Meet Miss PR Piggy, PR Vet Carrie Crecca Maitoza’s Alter-Ego

Though she originally set out to be a fashion editor and writer, Carrie Crecca Maitoza landed on the PR side of fashion for almost 20 years. While she still maintains this role, she also has used her talent for her cheeky Instagram meme account, Miss PR Piggy, featuring…you guessed it…Miss Piggy. She thinks of the account, which she started in 2019, as her truth-telling alter ego. Along with her Substack, RePressed, it’s the heart of her creativity and perspective.

Originally from Upstate New York, Crecca Maitoza moved to NYC when she was 18. She lived there for 20 years before moving to Montclair, NJ, where she welcomed her son. As a kid, she enjoyed spending days outside, biking, fishing, and swimming. Now, after noticing she was performing in the workplace for so long, she finds this same freedom in Miss PR Piggy and her entrepreneurial endeavors. Read on to learn more!

SBS: What was the thought behind the name of PR Piggy, and what do you love so much about Miss Piggy?

Carrie Crecca Maitoza: Just before I started Miss PR Piggy, a fashion editor started a meme account called Fashion Week Frog, which was a collection of Kermit-related fashion industry memes. I just thought to myself: ‘We’ve heard from fashion editors for years. We never hear from publicists. We’re always the butt of the joke, and I’m over it!

I knew I was internet savvy, culturally aware, and unassumingly funny, so I decided to create Miss PR Piggy as an answer to Fashion Week Frog, although FWF was not inspiration. I had been making memes about PR and the fashion industry on a Finsta account for my friends before that. My friends were always telling me I needed to go public with my memes, and that people would find them relatable and hilarious! I was too shy to go for it, but once I quit that job and I saw the FWF account, I couldn’t ignore the alliteration of ‘PR’ and ‘Piggy,’ which came to me in the shower one day. It was too perfect. I had to do it! I would say FWF was a catalyst among many other factors that led to Miss PR Piggy’s launch.

Miss Piggy is an icon, and I’m a fan of hers without a doubt. But the Muppet herself is secondary to the subject matter of my content. She’s the perfect meme vehicle: hilarious, expressive, and she has so many fun costumes and emotions. Visible emotion is the key ingredient to a great meme.

SBS: What skills did you take from previous work into your work in PR Piggy?

CCM: Miss PR Piggy is a meme account, but memes are writing, and they are a form of creative expression. I have been writing for my entire life, for personal reasons and for work.

Looking back at my life and my career, Miss PR Piggy makes so much sense. In 2008 when I was just a PR assistant at a European fashion house, I asked my manager at the time if I could start the company’s Twitter account and manage it myself. This is when Twitter was just getting started, and brands were just beginning to join it. My manager thought I was nuts and shooed me away. I was totally embarrassed!

A few weeks later, I heard her laughing inside of her office. The laughing grew louder. Then, she was in hysterics. Turns out she had found my personal Twitter account and said, ‘Carrie! You’re so funny! I had no idea!’ I tend to give off shy, quiet, good girl vibes, as many of us Elder-Millennials do. She let me start the company Twitter after all, and it was a hit! My tweets were published in WWD. Miss PR Piggy is an extension of my bolder, younger self who wasn’t afraid to ask for what she wanted and was able to express herself unapologetically.

SBS: What is the focus of your Substack, and why did you decide to add it alongside your Instagram account?

CCM: My Substack is called RePressed. It’s a newsletter about grappling with work and motherhood, working in PR while reaching midlife, and other topics. It’s a true passion project and my favorite thing I do each week!

I started it because I have always been a writer in my own way, yet I am not trained and do not have a literary background. Substack offered a place for people like me without an MFA to start writing publicly. It has been great so far.

SBS: What surprised you on your path to creating the two?

CCM: How much resistance I have to overcome each time I put anything out into the world surprised me. I think overcoming resistance and stretching myself beyond what society tells us women are supposed to do and be is one of my life lessons.

