Happy New Year,
These last few weeks have been BUSY!
I have over looked my colleagues brands whilst she was away hence the lack of blogging this month-
So the colleague I had been working with for the past two and a half months was flying to Paris for a press trip that we had pitched a few weeks ago and then she was on vacation. So in her place was me
I have over looked my colleagues brands whilst she was away hence the lack of blogging this month-
So the colleague I had been working with for the past two and a half months was flying to Paris for a press trip that we had pitched a few weeks ago and then she was on vacation. So in her place was me
I overlooked the brands and accounts for
the month that she was away, I handled the press kits, press requests, press
samples and overall end of year tasks. This month was the busiest but most
productive and educational I have had in PR.
I was thrown in the deep end and this is
definitely the best way to learn.
My first day by myself was a complete
disaster… I had been left to follow up with an advertorial arranged in a
magazine. So my first day back I followed up on this thinking that everything would be okay and sorted. Oh how I was so wrong i phoned the magazine only to find that the information
that was sent to the magazine for them to use needed to be in Arabic… Something so small
but created so much problems and drama in one day. So after a long afternoon of
trying to find someone to translate and get it resolved I had to explain to the client that what he had paid for he might not get. As you can imagine he wasn't happy and neither was i. My colleague was flying this day so i couldn't ask her for information that i needed so i had to turn to one of the girls in the office who was very helpful.
It wouldn't have been so stressful if there wasn't a deadline that day as the magazine was going t print. However after many phone calls to the magazine we came to a agreement and we managed to get the article in the magazine after all!
– Lesson learnt- always expect mistakes, allow time for these mistakes, fix them quickly but most importantly learn from them.
It wouldn't have been so stressful if there wasn't a deadline that day as the magazine was going t print. However after many phone calls to the magazine we came to a agreement and we managed to get the article in the magazine after all!
– Lesson learnt- always expect mistakes, allow time for these mistakes, fix them quickly but most importantly learn from them.
So the world of press samples is a stressful one, for the brand Longchamp and Lanvin they have invested thousands into press samples, so its my job to look after these samples :/
The press samples i was in charge of looking after were expensive dresses, shoes and bags.
I had to send different samples to photo shoots, and for editors to wear to events.
All was going well until a bag went 'missing' there was panic and mad rushing to find this bag...the studio where it was being shot looked and couldn't find it and couldn't remember receiving it, i had to check with our drivers who had taken it there...i checked in our offices in case it hadn't been sent. So i decided to go and look my self at the studio...within 10 minutes of being there I found the bag...along with it two pairs of shoes that the studio didn't realise they had...so if i hadn't of turned up to look for the bag there would have been a bag and two pairs of shoes missing resulting in well over two thousands pounds worth gone.
I had to send different samples to photo shoots, and for editors to wear to events.
All was going well until a bag went 'missing' there was panic and mad rushing to find this bag...the studio where it was being shot looked and couldn't find it and couldn't remember receiving it, i had to check with our drivers who had taken it there...i checked in our offices in case it hadn't been sent. So i decided to go and look my self at the studio...within 10 minutes of being there I found the bag...along with it two pairs of shoes that the studio didn't realise they had...so if i hadn't of turned up to look for the bag there would have been a bag and two pairs of shoes missing resulting in well over two thousands pounds worth gone.
- Lesson learnt...always double check yourself
Press Kit dispatch for SS12
With 4
different brands having SS12 press kits to go out in the same week all to
different media was a challenge for me considering I had never dispatched a press
kit before. Each press kit was different one being very simple burn the CD’s
burn the CD labels and send in a cardboard coloured envelope. Where others had
6 press releases to them and needed to be printed in both English and Arabic on
headed paper along with two CD’s and all put into folders with gifts. Needless
to say the extra 15 hours I put into this week to ensure that they were all
dispatched in time was worth it.
-The reality and lesson that week was overtime is a must in PR!
-The reality and lesson that week was overtime is a must in PR!
Follow up calls
My new pet hate but a vital part in rounding up the media for an event. I helped the girls out with follow up calls this month for their events…with over 200 press for each event I'm sure they were sick of my voice as much as I was. Not only do you have to follow up but also pitching the event to press who may not have received (or not bothered to open) the email invitation to create hype.
My new pet hate but a vital part in rounding up the media for an event. I helped the girls out with follow up calls this month for their events…with over 200 press for each event I'm sure they were sick of my voice as much as I was. Not only do you have to follow up but also pitching the event to press who may not have received (or not bothered to open) the email invitation to create hype.
Christmas and new year gifts/competitionsObviously
the main point of PR is to gain that all important coverage so again this month
I attended photo shoots to overlook our press samples, I carried out a lot of media
monitoring in the magazines, but I also came across a great opportunity for one of the brands. The brand doesn't have a huge budget so they focus their
PR on products and giveaways as this is what they have a lot of. So when I came
across a television competition looking for products for their viewers I
immediately got the brand involved. The television show broadcasts to millions as well as being posted on to You tube and other social media benefits….I am waiting for the results/feedback next month.
Event planning for SS12 In 2012 there are
a few events sketched into the diary one of which is the children's collection
being launched by Lanvin. This happening in February so planning has begun. We
were given an event brief from the client regarding décor, what they wanted
from the agency and we then have to deliver a budget presentation to them. So I
had to come up with ideas and find entertainers, caterers and get quotes from
in house for invitation printing, lighting etc the list really does goes on.
This was a great task as I had done this in
lesson before but this time is was for real and for a great event.
Overall this month has taught me how hard you have to work in PR to be successful, it was hard and stressful but I learnt so much and enjoyed seeing the results. I'm sure next month will have more for me to learn.
Overall this month has taught me how hard you have to work in PR to be successful, it was hard and stressful but I learnt so much and enjoyed seeing the results. I'm sure next month will have more for me to learn.
Happy blogging,
Hannah
Hannah
