PR Blog
Dennis Rutzou Public Relations
My take on internal communication
Apr 5th
My interest in internal communication started when I worked within a couple of large organisations, namely Woolworths then Integral Energy. The roles I had were external communication focused and therefore I had no responsibility for internal comms and could be just an observer.
To me internal communication is about engaging your people, not just about telling them what’s going on. Nobody is going to be fully engaged or productive if they don’t feel like they play a part in the overall organisation. You can have the best employee communication system ever but if your employees aren’t engaged then it’s a complete More >
Media releases have authority?
Jan 11th
The Whitehaven Coal hoax perpetrated by an apparent ANZ media release raises some very interesting issues.
One is the ready acceptance by most of the media outlets of the authority of a media release which appeared to be on an ANZ letterhead. So much so, that according to the Fairfax Media report in the Sydney Morning Herald, they were the only ones to call to secure verification of the release.
Clearly there is a backlash in the wind, either with the perpetrator facing prosecution for disseminating false and misleading information to the market, or those who lost money seeking compensation.
And what of More >
Let’s look forward to a great 2013
Dec 21st
I attended a business women’s lunch about a month ago and was totally aghast when one woman declared that her company (a legal firm) was in the process of planning for a terrible 2013. They had apparently predicted that 2013 was going to be a shocker and so all their planning needed to focus on ‘gloom and doom’.
I was appalled. In all the training I’ve ever done on business planning I’ve always focused on the positives. I don’t mean that I view the world through ‘rose coloured glasses’. In fact I’m also a realist but I do think you have to focus More >
My Public Relations skill set will serve me well
Dec 14th
After six years in Public Relations, I have sadly decided to leave the industry that has taught me so much, in pursuit of a completely different career path… but one that I have come to realise, actually requires an almost identical skill set. What could it be?
Educating and communicating key messages
- Communication is paramount
- Flexibility in terms of language, tone and medium of communication used
- Educating and communicating key messages to the public
- Understanding the industry and audience you are working with and adapting your approach accordingly
- Creative communication techniques to increase engagement and understanding
- Patience. Set the foundations and the results will follow in time
- Strategy More >
Top five tips for pitching to a blogger
Nov 21st
According to a recent survey by The Remarkables Group, 35 percent of people will purchase products recommended to them via a blog and only 4 percent will ignore sponsored content.
These results no doubt demonstrate the power and influence of bloggers and their value to brands.
Like journalists, there is a specific way in which you need to approach a blogger if you want to reach their audiences and be successful with your pitches.
Here are my top five tips for email pitching that I have picked up along the way from my experience in blogger relations:
Make the subject line clear
If you More >
Is ‘Fitzy and Wippa’ set to become Sydney breakfast radio’s most popular duo?
Nov 4th
According to recent Nielson figures, the Fitzy and Wippa show on Nova 96.9 is now tied with Jonesy and Amanda on the ARN network for third place behind 2GB and 2Day FM, with a 6.4% share of Sydney’s breakfast audience.
Their ratings have gone up one and a half points and I think this is only going to grow even more as they continue to wow listeners with their highly popular song parodies, including a very humorous interpretation of Korean superstar, Psy’s Gangnam Style, titled Aussie Battler Style and a send up of up of Carly Rae Jepsen’s song, Call Me Maybe, More >
Annabel Crabb – an honest insight into media ethics
Oct 29th
I went to see Annabel Crabb, political commentator, speak last Tuesday night at Newington College in Stanmore. She was the last speaker in a series of talks that are part of the Ethics Centre that is run through the college.
Her topic was, ‘Media and ethics in a hyperconnected world’. Whilst many of Crabb’s observations about the changing mediascape weren’t groundbreaking for anyone who consumes Australian media on a regular basis, they were insightful in the sense that she could offer some great anecdotes from the course of her career, whilst highlighting the contrast between past and present ethical dilemmas.
From old school More >
Five tips for getting the most out of an internship
Oct 18th
Internship experience is undoubtedly an essential asset for recent graduates to have if they want to get their foot in the door of the public relations industry.
At my university it was even a compulsory requirement of my course to complete a minimum of a month’s worth of work experience.
While most internships are unpaid and can often involve less than impressive tasks such as grabbing coffee or compiling activity reports, they are not to be underestimated as they are an invaluable tool to gaining experience and contacts within the profession.
Without a doubt, I believe completing four internships whilst at university More >
