My First Couple Of Weeks

My name is Leo Fedorcio, and I am 2 weeks in to an internship here at the PRCA. I recently finished studying Music Technology at Kingston University, and since then I had been wondering what to do in terms of work. I heard about being an intern here and thought it was a great opportunity to gain valuable experience as part of the PRCA team.

Starting off

So, in my first week I was able to ease myself into the world of work by helping the training team (Jess and Alice) update the website, design emails and make sure everything is up to date. Here I checked out some of the courses that prca have to offer, and I'll definitely be taking part in some of them over the coming weeks.

This week I have become the in-house 'video editor'. Snipping and freshening up old videos so they can be put online. Despite having zero experience in this field, I think I've done a good job so far!

PR Master-class

This morning I went to my first ever PR master-class at Hill & Knowlton's AMAZING offices in Soho. Definitely one of the coolest offices I've been to! Today's topic was digital campaigning, and there were talks from H&K about their 'Expert Expact' campaign with HSBC, Shine's 'Day V Lately' with Yell, and 'Talk to Gatwick' by Rabbit. All three talks showed how much social media has changed the way in which PR campaigns work, and how through blogging, twitter, facebook and foursquare (to name but a few) the public can interact with a company to create a successful operation.

Coming Up

Now I'm back at the office and it's going to be a busy week of more video editing and preparing short lists for the annual PRCA Awards, which is now fast approaching.

PRCA Internship Week 7 - Kourtney Shaw

The Olympics

Back in 2007, when my uncle investigated the London 2012 Olympics for Dispatches on Channel Four, I became highly sceptical about the benefit of the Olympics. Would the games actually benefit the UK economy or would we end up paying for the large costs of hosting the Olympics in London?

In my uncle's documentary, ‘The Olympic Cash Machine’, he uncovered a Whitehall memo to Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell which suggested that she had known about the increasing costs of the Olympics long before she had informed Parliament. She had only underestimated the budget by 7billion but I guess it must have just slipped her mind. A Homer Simpson ‘D’oh’ moment!

Brand Building around the Olympics

Politics and controversy aside, there is no denying that as the Olympics approaches everyone is becoming more excited and enthusiastic about the world’s largest sports event happening in our fantastic city! I was keen to hear what businesses thought about the Olympics and ways it could benefit them. The expert briefing on 'Brand Building around the Olympics', put on by the PRCA, gave me the opportunity to do so.

As the buzz around the Olympics grows businesses have a massive opportunity to engage with their customers in a completely unique way. But, as Eddie May from Threepipe Communications made clear, there are some serious ramifications if you do not adhere to LOCOG Olympic guidelines when advertising and marketing your brand. He stressed the importance of familiarising yourself with these guidelines to avoid your campaign being shut down and all of your hard work lost.

He also gave great insight into the opportunities of being one of the few Olympic sponsors such as CocaCola, McDonalds and Samsung, despite the large costs. The price tag to be associated with the Olympics is so large because the Olympics represent more than just an athletic event. History, integrity, freedom and friendship are all affiliated with the Olympic brand which makes it one of the most prestigious brands in the commercial world. No wonder it costs so much to put the logo on your product.

via  popsop.com

Westield Stratford City

On a more personal note, I can’t contain my excitement about the opening of the new Westfield centre in Stratford. It’s going to be my new local shopping mall! Fortunatley I live 15 minutes from Stratford station so commuting there will take less time than commuting to the current Westfield in Shepherd’s Bush. Mark Zimmer, Head of Olympic Brand Alliance, showed us a 360 virtual map of the shopping centre which sits right next to the Olympic park. There is a great view of the stadium from some of the executive suites and function rooms – hopefully someone will invite me!

I was pleased to hear that they will be employing local residents and training the unemployed to help them start a career in retail, leisure and hospitality. It’s always a good thing to give back to the local community, especially when there is a high rate of unemployment in the area, and with a massive retail centre opening up  it’s a great opportunity to do so. 

