Big and Small

Today, when I was going through what I have done being as a PR intern in Mawar, I realized that we don't just organize an event as a big idea but we have to take care of every single details that comes in as a whole with the events. Indeed, these inconspicuous details could always be the one that causes a huge mistake in the end!

Since the first day I came to Mawar, my head of department told me to be in charge of the staff annual dinner 2009. Sooner i realised that 'be in charge' here laterally means:

1. To do a lucky draw for all the employees of 200 people (everyone can get a gift, the difference is just what one can get) means you have to prepare three sets of numbers, one to be kept in the box for them to draw, one to be stick on the presents, and one (only the top ten numbers) to be kept in another box for the VIP to draw.

2. Design the lucky draw box

3. Prepare the mock cheque as gifts for the top three numbers

3. Prepare the shopping mall gift voucher for 200 of them (it is money that I am dealing with! So, I have to make sure that i don't slot in any extra or less voucher in any of the envelope. It will be very troublesome if we found that there is lack of voucher in the end).

4. Tags for the VIPs's seats and counters

5. Name lists for each counter to make sure people don't double take any gift

6. List of top ten lucky draw

7. Prepare the layout plan of the day

Although the 'big' things like renting a venue, scheduling the rundown, buying the 200 presents and more are not my responsibility, but i realised the 'small' things aren't very much easier either.

Let me give you an example for a clearer visual for this issue. When the creative director of an advertising campaign has an idea/concept for his client's product, his big idea needed to be polished up by his copy writer, graphic designer, art director, and illustrator. And when the advertisement is produced, how and when it is being publicized is a very important factor contributing to the success of the advertisement. Therefore, media planer's role is taken into account at this level.

Thus, what I am trying to convey is no matter what role you are playing, everyone should be responsible to their own task. The bigger an organization is, the more cleaners are employed, the bigger a movie production is, the more supporting characters are needed. And the key idea is, all of them DO matter. Same goes to an event, how well you take care of every little details determine how successful your event will be.

In conclusion, I think we, as the small role should always appreciate the opportunity given as each of them could give us something. As time goes by, you will gain more than you realise and that is when you have more than enough to handle a big role!

Attached are picutures of the design that I did and some of the events that I have involved during my intern:

Mini press conference

VIP visiting the patients

Charity Dinner

Magnum's CSR event

Ready to welcome the guests

A charity for old folks home

The VIP's room

Refreshment

Passing mock cheque on stage

Health Talk

VIP visit

Health Care Day

Leaflets of Health Care Day

Leaflets of Blood Test Package

(Cover page) Booklet about Mawar

Banner of Charity Dinner

Backdrop design of Charity Dinner

A Powerful PR Tool

What comes to your mind with this question in the title? Media release? PSA? Campaign? In these two months of working as a PR intern, I learn that the most powerful PR tool is nothing but to have good socializing skills.

Yes, socialize.

Firstly, how does this helps your PR works? Let us try to look at the words 'Public Relations'. Literally, it means the relationship with the public. With a good social network, one's task could be achieved far more easier and faster than one whom have to start everything from zero. The simplest theory - no man is an island. Especially when it comes to PR, you need to build good relationship with the media people so they would (hopefully) be more friendly to your nagging calls, with a good relationship with people such as a CEO of a shopping mall, you can get venue for your events with even a discount for it, or perhaps people are attracted to your events simply because they buy your smile :)

What is the difficulty in that? "Being good in socializing is easy! I will just talk to people!" Yes, you are right, this is in fact the very first step. I am sorry to say that in my opinion, people who often feel shy or scared or for whatsoever reason to take the initiative to speak to people fail in PR. Actually, being good in socializing is somehow still a natural instinct, not everyone feels comfortable in communicating with people especially with unknowns or public. You might be able to learn at least to talk to people with appropriate manner but not until you try too hard and the situation become awkward right? Think about it, being a good PR practitioner, it will come to such extent that you have to smile to people when you are not in the mood, your friendliness has to be equalized with your patience, and sometimes, you have to suck up to people even you hate him/her so much.

These are all the criteria I see from my head of department and colleagues. One of my colleagues is a 50 years old woman. Frankly, she doesn't have a good working experience and her English is not that good. But she treats everyone in the hospital (from the cleaners to the receptionists, medical staff, to the admins) very good. She says hi to everybody, she offers them help and food, and she doesn't mind making coffee (you know there is always this culture whereby employees are supposed to make coffee for their boss) for anybody in the office.

