The end of my internship... and the start of my new job!

Hi guys,

This is my fifth and final blog post. I'd like to think this is more of an overall reflection of my twenty days of placement overall.

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, my internship came to an end last week. Twenty days spread over 5 months was a significant, challenging, but very valuable experience for me. I believe the PR internship unit has probably been the most valuable unit I have undertaken during my undergraduate degree and would recommend it highly to all future PR students.

Here are some of the most significant efforts I have contributed to my PR placement:

• Assisting in and being part of the development of 5 events facilitated by the City of Swan with the help of skills and techniques learnt throughout my PR degree. 
• Writing up social media content for these events and more.
• Communicating with internal and external stakeholders of the department.
• Updating and expanding the departments extensive and detailed media list.
• Creating a social media content schedule to be followed by the PR and marketing department for 2016. 

I believe my placement has also provided me with some amazing things too!

• I have developed my skills in communication
• I have experienced working in a real PR office environment 
• I have observed real issues-management and gained knowledge from the experience
• I have developed knowledge in marketing, in the WA tourism sector and in events management
• Finally, I have been offered a paid job in the PR department as a result of the valuable work I have done so far!!

I am so excited to begin my job at the City of Swan. I cannot wait to learn more about the PR industry and build my CV thanks to this amazing opportunity!

Question: What has been the most valuable experience of your PR placement?

Thank you to those of you who have engaged in my blog posts so far. I wish you all the best of luck in your internships!

Greta J

Handling PR disasters and issues

Hello everyone

I thought it would be interesting for my third blog post to detail some challenges and disasters I have seen unfold before me at my PR internship. Perhaps this will be an entertaining read for you, and you might like to share a comment or two about your own experiences.

In PR, there are many possible issues, and potential crises that can arise in a workplace. We have learnt, through our university education, that there are specific step-by-step processes are put in place to prevent the disaster from happening in the first place, to manage it has it happens, and to cope with the effects afterwards.

I've found sometimes the structured protocols of issues management fly out the window when a challenge is happening, and happening fast.

I have also discussed how they were handled, or how they could have been prevented:

Last minute cancellations to an event
While it is extremely inconsiderate to change ones RSVP a couple of hours before an important event, it does happen. The effect of last minute cancellations can spell disaster, especially if the event relies on as many numbers as possible.
Unfortunately a situation like this did happen at my work placement within hours of an event commencing. While it did not affect the day, it did leave the organiser/host stressed and anxious. I feel like this could have been avoided.
Here are some ideas which may have prevented this from happening, or at least from having a negative impact on the day.

• On the original invite, specify a certain amount of "notice" required, or a deadline, to change ones RSVP; allowing PR officers to make changes and adaptions if need be. Of course, there are special circumstances that cannot be avoided and this must be considered. 
• Have some sort of forum, where staff can keep track of attendees, and regularly update the information about the upcoming event to ensure people remain interested and do not forget about it. One way this can be done is through Facebook events. 
• Contact guests to monitor their RSVP, without being intrusive. Sometimes, for example, venues call their reservation guests to ensure they are still attending their reservation, as well as to give them a gentle reminder in case they forgot. Perhaps one phone call or email a week before the event to all guests would be sufficient, especially if invites were sent out long before that. Most guests would appreciate the courtesy call. It is important to make sure all guest details are accurate!
• Do not panic if there ARE last minute cancellations on the day! The remaining guests will notice if the host is panicking or nervous, and this will affect the vibe of the event. 
• Contact the venue if numbers drastically change. The worst look is when an event venue has allocated too many tables or too much space for a smaller number of people. Venues will often be preparing for the event all day and will be able to adapt to changes in numbers. 

A very important media release leak 
My workplace was planning to release an announcement in regards to an upcoming event, which was leaked by a mysterious person in the department. The PR staff only found out when they received an unexpected media enquiry. Safe to say, the office was tense the next day.

