Who is Joseph Priest anyway?

In marketing and communication, it’s often said that content is queen (not king, because I think we’ve shown bias toward males for far too long and need to reverse the trend), but in my case content may be a god. Ever since I fell in love with classic movies at an early age, I’ve wanted to be a creator of original content that inspires or captivates. And this goal has taken me to a rewarding career path and personal life that I wouldn’t change if I could, and a journey that I’m excited to continue so I can help people and organizations communicate their messages as originally and powerfully as possible.

Today, I’m a public relations and communication professional with over 20 years of experience in corporate communication, marketing communication, media relations and social media. I’ve gained expertise in creating a wide variety of communications for every kind of organization, from corporations, such as UBS and IBM; to private companies, such as Syniverse Technologies and Alessi Foods; to ad and PR agencies (Schifino Lee and Ketchum); to professional societies (Public Relations Society of America) .

I’ve had a long and winding road in creating and shaping these different kinds of content. After graduating from Auburn University with a degree in communication, I started off at the Fox television affiliate in Tampa, WTVT, where I worked as a production assistant in the studio and then as a video news editor. I then changed paths by returning to college, at the University of Tennessee, getting a degree in public relations degree, and going to work at one of the world’s largest electronics companies, Philips Electronics, in Knoxville. In that role, I managed internal communications for the IT department and a companywide software project. Next, I joined Ketchum, a top-10 public relations agency, in Atlanta, and wrote corporate and marketing communications for clients like IBM and Intercontinental Hotels, before moving to Ketchum’s New York office, where I took on the role of managing the content for Ketchum’s website and blog. Then I took an opportunity to return to my hometown of Tampa and become a content manager at Syniverse, a telecommunication company where I oversaw the company’s blog and social media, and wrote a range of other corporate and marketing communications. My latest chapter has taken me to the ad and public relations agency Schifino Lee, where I’ve managed corporate communication, media relations and social media for a diversity of clients, including UBS and Alessi Foods. 

My passion for content extends beyond my professional career, too. My favorite hobby is collecting, watching and comparing notes on classic Hollywood and international films with like-minded admirers. I have always been impressed by the powerful storytelling and carefully crafted narrative formats of these movies, especially from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. My two favorites from this era are a 1952 Japanese film titled Ikiru (To Live), about a dying Tokyo bureaucrat’s search for meaning in life; and Sunset Boulevard, a 1950 American film noir on a faded actor’s deranged quest to recapture fame. 

And my other big hobby involves consuming content of a different sort – international travel. Over the past 20 years, I’ve been fortunate to travel to many exotic overseas locations and sample the different cultures and rhythms of the world. So far, Japan and Singapore top my list of favorite places and have amazed me with their array of distinctive customs, foods and historic sites, but I have many more overseas destinations left on my list to experience!

I’m fortunate to already have a rewarding career behind me but still an exciting one still unfolding in front of me. It’s a journey that I’m excited about continuing on this blog and offering guidance to people and organizations on how to communicate their messages as originally and powerfully as possible. I invite you to join me on this journey, and I look forward to your feedback along the way.