PR and marketing

• One of Sydney’s most respected PR Agencies
• Learn from one of the best!
• Get noticed in a small team!

The opportunity exists for a new graduate ideally with some PR Agency experience to get their foot in the PR door!

Pioneers in PR and social media strategies, we’re one of Sydney’s most respected and innovative boutique PR agencies.

People who work with us describe us as “absolute professionals” who are “always on the lookout for new ideas and points of difference.” We work in a proactive way, so our clients can achieve the exposure that’s right for their business goals. Many have remained loyal for almost ten years.

We’re looking for a PR Coordinator who will be a key team member and:

• Assist with PR and social media campaigns
• Coordinate media monitoring
• Responsible for the Agency’s social media
• Assist with media liaison and story ideas
• Assist with writing so much more than just boring media releases!

You will have:

• Completed degree qualifications in Public Relations, Journalism, Business Marketing/Advertising, or a related field
• High level of written and verbal communication
• High level of computer literacy, including the ability to research online, learn how to use new online tools and be proficient in all Microsoft Office applications
• Be flexible, adaptable and ready to learn quickly 

In return we can offer you a fun place to work with a team of like-minded professionals plus the creative stimulation that comes from working with one of the most highly regarded names in the business.

To find out more about what makes us tick read our blog Public Relations Sydney and read our client testimonials on the CP Communications Website  

Catriona Pollard, CP Communications, info(at)cpcommunications(dot)com(dot)au

Last week, we had a big announcement. We have been appointed as the Hilton Worldwide PR and social media Agency for the Asia Pacific. We are so excited and thrilled at this appointment.

We will be responsible for driving strategic public relations for Hilton Worldwide across Australia, New Zealand and The Pacific, as well as implementing the hotel group’s first social media strategy for the region.

I said to a friend who has known me....forever... “How incredible this fell into my lap, and we got this out of the blue.” She looked at me in disbelieve, and said “Are you kidding me? Out of the blue? Fell into your lap”.

“You are the hardest working person I know. For 10 years you have gone networking rain, hail or shine, you have mastered social media, you have dealt with setbacks, you have pitched to hundreds of potential new clients....” I won’t go on, but you get the picture.

And she is right. I have also stepped into the spotlight, which has been one of the hardest and most challenging things for me to do. I’m not a spotlight kind of person, I’m used to putting other people into the spotlight (it’s what I’m paid to do!).

I’m going to be talking about this at the next Social Media Women: how to own your expertise and shout about it. How to build your profile using PR and social media, and how I have done it. I hope you can join me. 

Learn how to do your own PR! – My next one day workshop - PR and Media Releases that get Results - is on Thursday 27 October 2011. Learn how to construct a PR strategy including how to develop media angles, pitches, media releases, articles, case studies and editorials. You will also learn how to strategically use these tools to maximise your chance of achieving your PR objectives. This event is held at the Sydney Writers’ Centre. Book now!

I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter.

How to get the most out of radio
Radio can be a tricky medium when you are preparing for a media interview. Unlike print or television, radio does not have visuals you can use to further emphasise a point. However, radio is an extremely useful and powerful medium and a great way to target key audiences. Here are a few tips on how to prepare and get the most out of a radio interview.

Make the message clear
When taking part in a live or pre-recorded radio interview it is vital that, before the interview deadline, you make sure you understand what you are talking about and how you are going to get your message across in short, simple sentences.

Talk to your audience - not at them
Radio creates the illusion of a one on one private conversation with the audience. It is much more intimate than television or print and therefore you must be careful about how you converse with your audience.

When you speak, pretend you are speaking to a friend rather than a group of people. Tailor your language so you are including the audience in the conversation rather than just blurting out what you have to say.

Research the station and the journalist
It is a great idea to research information about the radio station and journalist who will be interviewing you. Find out who the radio station targets – what are the demographics? Are they an AM station or FM? Talk back or commercial? Does the station have an area of interest e.g. education or lifestyle? Find out everything you can about the station or program before the interview. 

Read the full article on CP Communications News.

Blogger outreach - a new way to promote your brand
Blogger outreach is now an essential tactic for PR professionals. With interactive content such as videos and hyperlinks, and niche readerships, blogs have great potential as a PR channel. However, blogger outreach does take strategy and effort.

Blogs are a great medium to promote your brand in many ways. They usually have a dedicated readership, so rather than being seen by many people who are not in your target audience, your brand will be seen by engaged, active readers on a blog.

Bloggers are increasingly being compared to journalists. However, there are different rules of engagement. That’s because of the differences: bloggers are usually part-time while journalists are full time; journalists are professionally trained while bloggers are not and journalists are paid while bloggers usually aren’t.

Because of these differences, PR professionals must treat bloggers as a separate medium. Bloggers want value for their readers, such as exclusive content, images or experiences. They want honest, friendly people with manners. And they want to be treated as the individuals they are – so don’t mass-email bloggers with information that has nothing to do with their blog.

Read about how to pitch to a blogger on the Public Relations Sydney blog.

