Cc or Bcc?

Today we will talk about Email. As an export furniture company, email is always the main communication tool. From make order to update latest information, we keep our customer informed by email.

With the coming up Malaysia International Furniture Fair (MIFF2010), I have been asked to send invitation email to our (loyal and potential) customer. This invitation email must be able to answer our customer:

• Why they want to attend our show
• When and where is our show

To create interest and impress our customer, I have design and create a Power Point invitation Slide Show. The slide show will include some new product pictures and show information. I have to agree that, pictures with catchy words in animation are much more impressive, compare to just a paragraph of words in an email.

After complete the Power Point Show and writing, I have pass it to my supervisor to proof read. When everything is well-prepared, she told me to send it back to our company email, then only Bcc to our customer. She keep reminds me to use Bcc instead of Cc.

I was wondering what is Bcc.

According to my supervisor, Bcc stand for Blind Carbon Copy, it refers to the practice of sending email to multiple recipients, where individual email address will be conceal from the complete list of recipients.
"It is very important to use Bcc when we are about to send an email to multiple recipients, especially they are our customers. This is to protect their business privacy. Our customers might become competitor to each other, so we have to really be careful on this issue." Quoted from TITOV Marketing Manager, Anice Lai.

I can never imagine if I make such a big mistake, our customer might angry or not believe in us anymore.

Remark 1: When we are about to build and maintain a relationship, think for them, be sincere and do not create trouble for them.

Remark 2: Make sure your file size is below 1 MB before you attach file on email, to avoid mailbox overload.

Finally I have done the invitation email. I do not know there are so much knowledge to learn from emailing.

MIFF will start on next Tuesday and I'm going to end my internship on this Thursday. I am so sad that I could not attend the show, as school is starting soon.

Here I wish TITOV all the best during MIFF, and achieve the best sale result ever in year.

Dear all of my colleagues (include Victor Low), thank you so much for being patient and friendly to me all these while, I'm gonna miss all of you so much.

Dear my beloved friends, all the best in coming semester, I will see you soon next week.

P/s. That day I have proposed to my supervisor about setting up a Blog for TITOV, and link it to their website, they approved already! Wish I get to finish the Blog before I end.

Selecting Gimmick?

Morning Guys@.@

Before I start, wish all of you who are Chinese, Happy Chinese New Year^^

As Chinese New Year is just around the corner, so I was busy in sending Chinese New Year greeting card to the suppliers and clients last week. Other than that, I was busy in survey on a proper gimmick for coming MIFF 2010 as well.

**In case you are not sure what a gimmick is, gimmick is an item which have your company logo printing on it. We normally use it during exhibition or any promotions activities.

So this is the case, my company has never give out any gimmick to our customer before, and this year during MIFF 2010, they will like to present our loyal customer a souvenir, to show our appreciation.

Issue to be consider:

1. The main purpose of giving out gimmick

2. Who are our loyal customers

We don't want to give out a gimmick which does not show any value to the customer. We want the customer impress by our gimmick and keep it. And then again budget should be bear in mind.

This is definitely a hard yet interesting task, to select a looks_valuable gimmick with middle low budget.

Put aside the budget issue, we have to propose a suitable gimmick which not only we will like it or match our company image, but also our clients will find it useful. Therefore, this gimmick has to be functional and able to match our client position level (executive level).

As I'm having part time at Jing ING Advertising, I have find Jing ING for consultation.

"Please bear in mind that, your customer will just throw away your gimmick if you select to present them a cheap pen. They will feel disrespectful, and this is a mistake that you can never make." Quoted from Iries Lai, Account Manager of Jing ING advertising.

Now I understand how careful a PR people should be in order to be success. Every decision, every events and details are not allowed to be neglected in PR world. We are not only wanted to achieve win-win situation but win-win-win situation.

If possible, we have to propose an item which can make everyone happy with it. To do this, we have to think from our customer perspective and our company perspective.

So Jing ING has proposed to us few items which are appropriate.

Leather Pen and CaseLeather Passport Holder

Name Card Holder

Although these items has over our budget, but the value it brings back is high.

Of course I cannot only rely on Jing ING advertising. Before start doing my proposal, I have also make contact with different advertising agencies by comparing items and price.

Ended up, I found the items that Jing ING propose to us is the most reasonable and suitable one.

My manager was impressed by the leather pen and case. However, due to pricing problem, she has give up on it and chooses another similar items. (you gotta agree that sometimes money decide the world - -)

-----end of selecting gimmick subject-----

Some happy stuff to share with you guys ^^

Remember last time I was saying that I'm helping out my company in designing brochure? I have proposed them a whole new brochure template which can strongly emphasize on their business concept. They APPROVED already!!!! They are going to use my brochure design in coming MIFF 2010. I am so happy now. Yuppyyy^^

IMC

Life had been so busy lately. I am now having internship in two company, Jing ING advertising and TITOV Furniture.

