When I was approached to contribute an article on a profession that I have been in for over 25 years, I was both excited yet concerned about what I could say that would resonate with an audience who are already well-versed with Public Relations. I thought that sharing my learnings as an in-house PR practitioner would perhaps offer them an opportunity to reflect and reminisce on their own experiences.

My entire PR career has been in-house. Based in Singapore, I first started in local Corporate Affairs and after four years, I got lucky and was offered an Asia Pacific Internal Communications role, which kickstarted my regional career till today.

To me, being an in-house PR practitioner is about building, managing, protecting and elevating the reputation of the organisation that I work in. My journey has been filled with moments of joy and fulfilment, as well as challenges and frustrations. In the context of Asia Pacific, this journey is even more nuanced due to the diverse cultural norms and business practices that span the region. These differences shape how I approach my role, which in turn guide me in facing the realities of the job and embracing the rewards that come with it.

Cultural nuances

In a diverse region like Asia Pacific, there are inevitable challenges in understanding the subtleties of local practices. What is considered appropriate in one country can be seen as insensitive in another. A PR campaign that is a success in Australia could completely fail in China if the cultural nuances are not fully understood. My regional role therefore requires me to maintain regular and open communications with my team members so I can continuously educate myself about local customs. Patience and humility come into play here.

The media landscape in Asia Pacific is also complex, with varying levels of media freedom. Media relations require constant attention and controlling the narrative across diverse cultures and managing response timelines can be time-consuming and exhausting.

Working in-house involves navigating corporate bureaucracy, managing the sometimes unrealistic expectations of leadership, balancing competing priorities and delivering on a limited budget. Throughout my career, I have found myself caught in the web of multiple stakeholders, each with different expectations. Getting approval to engage a PR agency or expand the PR team is a celebration in itself, notwithstanding the even higher expectations that come from having these extra resources.

Proving ROI, an ongoing challenge

How do PR efforts contribute to the bottom line is a question that never goes away. Proving the ROI of PR campaigns with tangible results that are understood and accepted by the business is an ongoing challenge. However, I am hopeful that technology and AI will generate insightful PR data and insights that will guide how we do business and show value for money. In fact, many reputation management and media monitoring platforms are already bringing sophistication to how we demonstrate the value of PR in the broader business sphere.

Against the backdrop of these realities, there are also rewarding moments that keep me going. The Asia Pacific region is a melting pot of cultures, and I have enjoyed learning and adapting to these diverse norms and being the bridge for initiatives that cross borders. A PR campaign that works well in India may need significant tweaks for a market like Japan. The knack of understanding and adapting messages and strategies that address and fit cultural nuances is a skill that brings both personal and professional satisfaction.

Another positive comes from building trust and relationships with spokespeople and team members. Workwise, it drives successful collaboration across our PR initiatives. On the personal front, it gives me a sense of pride in my role when spokespeople put into practice tips from media training or guidance given for speaking engagements and shine in the spotlight. Some have become highly proficient communicators who have advanced their careers successfully.

An offshoot of being in a regional role is the connections that I have made across the region and globally. As I travel beyond Singapore, I am humbled by the generosity of time and sharing of stories that my PR network has given me.

Impact of company values

As I navigate the realities and rewards of my role, an underlying factor that impacts my daily work is company values. For instance, at my current workplace, Cushman & Wakefield, the company’s values of Driven, Resilience, Inclusive, Visionary, and Entrepreneurial contribute to how I approach my job. The ‘Driven’ value defines performance, setting the stage for the development of strategies that deliver measurable results. The ‘Entrepreneurial’ culture encourages me and my team to think out of the box and execute creative campaigns.

The value that resonates the most with me is ‘Resilience’. Every day brings recurring and new challenges and opportunities, be it a breaking piece of news or dealing with unique personalities. Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to collaborate with stakeholders that understand PR and are great partners in telling the company story. I have also encountered those who have their own personal agendas and egos and do not co-operate as much. Being nice yet assertive while applying influencing and persuasion skills help get me over the line.

Being resilient during a crisis is imperative. While I do not wish a crisis on anyone, I believe that crisis management is a critical aspect of a PR career – it pushes you to keep calm and carry on (amidst the uncertainties and negativity) and allows you to shine as you control the narrative and protect the company’s reputation. Managing a crisis successfully requires quick thinking, effective communication skills and a load of resilience and is one of the most rewarding aspects of the job, although it is only often felt on hindsight.

In conclusion, while the role presents its fair share of challenges, the rewards are equally significant. Those who thrive will appreciate that it is the blend of reality and reward that makes this journey not just a job, but a passion.