BLOGGING IS THE NEW BLACK

If you have a computer, a phone, a tablet or any devise that connects to the Internet, I can almost guarantee that you have stumbled across some form of blogging. It is even rumoured that there is no longer a count for how many blogs exist in cyber space these days as the number is so great and increases so rapidly it would be too hard to keep track.

We need to remember that Blogging has expanded past the traditional forms and has expanded into Micro Blogging such as twitter and Video Blog just for a few examples.

I know that I personally have been aware of the existence of blog for a while now and do even read and follow a few myself. However, I have never truly realised the true potential and value that a blog can hold.

During the time I have spent at my Internship I have come to realise how much of an asset a Blog can be, but even more so, a relationship with a Blogger. It may not be the case in all industries but for the Industry I have been involved in Bloggers are the new Media power player. They have taken such a large role in influencing certain publics and can have very strong and loyal followings.

A large aspect of my Internship is Media Relations, so in the beginning I started to build a media guide of the outlets I felt were important the company builds relationships with. I followed the traditional paths of newspapers, magazines, journalists, reporters but it was the blogging world that really attracted my interest the most. With page upon page of Blogs that focused on my industry not to mention located locally in Perth, this became a large aspect of my research.

I have found that Bloggers are actually a key media for this industry and any company within my industry. The particular target market that we aim to reach really values the opinion of bloggers within the industry so to have this segment on side became of key importance in the companies media relations planning.

Blogging really has become an outlet to watch, and one to make sure you do not forget when it comes to whom you want to build your media relationships with. Considering current trends and the amount of people moving from paper to the Internet, I can only see their presence getting stronger.

Just because individually they may each be just a little fish in the big sea of the Internet, combine them all and that is a great amount of power you are not harnessing or that could be ultimately working against you.

Find out if people blog about your industry today, you will be surprised about what you find.

Happy Blogging!

A form of crisis management

As the end of the university semester approaches so to does the end of my work placement at Scitech. Next week will be my last week with the Communications team so I am now in the process of wrapping up my final tasks.

After spending a couple of days each week here for almost 3 months it has come to be a part of my week I so look forward to and thoroughly enjoy, and its safe to say I will miss the girls that make up the Communications team a lot!

Over the past few weeks Scitech has appeared in the media many a time regarding the Liberal governments promise to move the centre to Burswood. This move has now been confirmed and if all goes to be planned the new centre will open in 2018. This is a huge announcement that has obviously caused some positive and some negative reactions amongst the public.

This has allowed me the experience of seeing Scitech almost go into a type of crisis management mode. Although not as severe as this there has still been a lot of discussion about how this information will be communicated to the public and what can be done to reassure people unhappy with the news.

I have been involved in preparing Facebook and Twitter posts as well as adding a comments section to the main Scitech webpage in order for people to share their thoughts on the move on the relevant article. I have also assisted with a mail out to all Scitrekkers (Scitech membership holders) asking for their thoughts and opinions on the matter directly.

I am glad this has happened before I’ve left Scitech as it has allowed me to witness firsthand how a company responds to a huge announcement that garners a lot of negative feedback. A number of people have posted on the Scitech Facebook page expressing that they are unhappy with the move of venue.

The way Scitech has responded has supported my learning about this area; you must be open and honest maintaining transparency with your stakeholders at all times. Announcements were made by Scitech to the public as soon as definite decisions had been made. You must make your stakeholders know that their thoughts and opinions are of importance to you and give them a channel to communicate this through.

As I write this blog Scitech are continuing to monitor the web as planning for the move to Burswood begins. The comments section on their web page is proving  to be a more effective outlet than Facebook, people are posting valuable and thoughtful insights as to how Scitech could improve by making changes to the set up and layout in the new building.

Different chanllenging experiences through internship

How is everyone? I think most of you have finished with your placement? This week I have been putting a lot of effort on poster designing as The Global Good Foundation are going to celebrate its 5^th Birthday on the 3^rd November!

We went to see the venue and now it's my job to get the poster done so we can send it out as an invitation! 

We have decided that there will be a separate party for the kids, so visitors can bring their children along. This is the poster that I made for the kids party!

On a different subject, I had the opportunity to go to Parliament house with Tanya Dapagne, CEO of Global Good Foundation, to do a Minute of Noise with Members of Parliament on the steps of Parliament House. It aimed to let people know that it is ok to speak out about situations of domestic violence!

This was really a great opportunity for me to widen my horizons by seeing all the members of Parliament in action!

Tanya brought me to meet up with one of our providers who sponsored us with T-shirts at a really cheap price. Tanya said it is crucial for public relations to bargain, as well as keep a good network with our sponsors; it is really important to an organization, especially for a non-profit one.

Therefore, Tanya assigned me and another event management intern, to go and ask for sponsorship from local business as we are looking for vouchers or gifts for a raffle and auction. I found this task really difficult since shopkeepers were quick to refuse us on account of numerous people asking for the same thing every week.

We had been practicing a lot on how to approach and persuade them to donate some prizes for us. However, we didn't even have the chance to speak. This was quite demotivating.

I hope I will experience some success next week! Good luck everyone!

Completely Resistant, Simply Irresistible PR

Hi All, 

Welcome to my blog! My name is Courtney Arnett, and I am currently completing my last unit of my degree at Curtin University, PR393. The first two weeks of my internship have been incredible. I have had the opportunity to travel to Indonesia to meet our new furniture suppliers and then over east to search for the perfect showroom.

I have been working at Pacific Blue Furniture for four years now. Pacific Blue Furniture creates and sells designer outdoor furniture. The company was founded four years ago when the owner found a gap in the market for quality outdoor furniture that lasts. As I have been working here since the conception of the business I have been fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to contribute to the start up of their new store soon to be opening on the east coast of Australia. To view the company website you can visit www.pacificbluefurniture.com

The past two weeks have been non-stop. The trip to Indonesia was very interesting. Before I left I did a lot of work and research in to the way they operate business in Indonesia to ensure I was appropriately prepared and as professional as possible. This was extremely insightful and beneficial to me as i came across many cultural differences between Australia and Indonesia, especially what is expected of women to wear, a woman's role in business and general etiquette. To say the least I was very nervous....

When we first arrived in Indonesia I had the privilege of meeting the PR manager of the company that manufacture our products. He is a charismatic man with plenty of product knowledge and very professional. We met for eight hours discussing new furniture designs and ways to improve our product. We also got to look around the factory and see the manufacturing process of each piece of furniture. I was amazed at how much detail went into each piece of furniture and the work required to do so. The thousands of employees producing our furniture work long hours and made me realize how lucky we are and gave me a greater appreciation for the furniture. This got me thinking of different ways that we can contribute to their community and increase the quality of life for their employees. I found that the most difficult part of this trip was the barrier of communication between languages. On my last day i decided to use my initiative a little, and decided to visit a marketing company in Indonesia to get various prices on outsourcing our promotional material.

The following week my supervisor had found the perfect showroom. I went over with another employee for three days to look at the showroom. The point of this was to see what needed to be done to the fit out of the premises. Whilst we were there we were also able to look at nearby competitors which in due course will help with my understanding of Pacific Blue's position in the market place and will aid me in contributing towards the competitors analysis of the business. 

Both trips have been of great value to me and have given me a greater understanding of our position in the market. The trip to Indonesia got me thinking about ethics, cultural differences, communication and professionalism all in just a few days. One of my favourite parts was visiting over east to look at the potential premises and competitors. I am now back at home and have been designated the role of organising the VIP opening night. I look forward to letting you know in my next blog post how it goes.