Game On : Ethics and Business Partnerships

Game On : Ethics and Business Partnerships:

Last weekend I attended the 'Smarter than Smoking Western Australian Netball League Grand Final' as part of my internship. While that name is very detailed and all-encompassing, from this point on I'll refer to the event as the WANL Grand Final, for obvious reasons.

But, as you'll notice in the Netball WA content, the 'Smarter than Smoking' name stuck at all times, as was vital for their agreement with Healthway as a major partner. While event naming rights, signage, uniform logos and MC mentions on game day were all expected and rather standard, there was a little more to this partnership than was originally obvious.

On Tuesday, back in the offices at the State Netball Centre, I was tasked with writing a follow-up media release for the weekend's events. Great! But there was a twist. Another part of Healthway's partnership states that a certain amount of content each season must be released from Netball WA promoting Healthways messaging, in this case the "Smarter than Smoking" message. It felt a little sinister, a little sneaky even, having to find an angle that somehow worked this message into the release. As a Journalism/PR double major student I felt especially like I was going against my media ethics training.

I was curious, not having heard about this kind of content-based agreement within a partnership before, so I asked a few questions. According to the media relations officer at Netball WA, this kind of sponsorship is negotiated between the two organisations, with Netball WA preferring this method, as opposed to receiving Healthway content straight from the horses mouth, and then having to attempt to put a netball twist on things.

Which made sense, this way, we chose a netball angle and subtly worked in the smarter than smoking message. However in some ways it might have been better for it to be less subtle, and more obviously (and ethically) a partnership deal.

Having considered all this, I gave the release a good old crack. My morals aligned with Healthway messaging, and the fact that these athletes can actually attribute a lot of their on-court success to their diligence and dedication with healthy choices, including training, diet, and other healthy habits, off the court. Given those facts, I didn't feel like such a propaganda pusher, but I definitely would've had a different feel about things had the organisations and their goals not been so well matched and the messaging not so well aligned with my own morals.

I guess this is the kind of ethical issue that you take on a case to case basis, however my personal stance remains that transparency and clarity about paid/advertorial content is always for the best.

What's in an (article) name?

It's been some time since I sat down to write an article that was designed to SELL a product or service! Project Management has taught me so many incredible lessons - especially about Government and the Public Service. But.....perhaps there's a chance it has weeded something out of me: 

CREATIVITY!

I have just finalised a draft article proposed to be published in the Department of State Development's Prospect Magazine.  The Magazine has readership from all over the world - the feedback is generally that the Magazine is relied upon by industry, regional and overseas offices, and that it is missed when it is expected to be out! The focus of the Magazine is the mining and resources industry - and all that that entails.  It features fantastic, high-resolution photographs (often from private industry, but sometimes Government departments) to make sure it is never boring. 

In my role as Project Manager, I assisted in the development of a new Department initiative that aims to provide a framework to private sector parties wishing to develop projects in Western Australia.  The Infrastructure and Services Assessment is a form of impact assessment - where impacts are identified, measured and managed.  When you look at some of the difficulties experienced by communities as a result of large-scale development right next door to a small community, it is easy to see why this process is necessary. 

Now, as an intern.....I was tasked with WRITING for the Magazine about this new initiative! 

So, how did I go? Not great. Don't get me wrong - there was nothing wrong with my writing, or my content.  But my creativity certainly left a little to the imagination!! I had forgotten how very important it is to GRAB the reader from the very start....draw them in, get them wanting to read more. 

Rebecca, who works on the material for the Magazine, as well as editing, proof-reading, and approving content for the Communications and Media Unit, received my draft and provided me with ample feedback ;)

USE P

Needless, to say, I got my draft back with red all over it.....but with a good idea of what I have been missing in the world of Project Management!! What have I been reminded of?

BE CREATIVE

USE PERSUASION

PUT THE IMPORTANT STUFF UP TOP

DON'T LOSE THE READER WITH A MEDIOCRE OPENING

Constructing the article was harder than I had imagined - I was required to get all direct quotes approved, and photographs, and hardest of all, I had to remind myself what public relations is all about:

THE PUBLIC!

Unfortunately, I can't publish the article - though it will be out there eventually(!), but I can provide you with a link to the current edition of the Prospect Magazine.  Have a read!

"Welcome to Western Australia"....to up to 5000 from over 70 countries!

In my initial "induction" post, I mentioned the opportunity I would be getting as an intern at the Department of State Development to assist in the preparation for the upcoming LNG18 Conference and Exhibition....and in today's post, I would like to give you a greater understanding of what this task will entail.  There is no denying it will be an incredible learning curve - even for someone who has been in the Department for several years.  However, it also promises to be such a creative and exciting adventure!

Recently, I had a meeting with Dione, the Project Manager within the Department who heads up the coordination, design, materials, messaging and plan for the Department's booth at the Exhibition next year.  Listening to the work that Dione and her team have to do leading up to the Conference and Exhibition, I simply felt....overwhelmed! The Exhibition is a public relations dream! Combining creativity, logic, intelligence, savviness, media awareness - to be able to welcome up to 5000 participants, from approximately 70 different countries in the world to an exhibition on oil and gas - means that all staff members working on this significant project (including me!) will need to draw on all of their public relations skills.  This is interesting, given many staff members are Project Officers - some not 'trained' or 'schooled' in public relations.

Dione ran me through my main task that is designed to fit as a puzzle piece into the Exhibition.  I will be responsible for using my creativity, resourcefulness and budget to prepare the Department's videos for the booth.  Sound simple? Think again!

Try to imagine the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, filled with thousands of people at any given time over the course of the conference, surrounded by booths set up by private companies, and needing to stand out, hold attention, present interesting information, showcase Western Australia in the best possible way, and ensure that the videos tell the story of not only oil and gas in Western Australia, but other industry growth, recreation, facilities, lifestyle, opportunities, culture......! Dione has provided me with the challenge:

"We have a short time to get a person's attention, and we don't want that person to see the same footage numerous times."

There are constraints along with that - the budget that I need to manage wisely, use of the Premier's time for filming (also to be managed wisely!), available and usable footage from other agencies and companies (bearing in mind that all footage needs to be culturally sensitive).

Hearing Dione speak about LNG18 and my task in the big picture though, I can't help but feel excitement growing in me.  This is such a creative task!

Over the next few weeks, I need to develop a Project Plan that articulates my ideas - but also the logical steps of putting those ideas into action.  Where will footage be sourced? What new footage should be shot? How would I make best use of the budget? How would  make best use of everyone's time (including the Premier's)? What would I want to teach the international audience about Western Australia?

Stay tuned.....I have a feeling there will be experiences and learnings to share from this project!