Wesfield Stratford City Retail Park

via westfield.completelyretail.co.uk

East London 

I love the creativity, the culture, the diversity, which differentiates East London from most other parts of the city. Sadly many people have a clouded perception of the area, which usually consists of knife and gun crime, theft and poor housing. Although hosting the Olympics in Stratford will have massive economic benefits to the regeneration of the area, I am concerned that with many businesses flocking to the East, the area could become another expensive financial district, which would leave the locals and the legacy of East London tragically behind.

Carl Welham, of Hackney council, was positive about promoting and protecting the legacy of the community during and after the Olympics. He remained focused on ensuring the creative essence of Hackney is preserved within the development of Hackney House, an expo and media centre built in the heart of Shoreditch. The large amount of research his team did to uncover the reality and perceptions people have of the area, to then incorporate it into the design and function of the building, is a fundamental and integral part of  the development. Especially if the ‘uber-trendy’ artistic atmosphere of the area is not to diminish.

 

This is my last week at the PRCA so I will be writing a short farewell note and update you about my last week in a few days.

Thank you,

Kourtney Shaw

PRCA Internship - Kourtney Shaw

"Don't judge a book by its cover!"

How many times have we heard the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”. Although most of us recognize and appreciate the truthfulness of this metaphor, more often than not we find ourselves judging people on the first impressions they make on us. Even if we sincerely try not to place judgment on people based on their clothes, weight, height and hair etc… it can be difficult not to cast a negative judgement upon them. In the PRCA training session I attended at Hill and Knowlton last week on ‘Communication Skills for PR Professionals’, Emma Ewing, the trainer, gave a fantastic example of her experience where ‘the scruffy guy’ had been ignored by various individuals who, by judging his appearance, associated him with little to no value or importance.  Only once they discovered that ‘the scruffy guy’ was a well known influential business man did they all scavenge for the chance to speak to him.

In the business world, first impressions are vital.  How others conceive you will determine the influence you have on them. In the training session Emma spoke expertly about how to make a good impression on others by making yourself assertive, whilst also discussing the importance of building rapport as a significant networking skill. She stressed on the use of body language as an important tool to establishing rapport with others. During her activities I watched how two people reached rapport only once they found a common interest to discuss. It was interesting to see how this quickly became evident in their use of body language which swiftly became more relaxed and naturally mirrored each other as the conversation developed.

What I took to be most valuable was to always ask to “summarise and clarify” because you would rather get it right first time, than spend ages deliberating on whether this is what you were meant to be doing and get it wrong. I think people working in more junior roles would find this valuable as they may be scared or intimidated by their seniors who speak quickly, using closed questions which do not allow others a moment to talk. I like to ask a lot of questions, it’s my way of learning and making sure I am fully aware of what needs to be done. I have learnt that you need not be embarrassed by this as long as you ask with relevancy for clarification. It demonstrates you are a good listener and are keen to complete a task properly and efficiently. People value work to a high standard and accuracy – this will always hold true.

I repeatedly assayed (current word of the day) myself throughout the training session to pinpoint my weaknesses which I can strengthen. It was also highly interesting as an intern to listen to the issues other PR Professionals are facing at their place of work. I was well aware that many of these issues being discussed I was yet to experience, and some I never will. I am a confident individual and normally I don’t find it hard to engage in conversation with people, but there will be instances throughout my career where the skills Emma discussed will become invaluable to me.

PRCA Awards 2011

On Friday to say the phones went mad is an understatement. Katie and I were rushed off our feet non-stop answering calls and taking entry submissions for the awards. As Friday approaches (the second and final deadline for the 2011 PRCA Awards) we are preparing and awaiting a rush from the ‘last minuters’ (LOL!). Remember the deadline is at 5pm – no more entries can be submitted after that time. If you want to ensure you can enter, it might be a good idea to do so now!

We also had to say “So long farewell” to Reda Haq who is about to embark on a career at Cohn & Wolfe. Bye bye Reda L. Cat organised a beautiful lunch for her which the company attended. Everyone was very upset as Reda has been at the PRCA for 3 years and was great friends with everyone.



Bank Restaurant in Victoria



I hope you have enjoyed this week’s blog. If you have any comments or would like to tell me your thoughts please feel free (use of open questions). I am going to be attending a campaign master-class at Cohn & Wolfe and attending the PR Census Launch this week.

