Alyssa Lundeen
Senior Account Manager
What are your primary responsibilities at Kiterocket?
In my role, my job is to support strategy development and manage agency-client relationships. I work together with the account team for each client, as well as our digital and creative teams, to make sure we are exceeding client expectations, meeting deadlines and staying within budget. I also support PR and media relations, social media, content development, website updates and reporting.
What do you enjoy the most about your job?
I view public relations as a people business. So, what I love the most is the ability to create great relationships with my clients and with my colleagues. Building those relationships means problem solving is easier and successful results are shared between both the team and the client.
I also enjoy learning. Every day at Kiterocket is different. There are always new challenges, and no two days are the same. I feel like I have the opportunity to gain a little more knowledge and sharpen my skillset every single day.
So, you are an advocate for collaboration?
It’s absolutely critical to collaborate. No victory is earned alone. And I would say there is knowledge transfer in a much more meaningful way when a team works together. The team that works together avoids mistakes and produces better results. This team mentality is one of the great things I love about working here.
Do you find yourself sometimes playing the advocate for your clients within the company?
Definitely. I feel it’s important in my role to ensure my client’s needs are addressed. This means tracking assignments and making sure we follow through on our promises. But it is also true that I need to inform my clients that Kiterocket has many resources to help them. I never want my clients to struggle with something that I know we can help them with.
When did you begin working in public relations?
It started in college…
What college was that?
University of Minnesota, Duluth. As an undergraduate, I worked as an intern in the UMD Public Relations department. I would develop stories about the university and interview students to source the story. These stories would run on the university’s website.
I graduated with a marketing degree and immediately started working in the admissions and marketing department at a skilled nursing facility in Duluth. I was the liaison between the community hospital and our facility; this is really where I learned project management skills. I had to work with each patient to see that their needs were addressed and met. That meant working with our facility’s nursing team and with the hospitals to make sure everyone was on the same page, whether the patient needed long-term care or short-term rehabilitation.
So, you were handling admissions during the COVID shutdowns?
Yes. It was a very challenging time. For each admission, you had to make sure each incoming patient was safe. We were frequently in contact with patient families when they couldn’t see their loved ones. I learned the value of timely and clear communication and how to streamline information between multiple teams. I had to elevate patient needs to staff, and elevate staff concerns to patient families.
When did you come to Phoenix?
When I was working at the facility, I was the only person on the marketing team. I wanted to do more. At the same time, I got married. My husband was looking for a work change, too. So we packed up and moved to Arizona and I started work at Kiterocket.
So Alyssa, you have clients in the semiconductor industry. Has it been difficult to learn about the technology?
Kiterocket has a phenomenal onboarding process, so I was well prepared to learn about and understand the semiconductor industry. What I found interesting is how such tiny components are critical to the items we use in our everyday lives and how quickly this industry continues to evolve.
Any advice for public relations professionals who find themselves working with technology clients?
Don’t be intimidated by the technology. Focus on how your client improves and differentiates themselves within the industry, and then get your client in front of the media that best serves their business objectives.
Any closing thoughts for us?
I’ve been here for a little over two years, and it’s been a whirlwind. I started here as an account executive and quickly advanced in my career and knowledge base. I’m grateful for the support we have for each other at Kiterocket. I feel the team really has my back and that makes it easy for me to be successful for them, and for my clients.
