Five Minutes With Brooke Innaimo.
Brooke Innaimo - Public Relations Manager at Hamilton Beach
1.Tell us about your current occupation and how you landed such a fabulous job.
From an early age, I knew communications was my calling. Whether I was creating a persuasive PowerPoint in middle school to convince my parents I needed a puppy or being named "Public Relations Student of the Year" in college, my passion for the field has always been clear. During college, I participated in PRSSA, lead Lambda Pi Eta as both president and vice president and gained hands-on experience through multiple internships and with local clients through a student-run PR agency.
Now, as the Public Relations Manager at Hamilton Beach Brands, I'm overseeing media relations and strategic PR initiatives for nine brands and counting! I love what I do, especially building long-lasting relationships with media and pitching our products. My career has already been fulfilling and full-circle, allowing me to merge my creative and strategic strengths while advancing in a field that I love.
2. What's your best advice for someone interested in doing what you do?
To land a role in PR, it's important to be proactive and to expose yourself to the field while still in school. Take advantage of every opportunity to gain hands-on experience and ask your classmates about the ways they're preparing themselves for careers in PR. Internships are also key.
Each internship I completed offered new insights, challenges and growth, which further shaped my passion for the industry. Don't hesitate to take on as many internships as you can - they will expose you to different facets of PR and open doors to future opportunities.
Be persistent, ask questions, build your network and take advantage of the resources around you.
3. What is something you've learned about PR since working with Comm Oddities?
The talented team at Comm Oddities are experts in SEO and affiliate marketing! They keep our team informed about the latest trending search terms relevant to our brand and ensure we're always up to date with what's happening in the industry and our network of media contacts.
4. What's a fun fact about you?
My English Cream Miniature Dachshund, Paloma, had a viral moment on TikTok. A video of her winking at the camera received 6.6 M views.
5. Tell us about your favorite meal, movie, and / or vacation spot.
I've spent a week in the Outer Banks, North Carolina nearly every summer since I was born. It's my go-to spot to relax and recharge - it's also where my now husband proposed.
When it comes to food, I'm the least picky eater around but any Italian or Asian food tops my list.
6. Tell us about your favorite nonprofit and why it's important to you.
Through our Proctor Silex brand, Hamilton Beach has been a partner of Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation since 2012. Commencing with the introduction of the Proctor Silex Alex's Lemonade Stand Electric Juicer, one dollar from each sale is donated to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. Over the years, our commitment expanded to include an annual lemonade stand fundraising event.