SBS: What are some common misconceptions about building a business, and how did you approach these issues?

CCM: To clarify, Miss PR Piggy and RePressed are my side creative projects. Eventually I hope to be doing creative work full-time, but I am not there yet! My day job is being an independent publicist with my own clients, for whom I do consulting services. I would say something I kept hearing when I decided to go out on my own was, ‘You’re still going to have a boss! Your clients become your boss!’ And yes, you must answer to clients and going out on your own doesn’t rid you of reporting to someone. But, I have found that choosing clients who I vibe with and love the work that I do is very different than having a boss you didn’t choose yourself or answering to clients you didn’t choose yourself! So, if you’re thinking of going off on your own because you struggle with authority and feeling like a child in the workplace, being independent is much better. 

SBS: What are your top three general tips for PR?

CCM: If you’re a brand, it can be hard to do this, but you must very honestly define your ‘why.’ Why does your brand exist? Why do people care? These are the two most important indicators of how well your brand will do in the press. The press is extremely discerning, and your publicist should help you translate all of its nuanced hang ups.

Additionally, hiring a PR agency or person does not guarantee immediate press results. It will get you on the path, but sometimes brands have a little time to go before they’re ready for formalized PR. Not a lot of publicists or agencies will tell you that, and they’re happy to take your business and hope for the best!

I am going to start offering a new service where emerging (or established) brands can contact me for a deep-dive, PR diagnostic audit. I’ll be able to assess whether your brand is ready for PR before you invest in an agency and help you get on the track necessary to reach that goal. I can also make recommendations on who I think you could work with to get the best outcome, whether that is a specific agency or independent publicist. PR is expensive and results can be elusive, so before taking the big leap to a retainer contract, I want to act as a middle step for brands who aren’t sure what they need exactly. 

SBS: What have been some challenges, as well as happy surprises, along your journey?

CCM: It took me two years to launch my newsletter because my anxiety about being seen was so high. I was in pure resistance-mode. In the end, I think that experience showed me how much I cared about the quality of the newsletter, but I never want to put myself in those mental chains ever again if I can help it! It’s a good reminder that clarity comes from action, not rumination!

One of my favorite surprises was being asked to create a few custom memes for Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign…just because the person working on her (brilliant) social media presence was a fan of Miss PR Piggy. They didn’t end up using any of the memes I submitted, but just being asked to participate was a huge highlight! 

SBS: What's your personal wellness approach/routine?

CCM: I drink more water than I ever have in my life. I lift weights. I like walks outside. I also find listening to audiobooks while I do chores particularly nourishing!

The best, zaniest part of being Carrie: I like that having a child has helped me get in touch with a more fun and sillier side of myself. It has also helped me feel more authentic to who I am and has completely turned my life upside down in the best way imaginable. I love being a mom and wasn’t sure if I even wanted or would ever have children. I had my son at 38. I am very grateful he’s here.

Carrie’s SBS Mantra: “Be Bold.” I’m trying to be bolder in life. Usually when I’m considering boldness, it’s also when I’m the most anxious and want to retreat instead. Yet, every time I have been bold or taken a risk, there is a payoff. I’m thinking about Doechii’s prolific message in the YouTube video she shared about ‘audacity.’ 

Carrie’s NJ/Ny Faves:

Healthy Restaurant: Mercado in Montclair, NJ
Splurge Restaurant: The Odeon in New York
Nightlife Spot: I never go out!
Yoga Studio: Yoga Mechanics
Fitness Studio: My trainer, Kendra Fitzgerald just opened her own studio. She is amazing for postpartum support, strength training, massage therapy and more. She’s a miracle worker: I am so lucky she’s in my town!
Fun Activity: Antiquing
Calming Activity: Antiquing
Online Resources: Pulling The Thread by Elise Loehnen
Books: The First Bad Man by Miranda July