It's Almost Christmas!

I can't quite believe it, but the holidays are fast approaching and I'm almost halfway through my placement year!

A lot has been going on, but I had better update you on the Pocket-lint Awards first...we didn't win! It was a great night though, at a great venue (the Apollo Cinema on Regent Street in London) and we met lots of people!

My line manager has recently given me a project - headphones. Dawn (the student I replaced) got to do this last year and it's a really fun product area to be working on! The PR student usually gets their own project or area to look after about 6 months into their placement and so far, this one has lots of scope.

My task is to help the Headphones Team with securing coverage in the press and, to do that, I have to contact journalists from technology and lifestyle publications and websites. As you can imagine, there are a lot of publications and online sites which are relevant to this product area, so it's a big job! At the minute, I'm just making the first contact and calling and emailing journalists to see if they would like to review our headphones. Any who are interested will be offered samples to review and, due to hygiene reasons, the samples can't be sent back, so I have to be selective and choose the journalists who would be most likely to give us the coverage!

The models I'm helping to promote are all different, which means I'm getting in touch with lots of different people. The product manager for Headphones has suggested five models for me to recommend for review; the sports model; two chic-looking, rectangular over-the-ear models; a noise-cancelling model; and a 'DJ style' model. Today, I've been contacting the technology press - these are the people who are more likely to give in-depth, techno-tastic reviews (and hopefully awards...) and the reviews they write are the ones we find are generally the most powerful in influencing the market.

Last year, Dawn had to plan a whole event for a headphone product launch, too. Just in case Panasonic would like me to plan one (here's hoping!), I've already had an idea and it's a little gem! That's all I'm saying for now though...

A Fundraising Update

We counted the money raised from the yesterday's sale of raffle tickets and it came to a staggering total of...

£638.27!!

We're all really chuffed, as Panasonic will be matching the money, so that means that the grand total we will be giving to Thames Hospicecare is an amazing £1276.54! Thanks so much to everyone who donated x

Fundraising = Fun Times!

We had a celebrity walk through the doors of Panasonic UK HQ today - actually, two!

Paul Carrack (formerly of Mike + the Mechanics, Squeeze and Roxy Music - yes, you'll probably find these albums in your dad's music collection) has been, over the last year, helping to promote Panasonic's 3D products. Earlier in the year, he filmed a live set with his band at Air Studios and the performance has now been released on 3D Blu Ray - the first 'end-to-end' Blu Ray of its kind!

Paul's music goes a little like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYRmQRtS3cw

But you may recognise this a little more!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG83TdU5o0E

I do anyway...

Now for the fundraising part: we helped to raise money today for one of our local charities, Thames Hospicecare (great cause), which provides care for the terminally ill. Through the sales of raffle tickets and signed copies of Paul's new album, A Different Hat, we raised over £400, which Panasonic has kindly agreed to match! The raffle prizes include a signed, special edition copy of Paul's album and - here's the big one - tickets to see Paul play in concert and VIP backstage passes, where the winner can meet Paul and the band! The draw will take place tomorrow, so good luck to everyone who entered!

Oops, I almost forgot to say that Celeb Number Two was none other than Peter Van Hooke, who was a drummer for Van Morrison back in the day!


Also, remember the Eco Reporter thing? It's happened - and it was brilliant! I was slightly nervous on camera (you really can tell, I think I need presenting lessons?), but it was such a fun day - and we got lots of hot soup at the end. Here's a shot of me looking fabulous with my pruning gloves on:





And no, I'm not pulling a pose, I'm mid-speech! Darn woodland paparazzo.

Employee Surveys

The title of this blog post is self-explanatory, really - the other day, an email went round the Panasonic UK offices asking for participants for a company opinion survey on new products.

I'm absolutely not going to reveal what the products were (it's very hush hush), but it was really fun to be a part of! We were asked which designs and shapes of the products we preferred and the researchers showed us the possibilities of new technology - very exciting!

Totally unrelated: we used the company gym after work today and the facilities aren't half bad! I'm not entirely sure if things will be different next year, but - for now - membership to the gym is free, which is great to know when you just want to run your socks off on a treadmill after work and get rid of lots of energy! I have to say, it's very welcome after being sat at a desk for most of the day...

Another Awards Ceremony!

I may not be attending the Stuff awards, but the head of the PR Team has just invited me to the Pocket-Lint awards! Pocket-lint is an online gadget website and we've apparently been nominated for Best TV! It's the TX-P50S20 up for the award, so here's hoping...

Oh, November...

You're a busy month!

The run-up to Christmas - and all the way until April, apparently - is completely hectic, so I'm bracing myself! I can already feel the shift - journalists are ringing me more often with requests for product samples, though this does mean that we have awards coming out of our ears, which is always a good thing!

So, at the moment, it's coverage-around-the clock - we have a new coverage clippings service, which sends us all the coverage we have received in print publications and online. It's very thorough (which is great, as we never miss anything!) but it's also a lot of work alongside all of my other duties.

