UCF in London Nov 08

2009-11-16T07:03:00.005Z

What is the University College Falmouth London Study Visit?

The University College Falmouth Level 1 London Study Visit is a critical part of the first year for BA (Hons) Public Relations students. An energetic, immersive trip, it unlocks the doors to some of London's (and therefore the UK's, Europe's and the world's!) top public relations agencies and other organisations with a PR function.

The purpose is to provide students with a glimpse into the lives of PR practitioners and hear about their work, its challenges and the passion they have for the business. We also hear about work placement and internship opportunities.

As a result of London Study Visits, University College Falmouth Public Relations students have secured fantastic placements at top PR agencies including Halpern and Frank PR.

The visit also prepares students for a similar study visit to Amsterdam during their second year.

So what do we do in London?

We spend three days in the capital, visiting two locations each day. Upon arrival, we meet senior staff plus, often, new graduate level employees who've just started with each organisation.

This year (2008), our visits included:

The Camden Arts Centre: to hear about PR for the arts

Frank PR: to hear about consumer PR and buzz marketing

Lexis PR: to hear about consumer PR and youth marketing

Warehouse: to hear about fashion PR from the leading high street retailer

Ketchum: to hear about international healthcare PR

And don't worry - there's always time in the schedule to catch a few hours sightseeing and shopping in London if you like.

What does industry think?

"The London study visit provides a priceless opportunity for students to interact with practitioners in the workplace. It's a testament to the quality of staff contacts within the industry that this visit is so well-run and successful."

Jo Patterson, Head of Consumer Public Relations, Lexis PR

Wednesday 19 November

2008-11-26T23:00:00.001Z

So, this is it. One of the highlights of the first year for students on University College Falmouth's Public Relations degree—and where better to start it than awaiting a coach outside Falmouth's very own Argos superstore at 07.45 on a Wednesday morning?

Only an hour early

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Just a little paranoid about missing the train from Truro, an unfeasibly quick coach trip leaves us with an hour's wait in the convivial surrounds of the station cafe, Pumpkin. Surprisingly, no students need waking when the train arrives, bang on time.

The road to Lexis PR

2008-11-26T21:00:00.001Z

As soon as we've dropped bags off at the hostel, International Students House, we're marched straight off to our first stop of the visit, the award-winning PR agency, Lexis PR.

Lexis PR

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Cait's thoughts on Lexis PR:

"Upon entering Lexis we were all met with a very warm and friendly welcome, everyone was very kind and always smiling. There was a very clear passion for PR from every one of the speakers which was really inspiring and grabbed everyone’s attention making the talk very interesting.

The agency deals with some very interesting clients, in turn making some interesting PR work. The Dove Campaign ‘isn’t she dovely’ was one of the most interesting. It showed innovative public relations at its finest and it seemed like a really fun piece to work on, due to its creative style. It also gave us an insight to how much variety there is within public relations and how it’s not all about press releases, but also events organizing and a lot of building relationships.

It was really interesting listening to personal experiences from professional people working in PR. Director of Consumer PR, Jo Patterson, spoke about her career and how she fell into consumer PR. She believes that once you begin working you will almost certainly fall into a specific area of public relations that you enjoy.

The creative team were a very lively bunch and came up with a really fun session for us, as well as gaining some information out of us which we hope came in handy. Their enthusiasm and flair for their work rubbed off on everyone, and really put public relations in a good light.
I really enjoyed the time at Lexis PR, it re-lit my excitement and passion for public relations and was a really good example of a real working environment."

Georgia's thoughts on Lexis PR:

"When we walked into Lexis, the environment was professional and the talk reinvigorated my passion for PR. The fact that it was still a fully British PR group surprised me as I had thought that the agencies dealing in big brands were American funded. The talk really showed the enthusiasm that each member of staff had for PR and the campaigns they worked on.

