@JoelECarlson – Hello, and welcome to the Food-Friday Twitterview of @kevin_hunt, the Social Media Mgr of Gen Mills Corporate. Lets begin!
@Kevin_Hunt – Hi Joel, glad to have the opportunity!
Q – #1 To start out @kevin_hunt, where did you grow up, attend High School, and then what did you do after HS?
A: Grew up in Ham Lake and went to Blaine HS, went to @UWEauClaire to study broadcast journalism and get into TV news
Grew up with two brothers, I’m the middle, older brother lives in Big Lake, younger brother is in Florida
Q – #2 What kind of TV news work did you do, and what stations did you work at?
A: As a kid I wanted to be a sports anchor, I tried that and more at @WEAU13News but liked producing news better
I spent a year or so producing news in Eau Claire and went to @wfrv5 in Green Bay for a year, in 94
I got a job at @KSTP in 1995 and spent the next 10 years producing about every newscast there, then as an exec producer
I also got to work with @5hauser at KSTP on “At Issue” and did political coverage, elections, breaking news, etc…
Q – #3 When and how did you take the leap into getting involved with Social Media?
A: When I left the TV world behind in 2005 to accept a corp comm job at then Thomson, now Thomson Reuters, in Eagan…
the move allowed me to dive in to the PR side of the world… Blogs were still new, podcasts were new…
I became convinced in late 2007 that our team there needed to be blogging for the biz, so we started small…
We noticed a lot of lawyers, legal professionals, were already well ahead of us, so we listened first…
We focused on creating good content, less about the biz and more about customers, with text, podcasts, videos, etc..
The social stuff grew at Thomson Reuters and we eventually redeisgned the blog to what it is there today…
I also had a role in creating social media guidelines and helping evangelize social to leadership and employees
Q – #4 Great plan! No doubt @CbetanbourtPR benefited from that plan too! So when did you start w/Gen Mills?
A: I started as Social Media Manager for General Mills in Dec… I report through Corporate PR…
I am heading up the social PR strategy for corporate reputation platforms like innovation, sustainability, etc…
We’re planning some great stuff! The biggest part of my work involves content creation, writing, video, etc…
But monitoring, engagement and social media oversight and training across General Mills also is part of my job
Q – #5 Congrats on the new position! Now to FAVORITES: Restaurant, store, winter activity, comfort food & recent book.
A: Thanks, it’s a great fit for me. Let’s see… I live in Farmington so my wife and I love Teresa’s Mexican rest. in Lakeville
Fav store is the Apple Store at MOA, I’m a fanboy. Fav comfort food is my Mom’s tator tot hotdish…
I love coaching youth basketball in the winter – I have 3 kids – it’s fun to teach kids the game, and…
I just finished “Content Rules” from @cc_chapman and @MarketingProfs… Great book!
Q – #6 Ah, okay. To close today @kevin_hunt, what advice would you give to HS students as to courses to take in college for SM work?
A: I’d look at a combo of journalism, PR, marketing and biz… There’s so much to learn from each and…
I’d also create content, interview profs, students, blog, shoot and edit video, podcast… be active and be social!
@JoelECarlson – Thank you very much @kevin_hunt for sharing some of your life and passions on #jectv today. Have a great weekend! :)
@Kevin_Hunt – Thanks Joel, it was my pleasure. Thanks for doing these Twitterviews!