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She smiled and went back to her swatches. “I refuse to raid the black ad agencies. I’ll fill all the entry-level positions from talented beginners at the various art schools and copywriting workshops around the city. Make a list of them and start making calls today. We’ll use freelancers and small businesses for everything else.”
Adrienne gazed at her in admiration. Mallory was all soft and pretty on the outside, but she had strong principles.
“I also need you to put the finishing touches on a press conference that Lloyd and I have planned to launch the new division. What you’ll need to do—and quickly, I might add—is a little research. Please use the media directories in the company library to develop a list of print journalists and TV and radio producers who should be invited. By the time you’re done, there should be at least seventy-five media people on the list. Make sure that equal numbers of African Americans are included. I don’t want them getting the news secondhand. Sally Gomez had one hundred invitations printed, and they arrived today. Pick up the box from her and get them out by tomorrow evening.”
Adrienne scribbled the instructions as fast as she could, barely keeping pace with Mallory’s fast speech.
The PWE Research Center took up the entire fourth floor of the building. Behind its glass doors were hundreds of books and periodicals covering every aspect of advertising, consumer demographics, marketing, and public relations.
Adrienne approached the white, circular reception desk, and a wizened little man gave her a kind smile. His pink scalp had only three long gray hairs on it, and these were oiled and artfully swirled across his shiny pate. Adrienne wondered briefly why the little man bothered with the hairs at all. It would be simpler just to snip those strands off and go bald.
“Good morning.” She smiled.
He returned her greeting with a grin and a quick pat of the hairs as though he were concerned about his appearance. “How can I help you?”
Adrienne explained the project. The little man listened and then pointed toward the opposite end of the room. “What you need are the Bacon’s Media Directories. They list every media outlet in the United States. There’s one for radio, another for magazines, and a third for newspapers. The fourth volume combines TV and cable.”
Adrienne groaned. “Four volumes! That could take hours. I’ll have to check them out.”
The little man shook his head vigorously from side to side. “No, ma’am. Those directories can’t leave the center. Sorry.”
Adrienne bit her lip and thought hard. “Is the information available on disk?”
“It is, but I’m afraid we don’t carry them. You’d have to contact the Bacon’s company directly. Each disc will run you about a hundred and seventy-five dollars.”
“That’s a total of seven hundred dollars!”
“Afraid so, ma’am. You know the Bacon’s directories are organized by city and state. Would you consider just Xeroxing the sections you need? The volumes are pretty heavy, but it’s not impossible.”
Adrienne wanted to hug the little man. “Of course! I’ll come back and do it at lunchtime.” She wanted to get the press list to Mallory Guest as quickly as possible.
It was after five when Adrienne was finally able to get back to the library. She found the directories and carried them over to the copier. By the time she found the pages she needed in the first volume and ran off legible copies, it was after nine, and she was bone tired.
Adrienne picked up the second volume, chose the section she needed, and kept on copying the pages even though her arms ached from lifting the heavy books.
When she delivered the press list to Mallory’s office the next afternoon, the elegant woman motioned Adrienne into a chair with a simple gesture of one manicured finger. Finally, Mallory looked up. Her face was beaming. “This is perfect!” she announced. “Every name on this list makes sense. It’s a wonderful mix of trade, business, and consumer outlets.”
“Thank you, Mallory.”
“On the contrary, Adrienne. I thank you. A press conference can’t be successful unless the appropriate media are invited.”
Adrienne had never been to a press conference, so she wasn’t sure what the next step was, but surely decisions about the space and seating arrangements needed to be made, and perhaps refreshments ordered. It seemed to Adrienne that although the journalists would hear whatever speeches were planned, there should also be printed information for them to take away from the event. Information with plenty of detail about the new division that would expand on the points made by the speakers. She took a deep breath and shared her ideas with Mallory.
Mallory nodded. “You’re absolutely right. Go ahead and put it together.”
On the morning of the press conference, Adrienne was a nervous wreck. She sat on the side of the bed and went over her checklist before she was even able to get dressed. She spoke out loud. “Let’s see, the caterer called yesterday for the final head count and to verify that I ordered bagels, coffee, tea, orange juice, butter, cream cheese, jelly, Danish, and a fruit platter. I ordered a podium, microphone, and videotape recorder. All the press packets have been placed in front of each chair at the table. I typed up both Lloyd’s and Mallory’s speeches and made extra copies. John Elliott’s secretary gave me a copy of his speech, and I have an extra copy of that as well.”
She chose a mauve suit from her closet and put it on. She used gel to smooth her hair into a perfect French roll and polished her image with a double strand of pearls around her neck and tiny seed pearls in her ears.
“You look real nice, baby,” Mel drawled from the bed.
“Thank you.” Adrienne’s tone was crisp. She was still mad about the way he’d behaved when she told him about the job.
“Does this mean you’ll be home late again?”
“Maybe. I’ll see you later.”
She grabbed her coat and purse, gave him a quick kiss, and left.
