PR for the People Spotlight: Jolo Merilleno | PR Apprentice

This is a series of interviews with participants in PapaLoDown’s ‘PR for the People workshop’. Hear first hand from amazing people and organizations, who are learning how to amplify their stories in the news, grow their visibility and attract new opportunities.

Meet Jolo Merilleno, our most recent graduate of our PR for the People Apprenticeship program, marketer, and musician.

What is your background and experience?

Lorenzo “Jolo” at the Chef Reina storefront launch in Brisbane, CA. (photo credit PapaLoDown Agency)

I moved to California from the Philippines in 2016 to attend university— with me and my brother being first-generation U.S. college graduates. I attended San Francisco State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. I’ve developed myself as a marketing-communications professional in the arts and entertainment space, specifically with college radio and music promotions.

I’ve always been interested in social impact work, and I got the chance to combine social impact and entertainment as an intern under UNDSCVRD SF’s BrownThought Academy. During my internship, I was introduced to PapaLoDown Agency and became even more interested in the mission and work that PapaLoDown dedicates itself to.

What Public Relations (PR) campaigns were you able to work with during your apprenticeship?

I was fortunate enough to work on so many different campaigns— Love Burn Chicken’s launch (and their Truth or Burn Challenge), Chef Reina's new storefront, and a lot of different projects from Kultivate Labs.

Love Burn’s PR campaign was my very first— and it will always be special to me because of all the lessons I learned. I had a lot of fun working with such a spicy concept, and seeing all the fun Truth or Burn videos pop up on Instagram/Youtube was so rewarding! It was an honor working with such serial restaurateurs, and I’m thankful that they placed their trust in me to push their story out.

Chef Reina’s new storefront taught me what it was like to be extremely intimate with my client’s work. I loved Reina’s work and story, and I was extremely attached to the PR ‘success’ that her campaign would get. The biggest lesson I learned with Chef Reina’s campaign is that aligning myself with a client’s story and knowing who they are and what they represent is key to being able to truly do justice in working and amplifying their work for them.

Lastly, I will always hold Kultivate Labs campaigns dear to my heart— both in my professional development, as well as my personal alignments. As one of my last campaigns during my time in the apprenticeship program, I was able to apply all the lessons I learned in order to help Kultivate Labs shine a light on their projects, such as Kapwa Gardens. Working with PapaLoDown clients is such a unique experience— I think it’s a rarity to be surrounded by such community-aligned organizations that focus on bringing equitable solutions that are for the people and by the people.

What goals did you set in your PR campaigns? Did you accomplish them?

Being new to the Public Relations industry meant that I had not developed a sense of what traditional success metrics were— was it what outlets you got into, the angle that was presented, or the headlines? In the meantime, what was most important to me was always putting myself in the shoes of my client and imagining how I would feel when I find my name in the press. I would always want to make sure that my client’s truth was told, as well as paving a space for them in the “attention market”.

How has the experience of pitching and working with media to amplify the stories in your PR campaigns been like so far?

I think there was a lot of pressure— but a good kind— when it came to working with PapaLoDown clients. I wanted to be able to pitch the stories perfectly to really get the attention of the media. When I truly believe that the story needs to be amplified and out there, it made pitching and working with the media easy.

What are some key lessons that you’ve taken away from the PR for the People Apprenticeship program?

I learned a lot both professionally and personally. Professionally, I'm glad I got to dive into the world of PR as I develop myself as a Marketing and Communications professional. I think this experience has been extremely valuable to demystifying the world of media relations, and in turn, helped me understand the nuance and develop the specific language and communicative skills needed to talk to members of the press.

Personally, my apprenticeship has helped me overcome mental and emotional barriers I've struggled with during my young-adult career. I've learned that, with work and effort, I am capable of producing results that do mean a difference. Whether it was the clients I was blessed to work with or the culture of the company, I've really gained a lot of confidence in my work that will carry on with me as I approach the future.

What did you enjoy the most about the program?

I am a broken record when I say this-- my favorite part is working with the clients that we work with and witnessing their work come to fruition, their accomplishments get recognized, and their stories get told. I believe it to be an extreme rarity in modern communications industries to work in the company of such socially aligned individuals, and it was an honor being entrusted with their narratives. I will always remember talking with every single client and hearing their values, goals, and their commitment to the community, and I will always be grateful!