Insightful visit by industry advisor

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)



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