af&co., based in the heart of San Francisco, is a full-service integrated communications agency with a passion for the hospitality industry. Our clients include restaurants, hotels, food and beverage brands and special events. We specialize in media relations, influencer relations, marketing, social media and launch strategy, as well as concept development and operational consulting. Our goals are to provide personalized and expert guidance, build brand awareness, and generate results and results for our clients. We work hard and we love what we do. Our approach for each client is fresh, direct, creative and stylish. We inspire people to love our clients as much as we do! For more information, please see our website at www.afandco.com.

af&co.’s Summer Internship is a 10-week unpaid program beginning June 6, 2022, with a potential to extend into the fall. This is an immersive internship that provides real-world experience for students who are interested in the hospitality industry. Interns are part of the cloth that makes af&co. one of the top PR & Marketing agencies in the Bay Area. Our goals are to provide personalized and expert guidance, build brand awareness, and generate results for our clients. During your time at af&co, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with our team and clients to achieve those results. This is a part-time position, up to 25 hours per week. San Francisco/Bay Area residence is a requirement for this position.

af&co. will be adopting a hybrid model of working in an office 1 day/ week. Intern must be available to go into the office on Monday’s.

Job Title: PR & Marketing Summer Intern
Department: Marketing / Public Relations
Reporting To: Account Manager(s) / Intern Manager
Pay and Hours: College credit, 20 hrs/week
Start Date: June 6, 2022
End Date: August 19, 2022

Requirements for position:

• Current college or graduate student
• Detail-oriented, creative, empathetic, resourceful, an excellent communicator
• Keen interest in and passion for food & beverage, restaurants, travel, hospitality
• Excellent written and communication skills
• Willingness to learn, grow and be part of the af&co. team
• Natural team player with strong social skills
• Independent and responsible – ability to manage deadlines and prioritize assignments
• Familiarity with the Bay Area food scene and media (preferred)

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Supports account managers with day-to-day account activities including but not limited to:
  • Demonstrating sincere interest in the clients’ products
  • Assist in preparing regular client meeting agendas, monthly activity reports, and coverage books
  • Scheduling, attending and participating in client meetings and events
  • Takes meeting notes and shares approved recap with the client team
  • Liaises with vendors, graphic designers and other strategic partners on behalf of client
  • Proactively supports timelines and action steps to drive successful program development
  • Performs background and industry research
  • Communicates in a clear and compelling manner in written, oral and presentation forms
  • Assists in the creation of creative marketing campaigns and initiatives (including coordination of supporting collateral, presentations, invitations, etc.)
  • Supports development and posting of social media content using Sprout Social
    • Utilizes tools such as canva for graphic creation
  • Begins to develop strong relationships with local social media influencers for potential partnerships
  • Stays up to date with social media news, F&B publications, and trends and shares knowledge and opportunities with the team
  • Dedicates efforts towards committing local journalists and writer’s contact information to memory
  • Manages round-ups for upcoming holidays and Bay Area events

Application process:

Interested? We’d love to know why. Send us a copy of your resume and a brief cover letter stating why you think you’d be a great fit for the role to: rose@afandco.com. Please include your schedule availability beginning June 6, 2022.

af&co., based in the heart of San Francisco, is a full-service integrated communications agency with a passion for the hospitality industry. Our clients include restaurants, hotels, food and beverage brands and special events. We specialize in media relations, influencer relations, marketing, social media and launch strategy, as well as concept development and operational consulting. Our goals are to provide personalized and expert guidance, build brand awareness, and generate results and results for our clients. We work hard and we love what we do. Our approach for each client is fresh, direct, creative and stylish. We inspire people to love our clients as much as we do! For more information, please see our website at www.afandco.com.

We’re Growing!

