Public Relations

Their images fill the social pages of the Sunday papers, striking a pose at the latest launch, fashion show or charity dinner. But unlike the TV celebs, perennial party people and goody-bag-grabbing gatecrashers, the familiar faces of the public relations fraternity are doing a lot more than swilling champagne.

“You do get invited to parties but usually it’s because you’re organising them. So, you’re there for work and not for fun,” explains Dash PR director Christine Kardashian.

“A typical working day in PR is not particularly glamorous and it usually involves a lot of telephone work: calling up ‘journos’ to pitch a story for a client, researching industry trends, writing pitches, press releases and even speeches.

“We also deal with constant media enquiries and then of course you can be liaising with clients on an almost daily basis,” she added.

Christine, who has an MA in Communications, kicked off her PR career five years ago when she manoeuvred herself into a communications role at  IBM, followed by stints at Recognition PR and Mark Communications (formerly Markson Sparks Publicity).

She says that the industry is extremely competitive and it is more about “who you know” than “what you know” that scores you the job.

“Your role is dependant upon firstly the relationships and contacts you build up and can bring to a business and then your experience. Qualifications are just a back up.”

Christine, who only recently started Dash PR, is working hard promoting the new business.

“I first started thinking I could run my own business in December last year,” she explained. “I did my homework and four months later, after some very late nights, I was ready to resign from my job and start becoming established.”

She says the major challenges in getting the business up and running weren’t the financial or business administration but the actual business branding such as getting the logo and website design just right.

“Apart from that it’s been very exciting. I’ve had a lot more networking opportunities and met with lots of new clients.”

To forge a successful PR career, Christine says being a “people person”, good at building networks and being creative, is a must.

“Yes, it can be fun and the freebies are a bonus, but there’s a lot of hard work involved to get there. Putting a plan together is great but actually delivering it is what counts.”