Market leading organisations recognise the importance of training and the Priority Consultants Group is no exception.
Being a PR professional is demanding and being a truly great practitioner calls for a huge breadth of domain knowledge, outstanding communication skills and the desire as well as ability to connect with people and build authentic relationships. Time management, the ability to prioritise are a must and in a fast-changing world, being curious and excited to research what is happening are all part of the daily line-up. It’s a hell of a tough job, but so rewarding when you do it well!
At Priority, our training programmes are designed to make sure our Account teams tick all these boxes and have the confidence to flourish in a challenging environment.
Senior PR people freely admit they learned a lot from their clients and their media partners. In the past, and especially here in Asia, consultancies were typically appointed by the client’s MD or CEO, exposing us to the thinking of the most senior members of the client organisation. We acted as confidantes when times were tough and a sounding board for new ideas. “Marketing” was less sophisticated and from the regional leader we learned the client’s perspective on business models, competition, product and service differentiation, and challenges of people and geographies.
Today’s landscape is very different. Companies’ marketing structures are highly differentiated and in many cases automated. Communications outcomes are more measurable than ever, particularly with the proliferation of social media and digital channels. As PR professionals, we engage today not so much with the client’s CEO but with executive members of sophisticated marketing machines.
Our client contacts are often far removed from the “coal face” where they engage directly with their customers, and as a partner we must be able to interpret. counsel and act on the factors that are keeping their end users awake at night. More than ever, the message has to match the media, and today’s unprecedented ability to focus means clients’ budgets are spent more wisely. Consultancies are rightly expected to meet ROI targets.
Learning@Priority is our commitment to ensure our staff are able to combine and deploy the best of both the traditional, personal relationship-based communications and today’s measurable methodologies.
“The workshops have been really helpful! It’s great to exchange insights and experiences with my colleagues rather than just sitting back and listening.” – Alexa Gonzales; PH
One of Priority’s key differentiators is our regionwide coverage, with our account managers and media outreach specialists native to the country and city they work in. This diversity is a huge strength but it also means we must recognise the disparities across the region in terms of qualifications.
Learning@Priority levels the playing field making opportunities available to all team members regardless of where they are located, their qualifications and background.
Learning@Priority offers a range of programmes from professional foundation skills to advanced communications techniques. Our writing skills and presentation workshops teach how to write impactfully everything from tweets to white papers, and to present convincingly.
“I have learnt so much from doing the work and learning from my peers on what they do and how they deliver.” – Jennifer Gill; TH
Naturally, it takes two hands to clap, and not all our trainees will make it. We make no excuses for setting and sticking to the highest standards and expectations are made clear right from the start. Our clients expect global service standards delivered with local knowledge and engagement – and that is what we aim for. Our steady growth and remarkable client retention suggest we are getting it right.