CLIENTACT

PUBLIC RELATIONS LTD.

CLIENTACT

PUBLIC RELATIONS LTD.

The small company with a great reputation
for personal service; ideas and action

Malta – new business by the sea – I was very fortunate to be posted to Malta a few years ago where I was involved with the official opening of a new business in amazing offices overlooking the harbour.  Organising a television crew, writing a brief for the Minister and dealing with the needs of international guests were part of this fantastic experience.  This was one of several international events where I quickly learnt to deal with some interesting and unusual requests from the guests – the answer is of course “yes we can” then with great support from local hoteliers and colleagues we made sure it did happen.

Cars – I may not be a petrol head but I can appreciate a sleek new car and the increase in sales that it can stimulate.  For one client my role was to ensure that our great ideas to help launch the new VW Golf were practical and achievable; we also had to create interest with the media.  Launching a new model is always a busy and exciting time for the client, their staff as well as the potential customers.  A lofty chilly showroom venue becomes more interment with live music in the background, a fantastic new product and some delicious easy to eat nibbles as well as a “drink or two” but it is the relationship of the showroom and support staff as they interact with customers that really makes the evening buzz and hopefully lead to test drives.
Last year I attended the launch of a new car showroom in Chelmsford and it was great to see the enthusiasm and passion of the staff as they introduced us to the cleanest smartest workshop you could imagine; a drink and a nibble but more importantly a chance to talk to some very knowledgeable members of staff from different parts of the business.

Food – a great place to launch a new food product was the BBC Good Food Show in Birmingham, but it is not enough to have a special stand with smiling faces and special offers we also needed to create interest with a wider circle of visitors and chefs.  Samples were left in the press office and we worked with the “chefs’ table” organisers so that a product was placed on the table for guests to sample during their meal.  On another occasion one of our favourite chefs demonstrated a special trifle with a jar of Tiptree jam on her tray of ingredients; with the directors beside me to enjoy our short moment of glory as she used the product, the jar remained unopened.  I think it created as much interest by being forgotten, as members of the audience like to feel they can tick off every product being used and they must have been focusing on the unopened jar and wondered why it remained intact. Sometimes mistakes create more interest. “