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| You can be QUIET and STILL be in PR
Here's a first hand experience from Jade. I read up on it before pursuing this area of interest. Let's say for example, you graduate (I graduated in Economics) but I knew I always had a thing going for the Media.
So, my choice was either to plunge myself deep in journalism, writing (for magazines), copy writing or PR. No doubt, Asia still has a 'misconception' on what PR practitioners are involved in.
I mean - on average 9 out of 10 people don't really know what PR is - which is forgivable, so you'd just have to explain to them.
PR involves a lot of writing and liasing with your Clients. Note that I mentioned writing and not talking to people. No doubt, talking, negotiating dealing with people - basically soft skills are essential, but the key ingredient to becoming really good in PR - would be your writing skills. It must be a strength with anyone delving into this area.
And of course, you must love to write.
PR involves writing press releases ( meaning writing loads of corporate, consumer, IT writings which are released to the Press to carry in the major dailies, magazines, radio and TV). We also organize launches for certain products - dependent on your Clients which you handle.
For example, I handle quite a bit of Nestle accounts. By accounts – I mean, different units of the Nestle business. So, I handle, Nestle Ice Cream, Nestle Confectionery (mainly KIT KAT) and Nestle Chilled Foods (Yogurt, Yogurt Drink etc).
So, we work hand in hand with the advertising agency and also event management companies to come up with a strong campaign to highlight and promote their products.
Advertising will be mainly in charge of coming up with the ad campaigns and certain on ground promos - on radio and also in the major outlets/stores (we call them key accounts - Makro, GIANT, TESCO)
Events come in when PR decides to do a launch - or what we term a Media launch at which we introduce the new product to the Media. We need the help of events (if the Client has the budget) to run it professionally (hopefully =)) Else, if the Client doesn’t have the budget to employ an events company- usually the PR person would have to do it his/herself.
And of course, we also work with Media planners - Mindshare for example whose task is basically to advise the Client and us, on which medium/media we should pitch our various news to. They are in charge on mapping the whole years expenditure on different channels to reach their target market - as well as carry out research which would give enough insights to aid all of us to make our " campaign" more effective.
Bottom-line is - it's really exciting.
You meet and you work with lots of people. It's consulting work - so, at the end of the day – people pay you for your advice and of course your work.
What you see in the papers - especially for example the City life section of NST, or let's say for example - a new product by Johnson and Johnson, the new Toyota Avanza- the write up's are primarily written by PR practitioners who then invite the press to view the car at their soft launch - furnish them with a press kit (which includes photos, and press release) as well as some goodie bags (which the press absolutely love freebies) and voila ! the next day hopefully, you should be getting coverage in the main dailies/papers.
PR is no GRO status kinda thing. No talking too much. No wearing mini skirts and the sort. I hate to think that it is - but some PR practitioners do dress so (workplace wise).
I 'd like to think PR is shaping the way people think - unknowingly. Very subtle. Which is good. You don't even realise you're being influenced. Now that's called effective "advertising".
So, there you go. If you have any other questions, do feel free to ask.
I mean on first impression, I think you were rather shocked I was in PR.
“So quiet aah?"
Things are not like what they seem to be.
Now that's where the surprise comes.
(Written in response to a query by a friend's friend. Since I put so much effort into explaining the whole works of it, why not blog it and hopefully - create more awareness of this whole industry. Look out advertising - PR is the future of tomorrow!)
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| PR - HUH?
Ok. I think my butt hurts tons with having to sit here for ages. Hmm...makes me want to go to the gym or swim. My favourite.
PR. Yes, that's what I do. Public Relations.
Of the 10 people that you come across, 9 come back and ask you what you ACTUALLY do. No worries. Taking it all in a stride.
Most of the time, the conversation would be as such:-
Person: So, what do you do?
Jade: I work with the Media.
Person: As in?
Jade: I am in Public Relations.
(Pause)
Person: Oh, so you mean you meet a lot of people and talk to a lot of people! Must be tons interesting! ( They probably think you're working as a GRO - Guest Relations Officer).
Jade: Well, yes. And no.
Person: So, what do you ACTUALLY DO?
(The Question of the Century)
Jade: You know how a journalist writes for a certain newspaper - covering the General section, or maybe Metro or Classifieds? Well, imagine me to be a 'private sector' journalist. Instead of writing daily happenings and events, I basically write for companies - my clients basically.
Person: Oh....so who are your clients
(The person should by now be digesting the info. I try to explain it in analogies and comparisons so that he/she wouldn't have to imagine me anymore as some 'go go dancer' at some dodgy bar serving 40 - 50 year old men drinks and chatting them up)
Or even worse, I've been confronted with friends who tell me blatantly
"Ohhh..so you're still with the party company har?"
