Sukanya Aich’s Post

Join our Intern; Dami and Account Executive; Tomi, as they tackle a quick "This or That" challenge!💪 Get the inside scoop on their preferences when it comes to press releases or pitch decks, articles or content calendars - all the key services that keep Client campaigns running! #ThisorThat #Strategy #PR #BrandPositioning #BrandDevelopment #Consultancy #Communications #PhenomCommunications

Ever thought Public Relations was just about damage control? Think again. Diving into the world of PR is like setting sail on a vast ocean; there's so much more beyond the surface! 🌊 When people hear "PR," they often think crisis management; in reality, that's just one wave in the ocean of possibilities. My internship at Mint & Milk PR has shown me the true depth of this field and revealed its true potential. It’s not just about telling a story; it's about making sure it's heard, understood, and embraced by the right people. 📣 PR isn't just about being reactive in the midst of a storm; it's about being proactive and cultivating relationships with the audience, building media and influencer interactions, and curating memorable events. It entails keeping brands engaged in an ongoing conversation with their audience and creating connections that run deep. 💬 During my journey with Mint & Milk PR , these were my three biggest learnings: ➡ Listening: Effective communication starts with truly understanding - Understand and then be understood👂 ➡ Strategic Navigation: Every campaign is like a voyage. Tailor your approach to fit the unique landscape of each brand 🗺️ ➡ The power of collaboration : A successful journey requires a supportive team; working together amplifies creativity and effectiveness in achieving goals 🤝 "PR is a mix of journalism, psychology, and lawyering; it's an ever-changing and always interesting landscape" - Ronn Torossian #publicrelations #PR #communication #listening #strategic #collaboration

In 2002 I fired off an email asking for a PR internship to this man’s email address from my desk at university. He was the MD of Ketchum. He replied. Two years later as an account executive, I would go to work at Ketchum for five years under this man’s CEO leadership, an agency that would teach me the importance of people, team and culture that would stay with me forever. I’m proud to call David Gallagher a friend and mentor and I can confirm he is one of the best connectors in London. He also has excellent lunch conversation. It had me thinking about service industry businesses like PR agencies and the battle between scale, profitability and people. PR agencies are one example where people are so much more than just a number on a P&L, they bring something unique and special to your business. Every person you hire brings a unique skill set, a network and a part of your culture that cannot be simply replaced like for like. Staffing will always be the single biggest cost to an agency and proving the worth of your agency’s service and delivery, has never been tougher as brands’ budgets are squeezed and every marketing channel is assessed for ROI. What I took from Ketchum all those years ago and I believe today at Aisle 8 that if you hire the right people, you invest in them and support them, you nurture and grow your network and innovation, you will retain and grow your clients and you will attract new business with the results you deliver every day. If you carefully structure each client team and the deliverables efficiently, the profitability will be there.

I start my articles on the importance of public relations for new graduates and some tips from my experience

My Journey as a PR Intern BlackHouse Media (BHM) As a Public Relations student, I always wondered what it would feel like to work in an actual PR firm. Honestly, I thought it might be boring compared to the flexibility of advertising, which offers both conventional and unconventional creative avenues. However, I realized that the best way to challenge my perceptions was to dive into the PR field myself. My journey began in April 2024 when I applied to Black House Media with a resume that showcased my skills, despite lacking any real-life PR experience. Thankfully, my theoretical knowledge, thanks to my lecturers, equipped me in areas such as research, media relations, and crisis management. After an interview with Iretomiwa, the Regional Manager for West Africa, I expressed my goals for the internship. I started my role on May 6, 2024, joining a PR team that handled the Honeywell Group and The Macallan account. Here, I gained hands-on experience tracking and monitoring brand mentions and analyzing competitors. I also learned to compile reports, including daily updates on brand-related news and detailed reports post-campaign or event launches. Later, I was transferred to a different team focusing on MultiChoice, Showmax, and Sky Girls. Tiarhan, my team lead, and my senior colleagues were fantastic mentors who guided me on my journey to becoming a proficient PR practitioner. Throughout my internship, I learned the depth and importance of PR and communication, including: The crucial role media relations play in effectively conveying messages. The importance of proactivity and anticipating outcomes. The need for meticulous attention to detail. As an intern, I contributed to several projects: Created an update report for The Macallan’s A Night On Earth event. Tracked and monitored mentions for The Macallan, MultiChoice, Sky Girls, FCMB, and their competitors. Assisted in rolling coverage and PR reports for the Big Brother Naija campaign. Collaborated on the Nigerian Idol PR report Compiled daily reports for Honeywell Group Ltd and weekly/monthly reports for MultiChoice. Compiled several contact reports for The Macallan, FCMB, and MultiChoice. This experience has truly transformed my understanding of PR, and I’m excited to apply everything I’ve learned as I continue my career in this dynamic field. A heartfelt thank you to everyone at Blackhouse Media for their support and guidance.

