INTRODUCTION When initially trying to secure a placement, I knew that I wanted to experience working within the PR industry, as this industry has always appealed to me as I have an interest in events and social media marketing. Therefore, I knew straight away that I wanted to contact MODA PR after the agency’s Managing Director, Jennifer Hodgson, had visited our university as a Guest Lecturer. I was very intrigued with the world of PR, and I was keen to experience more of the industry to see if it met my expectations, as well as seeing if this would be a potential avenue for me to explore in regards to my future career prospects. Having sent my CV, portfolio and cover letter to Jennifer, I was then delighted to straight away receive a response asking me to come in and have a conversation about taking on an intern role. We then discussed what the role would intail and the types of tasks that I would be doint - and I knew that this was something that I would enjoy. From this point, I was all set had had secured my placement as a PR and Social Media assistant at MODA PR.
My role as a PR and Social Media assistant at MODA PR varied daily, as the team allowed me to carry out a variety of tasks within the PR and Social Media departments of the business in order to help me identify which area of the PR industry best aligns with my skill set and personal interests. By being given a diversified role, this really helped my when identifying which areas of the industry I would potentially like to progress in in regards to my future career prospects, as well as allowing me to identify areas of the industry I may wish not to progress into. My daily responsibilities during my placement included designing and creating social media content and video content for MODA PR’s Instagram and TikTok profiles, in order to help the agency move closer to meeting their goal of generating a wider account reach for their agency, in hopes to extend their services to potential new clients. This responsibility was allocated to me personally, and I was given full authority in deciding what types of content to share with MODA PR’s growing audience across all of their social media channels, as well as full time management of their social media profiles. During my first week of my role as a PR and Social Media assistant, I created a fully comprehensive Social Media Marketing Strategy, which included a detailed plan of action of how I aimed to increase MODA PR’s brand awareness across social media, as well as improve their existing social media presence by creating new and engaging content that aligns with their target audience – in aims to improve their social media engagement. This was the first time I have created a detailed social media strategy, and I have taken away many key skills from this task which I can take forwards into industry, such as research, analysis and problem-solving skills. This task was really beneficial to start off my placement, as I believe this task alone taught me in depth about how the PR and Social Media industry works, through creating SWOT analysis of competitors, indicating key performance indicators of my work, as well as setting the agency’s SMART goals. Through setting SMART goals, this allowed me to further enhance my time management skills, as I had to work to strict deadlines to ensure tasks were completed when required. When finishing this task, I then had to present my Social Media Strategy in front of my placement providers, Jennifer Hodgson and Ashley Rudd (Managing Director and Account Manager), which was then signed off and I then had full authority to take over MODA PR’s social media channels. Also during my first week of my placement, I was introduced to new pieces of software that I would then use daily, which included Later.com, Trello and graphic design software, Canva. These pieces of software are widely used across the industry, and I now have a very confident sense of understanding and use of these. These pieces of software allowed me to enhance on my problem solving and time management skills, as I had to generate an understanding of how best to use the software, as well as managing my time across each platform when completing graphic design and scheduling/planning tasks when approaching deadlines.
During my first week of my placement, I was put in straight in the deep end, and was invited to assist on my first event event - which was an Amazon Prime Film Premiere in London to support MODA PR’s client, Victoria Rush, in her directorial debut in the women’s rugby doccumentary, ‘No Woman No Try’. This was such a rewarding experience, as I was able to learn and participate in a large scale and high profile event. During my 2 days in London, this involved setting up the venue by laying out the event promotional materials, as well as packing over 300 goody bags ready for guests to recieve upon their arrival. During the event running itself, I was allocated the task to personally manage MODA PR’s social media platforms, which would consist of filming and posting content, expressing our work to our followers, clients and community, This role was extremely valuable as I was able to experience how events run, both as an attendee, as well as experiencing the behind the scenes efforts and work that goes into planning, preparing and managing a high-profile event. These few days in London was my personal highlight throughout my whole placement, as being given the opportunity to assist at an Amazon Prime Premeire as my first ever event was such a rewarding experience. The event really helped me to improve my communication skills, as I was placed in a very large atmosphere which included celebrity and VIP guests, thereforeI was able to step outside of my comfort zone and work efficiently under pressure, whilst remaining professional.
