T h i s I s s u e th - IPRS...T h e S e c r e t a r i a t Interim Manager Robert CONCEICAO Assistant...

T h i s I s s u e• Visit to LinkedIn Singapore

• Azimuth: Networking Night

• Introduction to Public Relations and

Mass Communication Course

• Launch of Brown bag Series

• KAS Workshop: ‘Communication

Strategies for Political Parties’ by Mr

Stephen Forshaw

• 2nd Instalment – an Insight into the

Changing PR Landscape

2 0 1 3 / 2 0 1 5 C o u n c i l

President

Stephen FORSHAW

Vice President

Robert CONCEICAO

Honorary Secretary

Farah ABDUL RAHIM

Honorary Treasurer

Jovina ANG

Council Members

Gregor HALFF

Gerald DE COTTA

Priscilla SOH

LIN Liangmin

Co-opted Members

Dilip ANAND

Christina CHEANG

Honorary Legal Advisor

CHO Pei Lin

ISSUE 01/2015

JAN/FEB/MAR ‘15

43A South Bridge Road, Singapore 058677

Tel: (65) 6534 1841 Fax: (65) 6534 4691

Email: [email protected]

To join us, visit www.iprs.org.sg for more

Information.

ISSUE 01 | JAN/FEB/MAR ’15 p.01

An official publication of Institute of Public Relations of

Singapore in PDF format, 8 pages only. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be in any form or by any

means (electronic, mechanical, micro-copying, photocopying,

recording or otherwise) be reproduced in whole or part

without prior permission from IPRS. The opinions and views

in this newsletter do not reflect the official view of IPRS.

Notice of 45th Annual General

Meeting (AGM) and Election for

the Council Term 2015/2017

Welcoming new Members!

IPRS’ 45th AGM will be held on Tuesday, 18 March 2015, at the Tan Chin Tuan Function Room 2, the YMCA@One Orchard, 1 Orchard Road (Singapore 238824).

The first and second notifications have been sent to IPRS Members on 9 February 2015 and 23 February 2015, respectively.

Registration will commence at 6:30 PM, followed by a buffet dinner. The AGM will commence at 7:00 PM.

The Agenda will be as follows:1. Declaration of Quorum by the Honorary

Secretary, IPRS2. Adoption of the Minutes of the 44th AGM

that was held on 25 March 20143. Matters Arising4. President’s Address5. Adoption of the following:

1. IPRS Annual Report 2014/20152. Honorary Treasurer’s Financial

Report for 20146. Election of the following office-bearers for

the Council Term 2015/20171. President2. Vice President3. Honorary Secretary4. Honorary Treasurer5. Council Members (Minimum 5,

Maximum 7)7. Any Other Business

If you have not done so, kindly RSVP at [email protected] or at 6534 1841.

Support your Institute! Show up at the AGM and Council Elections!

On behalf of the IPRS President and Council, we warmly welcome the following Members:

Accredited Members: • Ms Lina Poa, SVP, Corporate Communications,

Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd• Ms Lim Yuan See, Partner, Newgate

Communications• Ms Sabrina Chua, Associate Partner, Newgate

Communications

Corporate Members:• Shell Eastern Petroleum• Nanyang Technological University

Full Members:• Ms Jessie Chiang, Senior Vice President,

Corporate Affairs/Staff, Nera Telecommunications Ltd

• Ms Chia Hui Kheng, Managing Director, Citigate Dewe Rogerson, i.MAGE Pte Ltd

• Mr Bernard T C Ho, Lecturer & Section Head (Public Relations), School of Film & Media Studies, Ngee Ann Polytechnic

• Mr Gilbert Ong, Marketing Manager, Grand Mecure Roxy Hotel

Affiliate Members:• Mr Jacob Joseph Puthenparambil, Director,

Communications Strategy, Havas Worldwide Siren.

Have You Renewed Your IPRS

Membership?

It’s that time of the year again – time for you to renew your IPRS Membership! The annual membership renewal exercise commences in March 2015. If you are an IPRS Member, and your membership is due for renewal on 31 March 2015, you would have received an email notification from the IPRS Secretariat.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.iprs.org.sg/


T h e S e c r e t a r i a t

Interim Manager

Robert CONCEICAO

Assistant Manager

Jacelyn KOH

Volunteer

Ernst LIM

C a l e n d a r

MARCH

18 – 45th Annual General Meeting and

Election of Council 2015/2017

23 – Launch of Professional Certificate in

Public Relations and Mass

Communication Course (Mar to Jun

2015) (T).

