Before joining Ketchum, I was nervous about working for a big company and wondering how I would fit in. However, from the moment I started I have felt nothing but welcomed and supported. I started off my internship working with the corporate team but quickly realised that design is where I’d like to progress in my career. Working with the design team within the PR industry has been an incredible experience, I get the opportunity to work with a range of different clients and learn from those around me. I am looking forward to learning new skills and developing further as a designer.

My experience working so far at Ketchum has been amazing. I am sat within the Social & Influence team who I have enjoyed getting to know better as well meeting so many friendly staff across the office. I have particularly enjoyed the training sessions ran by different members of the team from copywriting training to looking at research & analytics tools, which have provided me with a great overview of the diverse work done by the Ketchum communities. Through this internship, I hope to learn all about how brands are managed behind the scenes and specifically the role social media plays in helping them achieve their objectives!

It has been great entering Ketchum - from the get-go the people and culture have been super welcoming and warm! I have already met many inspiring bright, creative individuals whose work and projects showcases the amazing work that originally attracted my attention to Ketchum. Even in this short time what I have learnt has been an invaluable insight into the world of PR!

When I’m explaining what my new job is to my family and friends, I usually ask if they know what PR is first. A couple of answers I’ve had range from “is it like covering up scandals?” to “business marketing”, and both could be right, right? But really from day to day, I am monitoring various platforms of communication and seeing what people are saying and feeling about particular brands. We then explore what we can do to clear up any misinformation. I imagine some PR practises can er on the side of covering scandals, but for me, and hopefully Ketchum, it’s about truthful information being the forefront of marketing and clearing misinformation. The brand or business should be able to stand on its own and then PR builds accurate awareness and stories. I’d love to come out of this having learnt all I can about research and analysis methods used in PR, and how to present this information to brands coherently and then to the public.

As a new PR intern, I think Public Relations is based around efforts to: boost an organisations reputation, create strategies for maximum media outreach and improving brand communication in efforts to maintain a positive relationship between a company e.g Danone and its target audience. Throughout my internship, I look forward to gaining insight into what PR really is, alongside helping with media campaigns and potentially writing press releases.

PR to me is spreading the message of a brand or organisation with the public and potential consumers to increase exposure. I’ve also seen a strong emphasis on PR being used to protect and enhance brand reputation. This can be in a range of ways, whether that be through interacting with journalists to write stories, campaigns, social media, articles, events, or interviews. I would like to continue to learn about the role media plays and how changes in society are impacting relationships with clients in the industry.