ouhk comm6005 lecture 2 professional image of pr practitioner

Public Relations Presentation and

Communication Skills (2011/10)

Lecture 2

Profession image of a PR practitioner

Developed and Presented by

Roy Ying, Msc., B.Comm.

Note: Pictures used in this power point file

is for academic Purpose only

DA010 - Professional Diploma in Public Relations - COMM6005EP

Table of Content

• Who classifies as a PR practitioner?• How should a PR professional look like?

Differences for agency, in-house, and spokespersons

• Core competence and skills required• Corporate guidelines, dress codes and

lines to take• Tutorial: Group exercise in discussing

desirable images for PR professionals in line with corporate PR objectives

What is a PR practitioner?

• A person who is concerned in bringing people together in understanding through communication.

• The duties of a PR practitioner includes; consulting, industry affairs, corporate advertising, employee communication and organization of special events.

What do they do?

• Consulting

• Community involvement

• Internal communication

• Industry or public affairs

• Media liaison

• Corporate branding

• Organizing of special events

• Crisis communication

Class discussion:

Can you identify a specific job duty in each of the function?

Class discussion:

Can you identify a specific job duty in each of the function?

Entry requirements?

The key attributes are:

• People orientated, with leadership abilities.

• Knowledge of human relations and oral and written communication skills as well as an understanding of the characteristics of the population groups of the country.

• Good command of at least two of the country's official languages, although knowledge of more languages is recommended. Good business sense is needed to plan and execute campaigns.

Duties of a PR practitioner?

The tasks, roles and responsibilities of a PR practitioner include :• Media monitoring and clippings• Media liaison/relations• Drafting of press releases, speeches and other material • Editorial• Research• Prepare monthly activity reports• Media kits• Creative Brainstorming• Follow ups (Stories, attendance)• Contact meetings and reports• Preparations of agenda• Strategic counsel • Proposals• Translations

Class discussion:

Is that all? Can you think of some more?

Class discussion:

Is that all? Can you think of some more?

How should a PR look like?

• In-house: Quince ChongDirector of Corporate Affairs

How did she take the PR top job?

• Overseeing the airline's activities in government relations, communications and environmental affairs.

• 1998 - Manager Corporate Communication

• 2000 - General Manager Inflight Services

• 2004 - Director Service Delivery, Director of Cathay Pacific Catering Services (HK) Ltd and Chairman of Vogue Laundry Service Ltd and Hong Kong Airport Services Ltd.

How should a PR look like?

• Darryl ChanPress Secretary to Chief Secretary (CS)

What does he do?• handling media enquiries relating to the CS

• acting as his spokesman

• preparing public speeches and messages for the CS

• reviewing issues which may have a bearing on his media and public relations responses

• assessing media and public relations requests for the CS

• and overseeing the press arrangements for him

• collating media feedback on policy schedules of the CS

• advising on public relations and media action and responses

• liaising and advising bureaux on Government responses under CS's policy schedules where appropriate.

How should a PR look like?

• Lavender CheungMedia ConsultantHospital Authority

– Cable TV News Anchor

– Chief Corporate

Development Officer, HKGCC

How should a PR look like?

• Simeon MellalieuGeneral Manager, Ketchum Hong Kong

This is an agency’s top job

• Strong client focus in his work as the leader of the Corporate and Technology Practice across Ketchum's Greater China network.

• Provides senior counsel for local, regional and global clients. His expertise lies in corporate positioning and reputation management, brand building, issues and crisis management, and sponsorship and sports marketing.

• Also heads the Broadcast Media Strategy Group,creating exposure for clients through television media.

How should a PR look like?

• Personal image is very important

– Remember him?

How should a PR look like?

Core Competencies of

PR Practitioners• According to Skinners (2004)

– Research

– Programming, Counselling, Planning and Advising

– Media Relations and Placement

– Organizing

– Training

– Writing

– Editing

– Production

– Speaking

– Management

Class discussion:

Is that realistic for one person to possess all these core competencies?

Class discussion:

Is that realistic for one person to possess all these core competencies?

Traditional skills• Writing – the cornerstone of a PR professional’s

career. • Communications skills – Learn to communicate

more effectively with other people • Attention to detail – Proofread everything. Fact

check everything.