What made me giggle was that the most interesting campaign that Jo Patterson had worked on was the Yellow Pages. I had always figured that the most exciting and experimental people to work for would be the clients who had the most money. However this stereotype was thwarted when Jo said they usually kept quite a tight hold over what the PR agency did, as they had to ensure that the campaign did not move too far away from the brand image that they had already established.

I also found it interesting that they had a whole creative team who just came up with ideas for campaigns which the other members of staff then picked up and moved along with. It gave a whole different perspective on the campaign technique. The whole experience really showed me what it would be like to be in agency PR and actually made me re-evaluate what I want to do after University."

Lexis PR 2009 Graduate Scheme

If all this has got you wanting to know more about Lexis and our
Graduate Scheme please visit www.lexispr.com/career and follow the
link to the Graduate Recruitment Scheme 2009.

The delights of Carnaby Street

2008-11-26T19:30:00.001Z

After Lexis, it's a quick but chilly stroll down to Wagamama's for some of the students, pausing under this bulbous inflatable Christmas decoration in Carnaby Street en route.

Thursday 20 November

2008-11-26T19:00:00.001Z

A busy day ahead: first stop, the Camden Arts Centre, followed by Frank PR, then the Warehouse press office. Phew.

On the way 'down' to Hampstead

2008-11-26T18:30:00.000Z

Camden Arts Centre

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James L's thoughts on Camden Arts Centre:

"Camden Arts Centre was the visit of the trip where we were able to incorporate some of our skills. We arrived with mixed feelings due to the presentation of our ideas to improve knowledge and interest of the gallery.

We were apprehensive about this and also being in an environment that was outside of our comfort zone. We went in to the gallery and were warmly greeted by Clare Roebuck, the head of press and PR. We were then given the chance to view the exhibitions at the gallery. This gave us a chance to warm to the environment and focus on presenting our ideas.

We then went to the ceramic studio room to present to Clare. I felt this was very successful and useful for us to gain experience on creating and presenting ideas to a brief. The gallery also provided us with an introductory insight in to ‘in house’ PR in the statutory sector."

Kelly's thoughts on Camden Arts Centre:

"My first impression of Camden Arts Centre was how simplistic and modern it looked. It had a warm feeling upon entering the building and we were met by Clare Roebuck, the head of press and PR.

We where given the opportunity to look around the Centre to get a better feel for it and the work it was currently showing. I liked the fact the arts centre had kept some of its original features and felt it gave it personality. My favourite piece of work was the “Secrets Library.”

Afterwards we where shown into a room where we completed questionnaires for Clare about our thoughts and feelings on the Centre. We were asked our thoughts and feelings about the Centre and what could be done to improve it. Our opinions seemed to be valued, and I found Clare enthusastic about our ideas, which made us feel appreciated.

Our main reason for being at the Centre was to present to Clare and her team a presentation, which we had pulled together. Our class was split into two groups – one with ideas for promoting ideas to promote the artists Mirca Cantor’s exhibition in February and one for promoting the Centre itself.

I was really excited to show Clare our ideas as we had put in lots of time and thought into our presentation. Each person in our group took turns to present ideas, and everyone spoke clearly and put across their ideas well. I felt this went really well, to the point where I think we exceeded our own expectations of the presentation. Clare seemed really enthuastic about our ideas as well, which made us feel as if we had done a good job.

I felt the trip to the Arts Centre went really well, I was really pleased with how it went, and I felt like we had been given a brilliant opportunity to experience what it would be like to present ideas to a client first hand."

Clare Roebuck introduces the Camden Arts Centre

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Hattie, Ben and Kelly present plans to publicise the artist, Mircea Cantor

2008-11-26T18:10:00.006Z

Ben's thoughts on Camden Arts Centre:

"Having prepared a presentation board to show to Camden Arts Centre, we arrived a little nervous, and we were immediately struck by the modern, clean and simplistic interior of the building. We were given a chance to roam around the galleries, view the works on display and view the books for sale.

