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Blue Bottle Coffee Korea is seeking a PR Manager to lead external communications and strengthen the brand's presence and equity in Korea. This role owns earned media strategy, media relations, corporate communications, issues management, and development of clear, credible brand narratives for external audiences. The PR Manager shapes how Blue Bottle's coffee, craft, design, cafes, people, and culture are understood and experienced in Korea, serving as a trusted communications and brand partner to the Brand Director and cross-functional leaders.
Key Responsibilities:
PR Strategy & Earned Media: Develop and execute an annual PR and communications strategy aligned with Korea's brand priorities and business moments. Lead PR planning and earned-media execution for product launches, seasonal campaigns, cafe openings, collaborations, and brand initiatives. Build trusted relationships with leading lifestyle, business, food and beverage, culture, and design media outlets. Secure leadership interviews, company growth stories, and corporate visibility opportunities. Identify distinctive editorial angles that deepen understanding of Blue Bottle's coffee, craft, people, cafes, design, and culture.
Brand Narrative & Cultural Relevance: Develop compelling narratives around Blue Bottle's coffee expertise, craftsmanship, sourcing, design, people, cafes, and hospitality. Translate global brand narrative into locally relevant stories that connect meaningfully with Korean culture while remaining distinctly Blue Bottle. Partner closely with go-to-market and social teams, with PR leading earned media and corporate reputation. Prioritize quality, credibility, cultural relevance, and long-term brand value over short-term visibility.
Corporate Communications & Reputation: Monitor the external environment and brand sentiment; identify potential issues early. Conduct reputation reviews for sensitive launches, partnerships, or business topics before they become public. Develop corporate, community, and leadership topics, ensuring claims are substantiated and appropriate for the Korean market.
Partnerships, Creators & Brand Experiences: Advise on collaborations, cultural initiatives, and creator partnerships from a brand, reputation, and storytelling perspective. Build meaningful relationships with journalists, creators, tastemakers, and cultural partners aligned with Blue Bottle's values. Lead PR-driven media experiences such as cafe visits, coffee education sessions, and seasonal product showcases. Lead press previews, media briefings, interviews, tastings, and communications programs connected to campaigns, cafe openings, and partnerships.
Communications Governance, Agency & Measurement: Create and maintain key messages, press releases, media Q&A, fact sheets, briefing documents, and external communications materials in Korean and English. Ensure localization, fact accuracy, terminology, approvals, and brand consistency. Lead PR agency performance and manage the communications budget. Track earned-media quality, share of voice, message pull-through, sentiment, cultural relevance, and issue-response effectiveness. Provide concise communications updates and post-campaign PR reviews to the Brand Director and stakeholders.
Requirements:
- 8+ years of professional experience in public relations, corporate communications, media relations, or brand management
- Experience in premium lifestyle, hospitality, food and beverage, retail, design, or culture-led brands preferred
- Proven track record developing communications strategies and securing high-quality earned media with measurable results
- Strong knowledge of the Korean media landscape and established relationships across relevant sectors
- Demonstrated experience in issues management, crisis communications, executive communications, and agency leadership
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in Korean and English
- Strong stakeholder management, ownership, and attention to detail
- Passion for coffee, people, culture, and sincere hospitality
