It may be the end of the chapter but not of the story!

Hello PR fellows

I hope you are all enjoying your internship and getting the most of it. For my part, I reached the end of my placement at IMS. I spent 24 days which were rich in experience not only relating to PR but I had also a great human experience.

Application of theories

One of the major purposes of this unit is to apply the theories learnt during the past three years to real life. For instance, since the very beginning of our studies we learnt about the significance of communication through Grunig’s four models of Public Relations. More information on the models can be accessed on http://www.managementstudyguide.com/public-relations-models.htm. At IMS, the two-way symmetrical model is encouraged among employees themselves. This model “enables negotiations with the public, allows the resolution of conflicts and promotes mutual understanding and respect between the firm and its public” (Grunig's Four models 2013). The aim is to ensure that employees understand what it is all about, its relative importance so as to be able to apply it effectively when communicating with clients while encouraging good employee relations. Moreover, through several projects I learnt the real value of research.

Relevance of theories to my Internship

Nevertheless, I must admit that in general I recognised that what we learnt are only mere guidelines. For instance, I will share an experience regarding event organisation. We organised a dinner for one of IMS’s clients and the guests were supposed to arrive at 7 pm. However, most of them came at 6 pm while we were still completing the setting of the room. It was quite disturbing, but I had to guide the guests while still finalising the setting. From this, I learnt the prominence of being able to master several things at a time. What we learnt in class is how things should go in general but it does not include unanticipated events that could disturb the initial flow of the event. Thus, I also learnt the importance of considering such possibilities to try to avoid them since the very start and to have a plan B in case it still occurs.

Another experience that I gained is the relevance of proactivity. At IMS what they do is instead of waiting for a client to come to them they make a market research. Based on it, they approach potential clients that they believe need to increase their visibility. They want to lead by being proactive instead of reactive.

My Final Word

I realised a number of things while being at IMS namely the significance of communication, flexibility, polyvalence and proactivity to cite a few. Therefore, my final word for future PR students will be to enjoy their internship, to grasp this opportunity to develop networking as well as improving essential skills that will help them as future PR professionals.

For my part, it may be the end of my placement but it is undoubtedly the start of a long journey in the PR domain.

Reference

Grunig's Four models of Public Relations. 2013. IML. Accessed April 19,         http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall99/westbrook/models.htm.

..All about market research..

Hello, PR fellows

After forming part in the organisation of an event, it was time for me to accept a new challenge called Market Research.

First of all, I guess most of you are familiar with the term 'market research' but here is a quick recap of what it is all about. Market research is a methodical, impartial collection and analysis of information about a “specific target market, competition or environment” (Market Research, By DJS Research Ltd 2013). Researches are based on secondary or primary research. Its objective is to deliver a better understanding of the subject matter. For more information, you can visit http://www.marketresearchworld.net/content/view/14/38/ which provides valuable material on the topic.

My task was to conduct an online market research through the use of secondary materials which were given to me. I had to analyse the visibility of more than 150 companies on the web. Initially, I had to check each and every company and see if they have a website. If yes, I had to provide my personal views of the website. It was an enriching process as I felt my opinion was valued. Then, I had to verify the level of their online visibility, that is, if they have a high, moderate, minimum or even zero visibility.

The aim of the research is to analyse the findings, and for those with zero to moderate level of visibility, IMS will approach these companies and propose them strategies to boost their visibility and hence raise the level of awareness of their customers. It was a long process but full of meaning all throughout. In past projects, many of us included market research in the research section of our assignments but I could never imagine that it would be so interesting. I believe this is an essential task as it is from the conclusions that PR plans are developed to reach the objectives of the client.

So PR mates that is all for this week, see you next time for a new adventure.

...Embarked on a new adventure...

Good morning dear friends

Last week was the start of a new adventure at Investment and Management services (IMS) Ltd.

At the beginning of the week, I was informed that IMS was chosen for the organisation of a residential team building activity for a company that has problems with communication among the employees. Therefore, the aim of the team building was to improve employee relations within the organisation. IMS has to create the whole event from the choice of the venue to the activities that will be undertaken. To my great pleasure, I was notified that I will contribute to the event's organisation. Until now, every formal event that I planned was only for assignment purposes thus, I was excited to participate in the development of such an important event for real.

As it is a residential team building, my role was to contact different hotels to verify availability, ask for the different packages and so forth. Then, I had to eliminate those that did not match our expectations. When I obtained the final list I had to analyse each and every offer and make recommendations on which one correspond best to the company’s expectations and why.

This was enriching as I did not conceive that so much time could be spent on finding an accommodation. In theory, we just mention “to find venue” but in practice it takes much more time as sometimes people do not respond and I had to send several messages for them to react. Moreover, on some occasions I had to explain all over again due to some misunderstandings.

Besides, all through I had to remain professional. Last week i had a quick grasp of the difficulties that a PR practitioner might come across for instance, communication problems, or impassiveness among others.

This experience taught me how to remain professional in circumstances where one could get easily upset. Yet, I know that there are many situations like this to come and I feel ready to face them with more confidence.

So, PR 393 peers I’ll see you soon for a new ride in the PR realm.

The time has arrived for the ship to cast off

Good morning everyone

I am Sandra Thomas from the Charles Telfair Institute, Mauritius. I am doing a Bachelor of commerce in Tourism and Events management and Public Relations and I am in my last semester.

Actually, it has been five days since I started my trip at IMS Ltd. IMS runs several activities for instance, the development of strategies, communication and even aviation. For my part, I am involved in the communication department which deals with the promotion of the organisation as well as the promotion of other companies.

So far, I carried out a lot of research activities to gather information for a newsletter. These information will also contribute to the development of a portfolio on the relevant company.

Moreover, I attended my first meeting. It consisted of activities aimed at identifying our strengths and weaknesses and finding out how employees can contribute effectively to the organisation's success. The next objective was to determine how to become a professional in our domain. For my part, it was to establish the assets that I have to become a successful PR professional and what should be done to achieve this status.

From this meeting, it could be seen that IMS promotes the two-way symmetrical model of communication. Consequently, this could be a good opportunity to analyse the limitations of the model and how far is it beneficial to the organisation.

I was glad to share this experience with you see you next week for a new adventure.

In the meantime, below is the direct link of IMS's website so that you could get a better insight on the company.

http://www.imsmauritius.com/

IMS Ltd

IMS Ltd