About Us
"I know my business, I know my product, all I needed were contacts. Handle Your Own PR came along at just the right time for me as I didn't have to waste my (lack of!) time approaching print media myself - and then there was the concern of my phone call or email being pushed into the 'junk mail' or the 'not interested' basket or worst still, being labeled a nuisance! As an establishing business and brand I really can't afford any negativity. I was so impressed with the amount of contacts on the lists - excited in fact! Knowing that the majority of the contacts you provided are WAITING for my call is just fantastic! Takes all the hard work out of it..... well, except making the actual phone call... but it was the contacts I needed - I can do all the rest! It was definitely money well spent!"
Lou Peters – Lil' Rockers
Background
Handle Your Own PR is a DIY
PR service for small, medium and home based businesses. This website
will provide you with the process you need to follow, tips and hints
about dealing with the media, targeted media
lists and a media release writing
service for you to purchase.
Most new businesses don't have big bucks to throw at an advertising
campaign, particularly in the early days. That's where publicity can help.
At a fraction of the cost, PR can spread the word very effectively via the
media and editorial coverage. But even at a 'fraction' of an advertising
budget, a full blown PR campaign can be too expensive for many new
businesses.
That's where Handle Your Own PR comes in. If you can't afford to pay a PR
agency like ours to do it for you, you can do
it yourself with our very affordable DIY-PR tools.
Jules Brooke
Jules spent ten years in
advertising sales (press) before moving into the graphic design industry
where she was a partner in a successful design company before going on
to hold senior management positions in Australia (Sydney and Melbourne)
and in London. Whilst in London she was a freelance Account Director for
four years, working for a number of advertising, design, marketing and
sales promotion companies.
Now she is an entrepreneur. Jules set up our 'traditional' PR agency,
Handle Communications in 2003 and was joined by Simone in
2005. After many years working with small clients, the two women set up
Handle Your Own PR in 2009 for people who need PR but may
not have the funds to employ an agency and are happy to do the hard work
themselves.
Jules and Simone also have a business called Handle Ideas
where they create products for the (mainly parenting) market. They have a
range of favour vouchers called I O YOU, as well as a couple of
other great parenting products: Sucker (turns water bottles into
baby's bottles) and Baby Sticky Bowl that secures children's food
bowls to their high chair tray or any flat surface.
Jules is also, just for the hell of it, trying to get some TV show
concepts off the ground. Not bad for one woman with a husband and three
kids!!
Simone Heydon
Simone began her career working
at DDB Needham on many 'below the line' projects including sales
promotion, sampling and events for companies like Cadbury Schweppes,
Bertolli, Cottees and The Australian Dairy Corporation.
In 1998 Simone joined Communicado Marketing Communications. For four years
she managed sales promotions, point of sale and marketing material
production and public relations campaigns for companies such as Dulux, Hard
Yakka, Simplot Australia (Birds Eye, Edgell, Leggo's I&J, Big Sister),
Australia Post, Danks (Home Hardware) and National Foods.
Simone became a partner at Handle Communications in 2005
and works across all clients and facets of the business. Together with
Jules she has developed a number of products launching in 2009 and a new
business, Handle Your Own PR. Her calm nature and focused
approach gets great results for our clients.
Simone is also the mother of two gorgeous boys, Johnny and Henry.