Blake McCoy is a talented broadcast journalist based in Chicago. His experience in digital, print and television communications has helped him build a successful career in the media.
Blake McCoy started his career in Idaho at KBOI-TV. He spent nearly two years developing his reporter and morning anchor skills. He then transitioned to a weekend anchor and worked at ABC Action News in Nevada. As a reporter and weekend anchor, he handled reports about the effects of the financial crisis in 2008 on the local economy.
After spending three years in Nevada, Blake was hired by KARE 11 from NBC in Minneapolis as its weekend anchor. He was able to serve as the station’s top-rated weekend anchor from 2012 to 2015. During his time at KARE 11, he could also step in and provide various local reports on critical local issues.
After KARE 11, Blake became an NBC News National correspondent. He was able to report for programs such as NBC’s Today, Nightly News, and MSNBC. As a part of the team, he developed his skills in task prioritization and focused on the story’s essential details. While working in a large organization, he also learned how to conduct interviews and communicate effectively.
In his most recent position, Blake launched a highly-rated 4 pm nightly news program in the Washington DC market. He also co-hosted a live interview show at 6:30 pm. He was then promoted to the evening and late-night news anchor role, where he was responsible for overseeing the various aspects of the program. Now, he is based in Chicago and is starting the next phase of his career.
Aside from his work, Blake McCoy is passionate about giving back to the community. He is involved in various charitable organizations and groups.
One of these is the Susan G. Komen Twin Cities Race for the Cure, an annual event raising millions of dollars for breast cancer research. The race takes place on Mother’s Day yearly and draws in thousands of participants.
Blake McCoy is also an ambassador for Dining Out for Life in Minnesota, where local restaurants partner with the organization to support the fight against HIV/AIDS. Through his position as an Ambassador, Blake was able to promote the event and generate excitement through his platform.
Blake McCoy on Building Your Brand as a Broadcast Journalist
If you plan to work in the broadcast media industry, you must market yourself properly. This will allow you to catch the attention of potential employers and stand out from the competition. Even if you are still studying for a broadcast degree, there is always time to market and brand yourself.
Find Your Target Audience
A company’s marketing materials should be designed to reach its target audience. This group is the people who are likely to buy the company’s products and services. Before you start working on your marketing materials, you must identify your ideal customers.
It would be best if you marketed yourself to HR professionals, managers, and other employees who work in TV news studios. Your resume should also reflect different skills and experience than those used for post-production work. After graduating from college, many people decide to work in a live events production or radio production company. With multiple target audiences, having one marketing material for each is fine, but this should not be the case. Instead, create separate resumes for each target group and add information and demo reels for each.
Personalization
Your promotional materials should all look the same. Create a personal logo that is simple and easily identifiable. After you have it, use it on your stationery, business cards, and website. Although they may need to recognize your name, your logo will make them remember you and what you’re about. Keep the same color scheme on all your platforms to maintain the same look.
In the Public Eye
Your personal brand is all about how you present yourself. This includes how you dress, as well as the images that are posted on social media channels. If you go out and someone takes a picture of you and posts it on social media, then that image becomes part of your brand. You should also take special care when marketing and branding, as you never know who will listen or watch you.
Voice Consistency
You can make yourself memorable and trustworthy by sticking to your principles and consistently presenting your ideas. Deciding the right tone of voice for your brand can be challenging, but plenty of guides will help you find the best fit. Developing new ideas is vital to support your approach and make yourself more relatable. Your brand guidelines should be followed, which can help control how people perceive you. If your profiles show up with content that aligns differently from your brand’s voice, you might damage your reputation.
