyle, and consumer brands. Founder Amy Prenner is a communications executive who thinks like a producer to provide a mix of public relations, marketing and brand building designed to help position established brands and convert new and younger brands into thriving businesses.

The company generates media attention as a result of long-lasting relationships with key members of the press community. With experience and expertise along with media connections that span multiple platforms ranging from consumer to trade to online to local, national and international markets, The Prenner Group showcases its clients to the world.

In conversation with Amy Prenner, Founder of The Prenner Group

Q. What was the motivation behind starting The Prenner Group?

The Prenner Group was born in 2007 out of a need for me to use my skills that I learned as a television and film publicist to create a boutique Public Relations and Communications firm. I was very hesitant at first but after friends and mentors convinced me that I could do it there I was launching my company with my very first client NBC’s THE SINGING BEE, hosted by NYSNC’s Joey Fatone. It was a blast and it opened up so many doors and so many referrals.

I stumbled upon publicity after trying my hand at so many other things. First, I thought I wanted to be an on-camera news reporter. Then I thought I wanted to be a talent agent. After I went through those experiences, I ended up working for a producer who was on the rise, Lynda Obst. She was coming off the heels of SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE and was about to release her next film ONE FINE DAY starring George Clooney & Michelle Pfeiffer and she had a book coming out about the entertainment business called HELLO HE LIED. I was immediately intrigued by the ABC News Camera Crew who came to the office for a sit-down interview and then the Glamour interview that took place immediately after. When I was able to attend the premiere and see the lights and action of the red carpet I was immediately hooked. Once that happened, I knew there was no turning back.

I went to a PR firm where I learned about talent publicity working with rising stars Ben Affleck, Calista Flockhart, Jared Leto, Adrian Brody, Debi Mazar and so many more. It was a good time to learn the basics of PR and see which side of the entertainment business I could excel at. I ended up working in TV publicity, relaunching EXTRA in 1999 and then over to Paramount to work with the producers of Entertainment Tonight to launch a movie-review show called HOT TICKET and a spin-off of the popular show BLIND DATE, RENDEZ-VIEW. After that I went on to work at WHEEL OF FORTUNE where I spent five years promoting the heck out of America’s Favorite Game Show. Once I started visiting locations to film the show more than a few times I knew I was ready to spread my wings and set up shop.

Q. There are other reputed players in the market providing the same services. What makes you a better service provider?

The Prenner Group offers very personalized attention to our clients which mostly are by referral. We are selective with the clients we engage with because we want to ensure success. We don’t take on more than one expert in a field so that we can set ourselves up for success. For example, we will only engage with one film at a time or one streaming project at a time because we want to make sure the work, we do is quality. We spend a lot of time getting to know our clients and making sure that we can get to the heart of their goals and in turn create awareness.

Q. Staying ahead of trends is something today’s PR firms must do. How do you manage to stay a step among of the competition?

We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to know what’s going on in the media and pop culture landscape. This is especially important because this landscape is fluid and always evolving. Once upon a time posting a story online as opposed to a print story was considered the holy grail. Now not only are digital outlets important but they curate a lot of their content from social media so teaching our clients how to work alongside social media has been very important to the success of our clients. We are constantly trying to educate and explore what’s ahead. Right now, the world is laser focused on ChatGPT, a natural language processing tool driven by AI technology that allows you to have human-like conversations and much more with a chatbot. The language model can answer questions, and assist you with tasks such as composing emails, essays, and code.

Q. It is quite difficult to achieve success in every PR campaign that is developed. How do you overcome failures?

The hardest part about working in PR is sometimes things aren’t fully ready for a campaign and the people we work with don’t understand that there isn’t a story yet. However, failures are okay because they teach us a lesson about how to best approach something the second time around. Having a running list of alternative solutions to telling a story is helpful. This could range from anything from sending out a tweet to posting a statement from a high-profile individual where they control the message.

Q. Keeping in mind the social and cultural bondages which generally trim down the freedom, confidence and boldness of women, what steps/programs/policies you would like to suggest for the women who want to be successful like you?

The secret to being successful is by figuring out what you enjoy the most and if there is a way to monetize it. For years when I speak to young college students, I always encourage them to visit a newsstand or better yet, the magazine section at your local Barnes & Noble and see where you migrate. Maybe you enjoy home and garden, or maybe you like cooking or maybe arts and crafts is your passion. By doing this simple exercise you can figure out what you like and you’re going to get there. If it’s any consolation I did this early on in my career and I discovered my love of entertainment and over 25 years later I’m still doing what I love.

Q. Why is gender balance and having a more diverse workforce important, especially in senior management teams?

Gender balance and diversity in the workforce are important for several reasons, including:

Better decision-making: Diverse teams bring a variety of perspectives, experiences, and ideas to the table. This diversity of thought can lead to more innovative and effective solutions to business problems. Studies have shown that companies with diverse teams make better decisions than those with homogenous teams.
Improved company culture: A diverse workforce can help create a more inclusive and welcoming company culture. When employees see that their company values and promotes diversity, they are more likely to feel valued and included, which can lead to increased morale, job satisfaction, and productivity.
Increased creativity: A diverse workforce can bring a wider range of perspectives and experiences to the creative process. This can lead to more innovative and creative ideas, which can help a company, stay competitive and relevant in a rapidly changing marketplace.
Better understanding of customer needs: A diverse workforce can help a company better understand and serve a diverse customer base. When employees come from different backgrounds and have different experiences, they are better equipped to understand the needs and preferences of a diverse range of customers.
Better recruitment and retention: When a company values diversity, it can attract and retain a wider range of talented employees. This can help a company build a stronger and more sustainable workforce over time.

In senior management teams, gender balance and diversity are particularly important. Senior leaders set the tone for the rest of the organization, and a lack of diversity in leadership can send a message to employees that diversity is not valued or important. By promoting gender balance and diversity in senior management, companies can help create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all employees, and reap the benefits that come with a diverse workforce.

Q. Do you have any new services ready to be launched?

Stay tuned! Should be soon!

Q. What does the future hold for your company and its customers? Are exciting things on the way?

2022 was a banner year for The Prenner Group. We hope that 2023 tops it or comes pretty close. We’re excited about some of the feature films we’re working on and the lifestyle experts that we’re developing. We are confident that some of the second and third quarter clients will be disruptors and will give us more awareness on things we knew nothing about.

We also predict that influencers will be the new celebrities and personalities. As we’re already seeing, producers and editors now look at social media numbers before they commit to interviews so influencers seem like the most likely superstars.

Meet the leader behind the success of The Prenner Group

Amy Prenner, Founder of The Prenner Group is someone that you can rely upon. She’s not afraid to roll up her sleeves and do the work and do it well. Unlike other PR firms Prenner gets into the weeds with her clients to understand their needs and how to make their goals attainable. She has worked with high profile individuals ranging from Ellen DeGeneres to Jennifer Lopez to John Travolta but always treats them with kindness and assures her talent that they are the most important people in the room. As a result, her phone rings all the time with plenty of people requesting her skills.