Here’s the scoop:
Job Title: Account Director, Public Relations
Department: Public Relations
Reporting To: Vice President of Public Relations & Marketing, and CEO
FLSA Status: Full time, Non-Exempt

Requirements for position:

With eight to 10 years of experience, this position requires top notch public relations expertise complemented by sharp communication and leadership skills. The Account Director of Public Relations is a leader in the public relations department at the agency, which includes leading campaign strategy and planning for their clients, mentoring, training and developing individual team members, conducting media outreach, supporting the new business process, and achieving and maintaining client satisfaction through client leadership. The Account Director will support department operations, including performance reviews, contractor agreements, and scopes of work. Collaborating with the Vice President of Public Relations & Marketing, this role is key to the success of our clients and our teams. A passion for restaurants and the hospitality industry as well as a desire to lead cross functional teams in public relations, marketing and brand strategy are a must.

af&co. Fundamentals:

• Has a minimum of eight years of public relations experience
• Has excellent relationships with San Francisco Bay Area, regional CA, and national media, specifically those that cover hospitality, food and beverage
• Is detail-oriented, very creative, empathetic, resourceful, tenacious, strategic, an assertive goal-setter and excellent communicator
• Possesses a keen interest in and passion for food, restaurants, cocktails, travel, and the hospitality arts and culture in general
• Has excellent writing skills which can be applied creatively and effectively to anything from a press release or pitch to a case study or client newsletter
• Is trained in AP Style
• A natural networker and team player with strong social skills who can juggle multiple projects with finesse
• Is a born story-teller with strong persuasion skills
• Serves as a knowledgeable mentor
• Fosters a fun, friendly, open, drama-free and efficient work environment
• Assists company with new business outreach
• Brings strategic rigor and a high quality of work to every account or project
• Displays friendliness, courtesy and attentiveness to client needs
• Is highly productive and efficient in time management
• Is adaptable and responds quickly to internal and external communication

In this position, you will play a significant leadership role at the agency, in partnership with the Vice President of Public Relations & Marketing, and CEO, working with the leadership team on agency management and operations. You will be the central point of communication for eight to twelve clients. You will build confidence with the client that strategic solutions, project details, process steps, billings and deliverables are well organized, communicated and managed. Additionally, you will ensure that correspondence, materials, presentations, proposals seen by prospective and existing clients are error-free, of highest quality, relevant to the client’s business challenges, and reflective of af&co.’s approach.

People & Team:

• A go-to resource for internal peers and clients, highly respected for their expertise
• Builds positive relationships within the team by leading agency meetings, project check-ins, and performance reviews as a member of the leadership team
• Supports operational needs of the public relations department, including approving PTO requests in collaboration with the Vice President of Public Relations & Marketing
• Brings out the best in others by interacting with colleagues and clients in a positive, professional and motivating manner
• Understands team interaction and provides stellar account leadership
• Thoughtfully delegates work to junior-level talent with their career development in mind, providing clear direction and feedback to ensure the best results
• Collaborate with Vice President of Public Relations & Marketing, and CEO, and director of media relations on team leadership and agency culture initiatives

Client Relationships:

• Is the client lead, trusted advisor and central point of communication for eight to twelve clients
• Oversees the success of their accounts, ensuring all deliverables are creative, of the highest quality and relevant to the client’s business challenges
• Builds confidence with the client that strategic solutions, project details, process steps, billings and deliverables are thoughtful, well organized, communicated and managed
• Communicates in a clear and compelling manner in written, oral and presentation forms.
• Drives timelines and account results effectively using internal project team meetings (kick-off, status, etc.) as appropriate

Strategic, Creative & Innovative Thinking:

• Is competent at providing executive level clients with strategic counsel
• Is highly creative and competent at communicating ideas; consistently brings “Bright Ideas” for driving revenue and increasing client relevance to key audiences
• Strong integrated marketing communications skills and knowledge across a broad spectrum of tactics
• Knowledgeable and up to date on hospitality, marketing and public relations trends
• Actively identifies inspirations and benchmarks for projects and share with team
• Authors thought leadership pieces through the af&co. blog, newsletter or by contributing to the agency’s annual trend report

New Business Development:

• Supports Vice President of Public Relations & Marketing, and CEO with business development, actively seeking opportunities to respond to agency leads and generating leads independently
• Comfortably uses a consultative sales approach to sell new business
• Is able to sell to all of af&co.’s capabilities and core value proposition for clients
• Develops custom proposals to meet the needs of potential new clients while showcasing the value of the agency
• Consistently works in collaboration with the Vice President of Public Relations & Marketing and CEO in driving the agency’s growth strategy