During week 2 of my placement, I was provided the graphic design task of designing two types of invitations for one of MODA PR’s longest serving clients, BROW HQ, in preparation for their new salon opening launch event, which would then be sent out to journalists and influencers. This task allowed me to focus on enhancing my communication skills, as I was in continuous contact with Leisa, (the Owner and Founder of BROW HQ) as I had to follow their branding guidelines to ensure what I had created was in line with BROW HQ’s existing marketing and promotional materials. When this task was signed off, I then met Leisa in person the following day at BROW HQ in Chester, where we were met with the finalised printed versions of the invitations I had created. My next task was then to independently walk around Chester, going into some of their biggest stores such as Marks and Spencer and River Island, and then hand out invitations to store owners and staff members to verbally invite Chester store owners to the BROW HQ salon launch night. This task was very beneficial when enhancing my communication skills, as I independently approached staff members and explained about the event, and in return many people where very encouraging and enthusiastic about the event. Following on from my successful walk around Chester, I then returned to the MODA PR office where I then compiled a list of local influencers and social media content creators, as well as finding out their contact information. The next step with my invitations was to contact these influencers and VIPs, extending an invite to the event, as well as booking guests in for their complimentary treatments. This task also contributed to enhancing my communication skills, as I was in contact with many different people, then adding confirmed guests to the invite list database. My second half of week 2 consisted of focusing on MODA PR’s social media channels, with Instagram at the top of my priorities. I created a detailed monthly social media content calendar, which involved scheduling out what types of content would be posted on what days, as well as showing time management skills by scheduling out days where I would actually film, design and create the content. Part of this task also included monitoring and adding to a list of social media trends and keeping up to date with the latest trend in the industry, then generating some ideas of how we can create this type of content that aligns with the MODA PR branding and aesthetic. In order to assist and aid the growth of MODA PR’s social media channels, it was important to schedule out time aside to focus on community engagement with our clients and talent that we represent. This included re-sharing client work, commenting on client success and overall getting the MODA PR agency out there in order to achieve a wider profile reach and engagement.
During week 3 of my placement, we had many key upcoming dates that allowed me to challenge my skill set even further. This week, one of MODA PR’s newest clients, vegan skincare brand ‘Glowb’ launched their products on beauty giant, ‘Beauty Bay’. The buildup to the event meant that I had to monitor MODA PR’s social media channel, reposting the news and engaging with our clients who were also sharing the success of the launch. One of my set tasks included monitoring the sharing of the news on industry news channels, and then sharing these articles with our followers, as well as noting the increase in followers and engagement for Glowb’s social media profiles also. The following day, I demonstrated some communication and analytical skills, as I had a Zoom Meeting with Sophie Hughes, who is the Founder of Glowb. This meeting involved me presenting the analytics of the launch day, explaining the engagement levels and updated following count for the brand in front of their Founder. This task further improved my presenting skills as I had to plan out my analytics and then explained to Sophie the benefits and success of what happened across social media on launch day. The second half of this week also involved designing a MODA PR compliments card, and then sharing these designs with Jennifer and Ashley in order to finalise which design they liked best. The purpose of the compliments card was so that MODA PR could write personalised notes to the journalists and influencers that would then receive PR product packages with the cards inside them. During this task, I also had to keep in contact with a local printing company via email and telephone, where I Had to send over the final copies of the design as well as confirm the amount needed and the pricing. During this week, I was also given the task of chasing up some responses via email, and reaching out to some of the influencers and content creators to RSVP their attendance for the BROW HQ launch night event. When waiting for responses for influencers, I set aside some more time to research competitors within the industry and look at my SWOT analysis that I included in my social media strategy. This helped me to generate some more content ideas, as well as keeping up to date with the latest social media trends and news within the industry. This allowed me to demonstrate some critical thinking skills, as a creating SWOT analysis allows you to identify what is working well within your strategy, as well as highlighting areas for improvement – which then sparked inspiration for new content ideas.
During week 4 of my placement, I decided to dedicate this week to focus on creating content for MODA PR’s TikTok profile, as last week’s SWOT analysis helped me to identify this was one of the weakest elements of MODA PR’s social media presence. For the first half of this week, I scheduled out some time to look at competitors’ profiles and analysed the types of content that they share with their audience. Taking inspiration from this, I compiled a list of TikTok trends and sounds that I wanted to use, and then generated some ideas of content to create, whilst always ensuring that the content aligned with MODA PR’s brand values and guidelines. I created a spreadsheet plan of sounds on TikTok that were currently trending, as well as creating a call sheet that detailed the scenes and locations for filming, which props and people where needed for each video, as well as any key directions that I needed, such as providing what clothing the team needed to wear for each video. This allowed me to demonstrate my skills in leadership, teamwork and independent working, as I had full responsibility to direct the team when filming, as well as full creative control in deciding what content we were to produce during this week. After we finalised all filming detailed on my call sheet, I then spent the next few days editing the videos the team and I had produced, as well as writing the copy captions for the videos and then scheduling these videos directly onto our TikTok account. My SWOT analysis allowed me to identify that MODA PR’s TikTok profile was the weakest and least active of all their social media channels, and after discovering our industry competitors were very active on the platform, I knew that it was important for our agency to keep up to date with industry, therefore I suggested that we started to post on TikTok multiple times a week in order to grow our newly founded TikTok presence. This allowed me to demonstrate my ability to contribute ideas and work well collaboratively when working in a team environment, which will be very beneficial as I move further into the industry.