Please don't think I'm moaning - this is one of the aspects of the role I was looking forward to, as I love being busy! There is a general consensus among the placement students that the roles certainly pack a lot in, so apply for Panasonic and you will never be sat drumming your thumbs!

In other news...

The other week, I had an idea about getting involved in some of the work done by the Eco Ideas team. Eco Ideas is a major part of Panasonic's business philosophy and is all about a company co-existing in harmony with the world and with society. This is a side of business in which I am really interested, so I have put myself forward as...

Panasonic's Eco Reporter!

Yes, really. It means I will go along to Panasonic's Eco Ideas events and do a 60-second piece to camera (eek!) explaining the event and also interviewing a few people, which will then get published on our intranet.

Very nervous about this - but also excited! We will be doing a trial-run in just over a week's time, as Panasonic will be taking part in a conservation activity, helping to clear a nature reserve of goarse bushes...wish me luck!

Stephen Fry & Caviar

Yes, it's true - I have spent one of my evenings during my time here at Panasonic sat opposite Stephen Fry, eating caviar. Explanation? I know it's needed...

The annual T3 Gadget Awards were held on the 11th October and what an incredible evening it was! T3 is one of the country's leading technology and lifestyle magazines and we were certainly wowed by the event held. Hundreds of tech specialists and journalists, all with a passion for latest, greatest gadgets attended, along with many household-name technology brands, such as Apple, Sony and of course... Panasonic!

The evening began with a champagne reception at Old Billingsgate in London and we were then shown to our seats. Stephen Fry kicked off the proceedings with a fantastic speech (we were sat in the second row - very close!) as we started dinner and the menu was truly fabulous.

To read the nominations and help to give out the awards was comedian Jimmy Carr - none of us expected this and he entertained us with a great stand up routine and lots of banter with T3's editor!

As for awards, Panasonic left with the Camera of the Year Award (DMC-GF1) and TV of the Year Award (TX-P50VT20B) - we were all very chuffed!

We all had a really great night and it's events like these which make the job so worthwhile!

There are yet more awards ceremonies to come - next up is Stuff magazine, though I won't be attending unfortunately! I will let you know if we win any more awards (keep your fingers crossed for us...)

Let Awards Season Begin!

The parties have begun and things are looking truly magnificent for Panasonic...



I attended Bauer Media's Gear of the Year Awards a few weeks ago and we came home with two awards - we won Product of the Year for one of our cameras! It was really great to meet some of the journalists I speak to everyday on the phone face to face, they're really lovely! The event was held for award winners only, which meant that everyone who attended went home with an award. The awards were held in Brown's in London, so we got a very nice meal and a few drinks on the house too...



Other awards ceremonies which have taken place recently are the Computer Shopper Awards (held by one of the magazines we work closely with) and the What Hi Fi Awards - all very exciting! It's really nice to see the company winning so many awards when everyone at Pansonic works so hard!

Day In Day Out...?

Firstly, many apologies for not getting this post out sooner - the weeks literally are flying by in a blur at the moment!

Something I did notice, which was pretty peculiar, was that after a month working here, things really did seem to die down. On the Monday, I had about 34 emails in my inbox and by Wednesday...only 6! It stayed like that for a while and what I now know is that there are definitely times when I feel like I'm rushing around like a headless chicken and others where I actually have a moment to sit. If this doesn't sound appealing, it's (bizarrely enough) exactly what I love about this job - no day will ever be the same! If you're looking for a placement with a bit of a difference, then this really is for you.

One thing that is great about working here is the training that you are offered throughout the year. A couple of weeks ago, I attended a Media Training course, which proved to be really helpful for the position I'm in. Being a PR Assistant, there may be times where you are asked questions by the media, and you have to know how to answer whatever is fired you in appropriate and consise manner. During the course (it only lasted an afternoon and took place in another room in the Panasonic building), I was interviewed about a variety of subjects and was either recorded on a dictaphone or filmed! This was a bit scary, but the lady who ran the course was lovely and gave us all great tips on how to conduct ourselves. As part of the work you have to complete for placement portfolio, any training you undertake will help you greatly in getting the most out of your industrial year.

Today, I attended a General Sales Managers meeting which was really interesting! The Managing Director of Panasonic UK, Keith Evans, spoke first on how well Panasonic have been doing as a company within the market. The other placement students and I have met Keith before and whenever he talks about his 'journey to the top', it's really motivational! After Keith spoke, a number of other employees gave presentations on the company's sales performance and also on some exciting new products!

One of our new products is the HD-TA1, a tiny, slip-it-in-your-pocket Full HD camcorder, which also takes excellent quality still photos - I really want one! You can find out more about the TA1 here:

http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_GB/Products/HM-TA1/Overview/5470885/index.html#anker_5470888

It's really super & it's something you could easily put on your Xmas list...

And the hard work begins...

Handover is, well, over and I have to do things all by myself! Dawn is working on another project this week and the week after...she goes to on a work trip to Japan - very jealous!