• Media relations – what’s in a media list? What are the pitching best practices?

• Proactiveness – If you can’t find the answer, ask. • Work ethic – public relations isn’t a 9-to-5 job. Put

in that little bit of extra effort. It won’t be every day, but people will notice.

New skills

• Blogging

• Microblogging

• Social networking tools

• SEO

• Coding

• RSS, RSS Readers

• Blogger relations

• Social media ethics

In front of media, there’s more

• Knowing the newsroom

• Knowing the audience

• Knowing who’s doing interview with you

• Knowing your subject

• Knowing your support PR team

Getting ready for interview

Tips for Spokespersons

Image Isn't Everything, but It's a Lot

• How you look on camera is an important part of how your audience will perceive you and your message.

• When it comes down to it:– 60% of what an audience perceives is visual.

– 30% is auditory, or what people hear.

– 10% is what an audience perceives is the message.

Tips for Spokespersons

Project confidence. • It is key to winning over an audience.

Being nervous while speaking to the public is normal, and many say it's positive to feel that way before you speak.

• But showing it is another thing-that's why it's important to project confidence (even if you're not feeling it).

Tips for Spokespersons

Project confidence. • Stand tall, or if sitting, sit forward in your

chair.

• Commanding a strong presence assuresyour audience that you are a credible spokesperson and shows that you believe in yourself and your expertise, that whatyou have to say deserves and needs to be heard.

Tips for Spokespersons

Keep it short.

• You don't need to explain everything to be heard.

• Rather, it's better to keep it brief. Think about what you want to say beforehand, create short soundbites (eight seconds in length) that capture your main points and your key message about the issue or campaign.

• Add something personal at the beginning of your soundbite to create more of a human connection between you and your audience.

Tips for Spokespersons

It's OK to say that you don't know.

• If you don't know the answer, it's OK to say so.

• Remember nothing is "off the record," but it's better to be honest about what you don't know than to say "nocomment."

• Keep it slow and steady.

Remind yourself to speak slowly.

• It is OK to pause and take a deep breath. Practice annunciating, and even over- annunciating, each syllable so that your words will be clearly articulated.

TV Interviews

• Before the show begins, think about your audience, the format of the show, how long you'll get to speak and your key messages.

• With most TV opportunities, you'll have a short amount of air time, so be prepared with a key message that you can repeat comfortably and with confidence.

• When interviewing on TV, image and body language are just as important as what you say in setting the tone.

• If you're at a rally or press conference, make sure that you are positioned so that the cameras pick up the visual posters and banners behind you, strengthening your message.

Tips for TV

• Clothing matters: Dress for your audience. Wear neutralcolors that don't distract (NOT black or white).

• Avoid patterns, florals, stripes or dots and no big jewelry, buttons or slogans.

• Wear make-up (even for men).

• Smile!

• Use natural hand gestures that don't distract. Don't address the reporter personally.

• Don't be distracted by reporter or crew. Every blink, twitch and "uh," is magnified.

• Always respond with key messages/soundbites: If you make a mistake, stop and start over.

• It's not a conversation, but use a conversational tone with a personal inflection.

Tips for TV

• Always remember: Don't answer the question, respondwith your message. Interview segments are often only 8-15 second soundbites. Don't get thrown by the reporterand get caught answering a bad question.

• Remind yourself that your audience is never the reporter, it's the people on the other side of the camera, and this is your chance to speak to them. Repeat your message, and you control the interview.

• When ending the interview, thank the reporter, and wait until the camera is turned off before saying more to thereporter or offering further background information.

Tips for Radio

• Respond with key messages/soundbites.

• Do your phone interviews from a quiet office.

• Don't use a cordless or cell phone-use a landline

and disable call waiting.

• Don't listen to the show while you are being

interviewed.

• Speak slowly and with extra emphasis.

• Clarity, intensity and emotion make good radio.

• Smile-it still comes through on the radio.

Tutorial – case 1

• Is this a desirable image for PR practitioner?

• Is he a PR practitioner at all?

Tutorial – case 2

• Is government official a PR practitioner?

Tutorial – case 3

Tutorial – case 3

• Business Partners

• Community Service

Tutorial – case 3