Project/Financial Management:

• Establishes and clearly communicates project priorities to team members
• Oversees activities including updating status reports, meeting agendas, summaries, audits, etc.
• Develops and drives timelines and action steps to drive successful program development
• Proactively raises concerns in a timely fashion so that action can be taken to solve potential issues

Public Relations Expertise:

• Leads public relations planning, identifying objectives, strategies and tactics for their clients
• Has strong, personal relationships with top tier media, locally and nationally
• Pitches media on a regular basis, collaborating withVice President of Public Relations & Marketing
• Consistently builds new media relationships on behalf of the agency
• Leads the creation of creative public relations initiatives that drive relevance and revenue
• Secures features, mentions and round-ups for clients on a regular basis
• Ideates, writes, edits, and executes pitches that achieve PR goals for clients and agency
• Researches/writes press releases
• Creates targeted media lists for client pitches that lead to results, collaborating with Vice President of Public Relations & Marketing
• Ensures capture of editorial calendar opportunities for clients
• Is able to measure ROI and utilize data to make informed strategic or tactical recommendations
• Develops engaging brand content
  • Ensures smooth execution of photo shoots for clients
  • Provides art direction and shot lists for professional photography

Please also include two to three examples of your recent related work as well as links to social media profiles, blogs or other relevant digital content. Please note that candidates are also required to complete a timed writing test. Finalists will be asked to arrange calls with references.

Salary is based on experience, accomplishments and skills. If selected as a top candidate, you will be asked to share professional references for final consideration. Please send your resume and cover letter to Rose Guiliano at rose@afandco.com.

af&co. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

af&co., based in the heart of San Francisco, is a full-service integrated communications agency with a passion for the hospitality industry. Our clients include restaurants, hotels, food and beverage brands and special events. We specialize in media relations, influencer relations, marketing, social media and launch strategy, as well as concept development and operational consulting. Our goals are to provide personalized and expert guidance, build brand awareness, and generate results and results for our clients. We work hard and we love what we do. Our approach for each client is fresh, direct, creative and stylish. We inspire people to love our clients as much as we do! For more information, please see our website at www.afandco.com.

We’re Growing!

Here’s the scoop:
Job Title: Associate Account Manager, Social Media
Department: Marketing
Reporting To: Account Manager(s)/Account Director(s)
FLSA Status: Full time, Exempt

Requirements for position:

The position requires a minimum two years of experience in consumer/lifestyle social media management, content creation and client relations. As the Social Media Associate Account Manager, you have a deep interest in and passion for the social media landscape, keeping a strategic eye on emerging trends and platforms, and how af&co. can best leverage them for our clients. As a strategic observer of Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and whatever platform is next, you are a master visual storyteller and are able to create video clips, photos and graphics that engage and delight audiences. You help us stay ahead of the zeitgeist, are incredibly creative, and inspired by what’s happening in pop culture, helping our hospitality and lifestyle clients stay relevant in the ever evolving social media landscape.

af&co. Fundamentals:

• Detail-oriented, creative, empathetic, resourceful, tenacious, strategic, an assertive goal-setter and excellent communicator
• Keen interest in and passion for food, restaurants, cocktails, travel, hospitality, and arts and culture
• Excellent writing skills, which can be applied creatively and effectively to paid and organic social media content as well as various digital marketing initiatives
• Natural networker and team player with strong social skills who can juggle multiple projects with finesse
• Fosters a fun, friendly, open, drama-free and efficient work environment
• Naturally friendly, courteous and attentive to client needs
• Adaptable and respond quickly to internal and external communications
• Highly productive and efficient manager of time and deadlines, both for self and colleagues
• Adaptable, flexible to change and responsive
• Punctual, arrives on time and displays a positive attitude for and towards work, tasks, responsibilities, clients and co-workers
• Expertly uses Google Calendar, Docs, Sheets and Slides
• Advance experience taking curated, high-quality photos and videos fitting for a client’s brand using a DSLR or iPhone
• Intermediate level experience using Adobe Lightroom or preferred photo editings apps to create curated and consistent social media feeds
• Intermediate level experience using Adobe Creative Suite and/or Canva to create digital content
• Familiarity with social media scheduling and reporting tools, such as Sprout Social, is a plus
• Familiarity with influencer marketing tools, such as Klear, is a plus
• Post-production video and short-form filmmaking skills, such as Adobe Premiere Pro or iMovie, is a plus

