So what's the point of it all?

Hi everyone,

So as I'm now at the end of my placement and getting stuck in to my final report it's got me wondering what exactly the impact of Public Relations has been on Cancer Support WA.

After these years of study I was already of the opinion that Public Relations is an important component of any successful organisation. However, it was only after working at CSWA that I came to realise the integral role it plays in the success of not-for-profit organisations in particular.

With a limited budget and a number of other departments taking financial priority the promotion of the organisation and the services it offers is expected to be done through the acquisition of media coverage and stakeholder communication free of charge through Public Relations techniques.
This strategy being adopted out of necessity means that the organisation is dependent upon the PR department to perform.
 
As Grunig and Hunt put it "Public Relations is the management of communication between an organisation and its publics", and it is clear to me now that if PR was overlooked at CSWA there would be no effective communication between the organisation and its stakeholders which would inevitably lead to a huge decline in the number of new clients as well as donations and volunteers. Since CSWA is a charity and not profit driven this wouldn't just jeopardise their earnings, it would ultimately mean less people in need would receive assistance. 
The hard work of all of the other departments is backed up by effective public relations to make the most of the organisations potential to do good.

Well, that's about it. 20 days didn't sound like long going in, but I have learned SO much during my time with Cancer Support WA. I couldn't be happier with my internship experience and am thankful to have spent my time within such a fantastic organisation. 

Kelsey

The Challenges of Working in Not-for-Profit (Part 2)

In my last post I talked about the challenges of working in a not-for-profit organisation in terms of the implications of low budgets on staffing.
However, something I forgot to mention was the the issues that arise when outsourcing work.

I experienced the frustration of having project development delayed significantly due to the reliance on pro bono work, that is professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service.

The events and programs that Cancer Support WA run are not done so with the ultimate goal of generating large profits. The aim is basically to provide support services to those in need at a price they can afford while bringing in enough funds to keep it running. 
Due to this when CSWA needs to outsource a consultant or specialist for tasks their own staff can not effectively handle themselves they do not have the funds available to be highly selective, they have to take the best option they are provided with which tends to be companies offering services for free.

An example of where this affected me was when we wanted to improve our website and raise awareness of our project in the community. We needed a website redesigned to make it look more appealing to participants and other promotional materials produced to spread around the local area. No one in the office was able to do this to a high standard without compromising their normal workload so we required a graphic designer.
There was one lined up but it fell through and left us searching for an alternative which took weeks to find and held up the progress of a number of other areas of the campaign.  

The project I'm working on is running until the end of next year so realistically it's not that big of an issue that we've lost a few weeks here, I just wanted to help as much as I could in my short time at CSWA but now it looks like I'm not going to be able to go ahead with everything I had planned which is disappointing.

Not long to go now so I'd better just make the most of these last few days and do all that I can in the time I have left. 

Thanks for reading,
Kelsey 

The Challenges of Working in Not-for-Profit

I felt good about getting a placement at Cancer Support WA because it meant that in my 20 days not only would I be able to gain valuable experience in the Public Relations field but I would be able to lend a hand to an organisation that relies heavily upon volunteers.
It wasn't until about half way through my placement that I really saw the implications of this reliance.

While there are 15 paid staff employed at CSWA there are around 65 volunteers and 10 interns every year that make all of their programs and events possible.
Specifically in a PR context there are only two staff dedicated to marketing and communications.

It appears that a number of the volunteers helping out are involved in the organisation due to a personal connection - being touched by cancer in some way and wanting to give back to the organisation that helped them through a hard time.
This means that their volunteers are very passionate and willing to put in significant time and effort to ensure the organisation can continue to provide its valuable services.

I found an article on the topic that put it quite nicely by saying "the ability to attract, maintain, and develop human resources, places ongoing strains and stresses on the constancy of programme and service delivery for not-for-profits".
The organisation doesn't have the time or resources to thoroughly train all of its voluntary staff nor is it feasible for them to be constantly monitoring their work. Having to trust their work without quality control is a risk that leaves potential for a lot of errors and without any monetary incentive it is harder to set expectations and deadlines.

