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A conversation with Miller Ink’s Joey Good on how to create a comprehensive PR strategy

What is your professional background?

I’ve been working at the intersection of government and communications for about a decade now. I started, when I was 18, working for Governor John Kitzhaber in Oregon while pursuing my undergraduate degree at Willamette University. That experience sparked an interest in telling stories and working with the public. And, in the years since, that interest has taken me to Israel, China, and the United Kingdom to work for entities ranging from the American Chamber of Commerce in China to UNESCO’s Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation.

What is your role within Miller Ink?

I’m an Account Executive at Miller Ink.

How have your previous roles prepared you for your work at Miller Ink?

My previous work has all been in fairly complex and fast-paced environments. Whether that included advocating for Boeing with the Chinese government or helping push Oregon’s firearm sale background check legislation across the line. Those fast-paced environments were very informative for my work leading accounts at Miller Ink.

How do you think about strategy on client projects?

I think about strategy as always needing to be both unique and adaptable because each client is different and there isn’t (or shouldn’t be) a one-size-fits-all strategy.

I like to approach each project by first taking the time to really listen to the client and understand their needs. After building this understanding, I assess the purpose of the project – is it focused on brand awareness, something happening in the news cycle, or a crisis-related issue? The goal of the project or campaign significantly impacts the strategy.

Once I have a clear understanding of the goal of the project, I build concrete checkpoints to ensure that we are delivering for the client. Once the strategic plan has been created, we can then harness the considerable toolbox we have here at Miller Ink to proceed accordingly.

What are some trends you see within the PR/Communications Industry?

The industry is changing – perhaps, more quickly than ever before – in line with how media consumption habits have shifted (and continue to shift). With that said, I see the industry becoming both decentralized and siloed; the mass public will continue to trend towards using media such as TikTok, Netflix, and the like, whereas a much smaller segment of consumers will further hone in on outlets that cover niche beats like Semafor.

This will present new challenges for the industry, and successful operators in the space will have to be adaptive and able to develop strong, clear messaging – to multiple audiences.

What is your favorite thing about working at Miller Ink?

There’s a lot I enjoy about working at Miller Ink, but if I had to pick one thing, it’d be my colleagues. Each brings a deep breadth of experience and outside-the-box thinking to each unique project and, together, creates a very fulfilling environment.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

I’ve been studying the violin since age four and currently play with the Orchestra Collective of Orange County (OCofOC). I’m also a Board Director with OCofOC and help plan our regular concert season, among other things. I really enjoy that work because I think the arts play a vital role in our society– especially today.

Otherwise, I have been rowing since I joined my university’s crew team in undergrad, and love using my Hydrow at home and getting out on the water. Between the two, I’ve done about three million meters this year.

If you were a punctuation mark, which one would you be and why?

I’d like to say the semicolon because I’m a big fan; I love how it helps me connect two independent clauses, therefore strengthening my writing and allowing it to stand out. In reality, though, I think others would say the comma, as I tend to add stipulations and conditions to my ideas as they develop, causing them to go on, and on, and on … You get the idea.