Tag Archives: training workshops

Exploring trends in Branding and PR without men

We ran another very successful PR Boot Camp on Thursday, 20 March. The theme was “Exploring current thinking and trends in Branding and PR.” We covered a wide range of branding and PR information and each participant shared their experience and knowledge on the topic and then got down to actually reworking their own strategies based on their new insights.

Marcel, Lindy and Des hard at work Participants hard at work

Some of the key questions and issues raised included the ones I’ve listed below and, over the next month or two, I’ll be dealing with each one in a separate blog. However, here I want to focus on the last one: Why is it so difficult to draw local men to PR and Branding workshops?

The PR Boot Camp attracted a group of highly professional participants, including an attorney, two marketing managers – one from a large private hospital, the other from a firm of lawyers – a graphic designer and website builder, a business coach, an owner of companies, a human resource manager, and an online networking business operator. They proved to be a facilitator’s dream because they contributed constantly with insight, expertise and questions. The only thing was – they were all female! We had to ask ourselves, where are the men of Maritzburg?

No rest for the Marketing Manager

This opened the way for a deviation to an interesting discussion on workplace gender issues. Several of the women there had experienced a sense that some – NOT ALL (no need to get your jockstraps in a knot now!) – men in business still showed ‘traditional’ attitudes towards women. Examples included not taking seriously suggestions on business management that came from a woman; men would pay thousands of rand to go to Johannesburg to attend a seminar when facilitated by a man, while not attending a local one run by a woman of equal calibre; corporate men are generally slow to change or implement new ideas or procedures that are initiated by women.

What IS the reason for these attitudes and behaviours in 2014?

Feel free to comment………….. while you await the blogs on:

1. Why Brand? Is branding only for cattle?

2. Why a Mission Statement? Read this article: http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/mission-statements-are-a-joke.html

3. Why Ethics and Values in business?

4. How to outplay the Competition?

5. Why Social Network platforms?

6. Why a Communication Strategy?

7. How to brand and market a coaching business?

8. Why is it so difficult to draw local men to PR and Branding workshops?

Register now for the PR Boot Camp

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Public Relations Boot Camp registration form

In this comprehensive series of workshops you will learn important information and skills to assist you and your business to strategically plan to build relationships with your publics or stakeholders. Understanding public relations in a wider context rather than simply in terms of publicity and events, and leveraging all opportunities to engage with your stakeholders, will give you the competitive edge, as well as enhance your corporate reputation.
What will participants learn?
 Strategic approach to PR
 Corporate culture, Identity,
 Image and Reputation
 Stakeholder relations
 PR Techniques
What Topics are covered?
 Role, function and approach to PR
 Planning PR messages and activities
 Mission Statement & Values
 Corporate Identity & Brand
 The Media and PR
 Use of PR techniques & tools

Pre-Registration Information
Yes! I would like to attend PR Boot Camp!

Sign me up for the following workshops:
21 May 28 May
04 June 11 June (circle your choice)

All workshops are from 8.30 – 12:30

Each workshop costs R 500.
If you attend ALL 4 you pay R 1 800 in advance.

Your Information

Name: _______________________

Position: _______________________

Organisation: ____________________

Tel/Cel: ______________________

Email Add: _________________________

Payment to:

D L Viney ABSA Bank Code 632005 Account No 4070604371

Please email proof of payment with the completed form.

Building Relationships is the core of business

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Over the years business has learnt that reputational capital is not gained only through product quality and sales, but also through the way we do business and the impression we make on our key stakeholders through our actions externally, in society, and in the the way we deal with our employees. Therefore it is necessary to develop the knowledge and skills to maintain and manage these ‘target public’ relations to create a positive brand image that leads to loyalty to us when the going gets tough.

For a business or organisation to be consistent, clear and in its stakeholder communication and action, all employees and management have to uphold the same values and mission and develop common messages or stories based on this vision, and be specific to each of their stakeholders. Each target public, including staff, must feel they have a stake in the success of a company they’re involved with.

And that is where a workshop course in public or stakeholder relations can be extremely useful – not only for management, but for shop-floor people too. Learning more about how corporates communicate is crucial in getting all employees aware of the influence of their communication and actions on specific publics.

Using an experiential learning method within a workshop format, participants at these workshops are exposed to the ‘theory’ of public relations while engaging with theory by applying it to their specific work scenarios. This enables them to return to the workplace with new ideas and perspectives to contribute to the corporate communication function.

REAL Communication Consulting is facilitating its first series of workshops entitled, An Introduction to Public Relations, in May/June. It is aimed at small business owners and staff, NGOs, public service providers and individuals who want to improve their relationship building through communication. Each workshop will run on a Tuesday morning from 8.30 to 12.30 over four weeks from May 21 to June 11. The venue is The Barn at Kwanyoni in Hilton. Being in a beautiful environment away from the office stimulates interaction with people from other companies and encourages out-of-box thinking. Participants can then return to work with positive and constructive contributions to the company’s operations.

A Workshop schedule and the cost will be posted on the website too.
Anyone interested can contact the facilitator, Desiray.