Yippee! I wrapped up my internship. I worked with amazing people and I can't help but thank the entire team at NOVVA Media & Communications "Whether you like it or not we are in a world that is heavy on perception." - Adaoha Njemanze. "A strategy is always planned."‐ Temidire Bada Here are few of the things I am leaving with; ▪︎Media Relations and Media Monitoring: My first week at the office was for Media Runs for an entrepreneur client. I went to Smooth fm and I loved it. Subsequently, I created media pitches and media invites. I must listen to the news everyday and be aware of trends in the media. I am grateful that I was able to build solid relationships with media personalities while delivering service to the firm's clients. I learnt how to use PR tools such as BuzzSumo, Brand Mentions, and Google Alerts to monitor my accounts and their mentions. ▪︎Strategic Communication: During brainstorming sessions, we have to carefully decide what works and how to drive impact. I conducted SWOT Analysis and Brand Audit for every account I worked on. I must be able to determine the audience, where they get their information from and their typical lifestyle. I also learnt to introduce a brand the way it is defined. I must pay attention to the brand elements. ▪︎Research: At NOVVA Media and Communications you cannot assume things, Research is very crucial. Whenever I don't present indepth reports I have to go over it again. I am not restricted to one platform, it is mandatory to use all available platforms and source data. ▪︎Thought Leadership: We constantly have to think about giving the right perspective and awareness for our clients. I learnt how to develop Communications Plan and Strategic Plans for clients. ▪︎Reputation Management: I managed an artiste’ account and a social entrepreneur account. These people are distinct and what I offer them must be tailored to their brand goals and vision. The music artist is an Afrobeat singer. Through team work because most of my tasks were supervised by the PR Assistant— Temidire Bada, I have to think of how to enhance visibility and communicate value. I bring ideas and she fine tunes and refocus them to suit our activities. We offer premium services for the social entrepreneur and it was always nothing short of the best at NOVVA Media and Communications. Thanks to my consultant who sees the need to give the best to every task. Plus you have to know your onions while around her. Through traditional media and digital PR we did immense work. More importantly I learned how to show up during meetings and presentations. You must be able to defend your strategies and tactics. I thought I was bold, Vivian Adaoha Njemanze thought me not to struggle with words and pace myself. Thanks so much Samuel Viavonu for your willingness to help. This and many more are the things I have been up to in the past six months since I left the bank. 😀😀🤗

Turning Lemons to Lemonade 🍋 Learning the art of PR with Temasek. Creating a successful PR campaign goes beyond delivering information—it’s about building trust, connecting with audiences, and telling a story that resonates. After gaining practical insights from my PR module with Pei Wen Wong, I reflected on my Public Affairs internship with Temasek, where I was given the opportunity to work on the annual Temasek Review (TR) campaign. In my recent article, I share key takeaways from my reflection, exploring the essential elements of a PR campaign - from setting clear goals and crafting a strategic narrative to creating culturally relevant messaging. I hope my insights shed some light on the intricacies of PR and offer some guidance for building campaigns that inspire trust and foster lasting connections. #PublicRelations #PR #Campaigns #CS2101 #TemasekReview #Temasek