After this we all sat down in the workshop, round several tables and were lucky enough to be given free drinks in return for completing a questionnaire about our experience of the Centre.

Soon after this we were having a productive discussion about the gallery’s pro’s and con’s with the Clare Roebuck, the head of press and PR and she seemed to value our feedback considerably.

The best part, in my opinion, was actually presenting our group’s ideas to Clare, which we had waited a few weeks to do. Our presentation went smoothly, with every person speaking their sections clearly and efficiently, and by the look on Jon’s face, we seemed to have produced more research and material than he had expected.

Clare seemed to be impressed with our presentation, asking us a multitude of questions, and the discussion of our ideas continued for a while afterwards, prompting Jon to kick-start the other group’s discussion.

I was genuinely really pleased about the visit to the Camden Arts Centre, and it was great to be involved in a “hands-on” PR project, and to get a taste of what it’s like to pitch your ideas to a prospective client."

Rosie, James and Grace present plans for the Camden Arts Centre

2008-11-26T18:05:00.000Z

Frank PR

2008-11-26T18:02:00.003Z

Rosie's thoughts on Frank PR:

"Frank PR was an extremely welcoming and fresh organization. The moment we walked into the room we were greeted with immense warmth, within a relaxed working environment. Co-founder Andrew Bloch immediately put us all at ease, being easy to relate to and communicate with. He gave us an in-depth insight into how the company is run, and how the team makes Frank PR such a success.

I found the campaigns in which Frank have been involved in extremely inspirational, and witty. Their ideas are really “out there”. The company does not appear to be apprehensive in taking risks, which has really benefited their overall image.

To me Frank’s campaigns, though off the wall, always manage to relate back to the company/product/person they are representing. They are really clever in using resources that people wouldn’t usually associate with the client. A good example of this is the HP Sauce campaign, getting Jimmy White to change his name to Jimmy Brown, and also sponsoring the Brown snooker ball for the duration of the UK Masters Snooker tournament. This bright and imaginative idea brought great success to Frank and their client, and shows that wacky ideas can create a positive image.

Overall Frank PR was an extremely helpful company, and appears to be a brilliant place to work for."

Aimee's thoughts on Frank PR:

"On arrival at Frank PR, the office layout immediately transformed my perceptions of working in an agency. The large open plan space with rows of young employees, in front of a large black board peppered with scribbles and modern furniture and a wall of awards definitely got my attention.

We were ushered into a meeting room with a difference to find a large sofa/bed sitting area around a long table filled with nibbles of marshmallows and crisps; this brought a smile to everyone’s face.

The co-founder of the company, Andrew Bloch, informed us about Frank PR, their ethos and their methodology of working. Their impressive array of clients, and innovative campaigns for Hovis and HP Sauce alongside their work with Celebrities Such as Girl Aloud on the Kit Kat campaign left many of us hungry for a chance to work at Frank.

I liked that Andrew gave us specifics about how a campaign was organised and put into practice. He elaborated on ‘PRexperiential ‘, explaining it’s a technique they use to gain media coverage and exposure with live events. He also stressed the importance and influence of the digital arena, informing us of the 'super fans' and bloggers with mass following. Frank have creative Frank F.O.D.A (Facing Online Digital Audiences), a way of tackling difficult audiences and inviting and persuading them to a Frank PR school of thought, illustrated to us with the campaign for the BBC I-player launch.

Another successful method Frank have generated is ‘Talkability’, a way of gaining media coverage and word of mouth association to make news spread. All of these methods gave me a real insight into the workings of a successful PR agency, and a unique agency unlike any other we visited."

The perks of PR

2008-11-26T18:01:00.000Z

Andrew Bloch presents

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Hattie's thoughts on Frank PR:

"Many of my peers had spoken of their desire to work at a large agency with clients consisting of well-known consumer brands, and so everyone was eagerly anticipating the visit to Frank PR, an agency that works with some huge names. BBC, Harrods, Persil and Virgin are all on their client list.

