Loyalty and commitment in the realm of Corporate PR

The role of a public relations officer in a company is not an easy role to shoulder. With that said, I hardly think that it is fitting role for me to take on in the future. From my observations, when working for a company a whole lot of loyalty and commitment is required is do a job well done. In the context of corporate PR, the level of loyalty and commitment is even higher when it boils down to safeguarding and improving the reputation of the company. 

Thankfully, my role as intern did not require me to shoulder such a responsibility. However, the purpose of this post is to reflect on the requirements of practicing PR in a corporate setting. Throughout my placement, I was mostly exposed to the company's CSR activities and some industry events. Nothing too heavy considering which industries (Timber production and property development) Interhill is involved in. As an intern, my tasks were satisfying enough. 

Going back to the role of PR in a corporate setting, my experience has taught me that it is necessary to have a strong sense of loyalty to be able to constantly plan for activities that will be able to change public perception and improve the reputation of the company. 

This may seem like a simple task on paper but add in all the challenges a corporate job entails, it comes to a point where the only people who are willing to do a good job are those who are truly enthusiastic about the industry and committed to the company. 

My point is to say that before considering for a PR position in a company, I would first have to be enthusiastic about the industry that the company operates in and be inspired to work in a company with a conducive environment.

Daphne Margaret Jolly
17895620/7E4A2937
Curtin Sarawak Campus

A day in the office with emails, meetings and karaoke

A day in the office with emails, meetings and karaoke…

A typical day in the Channel 9 offices is never like the day before, they all start out the same with emails to check and reply to, meetings to attend and KPI’s to discuss, but no two days ever take the same course or structure and it is this unknown excitement I enjoy the most.

This week we were preparing for a community awareness activation that we will be running in the city at the end of the week. The activation, which is the first of four, is to create more awareness and in turn a greater viewership for The Voice, a Channel 9 reality show. For the activation we will be setting up a Voice branded marquee with a television and Ps4 set up inside with Sing Star; the idea is to encourage people to come have a sing, battle their friends and potentially have the chance to win the Ps4 at the end of the day!

In order for this kind of event to run smoothly there is a lot of coordinating that has to go into place, weeks in advance, such as booking the space in the CBD to put up a marquee, organising related signage and also talent as some of the Perth Voice contestants will be in attendance. In order to ensure all of our equipment is working perfectly it was absolutely vital that we also set the Ps4 up in the office and have various battles throughout the day, drawing the attention of different departments around the station, with everyone having a go. This was not only fun and entertaining but also demonstrated to me how important it is to be a part of a company that appreciates the friendliness of staff and values the cohesion socialising in the office creates, as long as work is still getting completed of course.

This particular office day also showed me what it was like when a planned event goes wrong, due to things beyond your control. On this occasion a competition was run through Channel 9 but supplied by a third party who is holding the event. The particular company has altered the dates of the event twice with little notice to Channel 9 and therefore competition winners. This became a bit of a headache due to having to rearrange all attendees, ensuring they were informed and that they could attend on the revised date. Unfortunately these changes were beyond Channel 9’s control, yet to the competition winners it is understandable it does not reflect well on the brand with constant changes, seemingly disorganised.

The best way to handle this, although quite time consuming is to ensure that all competition winners were contacted by phone, rather than just a mass email, adding care and a more human touch, softening the disappointment of another date setback. There was also the preparedness of an alternative, so if the winners then could not attend the revised date the department made sure to have tickets on hand to another show or event as a way of compensation and apology. I think this really helped turn a bad situation around without creating a negative image in the minds of those involved. Hopefully the event doesn’t get moved for the third time and all winners can enjoy the day!

Essentially every day seems to be different, buzzing with the possibility of what will happen next! With so many things on the go 24/7 Channel 9 never stops, allowing for the marketing and PR department to be a place of new ideas, communication and now the new karaoke bar (minus the alcohol) in town!

Stay tuned!

- Maddi

Started From the Bottom Now We're Here!

Heading into my internship I had high hopes I would be deeply involved in real, riveting public relations work. To an extent I have been, but for the most part the work has been fairly surface level. Generally this is to be expected and honestly, I don’t suppose I would trust an unqualified intern with work that could jeopardies my client-consultancy relationships either.

On my first day I walked into the office thinking, ‘please don’t give me a spreadsheet, please don’t give me a spreadsheet.’ Five minutes later I was given a spreadsheet. I sat at my desk editing it for hours and, for a moment, I honestly believed time was going backwards.

The spreadsheet I was working on was a media contact database. It’s an essential tool for PR practitioners because it enables them to reach editors or writers instantly to pitch a story and generate interest in a client. Without an updated media database, pitching becomes a lengthy and clumsy process. So, although the task I was doing wasn't intensely fascinating it was still real, necessary PR work.

Over the next few days, in between the meatier PR work, I was given other menial tasks to do such as fetch stationary, draft travel plans for client trips, take client work to be packaged and, on one particular day, I was given three hours to find one hundred small green luggage locks that needed to be delivered that day. No small task for those who know anything about retail stock management and the chance of someone stocking one hundred locks specifically in green. But moving swiftly on...

Even though the tasks weren’t particularly stimulating they still provided opportunity; an opportunity to show work ethic, efficiency and attention to detail. So, each time I was given a small task I did it to the best of my ability. I did it quickly, thoroughly and with pride.