I've had to get to grips with all of the admin tasks I need to complete on a daily basis. They're simple jobs, but are time-consuming, so I'm quickly learning that prioritising your workload is a necessity. The tasks include:

• processing invoices (the expenses incurred by the PR department)



• arranging collections and deliveries of sample products with journalists



• uploading coverage of consumer products onto the Internet

Yesterday afternoon, I was invited to attend a presentation held by some of the company's senior managers. It was focused around Panasonic's BBP - Basic Business Philosophy - and it was really interesting to hear how the core ethics that the company is based on help to shape every decision management make.

(I would like to point out that the title of this post really does hold true - the above was written quite a while ago and I haven't had the time/energy to continue this blog post! I now have a moment to sit and write the following...)

Dawn came back from Japan yesterday - she had so many great stories to tell, it sounds like she had an amazing time! It was also her last day though, so a bit sad! From what I've heard, Dawn's had a fantastic year, jam-packed with opportunities which she really made the most of - wishing her all the best for the future if she's reading this! x

Today's exciting bit of news - I managed to get some products in the October issue of Elle Decoration magazine! Keep your beady eyes peeled for a mention :) With things like this and anything you contribute to the company (like the press release for the John Lewis Fashion Show, for example), you are advised to save/print off/make a copy of for your placement portfolio. Doing this regularly will help when you come to put everything together for your uni work at the end of the year, so make sure you keep it up to date!

As I've mentioned, this week and last have been extremely busy. Yes, there are alot of admin tasks to complete, but there are so many great opportunities to get stuck into working in this PR position, that it's completely worth it. I did get a little overwhelmed with the workload today, but that's only to be expected - there's so much to take in but you do get used to it! The team I'm working with are really lovely and I know that they're there to help me out if I need anything. I had a meeting with my manager last week (it was a First Month Meeting, which all of the placement students attend with their managers to discuss how things are going). I explained to her how I was feeling about the workload and she gave me a really great piece of advice: You Can't Get Back To Everybody. Every morning, I have about 10 emails in my inbox to deal with (this number is always a lot bigger when I've been out of the office for a day!), but you have to just go through them in order of priority and it all works out fine!

You may well have seen the coverage on the BBC on Tuesday - I attended the 2 Years to Go event held by Panasonic in Trafalgar Square! It was amazing to see everything coming together. As well as revealing the Olympic Park to the press and the public, Panasonic unveiled the fantastic new 3D TV equipment, which went down a treat! Johnny Vaughn and Lisa Snowdon from Capital FM's Breakfast Show were there to introduce the proceedings and Flawless (a dance act from last year's Britain's Got Talent and stars of the film StreetDance 3D) were there to perform - in front of hundreds of screaming fans! It was such a long day as there was so much going on, but really rewarding and great to be a part of.

A Bit of Exciting News!

I won't usually be posting more than once a week, but I had to share this with you!

Today, I got my first press release published online! I helped put it together the other day and now, it can actually be found on Google - very surreal. It was for the John Lewis Fashion Show and the photographers there were using our equipment, so it was up to Dawn and I to write the release, which can be found here:

http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_GB/News/Capturing+Fashion%E2%80%99s+Finest+Moments+with+the+Lumix+G2/5134364/index.html

At the bottom of that page is a link to Flickr with all of the photos taken from the shoot. Woopah :)

My First Day!

Well, here we are - I can't believe it's my first day already, it's come round so quick! Today I start my one year placement at Panasonic UK as PR Assistant! The job role includes:

• helping the PR team develop, enhance and manage the reputation of the consumer product range


• organising product launches and press briefings


• carrying out pro-active PR by liaising with journalists on a daily basis


• working creatively within the PR team

This is only a brief description of what the job entails, I've been told there is a lot more and that I'll always be busy! I'll keep you posted as it all unfolds though...

Today, I need to be at the office (which is based in Bracknell, Reading) for 2pm. There isn't too much to do today - it's mainly sorting out the necessary paperwork, attending a presentation about the company's ethos and watching some health and safety videos! I moved into my new house a week ago, so I've had time to settle in and get to know the area, which is lovely! I'm living with 5 of the other placement students (there are 17 placements students in total this year) so the house is always buzzing!

Last week, I was lucky enough to attend an awards ceremony in Cardiff with Dawn, who is the current placement student working as PR Assistant. The ceremony was for an amazing project Panasonic has been running since 1989, called Kid Witness News (otherwise known as KWN). Schoolchildren from around the world participate to create short films on issues such as 'communication' and 'ecology' (which were the themes for this year's contest) using Panasonic equipment. You can find out everything about the project by visiting:

http://panasonic.net/kwn/index.html

The ceremony was brilliant and I got to meet lots of lovely people! Later on this year, I'll be working on the project - very exciting! The contest is a great opportunity for children to express themselves creatively through film and those I met last week (who were from the Hollies School in Cardiff, a school for children with special educational needs) all had a fantastic time.

Wish me luck for my first day (though it's really only an afternoon)! x