Needless to say, on arrival to the office in Camden everyone was immediately excited. The giant office had vast blackboard walls with chalk scribbles all over them, funky ‘Big Brother’ styled furniture and a team of 50 or so young people working frantically at their laptops. The atmosphere was exciting, young and vibrant. My opinions of agency work were immediately swayed. This place was brilliant.

The group was ushered into a meeting room of a different sort. Giant sofa beds instead of chairs, with bowls of sweets, marshmallows and pretzels scattering the large table. The speaker Andrew Bloch, founder of the agency, gave us a presentation about what Frank did, their ethos, who they worked with and what they were proud of. The company seemed so exciting, with campaigns for KitKat with Girls Aloud, Hovis and a hilarious account of a campaign for HP sauce.

Everything was so creative and Andrew showed us boards of some of their favorite or most successful campaigns. I admired their methodology of the ‘talkability’ factor, the way that word-of-mouth endorsement can really help sell a brand or service. The ‘buzz’ that gets people talking was a focus for the organization and I found their approach to Public Relations really fascinating.

Others students explained that they felt the same, with many, on departure, insisting that they would certainly be looking at trying to get work experience at Frank PR."

Warehouse Press Office

2008-11-26T17:10:00.004Z

Grace's thoughts on the Warehouse press office:

"Arriving at Warehouse I was immediately attracted by the large rail of clothes and boxes of accessories surrounding the PR office. Fashion being my main passion, Warehouse was the company I was most looking forward to visiting and it did not disappoint.

We were welcomed and introduced to the ethos of Warehouse and what they aimed to achieve using PR. Putting press packs together, organizing getting clothes on the correct celebs, press days to launch new collections, getting Warehouse into the ‘aspirational’ magazines were just some of the jobs that fell into their department.

Working months in advance of the current fashions was really appealing to me as I like the idea of being ahead of the time and knowing what was coming up. Also organizing the press days and the Ibiza tour would be really interesting and exciting to organize. The day to day running of the office also seemed structured and in general we were told they left the office by 5.30, which surprised me as I thought they would have to work late most nights.

Overall I really valued the information Warehouse gave us as it really strengthened my thoughts of where I could see myself working after graduating. In-house PR for a fashion company is defiantly where I would ideally like to progress to after my degree, and Warehouse would be on the top of my list for a ‘aspirational’ place to work."

Lauren's thoughts on the Warehouse press office:

"Sophie and Sarah, the in-house PR girls of Warehouse took us down to their petite office below the bustling design studios, in the basement of their offices close to Charlotte Street. The space had everything they needed, although a few more comfy sofas would have been useful.

Rails of clothes waiting to be sent off to the various magazines across the country teased the shopaholic girls of the group. But the girls kept us engaged throughout their presentation. They explained their role within Warehouse working closely with marketing and advertising and responsible for speaking with journalists, keeping up to date with media, and planning events for press to attend to achieve coverage for Warehouse. They showed us a new organic product line aimed to raise the Warehouse brand as eco friendly. I thought the handouts were a nice touch so we could see the end results.

As well as achieving press coverage, the girls made us aware of how important it is the brand is seen in the most aspirational magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Harpers, and Marie Clare. Through the proactively good relationships built by showroom events and small touches such as creative invites, the girls are able to create and maintain maximum audience for the Warehouse brand."

Ruth's thoughts on the Warehouse press office:

"Our visit to the Warehouse press office was both enjoyable and educational. As soon as we walked in there was a great relaxed working atmosphere. We were greeted by Sophie Harris who gave an insight into what she and her team do to promote all aspects of Warehouse PR.

Her job demands that she works closely with the marketing department. It is important to the image of Warehouse to be directed towards a highly fashion conscious, aspirational audience, such as the readers of Vogue, Elle and Harpers Bazaar.

Throughout the day, magazines and television programs will contact the office and ask for items to feature in their articles. It was interesting to learn that they are particular about what other companies if any there products will be appearing next to, keeping their reputation as clear cut as possible.