The way you approach small tasks may very well define how an employer perceives you. All those small tasks are essential for the completion of larger, more important tasks. If you do them incorrectly you risk laying a weak foundation for your team. So, the next time someone asks you to go and fetch some envelopes, fetch them with enthusiasm. Know the size of the envelope, how many are needed and the specific colour and then proudly update your LinkedIn profile with 'professional stationary buyer, because it may very we'll be the difference between getting a job and going back to retail.

 

Making Your Client Insta-Famous

I have just completed two weeks of my internship with a small boutique PR consultancy. The majority of the work I have been given is social media based, which is excellent as I get to combine my web communications and my PR skills.

The knowledge of how to create an engaging and meaningful online presence is an essential component in a PR professional’s tool kit. Social media can have a hugely positive effect on a business, if its use aligns with client objectives and branding strategies. If used strategically social media can achieve the following:

• ·    Increase the client’s audience and reach of messages
• ·      Direct online traffic to desired domains
• ·      Increase the sell through of product or services
• ·      Increase ability to actively engage with consumers/users/viewers
• ·      Allow consumers/users to see transparency in business operations (gain trust)
• ·      Allow for a deeper perception of brand through consistent publishing of on-brand content
• ·      Allow messages to be sent instantaneously to a large, relevant audience
• ·      Break geographical restrictions of traditional media

Since its creation in 2010, some businesses have solely used Instagram to drive sales and communicate with target audiences. A great example of this is hair mask company Oh Hello Hair. This company sells a small collection of hair masks exclusively through its website. The only communication tool the company used initially, to amass an active audience of 371,000, was Instagram.

Image via @ohhellohair 

Through Instagram alone Oh Hello Hair were able to establish a brand identity, direct consumers to the website to purchase products, communicate and inform followers/consumers and engage with brand ambassadors, as part of a third party endorsement strategy. Utilising the platform in this way enabled the brand to thrive and it quickly began turning a handsome profit.

Image via @ohhellohair

For the past two weeks I have been creating social media plans, specifically for Instagram, for several different clients. The clients already have Instagram accounts but need assistance in making them more meaningful and on-brand. The clients are all from different industries making the objectives of their Instagram pages differ also.

https://www.instagram.com/ohhellohair/

The following is an overview of the five stages needed to create an engaging and effective Instagram presence.

STAGE ONE: RESEARCH

 To create a strong social media presence you have to know the following:

• Who is the current audience?
• Are they active or inactive?
• Who is the target audience? Know the demographic and sociographic and be specific.
•  When is the target audience most likely to be active online, so the posts get maximum exposure?
• Complete a statistical analysis of current posts. Which were successful, which were not? Why? 
•  Are all social media platforms branded and cohesive and do they tell the same story?
• Are they linked together?
•  Are the existing social media platforms a true reflection of the client? If not, why?
• SWAT analysis of current usage

STAGE TWO: PLAN

What are the key objectives of the Instagram page? Which of the following does the client want to achieve:

• ·      Generate sales or use of services
• ·      Increase active audience/ consumer/ client base
• ·      Inform
• ·      Educate
• ·      Entertain
• ·      Inspire

Different objectives on social media channels require different tones and voices. Unless you fully understand the objectives of the content you are posting, it won't be meaningful and will result in no objectives being reached.

Once the branding and objectives are understood, you should have an idea of what type of content to generate. As a guide, aim to post no more than twice per day. Any more and the meaningfulness of the posts are reduced and you risk flooding the feeds of active users. *Exception is live streaming/updates of exciting events or relevant breaking news.

• ·      Create a social media content plan for each month. Identify any upcoming significant dates, events and promotions that align with the brand or business. If you are working in-house, then it is this point you would be working closely with other departments in order to gain maximum exposure for the brand and its upcoming activities.

• Choose images to post and create copy to go with them. Images should be high quality and the copy should be snappy, with one point per sentence. Nothing should take up more than a few seconds of users time on social media, or it becomes obsolete. Use the few seconds of audience interest you have wisely. 

• Find relevant, popular and niche hashtags to go with images in order to make the image easily searchable.

State Three: Design

Each social media platform is suitable for different content types. Instagram is a visual medium, making the aesthetics of the page highly important. Plan how the client’s page will look, remembering to ensure it remains on brand. The best and most successful Instagram pages are consistent and tell a story or convey a theme just by one glance. Consider one of the following:

• ·      A colour scheme
• ·      To use the same border on each image
• ·      To use the same filter on each image
• ·      To use colour groupings

Stage Four: Generate Unique Content

Online audiences respond well to unique content.

• ·      Organise a photo shoot with the client and their products/services
• ·      Use props and environments that align with the client’s branding

Stage Five: Engage

It is crucial to engage and be responsive with followers:

• ·      Ask questions
• ·      Reply to comments and queries in a timely manner
• ·      Be interested in what the followers add to the presence
• ·      Engage with other relevant businesses in a similar field (steer clear of direct competitors)

Once the above is complete, the initial Instagram page should be up and running. The steps then repeat as a continuous cycle. Quantitative and qualitative research needs to be routinely gathered and analysed to ensure the Instagram page is effectively adding value to the client’s business and achieving desired objectives.

In addition to the above, social media strategies and campaigns can be planned using the Instagram page as the communication medium. Also, ambassadorships can be sourced to increase exposure. These act as second layer tactics to an already established Instagram page.

I'd love to hear anyone's tips on how they increase social media followings.