PRCA Internship Week 7 - Kourtney Shaw

The Olympics

Back in 2007, when my uncle investigated the London 2012 Olympics for Dispatches on Channel Four, I became highly sceptical about the benefit of the Olympics. Would the games actually benefit the UK economy or would we end up paying for the large costs of hosting the Olympics in London?

In my uncle's documentary, ‘The Olympic Cash Machine’, he uncovered a Whitehall memo to Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell which suggested that she had known about the increasing costs of the Olympics long before she had informed Parliament. She had only underestimated the budget by 7billion but I guess it must have just slipped her mind. A Homer Simpson ‘D’oh’ moment!

Brand Building around the Olympics

Politics and controversy aside, there is no denying that as the Olympics approaches everyone is becoming more excited and enthusiastic about the world’s largest sports event happening in our fantastic city! I was keen to hear what businesses thought about the Olympics and ways it could benefit them. The expert briefing on 'Brand Building around the Olympics', put on by the PRCA, gave me the opportunity to do so.

As the buzz around the Olympics grows businesses have a massive opportunity to engage with their customers in a completely unique way. But, as Eddie May from Threepipe Communications made clear, there are some serious ramifications if you do not adhere to LOCOG Olympic guidelines when advertising and marketing your brand. He stressed the importance of familiarising yourself with these guidelines to avoid your campaign being shut down and all of your hard work lost.

He also gave great insight into the opportunities of being one of the few Olympic sponsors such as CocaCola, McDonalds and Samsung, despite the large costs. The price tag to be associated with the Olympics is so large because the Olympics represent more than just an athletic event. History, integrity, freedom and friendship are all affiliated with the Olympic brand which makes it one of the most prestigious brands in the commercial world. No wonder it costs so much to put the logo on your product.

via  popsop.com

Westield Stratford City

On a more personal note, I can’t contain my excitement about the opening of the new Westfield centre in Stratford. It’s going to be my new local shopping mall! Fortunatley I live 15 minutes from Stratford station so commuting there will take less time than commuting to the current Westfield in Shepherd’s Bush. Mark Zimmer, Head of Olympic Brand Alliance, showed us a 360 virtual map of the shopping centre which sits right next to the Olympic park. There is a great view of the stadium from some of the executive suites and function rooms – hopefully someone will invite me!

I was pleased to hear that they will be employing local residents and training the unemployed to help them start a career in retail, leisure and hospitality. It’s always a good thing to give back to the local community, especially when there is a high rate of unemployment in the area, and with a massive retail centre opening up  it’s a great opportunity to do so. 

Wesfield Stratford City Retail Park

via westfield.completelyretail.co.uk

East London 

I love the creativity, the culture, the diversity, which differentiates East London from most other parts of the city. Sadly many people have a clouded perception of the area, which usually consists of knife and gun crime, theft and poor housing. Although hosting the Olympics in Stratford will have massive economic benefits to the regeneration of the area, I am concerned that with many businesses flocking to the East, the area could become another expensive financial district, which would leave the locals and the legacy of East London tragically behind.

Carl Welham, of Hackney council, was positive about promoting and protecting the legacy of the community during and after the Olympics. He remained focused on ensuring the creative essence of Hackney is preserved within the development of Hackney House, an expo and media centre built in the heart of Shoreditch. The large amount of research his team did to uncover the reality and perceptions people have of the area, to then incorporate it into the design and function of the building, is a fundamental and integral part of  the development. Especially if the ‘uber-trendy’ artistic atmosphere of the area is not to diminish.

 

This is my last week at the PRCA so I will be writing a short farewell note and update you about my last week in a few days.

Thank you,

Kourtney Shaw

PRCA Internship - Kourtney Shaw

"Don't judge a book by its cover!"

How many times have we heard the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”. Although most of us recognize and appreciate the truthfulness of this metaphor, more often than not we find ourselves judging people on the first impressions they make on us. Even if we sincerely try not to place judgment on people based on their clothes, weight, height and hair etc… it can be difficult not to cast a negative judgement upon them. In the PRCA training session I attended at Hill and Knowlton last week on ‘Communication Skills for PR Professionals’, Emma Ewing, the trainer, gave a fantastic example of her experience where ‘the scruffy guy’ had been ignored by various individuals who, by judging his appearance, associated him with little to no value or importance.  Only once they discovered that ‘the scruffy guy’ was a well known influential business man did they all scavenge for the chance to speak to him.

In the business world, first impressions are vital.  How others conceive you will determine the influence you have on them. In the training session Emma spoke expertly about how to make a good impression on others by making yourself assertive, whilst also discussing the importance of building rapport as a significant networking skill. She stressed on the use of body language as an important tool to establishing rapport with others. During her activities I watched how two people reached rapport only once they found a common interest to discuss. It was interesting to see how this quickly became evident in their use of body language which swiftly became more relaxed and naturally mirrored each other as the conversation developed.

What I took to be most valuable was to always ask to “summarise and clarify” because you would rather get it right first time, than spend ages deliberating on whether this is what you were meant to be doing and get it wrong. I think people working in more junior roles would find this valuable as they may be scared or intimidated by their seniors who speak quickly, using closed questions which do not allow others a moment to talk. I like to ask a lot of questions, it’s my way of learning and making sure I am fully aware of what needs to be done. I have learnt that you need not be embarrassed by this as long as you ask with relevancy for clarification. It demonstrates you are a good listener and are keen to complete a task properly and efficiently. People value work to a high standard and accuracy – this will always hold true.

I repeatedly assayed (current word of the day) myself throughout the training session to pinpoint my weaknesses which I can strengthen. It was also highly interesting as an intern to listen to the issues other PR Professionals are facing at their place of work. I was well aware that many of these issues being discussed I was yet to experience, and some I never will. I am a confident individual and normally I don’t find it hard to engage in conversation with people, but there will be instances throughout my career where the skills Emma discussed will become invaluable to me.

PRCA Awards 2011

On Friday to say the phones went mad is an understatement. Katie and I were rushed off our feet non-stop answering calls and taking entry submissions for the awards. As Friday approaches (the second and final deadline for the 2011 PRCA Awards) we are preparing and awaiting a rush from the ‘last minuters’ (LOL!). Remember the deadline is at 5pm – no more entries can be submitted after that time. If you want to ensure you can enter, it might be a good idea to do so now!

We also had to say “So long farewell” to Reda Haq who is about to embark on a career at Cohn & Wolfe. Bye bye Reda L. Cat organised a beautiful lunch for her which the company attended. Everyone was very upset as Reda has been at the PRCA for 3 years and was great friends with everyone.



Bank Restaurant in Victoria



I hope you have enjoyed this week’s blog. If you have any comments or would like to tell me your thoughts please feel free (use of open questions). I am going to be attending a campaign master-class at Cohn & Wolfe and attending the PR Census Launch this week.

See you in two weeks

Kourtney Shaw