A trip to the printers

As part of a project I am working on, I was required to request a quote to have a rewards card that I had designed printed. I was madly trying to recall all that had been mentioned in class about printing costs and what impacted them. I had recollections about the number of colours used, types of paper and quantity, could all impact the price, but at the end of the day I still felt a little in the dark.

I sent of my quote request feeling not very knowledgeable, not knowing if I had provided enough information or if I was able to effectively portray what I wanted. I was pleased with the prompt response I got to my email and the ones that followed with my questions answered.

However, I was still unsure when it came to the paper that was quoted on, as I did not have the equivalent paper at hand and was unsure about the thickness. So I made a request if it was possible for me to come in and look at a sample, explaining that I was doing an internship and learning about all these different aspects of public relations. I was thrilled when I was offered a tour of the printing location, which I quickly accepted and organised a time.

On Friday, 18 February 2016, I visited Advance Print and Communication Specialists along with another curious person from the office. I have to say it was very worthwhile. Max (my point of contact and tour guide) had prepared samples of the different types of paper that could be used and explained the various benefits of each. The best part of the whole experience though was the tour of the premises, in which we were shown the various different types of printing presses used and their functions. It was amazing! My favourite was the folding machine, which even though I was staring at it, I found it incomprehensible at how quickly it folded pages.

Digital printing press

I took some photos of the machines I saw which I have inserted. They do not do them justice. I was amazed at the volume they were able to print in such a short time and the reliability of the quality. A

Folding machine

Eight colour printing press

Thank you, Max, for taking time out of your day to go through the various papers with me and taking me on a tour. It was greatly appreciated and enjoyed.

PR on the Go: Where flexibility and responsiveness come into play

When I was working at LEWIS PR Malaysia, I was involved in a couple of events, notably a press conference organised for Alere Health and a product launch for Samsung's Galaxy S5. To being with, before each event, a meeting will be held in order to have the staffs run through the running sheet and agendas for the respective events. Do you remember the running sheets that you were asked to construct in class and for your assignments? This is no different from it. In the meeting, the flow of the event was discussed and participants were asked to familiarise themselves with the agendas for the event.

For Alere Health's press conference, I was tasked to register the media upon arrival, present the media kit to the guests, and direct them to the conference room. Despite having my responsibilities clearly outlined, unforeseen circumstances did appear. Before the initiation of the press conference, the name cards for the spokespeople were inaccurately printed. Upon witnessing this issue, my manager instructed me to get it fixed right away. 

In relation to my first blog post, I mentioned that LEWIS PR Malaysia was made up of four employees, including me as an intern. We were lacking of human resources back then; therefore, I had to run all the way to the printing service provider to get it amended. While I was away from my duties, my Accounts Director had to fill in for my responsibilities in registering the media. It took everybody's effort in controlling the issue. Having said that, personally, I find it confusing to deviate from my responsibilities. I then thought about it, if I did not get the name cards fixed, would it affect the company's reputation in the eyes of the client (Alere Health) and the guests (media and spokespeople)? 

I then came to a conclusion that as the client pays you for your PR services, it is critical for you to deliver qualitative service with regards to the amount that is paid to you. The corporate reputation is not only at stake, but the relationships shared with the client and the guests are also being questioned. After that experience, I start to see PR practitioners in a different way, for the better of course. From that day onwards, I start to recognise PR people as "Super Workers" who have the competence level in dealing with unforeseen circumstances and are always on the go. I mean, I personally do not think it is easy to "think on one's feet" and to deviate from one's duties when faced with a crisis unless you have the relevant experience in handling such cases.   

Apart from that, everything went well and the press conference was a success. Effort was well paid off from the media calling, registration, and fixing of the issue. On top of that, I received several contact cards from the media. It was a great experience as I got to network with the media and witness how PR is represented in the Malaysian landscape. 

Thank you so much for taking your time in reading through this and I look forward to keep you updated.

Till then, have a pleasant day ahead.

Adrian.