Posts Tagged ‘public relations’

Guest post by RFI intern Natalie Lazaroff (GWU ‘11)

Upon the start of my internship at Ruder Finn Israel I did not have a lot of experience in public relations. In some capacity I knew that I would be working towards improving the image of clients, which in this office ranges from high tech startups, to publicly traded companies, to non-profit organizations that operate both in and out of Israel. However, I was unsure of what exactly an intern in the PR industry would be responsible for on a daily basis.

I am now almost nine weeks into my internship and can honestly say that I have learned a great deal about the industry itself and I now have a more concrete understanding of what the job description is for one who works in public relations.

Among the many things that I have learned over the last two months, the most important for me are the general knowledge that I now have about the field, as well as the tools that I have gained that will enable me to perform better when working in the industry.

On a basic level, I understand that Ruder Finn is responsible for the writing of news releases and bylined articles, the composition of media lists and constant awareness to find opportunities that will help clients to flourish and gain worthwhile mention. But more specifically, the staff at Ruder Finn Israel has showed me that teamwork, creativity and determination are just as important as knowing how to find an editorial calendar on a publication’s website.

In a recent brainstorming session at Ruder Finn Israel, the team discussed creative and fun ways to physically deliver a press release that would be a far step from the ordinary route. Experiences like these make me really appreciate my internship and think about the understanding that I’ve gained as I begin to contemplate the next steps in my life after my upcoming college graduation.

When I ask myself whether it’s time to seriously consider a career in public relations, I think about the brainstorming sessions that I’ve attended, the writing I’ve done, and the amazing and innovative companies that I’ve had the opportunity to represent.  I love that I go to work each and every day knowing that I’ll be doing something different from the day before and I love that the needs of each client vary greatly. This allows me to use the different strengths that I have and to cater to the various client expectations to the best of my ability.

But my favorite aspect about working in public relations is knowing that I can make a difference. As an intern, I conduct lots of research and do other tasks that serve as the basis for much larger projects. Although I am not speaking with company representatives one-on-one, I know that the results I achieve make a strong impact and help to meet the needs of the clients.

The internship program at Ruder Finn Israel has provided me with a strong foundation for what might likely be the start of a career in public relations. I now have confidence in myself that I can work successfully in a PR firm and be a strong asset to a hardworking team. However, just as a house is not complete after the foundation is laid, there is still much more for me to learn and experience.

I look forward to continuing this path of learning and exploration and will not forget what I learned during my nine-week internship at Ruder Finn Israel.

I often ask myself, how is it that many Israeli companies that receive tens of millions of dollars in funding … not to mention the tens of millions in profits, are unable to spend a reasonable amount per month on a PR campaign?

Today, I finally realized the answer.  It is simple.  They are stupid.

Stupid means that a company can spend tens of thousands of dollars on a single advertorial, because the CEO likes to see his/her face in a magazine, but won’t spend that kind of money on a PR campaign because there is no guaranteed ROI.  Of course, it doesn’t matter that the advertorial they bought gave no ROI either.  At least the CEO can show the picture to his army buddies, right?

Stupid means that a company embarks on a branding campaign that does not have market research as one of its preliminary elements.  And when the branding firm – which the company paid $50,000 to develop the new branding, unveils a name that sounds ridiculously similar to another Israeli company’s name, and the color scheme does as well, the company is forced to accept it because, well, they paid $50,000, and it would be a shame to let that money go to waste.

Stupid means that a company believes it only has $1,000 per month for international PR, so it hires a second-rate freelancer to do the job, when that money would be better spent on Google Ads or, frankly, snacks for the staff.  Any PR firm willing to accept $1,000 per month for international services can’t get the job done.  I assure you of that.

Stupid means that a company spends $150,000 on a small booth at a gigantic trade show, but won’t spend a few thousand on a PR firm to secure them interviews while they are there.

Stupid means that a company produces items that are marketed for tens of thousands of dollars apiece – and bought by thousands of customers, but doesn’t have the money to commit to a momentum-building PR campaign that, over the course of a year, will cost the company the same amount as a single one of their products will cost a single customer.

Of course, there are also smart Israeli companies, and they are a pleasure to work with.

Smart means that a company gives its agency access to as much information as possible so the agency can decide which items may be newsworthy.

Smart means that a company provides its agency an efficient, but reasonable budget, so the agency will feel motivated to provide outstanding service.

Smart means that a company is just as interested in the constructive feedback a journalist gives when the answer is “no,” as they are in securing the “hit.”

Smart means that a company considers PR to be not only a marketing function, but a corporate function as well, since positive PR will impact all audiences positively and negative PR will impact all audiences negatively.

So here’s the kicker, which is also simple …

Over my five years here, I’ve found a direct correlation between a company’s ability to be smart versus stupid, and a company’s likelihood to be successful versus unsuccessful.