Joystick to Lipstick: From Nintendo to Shein
- with Head of Brand PR at SHEIN, Lisa Zlotnick
Lisa Zlotnick, Head of Brand PR at SHEIN, spoke to a group of public relations students at California State University, Long Beach, Oct. 1, as part of PRSSA LB’s speaker series.
“Insights. Connection. Culture.” The slides for Lisa Zlotnick’s presentation lit up the screen of the Journalism and Public Relations classroom at California State University, Long Beach.
Zlotnick, head of brand PR at Shein, drove nearly an hour last Wednesday from her office in downtown Los Angeles to be PRSSA LB’s first speaker of the Fall 2025 semester. RSVP’s for the event filled up with eager public relations students jumping at the chance to sit face-to-face with an industry pro. It was a full house as students gathered with excitement to hear about the inside scoop on getting into the fashion industry and any insights she would bring about the popular e-commerce platform.
“Whether it is a
Lipstick or Joystick,
Pr is Pr!”
Lisa’s Story:
As a double major in Drama and Journalism, Mass Communications from New York University, Lisa combined her love of storytelling and performance to launch a career in public relations. Each of the positions she held after graduation left her with a new skill to carry with her. She says ABC News Radio taught her how to ask questions, craft stories, and connect talent to the audience. This sparked a path for her into media and PR through agencies, where she worked in broadcast and got experience making video packages. This experience taught her about the importance of local markets. Working at companies like D S Simon Productions, Medialink Worldwide, M Booth & Associates, and Lippe Taylor taught her about media relations, celebrity & influencer partnerships, and integrated brand storytelling.
Taking advantage of these opportunities prepared her for when Golin reached out and asked her to become the Executive Vice President, Public Relations for Nintendo of America, where she helped launch the Switch in 2017. One of her big ideas that she saw to fruition was partnering with The Tonight Show and having Jimmy Fallon both announce it and play the newly revealed system on air.
In 2023, when she arrived at Shein, Lisa quickly determined that “Our narrative has been written for us. That narrative runaway was a freight train.” The early media narratives that shaped SHEIN’s reputation had become detrimental, and the mission became to shift the narrative and tell their own story. What was once known as wasteful fast-fashion, became an innovator in redefining the fashion supply chain. With no physical stores, they can minimize overproduction with on-demand ordering and real-time trend response.
Lisa’s Lessons:
“Whether it is a Lipstick or Joystick, Pr is Pr!” Lisa answered when asked about the struggles of working for a company that represents something you are unfamiliar with. The key to remember is that the insights from your data and knowing how to problem-solve are the most important things; you can learn the other stuff later.
Insights always need to come BEFORE ideas. You need to understand what this idea is based on, and no matter what, follow the data - those numbers tell the story. She says that the spark of magic for your campaign will come from that ‘ONE’ insight from your data. And then when you are putting together your objectives, strategies, and tactics - do it with authenticity, and your audience will feel that connection.
“Everybody needs to succeed in this performance.” Working as a team is something Lisa feels strongly about. “We’re all in this together." She pulls from her performance background, where the cast had to work together, and if needed, you back them up and catch them.
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Opportunities for PR students:
Stephanie B. Morales
Public Relations Major, Fall 2025
Stephanie B. Morales is the Director of Communications for PRSSALB.
