5 Things I’ve Learnt about PR
- No one is quite sure what we do
My Chinese New Year was an endless refrain of, “Well, PR is like advertising but…” and “it’s sort of like marketing, but…”
Basically, PR professionals are an integral part of the brand ecosystem. You might have a killer app or some other product that will revolutionise an industry, but without us or our colleagues in marketing, sales, and advertising, no one would buy it. Your CEO said something controversial? We’ll contain the damage. Have something you want to push? We’ll spin it into a story that will interest mainstream media. We’re a bridge between you and the general public. Without us, how would you ever be heard?
- Black is appropriate for all social occasions
Attending a swanky event? Black. A client meeting? Black. Going down to a TV studio for an interview at 6am? Black. It’s the most versatile non-colour there is. A black dress or blazer makes you look professional and put together, even when you’re three cups of coffee short of feeling human.
- Email rules the world
We’re in the communications business and a bulk of that is done through Microsoft Outlook. We arrange for interviews, liaise with clients, update the media and send out press releases through emails, and we’re very intimately acquainted with the “Rules and Alerts” tool. If you’re not a confident writer, you will become one very soon.
- It’s not as glamorous as you think it is
Behind every instagrammed shot of #bubbly are hours and hours of work. The event is packed because we called up every single guest to confirm their RSVP. That photowall you’re posing in front of went through dozens of revisions. The fashion show that knocked your socks off was only confirmed late last night after a virulent stomach bug wiped out the models that had originally been cast. Please enjoy the booze and canapés, we’ll be in the media room hunched over a laptop and pulling together a press release.
- It’s exactly as glamorous as you think it is
Alright, exclusive access to a luxury brand’s newest supercar and free stall tickets to the hottest show in town can be pretty cool. But it still took a lot of work.
Yeap, that’s us.
xoxo,
Anonymous from #teamprcomms.