See you in two weeks

Kourtney Shaw

PRCA Internship Week Two - Kourtney Shaw

Hi everyone,  

It’s been a busy two weeks since I last wrote about my experiences at the PRCA.

During this time I have attended a campaign master-class on crisis management at the Olympics,heard a talk on Asia and Social media from Ogilvy 360 Digital Influence, carried out political research and compiled various spreadsheets. I am going to briefly discuss each of these activities.

Campaign Master-Class

The campaign master class put on by the PRCA was held at Ketchum Pleon and was centred on crisis management at the Olympics. Upon arrival, each attendee was greeted and ushered upstairs where the PRCA had laid on a delightful breakfast. I wish I'd known beforehand that there would be such a wide variety of food to eat as I wouldn’t have eaten breakfast at home. But for those who know me, if there’s good food to eat – it’s going to get eaten.  Chocolate muffins, smarties cookies, all-butter croissants and a collection of succulent fruit, what was I meant to do? Once everyone had arrived and had their morning caffeine intake we were seated and the glamorous Rebecca Hopkins from ENS ltd began to speak.

Rebecca spoke articulately about how to deal with crisis management. She emphasised that when dealing with a PR disaster, you should remain calm and be clear with the message you’re giving. “Throw them one ball – they’ll catch it. Throw them ten balls, they’ll drop the lot”. I’m sure those who have experienced a PR disaster can understand and relate to the metaphor she used. Fiona Wilkinson from Visa Europe also gave a superb presentation on Visa’s marketing and branding for the Olympics. She spoke about their strategies and goals which included the messages they want to relay to the public about VISA. It was an extremely insightful presentation.

Asia and Social Media

Thursday’s talk given by Michael Darragh from Ogilvy was fantastic. I learnt so much about China’s cultural differences thanks to his creative presentation on Asia and Social Media. He included stories of his life experiences which shed light onto his in-depth knowledge of Asia. I was blown away by some of the facts he gave, as well as in awe of the holographic catwalk Burberry campaign carried out by Ogilvy in Beijing (see here)! I was surprised to hear that China is the only Asian country where people have more online than offline friends on average, whilst quite envious to hear that 80% of the luxury market in China is under 45 years old. I am now considering launching my career there instead (joking)!I I also loved the name "great firewall of China" which signifies the ban on popular social media sites such as Facebook, Youtube, Myspace and LinkedIn.

via Vicenzo Cosenza www.vincos.it

(The picture above shows the major social media sites used worldwide. Facebook is the most dominant, however in China there is a very different social media landscape. With over 300 million online users, there is a multitude of social media sites to use (see below)).

via fastcompany.com

Michael also said that it’s not unusual to walk into an office or room in China and hear someone say “you are looking fatter today”. I can’t really see that catching on in the PRCA office although Steve Miller did give it a try. It failed disastrously.

Weekly activities

Throughout the week  I also carried out some political research for the PRCA’s ‘end unpaid internship’ campaign and listened to a webinar from a PRCA training session on the uses and benefits of Twitter. I am honestly not being biased towards the PRCA but I absolutely loved it!! When I went for drinks with my university friends on Wednesday I spoke of my new knowledge on Twitter and they were impressed. It’s great to know about how social media, when used correctly, can benefit you, your company and brand. I will definitely be taking the knowledge I gained from that webinar away with me.

I also went for drinks on Friday with some of the PRCA team which was thoroughly enjoyable. It’s a great opportunity to get to know your fellow peers and engage with them outside the office. I can safely say I look forward to the next one.

I’ll catch up with you in two weeks. The deadline for the Awards, which I've been working on with Katie, is coming up at the end of this week, I'll be attending a few PRCA traning sessions and doing a bit of marketing for them as well. Its all very new and exciting for me.

See you soon,

Kourtney Shaw

PRCA Internship - Week One - Kourtney Shaw

Hi I’m Kourtney and I’m the current PRCA intern. I’ve just completed my second year studying Philosophy at the University of Birmingham. Like many students, I am undecided on my chosen career path after university, which is why I feel an internship during the penultimate year of university is crucial. Lots of second year students I know get summer jobs but I’d strongly recommend they take a week or two to gain some work experience as well.