28 – IPRS-PA/NACLI Public

Communications Series by Ms Jovina

Ang, IPRS Council Member and Director,

Communicatio

APRIL

6 to 7 – Workshop: ‘Better Grammar for

Professional Public Relations

Communication’ by Ms Valerie Valberg-

Yeoh, Managing Consultant, Vying

Communications (T).

8 to 9 – Workshop: ‘Make a Success Out

of Your Events!’ by Mr James Suresh,

Managing Director, Training Plus (T).

17 – Public Relations Institute of Australia

(PRIA) Webinar: ‘Digital Marketing

Strategy’ by Ms Jovina Ang, IPRS

Council Member and Director,

Communicatio.

MAY

4 – Workshop: ‘Proactive Crisis

Management’ by Mr Albert Tan, General

Manager, Global Crisis, Truscott Crisis

Leaders (T).

13 to 15 – Introduction to Public

Relations and Mass Communication

Course. (T)

18 – Workshop – ‘A Dozen Ways to

Persuade’ by Ms Kathy O’ Brien,

Managing Director, Red Shoe

Communications. (T)

*(T) - Tentative

A new look for www.iprs.org.sg! Membership has its benefits:• Invitations to Members-only events such as

visits to the media. Past visits include to Google, LinkedIn, Singapore Press Holdings, MediaCorp, Reuters and Bloomberg.

• Networking opportunities at IPRS events.• Professional dialogues such as the

Accreditation PR Roundtable.• Enjoy special discounts (of up to 20%) at

selected IPRS events (such as lunch talks and networking nights); professional courses and workshops (such as the Introduction to PR and Communication, the Professional Certificate Programme, and in-house customized training); and participation at the PRISM Awards.

• Opportunity to join the IPRS pool of professional Trainers.

• Be on the IPRS mailing list for special announcements such as job ads.

If you haven’t heard from the IPRS Secretariat regarding your membership renewal, please contact [email protected] or call 65341841.

Details on the different categories of membership can be found at www.iprs.org.sg.

Much like how you might think that a house needs a fresh coat of paint from time to time, the IPRS Council and Secretariat felt the same about our website. In case you have not visited our site, the newly revamped website went ‘live’ in January. It now boasts a streamlined look, brighter colours and ease of access for easier navigation. Do check it out!

9 February 2015 - Visit to LinkedIn SingaporeLinkedIn Singapore once again opened its doors to IPRS, welcoming about 30 IPRS Members at its new office at Marina Bay. LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network, giving professionals a platform to interact with other like-minded professionals within and across industries. Many of the participants were already avid users of LinkedIn, but the chance to visit the office and gain further insights was too good to pass.

The visit kicked off with a short presentation about LinkedIn and its various functions by Mr Phillip Dunnes, Relationship Manager, Talent Solutions Division, LinkedIn. An enthusiastic discussion followed on how PR practitioners can use LinkedIn as an avenue to gain visibility for their brands. Top tips by Phillip:

• Your professional brand is a work of art – update it regularly as you gain new skills, experiences, or perspectives.

• Don’t just read, share! – Comment on posts, or share articles with your LinkedIn Network to position yourself as a leader in your industry.

• Endorse connections for their experience, and get recommendations from valued clients/colleagues to build your credibility.

• Follow Companies and Influencers – get tips and insights to make yourself better at your job.

E v e n t H i g h l i g h t s


Phillip introducing Linkedin. Participants being given a tour by Lanny (Extreme R).




IPRS would like to thank LinkedIn Singapore for the visit. Watch out for the next Members-only visit!

28 January 2015 – Azimuth: Networking Night

A “pro-tem” team of young PR practitioners held itsfirst event - Azimuth: Networking Night at TheAssembly Ground Cafe, The Cathay. The event drewabout 40 participants. At the event, senior PublicRelations (PR) practitioners shared their insights andknowledge, and mingled with PR undergraduates.

The team members led by Ms ShuQi Liu, Director, QCommunications, were from Temasek Polytechnic,the University of Newcastle, Singapore ManagementUniversity, and SIM University.

Ms Lorraine Wee, 20, asecond-year communicationsstudent, Temasek Polytechnic“I enjoyed myself tremendously. I was able to meet like-minded people, and found out more about working in a PR firm. I definitely look forward to the next event.”


Mr Clarence Goh, Consultant, Newgate Communications“The presentation was really interesting. It helped us know what functions LinkedIn has to offer. It was a really good learning opportunity. After this visit, I will go back and see how we can further leverage on LinkedIn.”

An office tour was led by Phillip, Mr Arif Khan, Senior Talent Solutions Specialist, LinkedIn, and Ms Lanny Wijaya, Relationship Manager, Talent Solutions Division, LinkedIn. The participants got to know the people behind LinkedIn and insights into how the network was managed and grown.

