Manminder and Puspavathy (middle) posing with
students
The Faculty of Arts and Social Science’s (FAS)
Department of Public Relations (PR) newly appointed Industry Advisors (IA)
Manminder Kaur and Puspavathy Ramaloo from Intelectasia, a Public Relations
Consultancy and Training Firm, made their maiden visit to UTAR Kampar Campus
on 8 April 2016.
As part of UTAR’s commitment in maintaining a
strong undergraduate programme which encourages the intellectual and
personal development of students, the industry advisors are sought for their
feedback and advice on the latest requirements of the industry and market to
enhance existing programmes.
Visiting the campus for the first time, the duo
was received by FAS Dean Dr Alia Azalea, Head of Department of PR Pong Kok
Shiong and fellow staff members where they had discussion and reviews on the
current PR syllabus. To further groom our students to be knowledgeable and
industry ready upon completion of studies, Manminder, who is the CEO of
Intelectasia, advised the inclusion of digital media topics as well as more
subjects which hone the practical skills of students. Other topics discussed
also included sentiment analysis especially in social media, advocacy in PR,
PR measurement, digital branding, and news values.
In a bid to encourage mutual and lifelong
learning, the Department of PR also arranged a talk by Manminder on the
meteoric rise of digital media which has greatly impacted the industry.
Through the insightful talk, staff and students’ awareness and understanding
of the effects of technology to the PR industry were heightened, thus better
preparing them in the evolving digital age.
Speaking from her experience and expertise,
Manminder mentioned that the widespread use of social media has actually
provided an opportunity to reach consumers through various channels. Some
examples of popular social media tools mentioned are Facebook and YouTube.
“These social media channels have contributed to
the brand’s overall personality and have helped consumers to obtain deeper,
personal connection with the brands. These channels have also become a
platform for consumers to freely voice their opinions or to question the
brand itself. Therefore it is vital for the brands to respond effectively
and quickly,” explained the award winning PR expert.
As Manminder spoke further, she mentioned that
these opportunities of social media not only provided easy access to
consumers but have also witnessed the increasing demand for more PR
professionals to collaborate with brand owners. She mentioned that from
those collaborations, brands are able to develop meaningful and purposeful
relationships with their collaborators so as to create impactful campaigns.
“Recognising the opportunities in social media
enable brands to stay ahead of the digital media development, bringing
values to their brands, and creating stronger customer loyalty,” stated
Manminder.
The visit ended with a group photo and souvenir
presentation to Manminder and Puspavathy, the Chief Strategy Officer of
Intelectasia.
Manminder (eighth from left) and Puspavathy
(sixth from right) with Dr Alia (seventh from right) and FAS Department of
PR academics
Dr Alia (right) presenting a token of
appreciation to Manminder (middle) and Puspavathy (left)
Wholly owned by UTAR Education Foundation Co. No. 578227-M LEGAL STATEMENT TERM OF USAGE PRIVACY NOTICE