4 Questions with Elinor Mills

Today we publicly announced that veteran tech journalist Elinor Mills has joined Mission North as our new Director of Content and Media Strategy. Elinor comes to us with an incredible resume, having spent more than 22 years covering breaking tech news for organizations such as CNET, AP, Reuters, IDG News and The Industry Standard.

Quality writing has been a cornerstone of Mission North’s unique service offering since our inception. In recent years, social media has moved the market in our direction by making content more crucial to a successful communications campaign than ever before. Elinor will help ensure our content marketing practice continues to meet the high standard for quality for which Mission North is known. 

We sat down with Elinor after her first couple of weeks in her new position to hear about her recent decision to leave the respected world of journalism and cross over to the proverbial “dark side” of PR agency work.

What led you to Mission North?

Elinor Mills: I worked with this team while at CNET covering their Internet security clients, most recently with the Qualys account team, and always thought very highly of the agency based on my interactions. The agency enjoys an excellent reputation and I knew they had momentum in the marketplace, especially here in San Francisco. But it was really a combination of factors that drew me here and cemented my decision to join the team. First, a fellow journalist and mutual friend pointed me in the agency’s direction when I was first thinking about trying something new. Then, as cliché as it sounds, it was the people who make up the firm who really hooked me in. I found the team to be a group of very down-to-earth, authentic individuals who simply loved what they do.

Now that you have officially crossed over, what are you most looking forward to?

EM: Having the ability to work as a part of a team — both here at the agency and with the clients’ internal marketing folks — on shaping a company’s narrative over the long term. I will still be working with the written word, but the different pace and narrower focus on just a few companies will allow me to go deeper and be more creative than in my previous role responding to breaking news.

How critical do you think the ability to create quality content is to an agency’s arsenal of core capabilities?

EM: Good writing can mean the difference between getting coverage and being consigned to the spam folder. With so many companies competing for media mindshare and reporters’ limited time, it’s vital that communications be clear and compelling. Otherwise, it’s easy to become just part of the noise.

What do you do in your free time?

EM:I’m very passionate about animal issues and my goal is to spend more of my free time volunteering. For me, it’s about educating the public and increasing awareness of these important causes. I’m sure that honing my PR skills will serve me well in this advocacy role too. I have two cats, but I am also a dog fan. I just don’t have the time right now to devote to caring for one. When I discovered Mission North is in a dog-friendly building and several members of the firm bring their dogs to work every day, well, that sealed the deal!