Ms Lily Lim, Senior Lecturer, Temasek Polytechnic“This visit has convinced me that LinkedIn was more than a directory of contacts and one can interact freely with others. I am going to explore LinkedIn in greater depth, especially the group discussions.”

“It was great to see youngprofessionals step forward andorganise this networking event.We are encouraged by the goodturnout at The AssemblyGround,” said ShuQi.

"I volunteered because I wantedto give communication studentsmore exposure,” said Mr DarylWee, 24, a final-year student,University of Newcastle andemcee for the evening. “Eventslike this help to expand theirnetwork, which is vital in thisprofession."

The organising team with IPRS Vice-President Mr Robert Conceicao (3rd from L) and Ms Jacelyn Koh, Assistant Manager, IPRS Secretariat (Extreme R).

Networking amidst the cosy atmosphere of The Assembly Ground Café.

So what did students think about the event?

Contributed by Mr Phillson Rajan, President, TP-IPRS Student Chapter (L), and Ms KimverlynLim, Publicity Secretary, TP-IPRS Student Chapter (R).

In his welcome address, IPRS President, MrStephen Forshaw, shared how PR was aboutprotecting and enhancing the reputation ofcorporations. He said that a PR practitioner isthe main interpreter between corporationsand the public. He added that to be asuccessful PR practitioner, one must be ableto write well and speak plainly.

Azimuth is an angle that typically takes referencefrom the true North and is used mainly fornavigation. The theme matched perfectly with theobjective, which was to guide communicationstudents as they begin their careers in PR.

The laughter and banter of students and PRpractitioners as they freely networked with oneanother marked the beginning of Azimuth. Namecards were exchanged; experiences were shared andopportunities were offered.


11 to 13 February 2015 – Introduction to Public Relations and

Mass Communication Course

Day 1:Gerald guided participants in their first steps into the PR landscape. He touched on the concept of publicity and showed how it affects an organization’s corporate image.

Day 2 (AM):James shared the different types of media and events, and the strategies used in different situations.

Day 2(PM)/3(AM):While discussing recent crises, Adrian covered the techniques that are used to communicate effectively during a crisis.

Day 3 (PM):Jovina brought it all together by demonstrating how the skills acquired over the three days can be applied in a PR Campaign.

Jovina presented the participants with Certificates of Participation.

Mr Benjamin Moey, Admin Officer, Singapore Polytechnic“I like learning from experienced professionals. The trainers shared many interesting stories with us. I am excited to see how I can apply these newfound skills to my work.”

Mr Fabian Foo, Executive (Group

Corporate Communications),

National Healthcare Group

“It’s good to have a refresher. There

are lessons to learn from past

experiences. I like the way the

trainers addressed our questions

and even gave follow-up questions

to encourage us to think.”

Look out for the next intake of the Introduction to Public Relations and Mass Communication course, which will tentatively be in May 2015.

At this year’s first intake of the three-day course,

trainers comprising Accredited Members of the

Institute shared the basics of Public Relations (PR)

with about 20 participants. The trainers were Mr

Adrian Heng, Group Marketing Director, Asia

Plantation Capital Pte Ltd, Mr Gerald De Cotta, IPRS

Council Member and Director, Corporate

Communications, Singapore Business Federation,

Mr James Suresh, Managing Director, Training Plus

International Pte Ltd, and Ms Jovina Ang, IPRS

Honorary Treasurer and Director, Communicatio.

Curious about how the course went?


20 January 2015 – Launch of IPRS Brown Bag Series

The series kicked off with a talk titled, ‘Navigating

Communications, PR in Emerging Markets’, by Ms

Angelina Ong, which was attended by 11

participants, including IPRS Council Member, Ms

Jovina Ang, who did the introduction.

Angelina covered the following:

Perception vs Reality. Things in emerging

markets may be different from what is

commonly believed.

Understand the political scene. It will help

determine the direction of your

Government Relations.

Hinterland Strategy. Establish yourself at

the gateway provinces to enjoy lower costs

and more ‘relaxed’ regulations.

Take a regional angle. There are usually

many cultural differences across regions.

Plan for the long haul. Prepare platforms to

build on the momentum that your

campaigns have started.

Be ‘crisis-ready’. There are no ‘rules’.

Incidents such as competitor sabotage and

ex-employee extortion can suddenly occur.

The IPRS Brown Bag Series will comprise talks covering communication-related topics, held during lunch. Participants bring their own meals, and eat and drink during the talk. This series is free to IPRS Members.

