一个新闻人的公关体验：收获、挑战和观点【转】

就业新闻发言人

A News Guy's PR Experience: Take-aways, Challenges and Opinions

WAN Li

* This is a personal blog. The opinions here are my own and not necessarily those of my employer.

September 7, 2012 marked my last working day with Burson-Marsteller China. After 3- month internship at Burson, I am moving on to my next challenge – pursue a M.A. in International Journalism and Communication in Renmin University of China. While I am looking forward to new school life and academic pursuit, I can’t help but recall my working days and review what I’ve learned from this wonderful organization.

PR: an evil campaign of disinformation or a practice for social harmony?

Three months ago, when I departed from Xinhua News Agency and began my internship in Burson-Marsteller, I felt too embarrassed to tell my former colleagues that I would work in PR, an industry where you are automatically part of some “disinformation” campaign. It was difficult for me in the beginning, for I always considered myself a news guy.

However, it didn't take long for me to realize that public relations, as a well-established and profitable industry with a long history, is the practice of a social science that is not about media control, negative coverage recall, covering for bad behaviors or bragging about oneself. In fact, PR includes areas like Corporate Social Responsibilities which encourages positive impact through an organization’s activities on people who may be considered as stakeholders.

PR is about perception management and it helps an organization and its stakeholders adapt mutually to each other. In my humble opinion, as long as it builds mutually beneficial relationships, it contributes to social harmony.

As Burson-Marsteller co-founder Harold Burson said, “You have to operate in the public interest and PR has a role to play in the reconciliation of what the public wants and the client expects. Unlike in the political sphere, where you can make claims and not be held accountable, corporations can’t do that.”

My Assignment

Out of great curiosity for public relations, I joined the world-renowned agency, Burson-Marsteller’s Beijing office in June 2012 as an intern in the firm’s Corporate and Public Affairs Practice. I worked for a prestigious group of multinational clients in IT, auto, energy, FMCG, banking and heavy industries, providing support in a range of services that include market intelligence, issues monitoring, media relations, coverage monitoring, and regulatory environment research.

As a day-to-day assistant to a key account, I supported the account team mainly with media relations and issues management including

• maintaining media database,
• drafting press releases and blogs,
• developing coverage and wrap-up reports,
• analyzing issues and industry trends, and
• assisting in conceptualizing several new PR initiatives for clients.
  

My other assignments involve logistics, managing vendors, and various researches for the team’s knowledge building. In addition, I supported other client accounts on project basis, including new product launch, media monitoring, new business pitch, all of which are for industry-leading clients. If you really have a sense to reach out for responsibilities, you can also raise your hand and join projects like internal training which are very rewarding in terms of knowledge building.

Key take-away

To work as an intern at Burson-Marsteller is one of the best choices I've ever made - a crucial footstone preparation for my career development in the future.

The three-month internship has been professionally designed and implemented. From the comprehensive orientation, to every specific instruction during work, I feel strongly that the company, especially the account team, treated me as an equal and trusted team member who can be relied upon. Working here has been inspiring and rewarding. Various assignments have equipped me with multi-tasking capabilities. The team always welcomes new ideas and suggestions and spares no effort to clarify things when I have concerns.

Among others, three aspects of work stand out as the most rewarding learning points.

- PR people have to understand the clients' business, the issues, and the media. Therefore, on the one hand, working as an intern with Burson-Marsteller allows you to probe into your clients' industry and acquire deep working knowledge of specific issues in order to help advise your clients on communication strategies; On the other hand, it forces you to gain a profound understanding of the complicated and ever-evolving Chinese media landscape, so that you can help your clients in building reputation, shifting perceptions and finally achieve business goals. Of course, this is the most amazing point about this work; the client pays you to learn.

- Public relation is a sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its public. It is won step by step with long-term strategies and is managed with patience and caution. As a passionate youth who has a heart for journalism, I always wanted what I do to go big and produce immediate results. But after I encountered the delicacy of various relations and learned how information flow is professionally managed, I began to reflect on my recklessness and got increasingly aware to be more sensible rather than sensational in my future endeavors. I believe a lesson is learned for my personality development.