Upcoming events
Here are some events coming up that we thought you might be interested in:

Join Catriona at Social Media Women: Stepping into the spotlight using PR and social media - how to build your profile and position yourself as an expert
At this October Social Media Women event, Catriona Pollard will share with you her secrets on how she built up her profile and positioned herself as an expert in her field through the use of PR and social media, and how you can as well.
11 October - Sydney

Effective marketing plans from strategy to tactic
This two-day intensive workshop looks at how marketing strategy can be developed and captured in the marketing plan. It looks at what’s driving the organisation and how to align its resources with the opportunities in the marketing environment.
17-18 October – Brisbane

EMSA 2011
This year Brisbane will be hosting the fifth annual Email Marketing Summit. The theme is 'Innovation and Inspiration' and will provide both new and experienced email marketers with an understanding of email marketing strategies and practices. Some topics to be discussed include: The return of the relationship, breaking through the clutter, and email marketing and social media.
19 October - Brisbane

Marketing twenty-twelve and beyond
Globalisation and fragmentation have created more channels and better targeting, and the digital landscape is recreating itself on a minute-by-minute basis. The Australian Marketing Institute’s 2011 annual conference features a line-up of speakers talking about world-class branding, design, customer acquisition, social trends, media and more.
19-20 October – Sydney

PR and Media Releases That Get Results with Catriona Pollard
Catriona Pollard will teach you how to construct a PR strategy that gets results. By the end of this workshop you will understand how to come up with a media angle, write a pitch, media release, article, case study and editorial. You will also learn how to strategically use these tools to maximise your chance of achieving your PR objectives.
27 October – Sydney  

Read the full article here. 

So you want to start up a social media campaign for your business but don’t know where to begin?

There are many different types of social media from Facebook to Twitter to Foursquare and blogs. Knowing how to use each one, getting the best results and keeping up with your ROI can be a full-time job in itself. Not to mention constantly updating the content that is on topic and interesting.

Experienced social media companies will be able to do the research for you and develop a comprehensive social media strategy.

Another point of difference is social media campaign companies will have experienced writers on staff who can utilise their skills for the different platforms from writing 140 character tweets to 1000 word technical blog posts.

Tips for working with an outsourced company:

Do your research before picking a company. Different companies work within different sectors, such as lifestyle and retail, and can be experts in different fields.

Set targets: Know what you want out of the social media campaign and set realistic targets. This can be a certain amount of engagement, comments on a blog or number of customers taking up an offer from a social media site.

Communicate with the company to make sure you are both on the same page. Social media is an ongoing, daily activity and you want to make sure you both have the same idea when it comes to the message and public persona you want to showcase.

Hilton Worldwide today announced the appointment of Richard Todd as Regional Director of Human Resources for Australasia. Reporting into Brendan Toomey, Vice President Human Resources for Asia Pacific, Richard will function as the key business partner in the delivery of local and corporate HR services in the Australasian region.

Richard joins Hilton Worldwide from Toga Hospitality Group where he served as Director of Human Resources for Australia and New Zealand. Over the four years in this role, Richard managed the HR strategy for the region including the growth of the human capital capability, and the implementation of a centralised HR function to support business expansion and change management.

“Richard’s strong experience implementing HR strategies, systems and processes during growth periods ensures he is a true asset to our executive team. With our developments and refurbishments across the region, Richard will focus on delivering our cultural integration program, Blue Energy, ensuring the right people are in the business for our growth plans,” said Ashley Spencer, Vice President Operations Australasia.

“He is highly experienced in managing human resources from a national and regional level, and has a solid foundation in talent acquisition, team member engagement, learning and development and retention within the hospitality sector; his expertise will benefit the Australasian executive team immediately,” said Ashley.

Throughout his nearly 20 years in human resources, Richard has demonstrated strong directorship and HR delivery across hospitality, property investment and IT sectors. Prior to Toga, Richard spent four years as Area Director of Human Resources for Hyatt International Hotels and Resorts. He has also held a number of Human Resources and Training & Development roles with Stockland Hotel Group, , Micros-Fidelio Asia Pacific and Renaissance Sydney Hotel.

“I am very excited to be joining a company that offers such amazing opportunities for team members to grow their careers, and has strategies in place to ensure the company vision is achieved  through the  measurable culture alignment and activities of the organisation ,” said Richard.

Richard has managed human resources projects internationally in Europe, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.

-ends-

About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 91 years, Hilton Worldwide has been offering business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,600 hotels and 600,000 rooms in 81 countries and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. For more information about the company, please visit www.hiltonworldwide.com

Sydney based agency, CP Communications, has won the Hilton Worldwide account to manage PR and social media throughout Australasia.

CP Communications will be responsible for driving strategic public relations for Hilton Worldwide across Australia, New Zealand and The Pacific, as well as implementing the hotel group’s first social media strategy for the region.

Senior Manager of Corporate Communications for Hilton Worldwide, Asia Pacific, Charlotte Seymour said, “We approached CP Communications to assist us in delivering a unified social media PR strategy for the Australasian region.  We are looking forward to working with CP Communications, integrating everything from corporate communication and new hotel developments to targeting the leisure and tourism markets.”

While individual hotels will still be responsible for local media coverage and marketing, CP Communications will work closely with the corporate team to drive PR and social media opportunities from a regional level.

Director of CP Communications, Catriona Pollard said, “It’s a fantastic account for us to win as a growing agency, we are thrilled to be able to partner with such a reputable brand and are looking forward to achieving outstanding results across PR and social media channels.”

CP Communications has won a number of accounts recently including the Institute of Executive Coaching and Zintel.

Read the full article here.

Read the full article here.