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

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