The final week of my placement was heavily focused on getting all of the outstanding elements finalised for BROW HQ’s launch night event. These tasks included creating a detailed spreadsheet of local balloon and events companies that were able to source our event with balloons and decorations, which I then sent forwards to BROW HQ Founder, Leisa, in order for these to be ordered. During the days leading towards the event, I met up with Leisa once again to assist with packing the goody bags ready to hand out on the launch night. This task consisted of me packing over 200 goody bags, ensuring each one had the correct amount of items, gifts and leaflets in them. This demonstrated my ability to remain organised when handing large volumes of tasks at the one time. On the evening of the event, myself and the MODA PR team arrived early to assist setting up all of the final touches for the event, which included assisting the DJ with his equipment and organising the prosecco stands, setting out the correct number of glasses and goody bags ready for guests upon arrival. My main task for the evening was to independently manage MODA PR’s social media channels and post content of the event throughout the night. Throughout the event, I spent time creating photo and video content ready to then create reels and TikTok content for our social media channels. I also acted as an events assistant, which involved filming treatment demonstrations, conversing with guests and giving out goody bags to each guest. Throughout the night, I ensured I followed my previously made content plan, which allowed me to capture content that would align and suit the purpose for the content plans I had made. This demonstrated my ability to remain organised and pay attention to key details, as I ensured the content that I captured was suitable for MODA PR’s content guidelines.
The following day, I spent time gathering data and results throughout my time during my placement to analyse the contributions I had made and then identified whether I had met the goals and objectives that I initially set out in my social media strategy. As a result of creating a strategy to improve MODA PR’s social media presence, as well as increase their agency awareness, I identified that I had successfully achieved all of the SMART goals that I created within my strategy. One achievement in particular was getting their Instagram profile to achieve a reach of 17.2k accounts, compared to them reaching 10.2k accounts before I started my placement. This was a 65% increase in agency reach, when our initial goal was to experience a 15% increase.
When reflecting on my experience during my placement, I have gained many valuable skills and enhanced my existing skills throughout carrying out a variety of different tasks. All of these skills and experiences that I have gained throughout my placement will be very beneficial as I progress further into the industry and navigate what areas of the industry I think best aligns with my interests. My experience as a PR and Social Media assistant during my time at MODA PR has been very valuable in respect to my future career planning, as gaining such a vast and varied amount of experience in PR, social media and events has confirmed my path into progressing into the PR sector of the industry. My experience has been helpful in allowing me to realise that the PR industry does support my initial views and thoughts of what the industry was like, as well as allowing me to enhance my existing knowledge on what types of roles there are available within the PR and social media industry. Upon reflection, I believe that the skills I have gained from my experience as an intern will be very transferable and relevant to different industries, as my ability to enhance on my problem solving, creativity, time management and communication has been very impactful upon my existing skill set. As I continue my time at university and progress further into industry, I am definatley still intrigued by the PR industry, and I still do envision myself moving towards this direction after I have finished university in regards to my future career prospects.
During my placement, I was also delighted to receive a response from the international publishing company, Conde Nast Britain, who I initially also got in contact with when trying to confirm a placement. The response was that they we’re really impressed with my portfolio that I had sent to them when enquiring about a placement, and then I was placed in contact with GLAMOUR UK magazine, who then offered me a role to act as an Editorial and Features Contributor. This occurred whilst I was at my placement, therefore I successfully demonstrated my ability to remain focused and dedicated to both roles, as I demonstrated time management skills of being able to cope under pressure when meeting deadlines and doing multiple tasks to a high standard at the same time. This experience was extremely beneficial, as I was also able to experience the publishing side of the industry, which has also sparked an interest in journalism. This has also opened another potential avenue for me to follow in regards to my future career, and being able to experience working within a larger team provided a new experience for me to further enhance on my abilities in team and gorup communication, as well as pitching and contributing my ideas to a wider audience.