In the ever-evolving realm of Public Relations (PR), real-world experiences play a crucial role in shaping the knowledge and skills of aspiring PR professionals. The final year Public Relations students from the School of Media and Communication have recently visited Edelman Malaysia, a globally renowned Public Relations agency, located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
The main objective of the visit was to give the students an understanding of how a PR agency operates. This was an opportunity for them to get a better insight into the roles and functions of various departments within the agency. The students were shown videos and slides on how Edelman Malaysia collaborated with diverse client projects. From brainstorming sessions to campaign planning meetings, the visit provided a unique window into the real-life execution of PR strategies. This briefing also showed the students the importance of having strategic thinking, creativity and teamwork, required to achieve success in the PR industry.
Apart from that, this visit was to explore the innovation and digital PR adoption among the PR professionals. During the briefing, the students witnessed the agency’s forefront digital tools and platforms used to monitor and analyze public sentiment and engagement. All these were shown to the students in the form of case studies, connecting the social media and data-driven, in shaping PR campaigns and crisis response strategies. A group of 34 students were received by Ms. Afzan Illias, Edelman Associate Human Resources Director, representing Edelman Management. The visit was led by the Programme Director Ms. Marzura Abdul Malek and accompanied by two Public Relations Senior Lecturers Ms. G Manickam Govindaraju and Dr. Ong Ai Ling.
The visit proved to be an invaluable experience, allowing the students to witness the firsthand inner workings of a prominent PR agency, and gained insights into the industry’s best practices. This firsthand experience did not only enhance the students’ understanding of the PR profession, but it has also motivated them to strive for excellence in the PR field.