Excellent writing skills and an ability to find interesting angles on a story are vital attributes for those working in this demanding industry
Combining industry expertise with excellent communication skills is the key to success in public relations work which requires strategic thinking, rather than just talking and selling.
Genevieve Hilton, senior vice-president of Ketchum Hong Kong, said: 'A PR firm provides consulting to a client at every level of communications. This might vary from developing key strategies, which ordinarily happens at the beginning of a year, to implementing them, which means figuring out the best way to make an announcement, including deciding on the right media.'
Stephen Morgan, managing director of health care for Asia-Pacific at Weber Shandwick Hong Kong, said the major role of a PR firm was to provide specialist knowledge to clients. 'We are able to provide strategic insight because we have cumulative knowledge of an industry.'
With companies as their clients, PR agencies normally work closely with the sales, marketing and communications departments to help companies create, manage and enhance relationships with their stakeholders. Martin Spurrier, chairman of Edelman Hong Kong, said: 'We need to determine what the key messages are, what the story is about. The message is critical. Then we can identify who and what medium channels are used to disseminate the message.'
A good relationship with the local media and a thorough understanding of what intrigues their interest helps with the job. Ms Hilton said: 'We develop stories that journalists would want to cover, which means we make the client's message newsworthy. This differentiates a PR firm from an ad agency which usually focuses on developing content for a paid promotion, such as a commercial.'