We are pleased to welcome our new intern, Sara MacIntosh, to the Elettra Communications team. Sara is a second year Marketing Communications student at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). Throughout her two years at BCIT, she has strengthened her communications skills and developed her ability to create digital content

During her free time, Sara enjoys photography and writing and exploring the city to find new restaurants. She is very passionate about food and visually showcasing food.  When she isn’t with camera in hand, you can find her curled up on the couch with a good book or planning a new adventure.

Through her years at BCIT, Sara has become more interested in the communications industry and how event and digital marketing can help improve communications plans. These interests have led her to the joining the world of public relations in Vancouver. She will be joining us at Elettra for the next eight weeks working on everything PR. She can’t wait to put her BCIT knowledge to work in the industry setting.

Welcome to the team, Sara!

As a British/Irish transplant in Canada (I’m from Northern Ireland) I had previously thought that the basics of PR would be pretty much the same no matter where one was in the western world.

I was wrong.  I learnt, I mean learned, that very quickly upon landing my first PR position in Vancouver.

While the principles and objectives are very much the same there are some subtle, and some not-so-subtle, differences between practicing PR in Belfast and Vancouver. I’ve summarised, or rather, summarized, some of these differences below:

The first hurdle?  Canadian spelling.  A confusing mix of American and English, I didn’t even know there was such a thing until I started having to use it on a daily basis. And why doesn’t Microsoft acknowledge it in its spell-check options? After 16 months I think I’ve finally mastered the usage and it’s almost second nature now, however, I do fear my former colleagues and journalist friends back home may be silently judging me each time I use it in a Facebook post.

PR Terminology.  I’ve been met with my fair share of confused looks since taking up this position due to the terminology I use.

Here what I previously referred to as a Diary Note is a Media Advisory.  The content I normally used in the Notes to Editor section below my press release is now used in a fact sheet.

Photography.  Back in Belfast our main goal was print media. As a small region with very limited regional radio and television programming, most of which was taken up with political reporting, generating broadcast coverage was rarely achievable no matter how compelling the client’s story may be.  However, the golden rule for getting plentiful print coverage in Belfast was to have a quirky, colourful image accompanying your media release….featuring at least one attractive female. Hence, no matter the story - whether it be business, trade or lifestyle - a model was generally booked for a photo shoot and I was off on the hunt for props and costumes.

Here in Vancouver I have had more contact with broadcast media in the last 16 months than I did in 6 years in Belfast.  There is definitely more human interest content on news shows here.  It can be the daily newspapers that are the hardest nuts to crack.

Quirks aside…the biggest challenge was learning an entire media market from scratch.  Radio and TV call signs also stumped me for a bit but in time I’ve become familiar with the various channels, their programming and the types of content they carry.

The last 16 months have been a fantastic learning experience and this has greatly widened my outlook and made me more adaptable and flexible in my role. Having the opportunity to gain experience in your chosen industry in different cultures and countries is something I would thoroughly recommend to anyone.

Two months ago I began my internship at Elettra. I’ve somehow time warped into my last week, because it feels like yesterday was my first day. That being said, I’ve been fortunate to accomplish a lot in eight weeks. Between helping out with events, drafting communication tools, creating social media content and putting together media kits, it’s been an exciting time. For the sake of being short and sweet, I won’t recap everything I’ve experienced here. Instead, I’ll share the top three lessons I’ve learned.

Lesson 1: Know your industry Completing PR school in Toronto, I was curious about how Vancouver would compare. If I’ve learned one thing, it’s that practical skills are only as valuable as your knowledge of the industry. Being a good writer means nothing if you don’t know who to pitch to, or how to address your audience.

At Elettra I spent plenty of time familiarizing myself with the Vancouver media landscape – studying local newspapers and blogs, scanning for coverage, and composing media lists.

Lesson 2: Be detail-oriented I was lucky to experience the Pacific Centre Make an Entrance fashion show from planning stages to event day. I quickly learned how important attention to detail is, as we examined every angle of the event – from what to do if it rained, to what kind of skirting to use on the runway.

Simone warned me, be ready for anything. If you can imagine it, it can happen. Behind the scenes, the ladies of Elettra were prepared for any possible situation. This meticulous mindset resulted in a successful and memorable event.

Jenny

Lesson 3: Think creatively Throughout my internship I also worked on creating social media content for Harbour Centre. In agency you’re forced to think creatively, as each client has a unique set of needs. The challenge here was crafting content that’s appealing for their audience, while remaining relevant to current news and events. Generating ongoing, original content encouraged me to explore new methods of thought.

Team brainstorm sessions certainly help with the creative process. Thankfully I was able to listen and contribute to quite a few during my internship. The fantastic part about Elettra is their collaborative environment, which breeds excitement and innovation within the team.

So that about sums it up. It’s hard to list only three takeaways, because I’ve learned countless things during my internship. I owe a huge thank you to the ladies of Elettra for offering me their knowledge, insight and support. As for me, onto the next chapter of my PR story!

You can reach Jenny on LinkedIn here.

Elettra Communications is excited to welcome our new intern, Jenny McKenzie, to the team! Jenny recently earned her post-graduate degree in public relations from Humber College. Prior to Humber, she received her bachelor’s honours degree in communications from Brock University.

While at Brock, Jenny completed a communications internship at Best Buy Canada Ltd. This position sparked her interest in PR, and encouraged her to pursue a career in it. Since then, Jenny has dedicated her time to building relevant knowledge and skills, inside and outside the classroom. 

In her spare time, Jenny is an avid sports fan and music buff. During her undergraduate degree, she was a committed member of the varsity volleyball team. Jenny has sought ways to pair these interests with PR, and her volunteer experiences range from sports PR to music conferences. Another passion of hers is travel, which led her to backpack across Australia in 2013.

Originally from B.C., Jenny is excited to return to her roots in Vancouver. She is always seeking new challenges, and loves the diversity of PR. After dedicating many years to education, she is eager to see how her skills transfer from the classroom to the workplace.

Welcome to the team Jenny!