The importance of keeping good relationships with the press and knowing who to contact with certain features is of the utmost importance. The office must also be socially aware, following current issues and directing their brand accordingly. For example they now have a clothing range that is eco friendly to coincide with the country becoming more aware of climate issues.
One of the most exciting parts the jobs seems to be a yearly trip to Ibiza, and socializing with celebs. Although there’s trouble when they don’t return clothes (Fearne Cotton!)."

Friday 21 November

2008-11-26T16:00:00.000Z

A colourful pair

2008-11-24T14:41:00.001Z

"A ten-minute walk"

2008-11-24T14:32:00.000Z

Ketchum PR

2008-11-24T14:31:00.004Z

Emily's thoughts on Ketchum:

"When looking back at our visit to London it is fair to say that our visit to Ketchum was both inspiring and useful. We learnt that Ketchum is a global public relations agency that works alongside many well known companies ranging from Kodak to Adidas. Ketchum was also recently awarded an award by the Financial Times as one of the UK's best businesses to work for.

It becomes apparent why they were awarded this title because when walking through their offices, the atmosphere is relaxed but also hard working. During our visit Dani, Gene and Alec, junior members of the Ketchum team, gave us a presentation discussing the vital skills needed to be successful in the public relations industry.

They also stressed how important it is to gain good work experience, and also offered the opportunity for us to apply for experience with Ketchum .They also engaged well with us by conducting a quiz about the presentation to reflect upon what we had learnt and rewarded the winners with a present which was received well by the lucky students."

Hannah's thoughts on Ketchum:

"Our visit to Ketchum—a well known and important global PR agency—was the final destination on our study trip, and I found it both of interest and highly constructive.

We received a talk by three of the firm's account executives, Dani, Gene, and Alex. This was helpful, as this kind of job title is likely to reflect where we may be as graduates in three or four years time. All three of them had completed internships within Ketchum and stressed the importance of work experience in achieving a permanent job.

We were told of the general ways in which Ketchum functions and the ways in which it is divided into different sectors, i.e. lifestyle, corporate, consumer and healthcare. We were also shown a variety of case studies which included large corporations such as McDonald's and Adidas, all of which had been worked on by each of the execs.

After this presentation we took part in a quiz about Ketchum and were given tours of the various departments within the company. We were also given information on obtaining work experience with Ketchum, and their graduate scheme, which will be invaluable to us as students. I found our trip to Ketchum very insightful, and while the talk was perhaps a little more regearsed than the more conversational talks given in places such as Frank and Warehouse, a lot was gained from our time there."

Harry's thoughts on Ketchum:

"At Ketchum we were greeted by even more sweets which pleased many members of the group who had forgotten to have lunch.

The entrance was very impressive, with newspapers tastefully displayed on a large glass table and BBC News on a television behind the reception. You immediately felt that you were in a serious, professional environment, but the jazzy chairs showed the business's fun side that we had become accustomed to at other PR agencies.

We were taken to a top floor meeting room where we were introduced to three young PR professionals, who all worked within the Brands Department of the company, and who made the group feel very welcome.

We were given an introduction to the company, and learnt that it also had Healthcare and Corporate PR departments.

We were then taken through some of the key brands handled by Ketchum. They included Heineken, FedEx and Kodak.

We were showed a Kodak campaign in some detail, learning about their creative use of digital media such as You-tube, as well as more traditional uses of celebrity personalities to launch a new product, The Kodak Creative Lab.

A member of staff from Human Recourses told us about the James Maxwell program. The program takes a graduate and lets them spend time working within each of the departments at Ketchum with a guaranteed job at the end. Students have to pitch to some of the companies top bosses to win the chance to work at Ketchum.

I would love to apply for the award, as I’m sure many students would. Ketchum seems like a brilliant place to work, and the staff we met seems happy and passionate about what they do."

The Water Poet

2008-11-24T13:46:00.001Z