On the other hand, due to tight budgets the paid staff have both limited resources and very high expectations. They work incredibly hard to better the organisation but as there are so few of them their work load tends to be very big and they can't help but rely on their volunteers to get everything done, so the challenge is being able to strike a balance between paid staff and volunteers.

That's it for now, thanks for reading.

Kelsey

That wasn't so bad after all...

Hi Everyone!

My name's Kelsey Puren and I was lucky enough to be taken on by Cancer Support WA in the Marketing and Communications Department for my Public Relations Internship this semester.
If you're unfamiliar with CSWA the organisation provides Australia's only 24 hour Cancer Support phone line, resources and wellness packages and is largely focused on the promotion of complementary therapies.
Last Thursday marked day 10 and I can't believe I've already reached the half way mark; this semester has flown by and there's been a lot to take in.

My first day on the job you could say was more than a little intimidating. Having only the theoretical knowledge of Public Relations that I'd developed over the last couple of years and no previous hands on experience in the industry I felt very under-prepared going in that first morning. 
Not because I didn't understand the content I'd studied, just because the hypothetical situations and assignments you're given at university can only prepare you so much. When you try and apply your knowledge in the real world there's potential for huge disparity. 
I'd say after about my third day with Cancer Support WA I started to find my feet and realised I'd definitely gotten myself a little unnecessarily worked up.


On day one my supervisor gave an overview of my expectations for the next 20 days and the basics of it are that I am to take on a preexisting fundraising campaign called Pet Project.

It's a photo exhibition being run by some local Perth photographers raising funds for the work of Cancer Support WA and while the project had some success when it was first launched it has reached a bit of a plateau, gaining fewer participants and dwindling donations. 
So essentially my task is to develop a range of public relations tools like a new public relations plan, media strategy, media kit and social media strategy and use them as a way to gain more awareness and support.

I'm really appreciative of how much thought my supervisor put into choosing my tasks because so much of it matches what we have been studying and it's great to be able to compare theory and practice, and it's also given me a much better understanding of how they all work together simultaneously - rather than just focusing on one aspect at a time.
Not only that, by being assigned the one big project I get to follow it's development and see just how my actions directly affect its success, which while daunting is also highly motivating. 

Looking forward to the next 10 days, hope everyone else's placements are going well.

Kelsey 

All good things must come to an end

Yes, it’s that time…my internship has come to an end. I spent 20+ days working with Corporate Sports Australia to help assist with the organisation of Chevron City to Surf for Activ in Karratha, Geraldton, Albany, Busselton and Perth. It has been an exhausting but rewarding experience that I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of.

Having five events to organise in just over a month was extremely challenging, particularly when four of the events required quite a bit of travelling time. Chevron City to Surf for Activ is also WA’s largest sporting event with approximately 50,000 participants which means there is so much to organise.

Over 1,200 volunteers were required for the Perth event to make sure safety standards were met (e.g. ensuring cars do not drive onto the course). Therefore, briefing volunteers is very important to ensure they are knowledgeable of the course and the procedures in place. I attended several briefings with the Volunteer Coordinator and could see the time and effort it took just to brief the volunteers.

In addition, there are numerous marquees, signs and other equipment that must be set up for the course. Setting up the equipment and organising the volunteers requires so much organisation that it seems impossible to have time to organise anything else. However, even with a small team, Corporate Sports was somehow able to organise all of this while also organising the PR and marketing side of the event.

I was extremely impressed by their ability to organise such a large event while also organising four smaller events at the same time. Their ability to do this came down to several important skills: time management, team work, setting deadlines, prioritising and communication.

Being mentored by such an inspiring team has taught me so much. They took me under their wing and gave me several opportunities to take on new challenges such as operating the help desk at the Perth event, writing press releases, creating Facebook posts, updating regional event guides, creating regional post event surveys, booking entertainers for the regional events, creating entertainment briefs for each of the performers, as well as communicating with sporting clubs and corporations to encourage them to register teams.

