When PR calls for chilly 5am starts

Good evening bloggers!

When the public relations team at HBF have an afternoon influx of sugar, it caters for lots of creative ideas (and cavities I’m sure)! An afternoon of sweet treats lead to the birth of a genius idea – creating a video activation in the lead up to the ‘HBF Run for a Reason.’ Our minds were running wild with ideas of how we could make this happen with so little time. We put our heads together and BOOM! A ‘surprise video’ that would capture runners in training (wearing their HBF t-shirts) being accompanied on course by one of our team members, then surprised with encouraging messages, a cheer squad, and plenty of smiles and cameras along the way.

The idea meant much organisation in very little time. Camera crew had to be scheduled, acting talent to be contacted, social media announcements to entice the public, dozens of emails sent out and arranging a budget to ensure the activation would be a success.

Despite having tonsillitis and being bedridden for three days, I could not deny myself the opportunity to be part of something great, so I braced myself for the chilly 6AM start at Lake Mongar. We ran through the team brief and found our spots on course; I was manning the water station which meant giving out bottles to our surprise runners and plenty of cheering (not so forgiving on the tonsils).

Lights, camera, action! We spotted the first runner sporting a HBF tee-shirt. Three hours passed and we had now surprised nine runners with the encouragement and energy of our team. It was such an amazing experience, to see the smile on people’s faces and know their day was made; no doubt making the early morning run all the more worth it.

The incredibly talented film crew collaborated to ensure the video would be a hit. The result, brilliant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEBCySJ5NUw

Oh and dare I mention that Channel 7 loved the concept so much, we were joined by their team on the day and the story was featured on the 6PM News Saturday 2 May.

Being part of this experience really highlighted the influence that PR can have on the public and how it can contribute to how a company is viewed and respected. It was a truly rewarding experience which showed that it may only be a small idea, but the impact it may have can be extraordinary.

Well good night all, I hope you’re also learning from and enjoy your internships!

Ashleigh

Why You Should Keep Your Eyes and Ears Open

Hi guys!

This week, I was asked to write a media advisory and a speech for the company’s CEO. There’s an important event coming soon, that of the 22^nd International AVH Symposium, organised by the Association Andrew Van Hook. It is the first time that it will take place in Mauritius and it will gather different researchers and businessmen that work for the advancement of the knowledge on sugar and in the sugar industry respectively.

As it is often said, practice makes perfect. I felt more confident on completing these written tasks, compared to the previous week. If you have any doubt on how to write a media advisory, I came across some good tips as well as a sample; you can click here. 

I’ve also written my 2^nd speech since the beginning of my internship. Once you’ve done some thorough research about your topic, the ‘writing’ part is actually completed quite quickly. It’s really the research that is more time-consuming. 

In my previous post, I was complaining about writing something on football but this time, I had to write about the sugar industry, which is way more challenging. I went through a pile of magazines, as demanded by my supervisor. I also went on the company’s website a number of times to check about the facts and figures. It was quite stressful at that instant; having to face this information overload and not knowing what exactly to write.  I can now say that I know quite a lot about the sugar industry, including its history. However, to avoid stress in such situations, you’d better know your topic well already.

I remember that we used to complain in class about having to read and watch the news daily and that many of us admitted to not really doing it, especially regarding local news. However, our local lecturer was right; it IS very important. You do not actually realise its importance when you’re still a student, living in your own world, until you start working and you feel that you’re missing out on certain things. So even if a particular topic is not your cup of tea, drink it, absorb it. You never know when it might come in handy. My experience taught me as much.

All the best,

Haddiyyah