Venturous’ PR First Media Training Session of 2022 | By Tsang Ching Nam
Photo by Sam Lim, Venturous Photographer.
Venturous PR is a student-run PR agency founded by final-year public relations students in Taylor’s University. After spending months in the pipeline and a soft launch in 2021, the agency was ready to welcome a set of seven clients in March 2022. Their networking services are generally provided to tech startups and SMEs based in Malaysia.
Students enrolled in the Public Relations Consultancy module have the opportunity to seek real hands-on work experience during their studies. This fitting environment allows them to alternate effortlessly between school work and hands-on experience, all while in the heart of Taylor’s University. The module explores similar operations of a real public relations agency, where students will familiarise themselves with PR practices at an industry-ready standard. Functioning as PR consultants to their respective clients, the students of the March 2022 batch got to prepare a feature story, media kit, brand kit and a six-month PR plan, organise a media training session and professional photo shoot for their clients, all over the course of three months.
Photo by Sam Lim, Venturous Photographer.
Venturous’ Partners
During preparation, three major organisations were sought to provide industry-standard PR training. Venturous' industry partners include Zeno Group, which provides coaching on contemporary PR approaches; MDEC, which unites developing agencies to the industry’s tech scene; and Business Today, which provides an outlet for students to feature their newsworthy content.The team also highly praised their mentor, Dr Hardip Singh Rekhraj, for being a huge help in setting up the agency.
“The success of it definitely goes to our partners and our mentor, Mr Hardip Singh Rekhraj,” highlighted Saashmitta Øyen, agency head of Venturous PR.
“He liaised with our industry partners, and overall helped to clear our doubts and paved the way for Venturous to prosper,” added Ong Ruei Ann, deputy agency head of Venturous PR.
“Mr Hardip played a huge role in our success. I wouldn’t call him a lecturer but a visionary, because he had a vision for a student-run agency that trains students to be industry-ready, and he brought that vision to life,” said Tiffany Chan, events director at Venturous PR.
Insights From the Media Training Session
On the 22nd of June 2022, Venturous PR organised a media training session to provide their startup clients with basic knowledge of storytelling and how to interact with the media. Students, clients and the trainer, Mr Poovenraj, were warmly welcomed to the scene.
Photo by Sam Lim, Venturous Photographer.
Mr Poovenraj asked the founders to think of their own keywords that they wanted their customers to identify with their startup. The room shared several minutes of cordial chit-chat before the next lesson.
Photo by Sam Lim, Venturous Photographer.
Later, Mr Poovenraj reminded the room that as an entrepreneur, it is important to set goals for yourself. There are endless reasons as to why people want to start a business, whether to garner attention, spark public discourse, or build a following. The impact you’ve created from your startup could paint any outcome, and it is a matter of finding which one aligns with the motives that you see fit. Having a strong sense of direction is often celebrated as not only does it boil down to efficiency, but it helps one not to lose sight of why they started in the first place.
“It’s fine if your startup is made for gaining attention, but you will have to be smart about it,” said Mr Poovenraj.
Mr Poovenraj also emphasised the relevance of soundbites in achieving these media goals.
“The size of your soundbites matter. Try to keep your soundbites succinct and short, but not too short,” he said.
It is important for PR officials to determine their target audience, which includes both customers and reporters. Some are avid television watchers, while others, to this day, are still captivated by the fine art of print. Or, as previously stated, some people may enjoy scrolling through their phones to pass time. Sites like Instagram and Facebook are designed to personalise, which means that a user is presented with advertisements the algorithm thinks will pique their interests. Just like that algorithm, the better you know your audience, the better your chances of nailing them with your voice.
As Mr Poovenraj so eloquently stated, “The appropriate media will get you the right audience.”
Lastly, there are things to remember before getting ready to meet with a reporter. This may include anticipating follow-up questions, knowing your startup inside and out, owning up to any past missteps, reading and rehearsing your lines repeatedly, dressing smartly, and being wary of your surroundings.
Photo by Sam Lim, Venturous Photographer.
The Future of Venturous
After conducting mock interview sessions with a number of startups, the event came to an end. Though it only lasted a few hours, it was an insightful and passionate few hours for everyone. Fortunately, the session was able to take place on the school’s premises to allow personal connections from client to practitioner to occur at the utmost level. Students were given the space to apply their theoretical knowledge and demonstrate their skills, while the clients had the opportunity to gain just as much working aside them. As promised, Venturous will continue working with additional startups and SMEs to bring more projects to life in the future.“There’s so much potential here such as collaborating with other universities with media faculties and of course another round of startup clients to be served,” added Saashmitta.
“Seeing that this is our pilot semester of working with startups, there may be hiccups along the way. However, I believe, with more practice and experience, Venturous PR is able to take PR to greater heights by servicing startups and the rest of society as well,” said Ruei Ann.
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