*continuing this later....interesting pitch to write now =)*
-jade-
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| The Wizardry of Economics and a Dress
I feel as if I have a craving for this really nice dress I tried on this afternoon. Somerset Bay. Yup. The flowery, chiffony, tons of lace and fabric brand (it's the one on the right- the model is wearing). Somehow, they come up with the nicest designs without "auntie-fying" it. Rest & Relax used to match their standards but alas, comes some "fashion murderers" who decide to change the whole design to include too much black, very little "feminine" touches and too much flowers!
Anyway, this dress reminds me of the one that the main actress in Sex & The City would wear. What's her name again? Yes, it's this baby doll dress with black lace netting, and a pink underslip. No, it does not look like undergarment and it totally is very, very nice.
I tried it on with my colleague and it felt really nice to be wearing something so uniquely nice! Except - that there is this plunging neck line which you need some upheaval and inhale of tons of breath to make you look good. Ahem!
Priced at RM 159.00. Girls, go check it out. It rocks. Not sure whether I am getting it myself - but it's being snapped up like crazy. Only 2 left in the racks - at Metrojaya, Mid Valley. A size 3 and a 5. I fit the size 3 puuurfectly whilst the 5 was a wee bit too big.
Perhaps I wouldn't get it. Was talking to a friend yesterday working at GIANT which I would reserve my comments for another time. My friend is toally fed-up with the system of GIANT given it's tons of money politics and crap that they put their staff to.
The one thing that I picked up whilst having lunch with him was that people aren't spending as much this fourth quarter for 2004. Projections have it that sales and consumption would increase this quarter seeing the trio festive seasons - Hari Raya, Deepavali and Christmas coming up.
" You know Jade, the weird thing is that NOBODY is coming to the stores. It's very quiet and that's really scary. I don't think I'll be able to meet my sales target this month. I really wonder why people are holding back on spending. I think they sense that it's time to save - not knowing what's around the corner" he said with a quizzical look on his face.
It's termed consumer expectations. Economist have it that people are now smarter than you think they are. They expect, they read more, keep abreast on news, stocks and consumer sentiments in general. You can't trick people with your "ever rose tinted" projections of that 7% -8% GDP growth per year.
So, perhaps I'll just save on this dress. Somehow, it doesn't feel right. Holding on to the strings of my purse would do me good in view of the festive seasons. With oil price hike and all.
People window shop and all. But are they really buying? Purchasing?
Makes you wonder, what a shallow world we live in. Our economy, our income and our LIFE is based on that one single paper icon - which we call the RM, the USD, the EURO, the WON, the RENMINBI.
It's an economic cycle. I think we're at saturation point. Maybe heading for a downturn soon.
Sourced from: Jade's Economic Projections Fourth Quarter 2004
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| Will You Sleep?
Perhaps it was the cloudy skies that made her eyes droop a little. Perhaps, it was the drone of the air-condition that made her yawn - silently. No doubt, she tilted her head to the side and closed her eyes for that moment.
Maybe, she just wanted darkness to envelop her as it was a tiring week. Maybe, she just wanted that piece of what she needed that whole week - restful sleep. The sort which you wake up, knowing that it was a great eight hour stretch of nothingness.
Your mind not thinking of the various works and meetings to attend, your facial muscles that need not smile or freeze when you reluctantly flash that charming upturned lips, or just the simple, unhurried pace of a sleeping being - with the inhale of that precious air and the exhale - still pacing. That rhythm.
No dreams were needed. Just sleep. Pure sleep. Resting innocence.
She opened her eyes once again, and realised that she was and is, still at the office. The clock still 4.15 pm. Her work - untouched. My mind, my mind. When will it rest from this busy life?
" When your body is finally laid to rest, and your soul - never knowing fatigue. Because you slumber and sleep - undisturbed " she mused.
-jade-
Inspired by a slumbering colleague. 4.20 pm. | | |
| The Hums and Drones of a Sleepy Wednesday
Mmmmmmm....it's a real nice day to be outside today. Or actually, just lazing and lounging in the house. Or sleep. I think I woke up a bit later than usual given the early morning drizzle, which made slumber so much more attractive.
Work is very slow today. Supposed to get out a press release but boy am I procrastinating! Just had a dose of KIT KAT Bites, so hopefully, the sugar high will get some good lead ins for my press release.
It's new in the market, btw. Doubt it has been launched in M'sia as yet. Here's to a more productive Wednesday.
-jade-
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