Overall, I am so grateful to have completed an internship where I got to put my PR skills to the test. In addition, it was rewarding to know that my hard work was actually helping to support those living with disabilities (Chevron City to Surf supports the Activ Foundation). Knowing you’re making a difference to someone’s life is extremely motivating so I will definitely be looking out for any opportunities in the not-for-profit area.

The Activ Foundation handing out medals in Busselton

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your internships.

Sophie

33 Hours in 3 Days

This past weekend feels like a blur with the running of the Chevron City to Surf for Activ. My internship has revolved around the organisation of this day (and the four regional events) and I can’t believe how quickly it has come and passed!

On Friday and Saturday (29 and 30 August) the expo was held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre where participants could collect their bibs, purchase merchandise, have their questions answered and make changes to their registrations. My role over the two days was to make sure everything went smoothly by helping out wherever necessary. This meant I had to make sure the volunteers knew what they were doing, assist them with any queries they may have, help them with the bib collections when busy and assist at the help desk.

Facebook comments

For the most part, the day went smoothly, however there were a few minor issues. Some of the issues included not being able to refund people (as proceeds go towards the Activ Foundation), advising participants they could not change their shirt size, many did not receive their postal pack (despite paying extra for it to be mailed to them), having to tell people there is a $2.50 fee when any changes had to be made to their registration and having to try to answer questions about parking and road closures when I wasn’t 100% sure myself. Another issue was that when people went to collect their bibs, sometimes their bib wasn’t there. Therefore, the participant had to wait at the help desk to be issued another bib number and then re-cue at the bib collection. Despite these issues, the day was a success and I would say only a small number of people may have been a little unhappy. The Facebook comments to the right are a perfect example of the mixed views of the day.

Sunday (31 August) was the Chevron City to Surf for Activ. My role on the day was to help set up, manage the volunteers at the help desk and help pack up. The day went so quickly with nearly no issues occurring (presides a few lost children). It was such a fun day and it was great to see all my hard work contributed to an event that brings so much excitement and happiness while also supporting a great cause.

12km start line

Overall, even though it was a tiring 33 hours spent working over these 3 days, I was able to learn so much about event planning. Most importantly, I learnt how important customer service is in any industry and how we must pay attention to even the smallest issues to try and avoid them occurring again in the future.  

I found the link below to be an interesting read about the issues facing event organisers. Nothing is more true than the statement ‘anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.’

http://www.liverpoolchamber.org.uk/article.aspx/show/2321

Until next time,

Sophie

Tough Competition

I have just returned to my hotel with the rest of the Corporate Sports team after a busy day of organising the Chevron City to Surf for Activ in Busselton. The last few days have been extremely busy with setting up the event, running a collection point the day prior, assisting with the event and also helping to pack up. 

We were on site from 5am and my role was to act as a road marshall and to make sure the entertainers were checked in and ready to perform. Fortunately, everything went smoothly! Below are a few of the entertainers I organised to attend the event (a face painter and duo band). Apologies for the poor quality images - I took them on my phone.

The event was a success with a record number of participants, however it didn’t all go according to plan. Two days before the event we discovered there would be another event on the same day and right next to our event! The other event was the Pedal Prix, a six hour pedal car race (I have provided an image of the Pedal Prix below). This was a massive issue as it was also a racing event and could steal some of the attention away from our event.

It also bought up the issue of volunteers. This year we really struggled with volunteer numbers. Once discovering Pedal Prix was on the same day, it made a lot more sense why volunteer numbers were so low as most of the local clubs and schools were volunteering at their event instead! As a result, many of the Corporate Sports team had to fulfill volunteer duties as well as their normal duties which was very demanding.

Another issue was the fact that they wanted to compromise on certain details and times. For example, when they planned to have a minute silence, we were scheduled to run our presentations and awards. With the events right next to each other, this was an issue as our presentations would disrupt their minute of silence. While they wanted to change the time of our presentations, we simply could not due to the scheduled entertainment, the times the racers were due to return and the fact that it is a sponsored event so some of the changes were out of our control. We simply could not negotiate and had to agree just to leave our events as we had originally planned.

