On Location; interacting with the public and clients

With a 6am city start, you'd think I'd feel exhausted - but I feel exhilarated!

Today was the first time I was on-location for an event with Event and Conference Co.. Their client, the notoriously delicious Miami Bake House, is opening another store on Forrest Highway and wanted some momentum and media attention. Event and Conference Co. have created KangaArt; Unique Art you're bound to love. A campaign where local WA artists paint 20 life-size fibreglass kangaroos, which will be installed along the highway as bright and colourful icons bounding along the road, straight to the new Miami Bake House.

This morning, I met with Event and Conference Co. at 6am in Enex 100 building to help run the event. 12 of the artists would paint the kangaroos in the middle of Enex 100, so pedestrians could watch the roos 'come to life'.

While on location my tasks were:

1. Assist artists, refill water jars for them, make sure they have everything they need. Be nice and helpful! Get to know them, show an interest in what they are doing so you can in turn share with interested guests.

2. Man the desk, speak to people who show interest, manage the competition (people can enter on the ipad provided) and give flyers to anyone who approaches the desk. No need to approach people, this is not allowed. Only if they come to you.

3. Whereby press/media arrives and Rebecca or Adriana are not around, call us.

4.Ensure any paint spillage is cleaned up immediately. 

5. Be an ambassador for KangaART and Miami Bakehouse (check out the facebook pages, know all there is to know about both brands).

6. Ensure the site is safe at all times, remove trip hazards and contact Rebecca or Adriana if you are unsure about any potential hazards or if any issues arise.

7. Contact Rebecca if the artists don’t show.

I had a great day and I really enjoyed interacting with the artists and learning about their work. It was interesting to watch the progression of the kangaroos from plain white fibreglass to colourful, eye-catching and unique pieces of art.

How do you feel about event work? Do you prefer in-house work?

Is Briefing Your Spokesperson Ethical?

Prior to an interview between one of our clients and the media, I was presented with a ‘Spokesperson Briefing book’ to review before the interview. This document ensures the spokesperson is prepared for the media’s questioning, and ensures answers will be diverted back to the well-being of the spokesperson’s establishment.

I have previously engaged in similar media preparation tasks for assignments at university, where we were told to “think like a journalist” – what would they ask the spokesperson?

This document contains four sections: interview details, media profile, anticipated media questions, followed by dos and don’ts.

As I began to scan through the first few pages, I began to question the ethical procedures involved with this spokesperson brief...

Does this interfere with the transparency and authenticity of the spokesperson? Does this mean a person cannot organically present themselves because public relations has twisted and tweaked the spokespersons dialogue and expression?

Alternatively, I considered the opposite side of the coin. The media has an established reputation of twisting statements and conversations made through every day conversation. They can utilize an unintentional statement and revert it against the spokesperson, for the purpose of their story.

This means spokespeople preferably need to be educated on their representation towards the media, in order to protect their reputation in the spotlight. Beneficially, this enhances their chance of positive publicity as media professionals (public relations) have studied how to effectively communicate with the media, to ensure honest and positive publicity.

Section four of the brief: Do’s and Don’ts. This was intriguing – I contemplated my previous impression of the brief as I now realized perhaps the spokesperson brief is ethical and necessary. Public Relations simply educates the spokesperson on being consistent in their messages, answering all questions, being clear and calm. The spokesperson is advised against memorizing answers provided by public relations. This ensures the spokesperson isn't spoon fed answers to the media, and still has the opportunity to naturally communicate with personal dialect. 

When Things Don't Always Go Your Way

Crisis management. 

Two words I had heard a million times throughout my degree. These words came to mind; definition, meaning, use, reality, past cases. It's all-great in theory right? Wrong. As it turns out, once faced with the daunting thought and realisation of a legitimate crisis in PR it becomes a lot harder to judge what is right or wrong, how you should carry out a task and what is the first thing that needs to be done once a crisis has occurred. 

Muse Bureau experienced a mini crisis recently which affected everyone in the team. It was not so much the exact crisis that impacted us but the events to follow. I now have an understanding of what I learned in public relations principles that it is the steps and recovery, post event that are the most important. 

We were no prepared for what happened and as a consequence, were unsure of what to do next and how to delegate the tasks. Confidentiality in this example was vital. Everything had to be kept within the agency and no information was to be released into the media or spoken about to anyone. I began to form an understanding of how imperitive it is to have trust between the client and consultancy. Without that a time of crisis would be very tough and taxing for both parties involved. 

The book "Public Relations: contemporary issues and techniques" delves into the importance and theory behind crisis management with in-depth examples of it within the PR industry. Crisis management isn't just something we were taught at University, it is happening every day in all kinds of workplaces and situations. I just didn't think I would be involved in one so soon. In saying that, I have gained so many skills and extensive knowledge about what to do in this particular kind of crisis and even what is expected of you as an employee.

