Plenty of Heat on the PR Intern - Perth Heat Internship

From the get go I a realised an array of PR Issues affecting Perth Heat. With no PR department and only an external volunteer offering his services part-time with media and communications, I had all the opportunity in the world to apply everything I learnt at university and my previous PR internships throughout my stay at Perth Heat. Below are some of the highlights I contributed towards the Perth Heat team throughout my internship. 

Beginning with social media, I made 30 day PR plan that detailed the posts I would upload to Heats Facebook Page leading into their opening game. The posts included relieving moments in previous seasons to discounts on tickets (e.g. 8 days out from the season, offering $8 GA tickets) to competitions for free tickets (e.g. AFL grand final, who would win and by how much). This all allowed for Heats Facebook page to gain more like, comments, shares and therefore a greater reach and online presence in the pursuit of creating awareness of Perth Heat in WA and beyond. 

Based on identifying the success AFL and Rugby's clubs had on personalised video channels, where clubs would upload anything from pre/post-game interviews to bloopers allowing fans to get an insight to the favourite team behind the scenes. I created Heat TV, which I would included a video on such topics at least once every home game week.

Using stakeholder engagement theory, I identified Heat's main latent public as 18 -25 year old students. With Heats general active and aware publics consisting of families, I sought after to contacting student magazines here in WA. In return giving them complimentary tickets to attend Heats opening game for exchange for a mention of their Facebook pages an article in the magazines.   

With no current media monitoring at Heat I created a digital out reach document to monitor information on Heat's Newsletters subscribers, their click and open rate, right through to recording the number of sharea, comments and likes on Heats Social Media.

Do anyone contribute anything simular? thoughts?

No industry is off limits as a PR professional: I found mine!

No industry is off limits as a PR professional: I found mine!

From my first PR role volunteering at Threadix, a small to medium size ticketing company in New Orleans (USA) through to my Internships at X-Press magazine and presently Perth Heat. You soon begin to understand that PR is needed in basically every organisation within every industry. It is this thought alone that has allowed me to mold a CV parallel to my experience within event roles. I have been lucky enough to work for Sunset Events (e.g. Southbound and GTM), TriEvents Event Management (HBF Run for a Reason) and presently my casual job at the Perth Arena. Allowing myself to build a CV that will ultimately provide myself with the best opportunity to enter the industry I most desire to work for. As well as my education and experience within PR and events, I have attempted to also include my interests in astrology and the UFO phenomenon. Allowing myself to build a CV that reflects my career preference, a long with my interests (dream job).

I recently contacted San Diego (USA) company, To The Starts. A media, news and publishing outlet run and owned by former Blink-182 front man Tom Delonge. With the same interests as I previously mentioned, as well as the organisation requiring PR and events to promote music, novels, comics, films, clothing and many other form of art to both appeal to his strong fan base and the future ambitions of the organisation. This organisation represented everything I had molded by CV for and more. Soon enough I was contacted by the organisation by email outlining they were impressed with my CV, "much better than the normal ones we receive" and while there was nothing available currently (internship/volunteer), my email would be kept on file and that they would reach out to me once they had something available. A very proud personal moment it was.

As much as this seems like a blog of nothing but bragging, to some extent it is. But I have had to make a great deal of trade-offs in the form of understanding the PR and Events Industry and applying myself regardless of the financial problems i found myself in. Most often due to being unable to be available to non-industry preferred roles due to either volunteering or interning within industry's I wanted my CV to display. 

I am currently in contact with the Perth Observatory where by December this year I will enter the organisations next intake of volunteers as an PR volunteer, further strengthening my CV to enter in industry that supports both my educational background and interests.

The key take away point from this blog is that sometimes a backward step is needed with more consideration and care taken on the industry you truly desire to work within. However generic and typical that may sound. Unlike other careers, PR is the one career that truly allows you to do this! Allows you to base your CV not only on the educational background but your interests, as every organisation needs PR to some extent.

Having also completed an apprenticeship as a Boilermaker/Welder, I know more then most the importance I identifying what career and industry you truly want to work within, cause if you want it you'll get it - how many times do you hear successful individuals tell you that?

