John Nicoletti Arizona State University Professor
Fall semester mini-PR project.
“Beautiful Smile, Window to the World. It’s a universal value, not just in the U.S., but everywhere else in the world, and Minish sees itself as an investment in the consumer’s own perfect smile.”
Professor John Nicoletti, who met with the Cronkite Agency at Arizona State University in Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday (local time), is working on a PR project with Minish Technology this fall semester. The project is to find a communication strategy for Minish, a Japanese company that is actively expanding in the United States, to connect with American consumers.
Cronkite Agency is a public relations agency within the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, where Dr. Nicoletti teaches. Known for its rigorous, hands-on training, the agency was created by the Cronkite School to prepare students for the workforce. It features a rigorous, hospital-style apprenticeship program. Students are required to complete their fourth year of college and have worked in a real-world environment, such as a public relations agency or newsroom, before graduating. The professors who teach the program are all professionals with at least 10 to 20 years of experience in the field.
Professor Nicoletti is also a practicing public relations professional for more than 30 years before becoming an educator. For 11 years, he worked for The Walt Disney Company as a public relations executive for its amusement parks and Disney Studios. He also served as spokesperson for the city of Anaheim, California, home of Disneyland, and before joining Arizona State University, he was senior vice president at edtech company EastRide.
We caught up with Prof. Nicoletti at the Cronkite agency’s offices to get his thoughts on Minish Technology and the progress of the PR project.
-How you define minishtech, if you have any comparable companies.
“Think of Mattel’s Barbie doll. Barbie can be anything. The ‘expanding possibilities’ is the value that appeals to consumers. How about the sports drink Gatorade, a bottle of drink to win the game.
We believe that the investment that consumers make in being the best version of themselves is the value that Minish brings to consumers. To look our best, we work out, we style our hair, and we take Minish. Also, Minish is a healthcare tech company. So I think of Minish as both a tech company and a company that promises a better vision for consumers themselves.”
-How you plan to organize your PR project over the course of the semester.
“We’re building a media list of top U.S. outlets, managing influencer relationships, and creating an earned media strategy. “The first week is all about competitor analysis. “We do a ‘deep dive’ into the luxury dental services market in the US. After that, I’m going to research what Minish does best and create a PR strategy. “I research what Minish can do best, whether it’s a high-end service like an oral spa or the latest technology in veneers that can be done in a day.”
-CEO image management and public relations are important issues in corporate communications.
“In that respect, I think Minish Technology is in an advantageous position. Mr. Kang is a renowned dentist, leading veneer technology that provides the best service. He is also a tech company and is growing his business in Japan and the United States. I think he is a CEO who can pitch in four areas: medicine, global network, innovation in veneers, and future vision. I’m thinking about pitching this to the US media.”
-Students run their own PR projects, so I’m sure they’ll come up with some unique ideas.
“That’s why Cronkite Agency took on this PR project for the launch of Sam’s Clubs in Tempe, Arizona. “We get a lot of clients who come to us for non-traditional methodologies and a Gen 1824 approach. I remember taking 40 20-somethings and brainstorming for days. The client wanted the younger generation to come up with their own PR points that would appeal to them, rather than coming from a generation of experienced marketers and PR people, and we gave them our insights. I know they recently opened a branch with great success.”
-If you have any other memorable projects.
“Cronkite has worked on PR projects for major U.S. organizations such as the NBA basketball team Phoenix Suns and NASA, as well as Dutch-based digital tech companies.”
-What you hope to gain from working with Minish Technology.
“Through the Minish PR project, I want to inspire students in Arizona to aspire to work for a global company. The students here have only lived in Arizona. I want to expose them to the innovations of global companies and inspire them to want to work as healthcare PR professionals at a global company, or even at the headquarters in Korea. This PR project is important for our school. As Minish Technology continues to expand its U.S. operations, we look forward to a long and lasting partnership.”
Writer. Hyuntaek Lee
﹤A former newspaper journalist who worked for 18 years at the JoongAng Ilbo and the Chosun Ilbo. She is currently working as a freelance contributor and planning the second act of her life. In addition to journalism, she has worked in public relations and marketing at JTBC Broadcasting and Edelman Global Advisory in the United States. She is a recipient of a U.S. State Department Fulbright Humphrey Fellowship and a Google Asia-Pacific Newsroom Leadership Fellow. His hobby and specialty is writing reference books, and he has co-authored How to Pass the Press Exam, the Advanced Press Exam Practice Series, and the Official Guidebook for Joining JoongAng Ilbo-JTBC.