Today, I am concluding my internship with Flip the Lens Media as their Associate PR Intern. Flip the Lens is a small digital media company which focuses on creating videos which spread messages of humanity and teach students about looking outside of self. Flip the Lens has given me many opportunities to develop as a professional.  I have developed the company’s first PR plan which detailed a USP, goals, action steps, along with other features. I was able to learn so much about what is required to develop a PR plan, such as proper form, conducting needed research, writing like a PR professional, and taking and applying feedback. This plan served as a roadmap for myself and the rest of the intern team to achieve success.  Additionally, I drafted a press release and pitch letter, which are set to be sent out in late September. This press release and pitch letter were reviewed by my boss, Meg Pier, and for additional perspective on my press release, Meg introduced me to Denise Robbi, VP of Public Relations at Natixis Investment Managers. Denise gave me insightful feedback to aid in the release's development. Creating these tools taught me a lot about best practices for press release and pitch letters, how to condense and still portray messages, along with how to target a specific audience in a piece.  I also wrote our company's boilerplate which summarizes a company’s mission and products. In creating a boilerplate I developed my skills in concise writing, brand evaluation, and formatting.  I was also offered the opportunity to develop our new product, the Flip the Lens Culture Correspondent Program. This is a nonformal education course which teaches students filmmaking skills while also offering teaching about humanity. Since its conception, I have been aiding in gathering course material, writing aspects of the course, and researching means for our product to be sold. I have learned about what it takes to develop a well-rounded program which meets current standards. I also further honed my skills in research, communication, professional writing, and many others.  I also collaborated with another intern Simran Patel to create an investor pitch deck that made the business case for Flip the Lens. For this, I had to identify the need this product addresses, the audience, along with other elements. In being a part of this project I developed my presentation, collaboration, and visual communication skills. Meg arranged for us to present to Thomas Haimelin, a former intern who is Head of FX Solutions at Silicon Valley Bank, and he gave us valuable feedback to improve the pitch. I am grateful for the experience I have gained through Flip the Lens, which developed my abilities in PR and other professional practices. I would like to thank my boss Meg Pier for the opportunities she has given me, along with the rest of the Flip the Lens intern team. I look forward to seeing where the information I have gained from this will help me in my future.

It’s been more than a month since I started my first job in the vibrant field of PR. Although I’m not able to post regularly, one of my goals is to further increase my LinkedIn presence. First of all, I am extremely thankful to Clarity for giving me the chance to demonstrate my communication skills in a real life environment. When I reflect on the past month, the key takeaways are: - Doing PR in practice requires a lot of hard work and patience - It doesn’t matter if you’ve passed your Master’s with flying colours - if you want to be successful in this field, you need to leave your ego behind and learn from the team - It’s vital to communicate clearly all your struggles and successes - You need to have a positive ‘can do’ attitude - Think twice before you ask a question, do your research - You will definitely make mistakes - there’s no other way if you’re a junior - Observe more, talk less. Let actions speak for themselves - Being transparent establishes a strong bond with the team - Learn to delegate and sometimes say no when you’re aware that a certain task isn’t within your capacity Navigating through the complexities of PR is both exciting and demanding. However, my motivation and passion are contagious and I am sure this will help me thrive in the long run. Last but not least, have a great weekend, folks! #pr #entrylevelroles #determination #success #learning

"One month answered three years of questions" After several Internship opportunities in PR, including government sectors, private companies, and startups, I became certain and wondered: What does it take to be a skilled public relations specialist with all the required skills? I was particularly fascinated by PR Agencies and wondered about their inner workings and the specific responsibilities of each team member. What impressed me even more was how someone could manage multiple client accounts and meet their needs? How do they create different strategies and employ different tactics for each client? How do they monitor and adjust their approaches? How do they handle reports, RFPs, market studies, competitor analysis, and Crisis management strategies? I had some knowledge about these aspects, but I doubted whether these were the right ways. So, I asked and observed professional specialists who carried out these tasks. It's been a month, but there have been dozens of questions and inquiries that occupied my mind over the past three years. I was desperate for answers. Of course, one month was not enough to learn everything, but it was enough for me to find out what I lacked and direct me towards what I wanted, just as I knew what I wanted to choose in the future. In the coming period, I hope to immerse myself in learning and practical experience in the world of PR agencies. One crucial lesson I've learned, as my manager told me, "is that real-world experience in this field comes from years of work, facing challenges, making mistakes, and learning from them". This also took me to learn about several markets that I was not aware of and see what is going on around them such as Fintech, Real estate, Electric cars, Outsourcing, Finance and CX. The month enabled me to develop some of my technical skills, such as Research and Analysis skills. This is what made me have an initial view of any company, knowing its direction in CSR activities, How much its strength in media coverage, the tactics it follows, and what it lacks in working on.. So, I'm committed to continuing my journey over the next two years. In the upcoming year, I'll be available for full-time work anywhere, without specific salary demands or job titles until I reach my desired goals. You can see my LinkedIn profile and see what roles I've held, what skills I have, and what certifications I've earned If you have any opportunity for me, feel free to reach out at any time on my phone number or my Email . 😊 mahmoudsobhy2482002@gmail.com 01551531267 #PR_Intern #PR_Student