“It was a lively lunch discussion,” said Angelina. “Communication practitioners need to closely follow their company’s direction. It will be helpful to have an insight on the cultural nuances of emerging markets.”

Participants with guest speaker, Ms Angelina Ong (4th

from L) and Ms Jovina Ang, IPRS Honorary Treasurer

(5th from L).

Ms Jacintha Ng, Account

Manager, The Hoffman Agency

“It was awkward at first, eating

during a presentation. However,

a lot of ground was covered

while we were munching away.

It was an effective way of

getting ideas across.”

Angelina sharing insights with participants

Editor’s Note: IPRS would like to thank Weber

Shandwick for the use of their boardroom as

the venue for the talk.

27 January 2015 – Workshop: “Communication Strategies for

Political Parties” by Mr Stephen Forshaw

“The most important people are those who are watching on the grandstands.” This valuable insight

on the political arena by Mr Stephen Forshaw, President, IPRS, resonated with 24 budding young

politicians from Asia who attended a workshop by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), one of

Germany’s political foundations.

IPRS was invited by KAS to share effective media communication strategies in a political context with

young politicians who hailed from Afghanistan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal,

Malaysia, The Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Timor Liste.

Stephen shared his experiences as a political communicator while working at the Office of the Deputy

Chief Minister; Government of the Australian Capital Territory. He advised politicians to don their own

brand in terms of integrity and character, and to be consistent when facing the public and the media.


Key takeaways from the seminar:

Always take the public into your confidence and be fair so that they will see you as reasonable.

Use the media as a platform to bring

people into your ideas. Frame these

ideas into a context that resonates with

the public.

Seek to understand the media and the

people who are voting for you.

Never be too afraid to apologise. The

worst mistake of a politician is to cover

up a mistake.

Conversation on social media should not

be about responding to trolls, but

engaging those who are watching.

The biggest challenge in politics is

knowing when your time is up.

Stephen sharing insights with participants.

From L to R: Mr Nivio Magalhaes, President, Youth

Wing, Partido Democratico, Timor Liste; Ms Jiang Ji-

Yi, Michelle, Kuomintang, Taiwan; Mr Stephen

Forshaw, President, IPRS; and Mr Astik Sinha, Head

of Policy Initiatives Projects, Bharatiya Janata Party,

India.

Ms Jiang Ji-Yi, Michelle, Member, Kuomintang (KMT),

Taiwan

“It was an excellent training! Mr Forshaw's insights on

communications have impressed and inspired me in my

own political career as I was in the same position as

him. His perception on the power of social media and how

to utilize these platforms was the greatest lesson for me.

Mr Nivio Magalhaes, President of Youth Wing, Partido

Democratico, Timor Liste

“Through Mr Forshaw’s political experience, I learnt a lot

on how to effectively communicate with both the public

and the media. He has also given me valuable insights on

real-life scenarios which many of us can identify and

implement in our home country.”

Contributed by IPRS volunteer,

Ms Joane Ling, Business

Development Executive, Changi

General Hospital.

F e a t u r e A r t i c l e

2nd Instalment – Insights into the Changing PR Landscape by Mr

Yeo Toon Joo, IPRS Fellow Member.

‘We have to improve what we say to each other’

- Peter Ustinov, IPRA XII Public Relations World Congress, 1991

Many of today’s senior PR practitioners and management executives in Singapore owe their start in

public affairs management to Institute of Public Relations of Singapore.

IPRS instituted in the 1980s a Certificate course, followed by a Diploma course in PR Management, and

partnered with Sterling University, UK, to run a distance learning Degree course in PR. Other

specialized courses followed and did much to upgrade the skills of practitioners and promote

professionalism in and respect for the industry.

One of my young star reporters in The Straits Times, who might have been one of my IPRS students, is

today CEO of a large PR consultancy based in Singapore! Was she one of my students? I cannot

remember for sure, but it would please me no end if she had been!


In any case, I was merely one of several PR practitioners corralled into IPRS’s pool of lecturers, who

regularly taught for the love of PR and our belief in promoting professional PR practice.

What we see today of the PR industry is breath-taking. Practitioners now specialize in various aspects

of promoting mutual understanding, and are employed in corporate communications, media relations,

financial relations, corporate affairs management, lobbying for special interest groups, and use of

digital media.

Of course, there are notorious spin-doctors whose primary concern is often not respect of truth and

honest dissemination of information as much as serving the interests of their employers, however

nefarious their objectives. The American movie “Wag the Dog” is a classic example of the cynical use

of PR; propaganda often passes for PR.