- Burson Marsteller, as one of the world's leading PR professional service agency, has taught me a professional working attitude which I believe will be vital for whatever I do in the future. I learned to take pride in my work and show a personal commitment to quality. I learned to reach out for responsibilities and do whatever it takes to get the job done. I learned to really listen to the needs of those I serve and always look for ways to make things easier for them. I learned to be appreciative of constructive critiques on how to improve.

All these are learned through Burson-Marsteller’s renowned training programs and more importantly in daily work.

Challenges

Learning does not equal to performing. Although my practice leader has regularly checked in with me to see how I was adjusting and to keep me up to speed on the team's performance, upon my departure, I still feel there are certain areas of work I enjoy the least.

- Members of the press sometimes don’t like PR people and they are not afraid to let you know that. But you have to deal with them because they are influential and they have full control over how a story is told. In order to handle the media, you really have to understand the overall media landscape and be aware of their needs. In fact the press needs you as much as you need them. They are also human and under pressure. They want information and access to spokespeople. They rely on you for industry sources and exclusivity. The problem is that not all reporters and editors are aware of the equal relationship between media and PR. It’s indeed a big test of communication skills, and more importantly, endurance.

- Though most of the time, an agency is hired to serve as a strategic advisor, oftentimes, demanding clients make you feel you are treated like a vendor. Though at an entry level, I don’t have to deal with the clients directly, I had chance to talk to clients at some on-site events. I feel clearly how they enjoy the superiority of being a Party A. I often feel great sympathy for professionals who work in PR agencies for they may always have to deal with some pretty bloated egos. But this is also why I admire those who work in agencies for they always stay positive and respond to the clients with the best solutions.

On Burson-Marsteller: a personal point of view

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working in this great firm. If it were not for the academic pursuit that I follow in the new graduate program, I would wish to stay with Burson-Marsteller. So many amazing things are happening in this firm, all of which are clear signs of its dynamic development.

I witnessed the formation of a new practice in the firm’s Beijing office, the Corporate and Public Affairs Practice, as well as the establishment of B-M China Issues and Crisis Group – a cross-practice and cross-office team that will provide the best of B-M’s issues and crisis capabilities across China. These all mark enhanced skills and expertise of B-M and add to what the firm delivers to clients. Moreover, on September 5, two days prior to my departure, a group of six leading marketing and communications firms and top experts announced the launch of the Burson-Marsteller Leadership Institute (BMLI), a unique partnership  to build leadership capacity for communications practitioners and raise the value and awareness of marketing and communications among business leaders. The Beijing office has also established a B-M Staff Committee, LIFE@B-M, a Burson-Marsteller internal employee community which plans and organizes fun activities for all staff. I feel deeply regretful that I can no longer participate and contribute to all these development.

Apart from all these exiting news, B-M, especially the Corporate and Public Affairs Practice, makes me personally feel good for two distinct reasons.

Firstly, I feel that my practice leader encourages good life-work balance. I’ve actually been severely challenged for staying up too late at the office. That’s not the norm in the industry. This is an attribute of good management of the practice leader and professionalism of all fellow practitioners. It has taught me that doing good job is only half of the story; to be a real professional, the challenge is to manage your time well and go home on time.

Secondly, my practice leader is a lady of exceptional talent and ability. She has taught me a lot by her personal examples and verbal instructions, from be aware of clients’ real needs, to always stay positive, from make the thing you want someone to do seem easy, to always remember to say please and thank you. These are not only communication skills but also wisdom of life.

Burson-Marsteller is an amazing place to learn and grow. Even in my last days with the team, I could still play my role as a fully trusted team member. I’ve learned so much and I am far from being able to contribute back. It is still hard for me to tell if will do PR after graduation but I will definitely cherish this experience and use it as a guide to prepare myself for future endeavors.

Thank you all. Wish the company every success in the future.

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