The crisis was resolved and handled by my bosses but I couldn't help thinking, will we be as prepared next time?

Georgia 

It all started with A Number

It all started with A Number...

The room was pitch black, not a murmur could be heard when the lights flashed and actors Kym Gyngell and Brent Hill stepped on stage for their debut performance that delved deeply into a witty, comedic, sci-fi experience. Genetic mishaps, dysfunctional relationships and the nature of the unknown. It is safe to say that the arts world is far from ordinary.

VIP tickets to the State Theatre of Western Australia on opening night, if that wasn't enough to get me in the door then the magically presented and fascinating performance from Perth Theatre Company on Saturday evening certainly was. I walked into the theatre and was overwhelmed by the atmosphere and buzz. Rachael (an intern at Muse Bureau) accompanied me to the event along with the Muse Bureau team and we watched in awe as everyone piled into the open warehouse.

There is something wonderful about a trip to the theatre, aside from the perks of champagne, good company and endless discussion. My first experience was eye opening and exciting, I thoroughly enjoyed becoming captivated in the complex scenario of stolen identities, secrets and mysteries that 'A Number' embarks on. There is no denying the intensity of concentration that I felt focused on the actors during that play.

Networking was soon to follow, after feeling a little star-struck I worked up the confidence to talk to Kim (actor) it was fantastic having an inside view into the performance and his thoughts about his first performance. I was introduced formally by Lauren and Grant to every high profile person within the arts industry. I found that my past knowledge from PR Techniques and PR Media was incredibly useful and I remembered learning a great deal about appropriate behaviour for networking and the importance of making contacts.

I was so greatful to be given the opportunity to have these experiences and I hope it is not my last!

Georgia

My First Client

My First Client

My first client experience was somewhat daunting but very satisfying at the same time. I mentally prepared myself for what was my first attempt dealing one-on-one with an actual client. As I was placed in charge of the publicity campaign for this client, it was imperative that I addressed all objectives for the publicity campaign and asked relevant questions that would aid in my research.

I sat down at the local coffee shop with Public Relations Director Lauren to meet with our client. As we waited, I had a million thoughts floating through my head about whether I was prepared, had I thought through what I should say? Have I actually learned anything from my degree that I could put into practice? Will the client appreciate my ideas? As I contemplated all of this the meeting began.

Our client was amazing and the meeting was a breeze. Aside from learning valuable communication skills between client-consultancy relationship I also learned the importance of client confidentiality and the risks that are involved with this in the workplace that can be detrimental to your career. Finally, it dawned on me that confidentiality in the workplace holds great importance, something that I had never thought about in detail before this meeting. 

Communicating directly with clients through email and phone is also something I have had to adapt and learn to do confidently on my own. I soon realised how imperative it is to always keep the client happy and updated but to always maintain a strong and positive relationship with journalists and to have a sound understanding of the media world and its inner workings.

I am now well aware that the media relations industry is much more diverse than I initially thought and is quickly moving into a more complex and ambiguous world for public relations practitioners. 

Please see On Deadline Fourth Edition by Carole M.Howard and Wilma K.Mathews for more information. 

By Georgia. 

Working life

Hi All!

The weekend is here and there is still work to be done!
Right now, I'm doing proof-reading for a client. It is a booklet where there are about 10 speakers. So basically my job is to ensure that the transcription is consistent and suitable for publication.

I've learnt that in public relations, 9 - 6 doesn't apply to us. It is all dependent on the clients. Clients may also change their mind last minute and that means we might have to come in later, work later or do it over the weekend.

I have also learnt that it is important to be realistic. If a task has been assigned to you, it is vital that you assess your work load at hand and whether you are able to do it or not. It is crucial to voice it out (in advance) should you need help or are unable to meet the expected deadline. That way, your superiors are able to make the necessary arrangements so that all parties will not get disappointed.

If you fail to do that, not only the client will be affected, those who are helping you and your superiors will too. Tension might therefore arise in the office and a discussion might need to take place. Never forget about being tactful no matter how upset you are.

I feel that have a systematic way of doing things is another important point to note. It is understandable that when it is busy, it is hard to put across what needs to be done in a way that can be comprehended. That is why I feel that when you start work in a new place, you need to take the initiative to find out what is expected of you and the necessary documents or tools that will help you work more efficiently.

I'm really thankful that we have this opportunity to get a feel of what it is like to work in the public relations industry. It came as a shocker initially when I found out that we will not be given time off school to focus on this internship. But the rewards have been great so far! It has also taught be how to be more focused when I'm doing work.

With that,
I hope all of you have a great weekend!


Alicia