Drexel University’s Public Relations Student Society of America welcomed Bran Flakezz to their club of over 20 students on May 6 in Gerri C. LeBow Hall.
Bran Flakezz, also known as Brandon Edelman, spoke to Drexel students about his experiences in public relations, social media and marketing. As a social media influencer with 638,000 followers on TikTok and 181,000 followers on Instagram, he is known for making lifestyle and young adult content.
Edelman is also a co-host of the Between Us Girlies Podcast and a Philadelphia native. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson University in 2018 with a degree in Fashion Merchandising. Despite being turned away from a job he was determined to receive after graduating, Edelman found himself pursuing a greater career, working at Anthropologie as a Production Assistant, before becoming a Merchandising Specialist and TikTok Creator and Strategist at Gopuff.
“I just thought about my college experience and how badly I wish I had people that I actually was genuinely interested in that I could speak to and learn from,” he said.
Since May 2022, Edelman has been working full-time as a content creator.
He is currently expanding his career opportunities by speaking at universities to teach students about creating a brand with real-life experiences and advice. Over the past year, Edelman has spoken at numerous other universities including Temple University, St. Joseph’s University and Villanova University.
Edelman spoke about brand deals he has made with various companies and invited students to critique the proposals sent to him. He described the interaction as a hands-on way to make smart public relations and marketing decisions in the role of his manager.
“I just want to inspire them … Find what you’re passionate about and use the skills that you learned to figure out how to build a brand because that’s what I did,” said Edelman.
Previously, PRSSA has welcomed many other speakers with backgrounds in public relations and marketing such as Philly PR Girl, Sony Music, En Route Marketing and the Philadelphia Public Relations Society of America.
Their meetings provide students opportunities to gain connections in the world of public relations and teach industry experience. They host meetings biweekly on even weeks fall through spring talking and doing activities on different public relations subjects.