Some time people always ask me why PR, what is PR all about, and I do hate this question. This is because people tend to mix up PR with marketing, particularly in Malaysia where PR is not well-recognized.

Remember Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC)? Both PR and marketing share similar role and responsibilities. In Malaysia instead of having one exclusive department call "PR", most of the corporate particularly small company will rather set up a department call "Marketing". The marketing department will not only cover on marketing activities, but also PR and promotional activities. This is cost-saving.

This circumstance in Malaysia has somehow mislead people in perceiving PR person. For them PR person is just a representative of the company, they only need to dress formally, socialize, and spend money.

BUT WE ARE NOT!!!

It is not easy to be a PR people, I am serious. Before a PR person make one decision they have to make sure they have done enough work on research, media monitoring, market analysis, and so on. If possible they have to be smart in reading client's mind. Basically, if you ask me to describe a PR professional, I will describe them as "superman/superwoman". They are basically need to make sure everything is 100% smooth and perfect.

A marketer might not be as careful as a PR professional, details such as company image, business concept and idea will always be neglected. Design brochure for instance, they are more focus on how to promote their product instead of emphasize on their business concept.

If a marketer objective is to increase company sales, then a PR person objective is to establish and emphasize company reputation. They are anyway DIFFERENT.

And So I'm here in TITOV. As TITOV will be participate on the coming Malaysia International Furniture Fair (MIFF 2010), I'm now helping out my company on selecting gimmick and design brochure layout. Instead of continue using their previous brochure template, I have come out a design according to TITOV business concept, "Its about lifestyle".

2008 and 2009 TITOV at MIFF brochure

The new design for TITOV at MIFF 2010

As a PR, I understand the importance of company image, I will like to further emphasize on their business concept and image, through any PR tools. :P

From selecting gimmick, design invitation card, brochure design to arrange show room, I have to make sure our customers will impressed by our company idea and concept.

Though the final design has not decided yet I have tried my very best in this. I hope they will pick my design!!@. @

Though marketer and PR always face conflict during decision-making stage, however, when both opinion and idea get to compromise, it will be a different story.

"Listen to what they say and tell them what you think. You learn more when you listen more." Quoted from Leeyi Lai ^^

"No one is special in the world, people think that you are special because you are able to provide services that others cannot." Quoted from Iries Lai, Jing ING Design & Advertising supervisor

A PR experience in Jing ING Design and Advertising Agency

This was my second week in Jing ING Design and Advertising Agency. I dare to said that I met the best ever supervisor in my working life. She is actually the account director of the Advertising Agency. My fellow friends might doubt that, how can I actually get my PR working experience in an Advertising Agency. However, the things that I have learned from my supervisor are so 'PR'. :P

Although I have not involve in their current project which is design Ang Pao, Calendar, annual dinner event and so on, but our supervisor has gave us some task. During my first day of work, we have a long talk.

She gave us some idea on:

i. how PR actually works in real life,

ii. how one country culture can affect the media industry,

iii. how important is the money to our client,

iv. how careful we should be when we are going to propose to our client

We have to be professional. We ask our client professionally during the client brief. We don't call back and ask more information from the client after the client brief.

After the long talk, she assigned us to do a product launching proposal for L'Oreal Paris Elseve Nutri-Gloss. I think you guys have probably heard of this product before, as it was already launched in 2008. This is actually a test for us. She will like to know what kind of idea or strategy that a university student will propose.

We have done a series of research on L'Oreal background, as well as on our target audience. After analyze on the recent market, we have come out with our media strategy document. In our strategy document, we have mentioned on a series of road show in targeted locations, publish prints ads on targeted billboard and newspaper, and TV commercial on cinema and Asia Media TVs.

After our presentation, she first asks us about the price of the product which is RM 18.90 (6 AUD). She pointed out that, how much Nutri-Gloss that L'Oreal needs to sell to earn back the money that they spend on our proposed advertisement.

Now I understand why those luxury brands are always on magazine or newspaper, because the profits are higher and it worth the price of advertisement. I am so careless that I actually did not notice about this. Our idea is way too 'flowery', we did not consider much and we never think on what kind of problem might occur if our idea is going to run. Hermmm... ...

So, as a PR practitioner, we are not only need to be professional or presentable, we have to be very careful and concern. Always ask 'Why' and 'What happen if' in order to decrease possible problems. ^^

Now we are going to work on the other product launching proposal. And this time, we need to do a real budget and get in touch with the media. ^^

Wish you guys all the best in your internship, MINE as well. Hee :P

Question of the day:

What can the client earn from this little sample?

--Leeyi--