In this sort of situation, it is absolutely crucial for all members of staff are completely aware of the protocols of releasing information, especially press releases, to the media. In many organisations, there is a dedicated officer who releases all statements to the media. While this system has always been in place, the person who leaked the document did not know about these protocols.

In hindsight, I would have:

• Had a meeting with the PR department and refresh on the protocols of training and ensure everyone is on the same page.
• Request feedback on the protocols and judge whether they need amending. It is important for all staff members to be involved.
• Send an email across the whole organisation regarding the media communication protocols, to ensure it is understood across all divisions.
• ensure the person who incorrectly released the statement to the media is well informed of what the protocols are for the future.

Its important to quickly deal with the issue if its too late for prevention. Unfortunately, staff had to respond to the media enquiries earlier than anticipated. Good communication is absolutely essential in this situation. Staff had to be sure to communicate the exact facts of the release and make sure the media knew all the correct details, rather than basing their stories on the draft which was accidentally released.

Here is a question! Have you witnessed or experienced a PR issue or disaster at your internship, and if so, how was it dealt with?

I look forward to a comment or two!

Til next time,

Greta Jasiak (17059387)

Halfway Point

Greetings, how are things going for all of you? I’m having a great time at work, though it is a little tedious having to sit in the office staring at the laptop screen for 9 hours straight. But, all in all, I have great colleagues to talk to and seek advice from. So, it makes life in office a little better.

This is my third blog post and also my halfway point through my internship period. 15 days have gone by and in these 15 days, I have learnt a lot about PR in the hospitality industry.

So, what exactly is PR?

Public relations defined:

“Public relations is the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation (or individual) and its (or their) publics. It's the key to effective communication in all sectors of business, government, academic and not-for-profit.”- Public Relations Institute of Australia

To find out more on public relations, please visit this website.

The broad definition above may explain why the field of Public Relations is often hard to be categorized and to understand. In this blog post, PR is defined as the subset of marketing communications that shapes attitudes and perceptions, help establish and reinforce corporate and brand values and image and influences customer, associate and investor behavior.

Public Relations can be your most effective communications technique for two reasons:

• Public Relations usually involve the “third party” editorial endorsement of the media, thereby making your message more credible in the public’s mind.

• Sustained PR efforts result in enhanced awareness and attitudes among consumers. Once positive attitudes and beliefs are firmly embedded, it is much harder for a competitor to change those perceptions.

Public Relations practitioners use the following strategies to achieve their objectives:

Media Relations: Interaction between PR and the news media that results in positive publicity or media coverage that builds a favorable image and understanding of your establishment. Tactics include establishing media relationships, distribution of press releases or other materials, planning press events and property visits, even communication with media in a crisis.

Special Events: Events that attract media attention and generate news or feature coverage. These include press conferences, new openings and press visits to your establishment.

Internal Relations: Communication with fellow associates, strengthening both morale and loyalty by informing them, motivating them and their families and responding to their concerns.

Community Relations (Spirit to Serve): Involvement with special causes that are of concern to the community that builds goodwill for your hotel and its “neighborhood”, including fundraising, volunteer work, disaster relief and/or donations to special community projects- your community relations efforts.

Issues Management: Implementation of proactive communications to address and shape public concerns or interests. By following the news, you will be in a position to provide key counsel to your executive committee about consumer trends or potential threats that may impact the establishment.

External Relations: Communications and interaction with other organization that aid or impact your establishment or your industry as a whole, such as NGOs , associations and interest groups, tourism offices, major local attractions and art museums, etc.

Crisis Management: Communications activities during a disaster or a challenge to your establishment’s integrity. A sound crisis communications management plan is essential to any marketing plan because presence of negative communications during a crisis can have long-lasting, damaging consequences from which you or your establishment may never recover.

"Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.”– Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am looking forward to what’s in store for me for my next 5 days in the office.

That's all for my third blog post. Stay tuned for my next post. 

Till then, happy working!

Jasmine Alyssa Epui
Miri Campus
Curtin Sarawak University

17143743