PR and Events for me (with a hint of Astrology and UFO phenomenon). 

The relationship between PR and Events

 The relationship between PR and Events

From an outsiders perspective, it would appear once the efforts of Public Relations (PR) have identified the relevant publics and attracted them to an event, their involvement would be effectively over. I myself somewhat thought this before my internship at Perth Heat, until I realised the opportunity and valuable information available to a PR department throughout the event they created. From ticketing sales (e.g. the types of tickets sold - demographics) right through to the preferred caterer at the event (venue in this case).

In particular the ticket sales of each game displayed a demographic trend that allowed me to identify which age bracket was most attending games. I was then able to target the age in this case 18 -24 year olds who were least attending the event. From this I was able to identify ways of attracting this age group, I contacted student magazines (offered editors free entry), contacted universities to sell tickets simular to the way cinema tickets are sold (e.g. the spot - Curtin university), to even promoting the prices of alcohol sold at the venue - rather cheap to most other venues ($5  pints of beer). All of this was identified and used to the advantage of PR tactics and strategies, just from ticket sales.

Catering was also an important factor to not only the success of games, but to the reputation of the organisation and venue. Unfortunately a few games saw miscommunication and last minute pull outs from vendors that cause high dissatisfaction from attendees. This in turn saw particularly our Facebook page flooded with messages and comments on our wall. An event issue, now a PR issue. We were able to thankfully address the issues by reassuring attendees concerned they would not be inconvenienced again. This effectively displayed like ticketing sales how an event can affect the organisations PR efforts.

It is important to understand that while the efforts of PR effectively attracts the relevant publics to events that their efforts are not done, but monitoring and evaluating an event is critical to the success of the organisations PR department moving forward that both reputation and organisational goals are achieved.

Budget limitations means for more PR creativity

Budget limitations means for more PR creativity

Currently completing an internship at WA's one and only professional baseball team, Perth Heat. The organisation faces many challenges similar to that of a small business. With just a sponsorship manager and myself applying my Public Relation (PR) skills, an emphasis on creativity rather than spending is a must for growth of an organisation within a sporting code yet to reach mainstream status within the state or nation.

Primarily relying on sponsors and ticket sales to fund itself, I have found myself immediately involved in discussions among a variety of communication and marketing issues. While no marketing team, the organisation is forced to use creative ideas from experience in the industry (baseball) and blueprinting other successful sporting organisations in other codes. While having a more attractive budget would allow for spending on marketing and outsourcing to a PR agency which would immediately impact on the organisations exposure and reach. Using creative strategies and tactics is the only realistic option available, as the organisation seeks exposure to its unaware and latent publics.

Using Social Media has proven the cheapest form of reaching the organisations key publics, updating active publics, encouraging aware publics and posting and sharing industry related (baseball) news and piggy backing so to speak other sporting codes highlights and major events, all Heats Facebook page to reach out to latent publics. Upon identifying that unaware university students would both enjoy the novelty of baseball in Australia, entertainment and cheap alcohol on offer each home game. Targeting student magazines within Perth whose key stakeholders include such an audience, I was able to organise and offer game day tickets to leading student magazines in Perth. In return these magazines published a review in their magazines that allowed Heat to reach out to its latent public (university students). As well as this blueprinting other sporting codes interaction with it’s public through online videos that included segments from anything including talking with the players behind the scenes to asking the player their thoughts on the latest movies and music. Called "Heat TV", the online video complication now informs active publics and encourages aware publics to interact and ultimately attend games, with the hope of sharing Heat TV with latent publics. 

In hindsight, doing my internship at an organisation such as Perth Heat as allowed me to notice how PR can potential be "lazy" at times, with reference to organisations with high lucrative budgets. In turn allowing myself to work with non-PR/marketing Heat staff and providing fresh, new and innovative ideas to an organisation unable to source paid PR and marketing services. Using creative strategies and tactics to slowly but surely achieve their desired exposure for the organisation in a slower but cost-efficient way.   

Ben Dillon.