Responsibilities:
Social Media Management (60%):

• Assists account leads in training and developing interns/account coordinators on social media creative content creation, curation and optimization tactics
• Directly manages client social media profiles, including, but not limited to, Facebook and Instagram
• Identifies influencer and content creator opportunities that are fitting for each client’s brand
• Works with the account leads to establish and analyze social media KPIs for each client and tracks success through regular reporting
• Collaborate with account teams on the planning and execution of digital and social media promotion strategy for client events, with oversight by Account Director, Marketing & Digital Strategy and individual account leads.
• Works closely with Account Director, Marketing & Digital Strategy and individual account leads in developing overall digital brand strategy and messaging for all clients
• Intermediate level working knowledge of Facebook Ads, Business Manager and Sprout social is preferred

Content Creation and Social Programming (40%): The Social Media Associate Account Manager is also responsible for establishing and regularly creating social media content on behalf of af&co. clients. Social media content includes: photography, “snackable” video clips, Instagram Stories and Reels.The Social Media Associate Account Manager works quickly, manages their time well, and produces high-quality, complete, error-free work.

• Manage professional, on-site content shoots on behalf of clients primarily within the hospitality industry (restaurant and hotels), for social media using a DSLR camera or iPhone as needed
  • Create shot lists for client photo/video shoots based on marketing priorities set forth by account lead/director
  • Poses a keen eye for detail, assisting in the set up and styling for on-site content shoots with help from account lead/director
  • Assists with directing and styling models or influencers for content shoots with help of account lead/director
  • Works collaboratively with professional photographers for larger, professional brand and lifestyle shoots with help of account lead/director
• Handles all aspects of digital content production (photography, videos and promotional graphics) for use across digital platforms (Instagram, Instagram Stories/Reels, Facebook, Tik Tok, Yelp, website, email marketing, etc.)
  • Continuously build and manage inventory of digital assets
  • Proactively identify new creative opportunities for digital content and present ideas to account leads
• Establishes a curated look-and-feel, ensuring alignment with brand guidelines and maintains consistency across agency managed digital channels on behalf of each client
  • Leverages Adobe Lightroom or similar photo editing program to ensure quality of social media content is consistent with brand guidelines
• Act as af&co.’s in-house digital designer by working closely with marketing and PR teams to:
  • Assist in optimizing design and layout of client email marketing campaigns and af&co.’s monthly newsletter via MailChimp
  • Creates social media graphics surrounding restaurant and hotel programming that is brand appropriate and is fitting with the curated social media feed of each client
• Research and develop collaboration opportunities strategy and executing collaboration opportunities with other brands, content creators, etc.
• Vet, collect and organize all UGC that is on-brand and usable for digital content, attaining required permissions and
• Work in collaboration with the Marketing team to define content strategy for all digital platforms.
• Contributes to af&co’s editorial calendar, keeping clients informed of upcoming promotional opportunities by proactively sharing social media themes/trends, holidays, seasonal hashtags etc.

af&co. Benefits:

• Working with a fantastic, tight knit team of communications and marketing pros who are passionate about our industry and clients
• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• Business development bonus
• Paid vacation with additional comp time
• Work from home
• Partial reimbursement for cell phone and internet service
• 401K retirement plan with profit sharing
• Pre-tax transit benefit
• The thrill of working with and experiencing our amazing clients, which often includes enjoying delicious food and beverages!

Salary is based on experience, accomplishments and skills. If selected as a top candidate, you will be asked to share professional references for final consideration. Please send your resume and cover letter to Rose Guiliano at rose@afandco.com.

af&co. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.