Rachel Cook

Public Relations graduate; living life and enjoying the lessons.

[rachelcookpr]

A great night to be a PR intern! Here’s the amazing finale of the Garrison Bespoke runway show at Toronto Men’s Fashion Week 2015.   Thanks for the great memories!

[rachelcookpr]

Double check.

So, as an intern, I’m asked to do a wide variety of task.  While I love being creative and writing, sometimes it’s daunting to think that your work is being judged. 

Just this week I was asked to write a press release, something I had not done since my first year of school.  Not only was it terrifying, but it was a good learning experience for my future career.

The client I was to write about sent about 20 emails with little bits of information here and there. Also, each email was a thread, so there were random pieces of useful information all over the place, as well as other peoples input and less helpful information. Some of the information needed to be verified, so assuming the website would be up-to-date, I started to use that information- don’t make assumptions. The site was not up-to-date, a mistake that could have made the press release invalid. I even had to have the client contacted to verify some of his information - asking questions saved me.

My lesson for everyone is to READ EVERYTHING! If it seems tedious, it is. But, its worth it. Sometimes clients can be difficult and scatter information, but it’s better to go through, verify and ask questions, than to look unprepared.  

And I’m happy to say that outcome of the press release was positive and well received. 

[rachelcookpr]

This is what happened on Friday last week. It was a wellness challenge, which we took it to the next level.

Step #1: rearrange office and move furniture

Step #2: champagne toast for luck and in celebration of Friday

Step #3: pick yoga pose - clearly the first pose was too difficult for a timed 3 second phone camera picture.

Step #4: Triple tree pose - success!

[rachelcookpr]

Professional Ethics

Having taken a course solely based around ethics, I have become more aware of the role ethics play in business. I have started to take more notice of ethical practices that I find while media monitoring. Some companies are commended for their professional and transparent ethics, while others are condemned for their lack of professionalism. 

Today I ran across an article in the paper lauding Etsy, the arts and crafts marketplace, for its responsible business practices and values. Labelled as a “B Corporation,” Etsy abides by socially and environmentally responsible guidelines. Becoming a B Corporation is no easy feat; there is a detailed certification process to prove ethical performance, accountability and transparency. So, kudos Etsy for attaining such a highly regarded status.

While this article sheds light on their positive philosophy and ethical practices, there is another side to the story. Although founded as a site to buy and sell homemade items, in 2013 they started to allow factory-made items to be sold. When this change came into effect, their ethical code was questioned. Hypothetically, if these mass-produced products come from a country with questionable labour ethics, does it go against the existing Etsy socially responsible mission? Are these cheaper mass-produced items considered knock-offs and thus misleading and lying to the public?

I guess this is where personal ethics come in to play. It’s a personal decision to either support or abandon. While they have garnered trust through social and environmental values, maybe what they need to do is re-evaluate and create a more transparent way of informing buyers exactly where item production is done.

[rachelcookpr]

Lesson Learned from the Maple Leafs!

As I sit here going through social media sites and newspapers, I have come across a pretty ingenious lesson: "The jobbing media never forgive and never forget – they wait."  

For all you hockey fans out there, I'm sure you have your own opinions on who said what and how so-and-so handled this. From my opinion, it seems that, although not always in your favour, building positive relationships is always the right way to go.  It's like the golden rule says: treat people the way you want to be treated.  In other words, respect!  The relationships you make, whether it's with the media, clients, co-workers or generally anyone, may not seem mutually beneficial or even positive in the moment, but it could be in the future and having confidence in your relationships will be that much more reassuring.

[rachelcookpr]

Late night of a Public Relations and Communications intern.  Couldn't have had a better opportunity or a good time!

[rachelcookpr]

Lifestyles of the rich and famous ...

This may be a little delayed, but last week I got to experience high fashion, designer styles, celebrities and the extremely busy day of an event and public relations professional.  

Luckily, my internship had started just before Toronto Men's Fashion Week! Even more exciting was the opportunity of being part of the team - organizing seating charts, collaborating with event staff, live tweeting, updating social media with live posts/pics, setting-up, seating and welcoming high-profile attendees, while also preparing for the after party.

It was a whirlwind experience that I have learned a lot from.  I think one of the most valuable lessons I learned, also number one on PR Daily's 4 PR Lessons from the Oscars, was that you cannot please everyone.  There were hundreds of people on a seating chart, plus standing room, and then there were unexpected but still much appreciated guests of already confirmed guests.  Regardless of how smoothly the media interviews went prior to the show, getting people to sit in their assigned seats was next to impossible.  Then there was the mass of people that showed up "on time" or right when the lights went dark and the runway was lit up. Despite all this, the fashion was astounding.  All the guests looked dapper and the designs on the runway were received with praise and exaltation.  

After that, the after party was easy to manage.  The guests arrived at the venue at a constant pace, all eager and full of excitement over the event, fashion and celebrity appearances.  All-in-all, the show and after pary were a hit! The reviews received were all positive, but there will always be that individual that didn't get sat, missed the show because they were "fashionably late" or couldn't get into the after party. 

My experience was a positive learning experience though and I hope to have more opportunities like this during my internship.

[rachelcookpr]

Beginning my Public Relations Internship ...

So this is my last year of school and of course there is a work placement that needs to be completed.  The idea of an internship is amazing and exciting! I get to put my skills to the test, log some hours and gain experience related to my future career. 

But, before my work placement even started, I was a nervous wreck.  My mind was constantly racing with "what if's." What if I don't know how to do something? What if I do something wrong? What if I don't like it? What if I am not good at Public Relations or Communications?

Now having been in the office for a week, I can tell you that it is not their priority to make you anxious and they won't throw you under the bus.  What's even better, is that they want you to do well because the work you do directly reflects on their reputation, brand and skill set.  

There are so many positives to the journey of an intern and I hope to shed some light on my experiences. So keep an eye open for new posts written while I work on social media campaigns, attend events and down countless venti Starbucks drinks.