In Singapore, we have seen since the 1970s the elevation of the role of ‘official spokesman’ in many

corporations, public and private. From the1990s, there has been a proliferation of PR agencies, with an

influx of multinational corporations who team up with or acquire local agencies. Several local

practitioners have struck out successfully on their own, among them ex-IPRS president Yap Boh Tiong,

who owns Mileage Communications, which has regional offices and partners.

In the bad old days, entry into the PR industry was through stints in the news media. That gave us an

appreciation of how to work with and use mass media to communicate with a larger external

audience. Some, who had risen to senior positions in mass media management before meandering

into PR, brought to their practice a more senior perspective and appreciation of strategic PR

management.

Thanks to IPRS, those without such media exposure have been able to acquire in the classroom some

of the tools and senior skills of PR from lecturers with practical working experience. Now, the tertiary

institutions – polytechnics, and universities – run mature schools of mass communications and public

affairs that turn out graduates for the industry. Other practitioners acquire their training and

experience abroad.

The situation with Government communication (and interaction) with the public has been

transformed. Enlightened public and private organizations now employ senior corporate affairs

executives who act not only as official spokesmen but also advise on public relations management.

Alas, with the dominance of Government in a monopolistic main stream media situation, the practice

of media relations in Singapore as we know it no longer prevails, and is not as gratifying as in the past.

Together with the advent of new media, and clients’ more enlightened thinking and approach, the PR

profession in Singapore has grown apace. We live in exciting but challenging times, and can expect

even more dramatic changes in the landscape in the coming years.

What qualities must a person possess to be either a PR functionary or strategist?

First, I believe firmly that those who aspire after a fruitful career in PR should acquire not only

knowledge and skills in business, management, marketing and mass communications but also –

wisdom. Maturity for sure, if ‘wisdom’ sounds high falutin.

Apart from internships and working experience in related fields, they need to acquire a broad

education through wide reading, exposure to life and living, study of the liberal arts and a polytechnic

diploma or university degree. A background in press work would be most helpful; seek a significant

stint in a respected mass media organization – preferably one abroad.

They should also pursue post-graduate study, either degree or diploma, in specialized areas of public

relations and marketing. Senior management and marketing management work in an established

corporation is essential for the more ambitious, but then they might wander away from PR!


Launch of 1st Professional Certificate in Public Relations and

Mass Communication Course for 2015!

The industry and profession have changed, but the fundamentals remain the same. As the late film

actor and raconteur Peter Ustinov told us in 1991 at the IPRA XII Public Relations World Congress in

Toronto: “We have improved the means of communication immeasurably; all we have not yet

succeeded in doing is improving the quality of what we say to each other.”

This article is courtesy of Toon Joo, recipient of the IPRS Lifetime Achievement Award (2006). A former journalist and Public Relations/Marketing Communication practitioner, Toon Joo is now happily retired and lost amidst the forests, lakes, and mountains of Seattle, USA.

Registration for the first intake of the Professional Certificate in Public Relations (PR) and Mass

Communication Course for 2015 is now open!

The Professional Certificate is one of the ways in which IPRS strives to raise professionalism in the PR

Industry. The next course will, tentatively, run from 23 March to 17 June 2015. Classes are held twice

weekly over three months and will cover about 16 communication-related topics, including:

Corporate Branding and Identity – Promoting your company brand!

Internet PR – Using this game-breaking tool to your advantage!

Crisis Communications – Taking the right course of action in a crisis!

Media Relations – Equip yourself with the tools to face the media.

Sponsorship – Garnering support for your brand!

Our trainers are seasoned PR professionals, mainly Accredited Members of the Institute. Many have at

least 20 years’ experience in the profession. They will strive to bring you as much up-to-date and

industry-relevant knowledge.

Successful participants will receive a Professional Certificate at a Graduation Ceremony. If you would

like to gain a good grounding in the best practices and techniques of the PR industry, then look no

further!

To find out more, visit our website at www.iprs.org.sg, email us at [email protected], or call us at

65341841!

The articles covering the launch of IPRS Brown Bag Series, the visit to LinkedIn Singapore and the Introduction to Public Relations and Mass Communication Course were contributed by Mr Ernst Lim, an IPRS volunteer and first-year communications student at SIM University.

“I have been volunteering at IPRS for close to a year now. This will be the third issue of the IPRS newsletter that I’m contributing to. It has given me a window into the communications industry and a growing appreciation for the finer details of communications.”




T h i s I s s u e th - IPRS...T h e S e c r e t a r i a t Interim Manager Robert CONCEICAO Assistant...

Documents

Transcript of T h i s I s s u e th - IPRS...T h e S e c r e t a r i a t Interim Manager Robert CONCEICAO Assistant...