Blog

August 2010 – Chris Overall writes…

The PR Payoff

It’s an all too common feeling for many students approaching the end of university – ‘I’ve actually got to get a job… but what do I want to do?’

With my graduation date looming in the distance, and six months to go, I decided it was time to pick the sector that I hoped to pursue a career in. After much time and deliberation, it became clear to me that my passion and strengths remained working with people, and that I had a desire to work with consumer brands.

Public relations is a sector I became increasingly interested in as I further researched my dissertation which was focused on the use of social media by international brands. My research looked at social media as a new platform for communicating traditional brand messages, which can be easily and publically rejected by consumers. Brands therefore must increasingly approach these platforms with care, and look to cleverly interact with their consumers, instead of trying to force too many overtly branded messages into these spaces.

I have a great personal understanding of social media, and my university dissertation enabled me to further a theoretical and business understanding in the context of larger social and business structures. Social media is becoming an increasingly key element to many PR strategies for small and large businesses alike, as everyone attempts to compete in the vast and sometimes brutal world of cyberspace. I felt my understanding of social media would not only help me gain employment in this field, but provide me plenty of transferrable skills for working in public relations.

And so the job hunt began! Luckily, the opportunity to undertake a work placement during my Easter holiday arose at Project PR, and having grabbed the opportunity with both hands, I was tasked with contributing towards Ford Retail’s PR.

Working on the Ford Retail account presents a unique range of tasks, from writing press releases, contributing editorials on Ford products to planning promotional events. Our Boots for Africa campaign, for example, has resulted in some fantastic press coverage for local Ford dealerships, and has been lots of fun in the process

I have found PR to be rewarding for all those involved. As a career choice, it provides a variety of interesting jobs and the opportunity to work with lots of people. For businesses, PR provides the opportunity to communicate positive messages to key demographics, and does so whilst providing a return on investment that is simply second to none.

PR pays off for many businesses, and the increasing tendency to integrate social media into PR strategies has helped relatively small businesses gain widespread recognition. No business is too big or too small to stop PR paying off for them – just as it has personally for me.