In these coming weeks I look forward to learning about the PR and Communications world, building contacts and developing skills beyond those I’ve gained at university, whilst figuring out whether PR is for me. In a competitive job market making your CV stand out and sparkle has become more important than ever before. So, when the PRCA offered me the opportunity to intern with them for 8 weeks, I immediately accepted. I was also pleased to discover on my first week that the PRCA is carrying out an internship campaign, where they are asking their members and the wider PR industry to pay their interns.

As this is my first internship I was extremely apprehensive before entering the office. However, my nerves were swiftly calmed upon meeting the team. I’m sitting next to the lovely Katie, Events Manager, for the 8 week duration of my internship. Katie is currently organising the 2011 PRCA Awards which will take place in November and provides a showcase for the best that the UK's PR industry has to offer. It is an extremely exciting large-scale event and I am happy to be learning about all the different aspects of it from Katie.

A debate on the Future of Content
I am aware of the importance of seizing any opportunity to learn so when Richard, our Communications Director, asked if I wanted to attend a debate we’d organised with Meltwater Group on the ‘Future of Content’ at the British Library I jumped at the chance.

I met many professionals from the PR and media industry and introduced myself as a staff member of the PRCA – which I guess, although it was my first day, I now was. I sat in the front row for the debate, vigorously taking notes as I tried to understand the issue which Tom, our Policy and Research Executive, had explained to me during the day.

The debate centred on issues with online copyright where PRCA Chief Executive Francis Ingham and Jørn Lyseggen from Meltwater Group (a media monitoring organisation which provides documents, analysis or media content to clients) were in agreement that the potential new licensing fees proposed by the Newspaper Licensing Agency had worrying implications for the future of copyrighting online content. David Pugh, of the NLA, denied this statement, arguing that copyright laws protect people who create content from piracy of their works. He argued that copyright protects creativity and gives people a choice of different business models.

The keynote was given by Richard Sambrook, Chief Content Officer and Global Vice-Chairman of Edelman, who spoke expertly about the changes in the digital landscape and the importance of quality content. Privacy, economics and rights are core issues we must address with immediacy if the digital world is to carry on progressing as rapidly as it has been. Sambrook argued that the digital world is evolving faster than we can adapt and manage – which I agree with. We are generating more data than ever-before, which gives us great insights about consumers. He suggested if we are to manage and control the amount of data we have and, similarly, our privacy and rights then perhaps we need to take a step back and find our feet.

From my understanding of the debate we need to deliberate rationally and respectfully about what needs to be done and only then will we be able to come to an agreement on how to make the internet a safe and secure source of information and platform for engagement.

Awards
The next day Katie and I put together spreadsheets and sent out the PRCA awards leaflets (all 2000 of them!)

Coming soon to a desk near you!

We’d set up a nice little factory in a little corner of the office and ordered WagaMamas for lunch! I had a Chicken Katsu Curry: yum! The rest of the week Katie asked me to organise, edit and upload the pictures and biographies of the judges for the 2011 PRCA Awards. My beautifully constructed work can now be found online. I hope you like it. Later in the week we went for a company lunch which was filled with laughs, smiles, and lots of great food. I had the opportunity to speak to everyone properly and learn about the PRCA’s current initiatives.

So far, a week into my internship and the PRCA has treated me as one of the team, an equal. I have a lot to learn from my peers and hope to take as much as I can away from the great opportunity they have given me. Developing skills which will benefit me when I leave university and enter the job market so I intend to be constantly involved and keep asking questions. I am glad the PRCA also want me to be a proactive member of the team.

In the office there is a great ethos, a friendly attitude and an approachable manner, which I am grateful for. I look forward to the weeks to come and grasping every opportunity that arises from interning here. I will be keeping in touch about all the new things I do and learn. Next week, for example, I’ll be attending a campaign masterclass on crisis and issues management, part of the Olympics series, where we’ll hearing from various interesting speakers.


Kourtney Shaw