CHARMAINE FOO:
Look beyond yourself
We conducted an interview with Charmaine, a communication practitioner, who started out as a management associate at a major International PR firm after her graduation from RMIT 4 years ago. After making the decision to not specialise in PR alone, she branched out to client servicing in a local agency – Mercury MC. Her portfolio consisted of clients mostly from the luxury lifestyle sector and had the opportunity to work partner and work with the local government for industry-based projects. She is now currently working in an in-house lifestyle retail company – The Paper Bunny, with the position of a branding, marketing and PR manager.
by Zann Lee
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Q: Describe a typical day for you at work.
A: Hmm… I would say that there is no such thing as a typical day at work for me as my to-dos vary depending on the season, projects and progress of the other departments in my team.
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Q: What were some of the struggles that you had in this journey and how did you manage to overcome them?
A: Learning how to overcome any perception/opinion conflicts first stems from different working styles and organisational processes (i.e. corporate clients’ vs government organisations vs lifestyle brands – everyone communicates differently). But of course, as ‘communicators’ you have to think out of the box and find the right balance of meeting your given brief whilst managing expectations from involved parties; and minimise potential conflicts. Honesty and authenticity have also enabled me to overcome most of my conflicts or struggles easily as my clients/partners appreciated the real updates and feedback – but of course also being ready with alternative solutions on hand.
Q: Has Social Media been beneficial in the way marketing is done?
A: Oh, definitely! Not all industries but more unconventional industries like finance or even technology and engineering companies have started to see the potential and benefits of social
media and how it can impact their business and people. Social media can gift unique and interactive experiences to whoever your stakeholders are, especially if you have a wonderfully engaging content. They offer an ‘immediate’ and ‘real-time’ element that traditional marketing cannot deliver.
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Q: What do you think about brands using influencers to create content for their brand?
A: I have noticed and heard about many brands conforming to the trend of using ‘influencers’ to create content for their brands. While there are benefits and successful cases; I have seen a drop in the quality of messaging and produced visual content because the engaged influencers don’t necessarily understand or know your brand and its voice completely. As a communicator, you need to know how to make social media work for your business/brand or for whatever objectives you have. You have to tailor your marketing platforms and your content accordingly to your brief and audience. Know what works and do not try to force it if it doesn’t work.
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Q: Communication Practitioners gets burnt out and feel unfulfilled if they are not constantly inspired. So, what inspires you to do what you do day in and out?
A: I used to find it cliché but now I realise and fully understand why many say this: Without passion, you won’t last long. It is so true, you have to be passionate about what you do. Sure a good pay, annual leave or welfare benefits can make one feel secured and happy – and is important btw! But beyond that, if you have no passion and dread your day-to-day job scope, of course you will get burnt out and not feel fulfilled.
Q: What are some things that you have learned from working in the communications industry?
A: My experiences from the industry and meeting different people from all walks of life has taught me how to be very open-minded and respectful to everyone’s inputs/opinions. I think I have also learnt how to be more adaptable to new trends and changes when new software’s, applications or marketing tools come about.
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