See & Be PR

When a press conference breaks the rules

Jun 302011

Diego Maradona (left) Tariq Al-Sharabi (right)

Diego Maradona (left) and Tariq Al-Sharabi (right)

My last blog post was about how to organise a press conference to perfection, and interestingly enough, two weeks after I posted it, I got a call from my client saying: “We need to hold a press conference in less than a week!” I was like, here we go, who sneezed this time! But before I had the chance to ask what the press conference was for, the client said the magical words: “We’re unveiling Diego Maradona as our new head coach.”

You don’t expect to ever hear those words coming out of your client’s mouth when you’re in PR in the Middle East, but then again, this is Dubai and anything is possible.

So, after I managed to regain a normal heart beat, I started planning. I took a look at the post I wrote, and started going through the important points:

Choose a date that doesn’t clash with any other major events
First off, I had no choice as the date was set and it was on a weekend; not just any weekend, but the up and coming one! Second, this event was The Event, so rather than accommodating others, press conference organisers needed to make sure their date did not to clash with mine.
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How to manage a successful event

How to No Responses »

Jun 282011

Recently I had the privilege of being my cousin’s ‘maid of honour’ and for those of you who have never experienced it, it’s a lot more work than it is play. Take my word for it, once you’ve managed to please bridezilla, meeting any client’s expectations or managing any event is a mere walk in the park. So for those of you about to tackle a big project, here’s a quick checklist for how to manage a successful event; whether it’s a sporting event or the launch of a heavy duty industrial truck or even your next cousin’s wedding – the modus operandi remains the same.

Do the research
Awaken the giant within; get moving, get excited and get ready to plan the best event this town has ever seen. A great event starts with research, so start there. Make sure before beginning with the actual work, you have done your homework and have carefully drafted out a plan that is ready for execution. From selecting the right venue for the press conference or the entertainment that best suits your event, trust me, lots of research will definitely pay off.
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5 tips to consider before launching your website

How to, Media 4 Responses »

Jun 222011

My website is standard! What about yours? – I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent online searching for the perfect article for work, general research or even for a university assignment, only to come up frustrated and empty handed. We have all experienced the thrill of uncovering the exact title on Google, the one you had been looking for all along, only to open up to sheer disappointment and absolute nothing. There is nothing worse than seeing a white screen with a Network Error message along with an error code that you have never even heard of. Where did the article go? And even worse, is looking up a company to fulfill a need, only to be directed to a standard ‘under construction’ template, or a site that doesn’t even work.

When you need a service, where do you look? When you need information, where do you go? Most of us head straight to the internet for answers, and as a person whose job it is to manage quality assurance and online strategy, I can definitely tell you that quality is one the most important factors when creating your personal or company website. Your website is your calling card, it’s your business card; it’s the ultimate representation of you, and if it’s lacking, then what does that tell others about you?

Here are some basic guidelines to guide your course, because there is such thing as the wrong answer when it comes to your website. Continue reading »

How to write a blog post that gets read

Blogging, How to, Media 6 Responses »

Jun 202011

I know I’m a great writer, are you? So that bold statement might be a tad too much (even though I am), but I did manage to capture your attention, right? You’re either thinking I am full of myself, or you’re interested to read on. (Crossing my fingers that it’s the second one)

Since the launch of our company blog, quite a few questions have popped up by our resident writers regarding their posts, so I figure, wouldn’t it be nice to take a step back and reiterate the basics and the guidelines? Because, I am absolutely sure, that if we have questions, then you must have them too.

Jumping into my blog post about, well, how to write a blog post, which will actually be written as a blog post, I will show you tricks for writing your own blog post. Clever, no? So pay attention, as we learn how to write these bad boys the fun way! YAY! (Ok, the first two no, no’s: don’t exclaim everything! And typing in capitals online means you are shouting – so CALM DOWN!)

Speak to me
Your main responsibility as a blogger is to capture the attention of the reader. This means you have to engage– use personal words (I, you, and we), ask questions and give personal examples. It’s not ‘they will benefit from’, its ‘you will benefit from’.
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How to get your brand name out there

How to, Public Relations No Responses »

Jun 152011

Needless to say, we live in a world dominated by brand names. We drive around in BMWs, while talking on our BlackBerrys (hopefully not at the same time, because that’s just illegal!) and wearing our Gucci sunglasses. The majority of us even find ourselves looking for the nearest McDonalds even when visiting a new and exotic part of the world, and although we won’t admit it, we feel a tinge of disappointment when we have to settle for the local alternative. It seems we’ve just become too used to our creature comforts. Some might view this as the death of adventurousness (yes, that’s a real word); however, no one can deny the stellar job the fast-food giant’s global marketing team has done made of getting the name out there.

So how do you move away from being the consolation prize, to become the brand people go searching for? We can look to the major players for some advice…
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How to improve on client contact

How to, Public Relations No Responses »

Jun 132011

You have won the client over; they absolutely loved your pitch, job done, right? This is definitely wrong. Winning the client over is not even half the battle because regular contact is an essential part of building and maintaining a healthy relationship with your client. They have to know that they matter through constant communication and feedback. This can include personal meetings, phone conversations and written reports. But that doesn’t mean you have to wait for business occasions to make a connection; you should also take advantage of less formal approaches that include meetings for breakfast, lunch or dinner, which can be an excellent way to build both business and personal relationships. Whatever the case, make sure you are flexible and open to invite these opportunities, because each client is unique and so are the roads to forming a bond with them.

Plan for Success
A great relationship doesn’t happen by chance. Client contact should be regularly scheduled, deliberate and well planned. The ideal, of course, is to maintain daily contact, because PR accounts are too often lost through neglect. While no client should ever be taken for granted, use judgment in all your communication because they should not feel pestered either.
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Television introduction revolution – Part 1

Media, Public Relations, Uncategorized No Responses »

Jun 082011

My earliest memories of television are of pure excitement – begging and pleading with my parents to watch my favourite cartoon shows; finishing my algebra homework for some more ‘telly time’; tussle and tackle for the remote. I never really understood as a teenager what grown-ups got from watching news about Iraq or Kuwait, especially when I remember my geography teacher telling me that both countries were quite far from where we were.

Looking back I can clearly see how what I tuned-in to on television has changed & evolved over the years. Reports about gold and petrol prices, election results, e-coli outbreak or the launch of the latest Blackberry application are as much of an interest to me as the next episode of Desperate Housewives or the American Idol season
10 grand finale.

Working in public relations has changed how I look at media, especially television – it is no longer just a source of information and entertainment. It is also about the audience the show targets, how the spokesperson handled the questions, if they delivered the key messages, were the messages clear and more importantly, is there an opportunity to pitch for an interview for one of my clients?
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How to get TV or radio coverage

Media No Responses »

Jun 022011

LOTS of coverage is what most clients want, and as PR practitioners we should do the best we can to get the maximum media exposure possible for our clients – whether it’s in newspapers, television or radio shows.

We might be surrounded by internet technology, but let’s face it, a lot of people still get the news from TV or radio stations. Sending out a press release can be easier than getting coverage on these channels, but, as some of you might know, few press releases ever make it to newspaper, and from those few press releases, even fewer catch a presenter or a producer’s attention to become a worthy story.

Here are some tips and thoughts on how to get TV or Radio coverage:

Keep in mind that the reporter/producer has to continually come up with fresh ideas for future interviews and that he/she is always on the lookout for some new material. In order to appeal to them, you should have a general knowledge about the shows, and the topics and issues that they cover.