Eventually, she becomes very welcomed by people in Mawar and plays an important role for PR department in Mawar. When Mawar organizes charity events to raise fund for the kidney patients, she actually get the most sponsors/donors compared to the others. When it comes to getting goods or stuffs, catering food for any events, she will be the one appointed to the job because she knows a lot of people and she has a good eloquence. She demonstrates me exactly how taking initiative to socialize with people does help our work to be done more efficiently.

So now I hope everyone sees how socializing actually helps to get your work of PR done much easier than you expected. Let's get it started today, just practice with a smile on your face first :) See you guys!

Media Monitoring. What is that?

This had happened since the first PR module. I remember very well how my lecturer, Ms Vaneetha used to ensure that every single student in class understands how important media monitoring is to an organization. She told us when she worked as a PR practitioner, the first thing she did every morning when she reached her office was to read the newspaper and get what is on in summary for her boss.

And then when i come to this company, i was told that i can only read a newspaper when I have extra time in my lunch hour. Er... ...

The truth is, there is no such thing as 'media monitoring' in Mawar (let's used this as the short form for MRMC + PHM). The most they did was to cut any news about the chairperson (because he is a political member) when they are appointed to. Such practice contributes to my doubt about what exactly media monitoring is in the industry and are they really necessary?

I start researching about it and eventually, I come to the conclusion that benefits of media monitoring are unexpectable and unpredictable. Here are the few key points that I have concluded:

First of all, we have to understand that by the term 'media monitoring' means monitoring the media which is formed by print, electronic, and new media nowadays while World Wide Web is known as one of the most powerful media of today because it simply represents the infinite. easily accessible. information.

The most basic format of media monitoring is of course to search any information or exposure of your company's name. The purpose of this includes to check whether events that you organized was publicized, any positive or negative testimonials are done publicly towards your organization, and how does your organization stands in the market place.

Of course, a PR team can customize it's own objective of media monitoring, then list its relevant keywords for everyone to come back with related results. You may want to concern about what is up with the competitors in the news or any new announcement about the regulations of your industry line today.

Information a.k.a. knowledge. Everyday, there are coverage of new piece of share, opinions, or ideas that one can find in media. As a PR person, one should always be knowledgeable enough to tell his/her profession. Keeping up to date of news is one of the best way. These timely opportunities are always hard to tell and therefore allows new insights of different angle and perspective related to the organization to be gained unexpectedly.

Honestly, I really thought that I understand what media monitoring since my first PR module but not until I did my intern. I would still like to thanks Mawar because in a way it makes me really think about why billions of dollars are spent worldwide each year in media monitoring (Meltwater News, 2008).

Now guess if Miss Vaneetha media monitor her own name? See you guys :)

An In-house PR Experience

Hi all fellows of PR industry. My name is Chong Kar Woon, from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology in Cyberjaya, Malaysia. I had actually done my internship few months back but only start posting an entry now because of procrastination. I am sorry. Honesty is the best solution in PR crisis management isn't?

As the title goes, I have been working for an in-house PR department of a hospital named Mawar Renal Medical Centre (MRMC). It is a non-government and non-profit making organization founded by Y.B. Senator Dato' Dr Yeow Chai Thiam who is also the current chairperson of the organization. One important note, MRMC is a division of Pusat Hemodialisis Mawar (PHM), which is a 13-year-old kidney dialysis centre with 10 branches around Malaysia. Thus, the PR department is responsible to handle the PR issues of both the divisions.

However, it is a very governmental like organization because the chairperson is a member of a political party and we depend some of our medical sources from the General Hospital Seremban.
One key idea that one should have noticed by now is that the working environment here is really conservative. The work of PR is not done professionally because the people had never think about learning new things and often refuse to new ideas.

Of course, I see every happening as an opportunity for me to learn regardless of what it is. I am simply desperate to link one of my experience here, there was once my father bought me a mix rice, not any big issue, but I learn that what might looks puking to me might looks mouth watering to somebody. Therefore, I took my internship here as a new challenge in life, and it's glad to say that new insights were gained and more are coming to be shared.

See you guys :)