Despite the fact we had direction competition, the event still went well with a huge crowd turning up. The event taught me a lot about competition and how to handle such issues. In future, it would be best to be aware of other events that may be running on the same day (or even the same week or month) well in advance.

I have found a few interesting links that provide more information on how to stay ahead of the competition and the do’s and don’ts of handling competition.

http://www.marketingdonut.co.uk/marketing/marketing-strategy/ten-ways-to-keep-ahead-of-the-competition

http://www.smallbizclub.com/leadership-sections/best-practices/item/353-handling-competition-do%E2%80%99s-and-don%E2%80%99ts?Itemid=636

These links as well as the experience I have gained from today, will help me to handle future events.

Until next time,

Sophie

“Make us famous: P.S. there’s no budget”

How to become a nationally recognised organisation: with absolutely no budget

The first question I asked my supervisor was where they want to be in five years time?

Answer: We want to be recognised by the industry, government, members and community as the leader in this industry in Western Australia and we want our training business to be recognised nationally as the leader in hospitality training. 

My second question asked what our marketing and public relations budget is, in order for us to reach these goals. 

Answer: There is no budget. 

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I began my internship with Clubs WA in September 2013, after I was mid-application for a vacation program with a Western AUstralian mining company. During filling out my application I realised that I had no real-world experience working in the public relations industry and apart from the marks that I had earned from writing essays and participating in speeches, the recruiters would have no idea whether I would actually be any good at the role I was applying for. 

The next day I scrolled through the internet looking for internships and found a small advertisement on Gumtree looking for 'Marketing and Event interns' at a small not-for-profit based in Cockburn Central. 

Here begins my entry-level position within the public relations and marketing sector. 

Clubs WA is one of the largest membership based not-for-profit organisations in Western Australia and is the governing body of licensed sporting and community clubs in WA. It represent the interests of licensed clubs to relevant WA ministers and governing bodies and its goal is to be the 'voice of the club community'. 

Each state has a sister organisation in each state and its parent body is Clubs Australia. Western Australian clubs have extremely restrictive legislation placed on them compared to other states and the purpose of Clubs WA is to give member clubs advice and information on how to work with these restrictions to ensure their clubs remain successful and viable. 

www.clubswa.com.au

From September 2013 - June 2014 I worked at Clubs WA writing copy for the monthly magazine and website, sent out media release about events, and helped the Marketing and Events Coordinator with two big upcoming events, the Annual Awards of Excellence and the Annual General Meeting and Trade Expo. 

Both events were hectic to work on and all I had to do was the simple tasks that my supervisor asked me to do, including putting together PowerPoint presentations, hundreds of invitations and the promotion of the event through our various communication tools. 

At the end of May 2014, my supervisor left for a six-month African adventure and asked me to step in for her for whilst she is gone. I am now the Marketing and Events Officer and love every single minute of it. While my title is marketing, the role is much more PR-orientated. 

So I have given myself a six month timeframe to do all I can to achieve the goal my supervisor gave me, on my very first day - to make Clubs WA famous (in a great way). 

However, like most not-for-profits we don't have a lot of money to play around with. 90 per cent of my budget goes towards our events and what is left over goes towards marketing and PR efforts. Everyday is a challenge and it's great. 

The majority of our funding comes from the hospitality training courses that we provide through our training portal, Hospitality Alliance Training (HAT). HAT is a nationally recognised leader in training courses throughout Australia and has successfully trained more than 50,000 individuals. 

The rest of our funding comes from membership fees, sponsors and some government grants. 

www.hospitalityalliancetraining.edu.au

So I am two-and-a-bit months into my new role and while it's insanely challenging, especially whilst still enrolled in a full course-load, I love every minute of it. 

I look forward to sharing more of my adventure with you over the next few weeks, and good luck to each of you in your own internships! 

Holly Hazel