In comparison to Australia, working in Malaysia is different
is so many wonderful ways. At the same time there are aspects I had
not previously considered, that are worlds apart.
On the first day of my internship I arrived at the GO
Communications (GO) office and was given a desk to call my own for the next
month. The first major difference I noticed was my workstation. It was as if I
had stepped back in time. It looked as though my computer was created before I
was, and the phone, well let’s just say I don’t think they make them like that
anymore. To add to the time warp the music playing throughout the office was
reminiscent of my tweens.
Hardware and ambiance aside, GO is far from dated. GO staff
think outside the box in order to service their clients in the most unique
ways. Five days into my internship I have already had the opportunity to not
only witness, but actually be involved in some of GO’s creative projects.
A day in the life of a GO Communications intern
There is no such thing as a standard day at GO. This is just
one of the things I enjoy about working here. The day will generally begin with media monitoring. This entails going through that day’s paper and
sourcing news relevant to each of GO’s clients. Although mundane at times, it is
a great way to learn more about Malaysia and GO’s clients. I find it
particularly interesting as a foreigner keen to be immersed in the Malay culture.
I have found news in Malaysia to be quite different to what
I am used to being exposed to in Australia. I feel as though Malaysian news is
more influenced by public relations (PR) efforts. This could be a result of the
dense media competition in Malaysia. The country is home to over 20 daily
national newspapers. When a journalist is stuck for ideas they often turn to PR
for a story. On the other hand perhaps Australian journalists are just better
at disguising the PR influence.
Yellow carded
On my second day I was given the opportunity to participate
in media visits. The purpose of these visits was to deliver a media invitation
to an event hosted by GO client, Zurich. The event was a football (soccer)
friendly match with a high school versing ex-football players, as well as a
member of the Malay royal family.
This was not just any plain old media drop. GO wanted this
invitation to stand out from the hundred other invitations the editors would
have received that week. Myself and three colleagues dressed in Zurich branded
football jerseys alongside our referee who issued each editor a ‘yellow card’
which was their invitation to the event. The editors were informed that failure
to attend the event would result in a red card.
My acting debut
Today is the fifth day of my internship at GO and I have
been invited along to sit in on a media interview with Datuk Wira Jalilah Baba,
the founder and chairman of Crewstone International. It was an honour to meet
such a prominent Malaysian figure. The modest Datuk Wira Jalilah Baba is
considered the top economist in Malaysia.
Although I was unable to understand most of the interview as
it was in Malay, it was a good opportunity for me to see how to set up an
interview and how to best utilise the media’s time.
A lot of time was spent finding the right location for the
interview, so lighting and branding could be maximised. The chosen setting was the
boardroom in front of reception. Alas, Crewstone do not have a receptionist
which made the background seem rather bare. Can you guess how this problem was
solved?
Keep an eye on the Malay news over the next few days. There
will be an interview with the chairman of Crewstone, with me writing this very
blog in the background.
The things we do for PR!
Whitney
