My experience as a PR intern at Signify

April 11, 2023

As a part of my university course, I had the option to do a placement year - one of the reasons why I chose the course - it offered me the chance to experience the real corporate world. So, I started my search for the ‘right’ role. The only thing I knew was that I wanted to search for role in the marketing department of an organisation that was in the consumer tech space. And that’s how Signify happened to me!

In this blog, I share my journey of eight months at Signify, what I have learnt, what I look forward to in the remaining four months of my internship, and how this role has shaped me for the many professional opportunities to come.

Discovering the role

I stumbled upon a LinkedIn ad for a PR intern to support the team on the PR programme for a prestigious brand – Philips Hue. Other than working for a respected brand, the advertised role seemed very interesting, offering me the chance to connect with media and influencers, something very few companies offer.

It felt the opportunity would let me experience how it is to work for an established brand, become a part of a team, learn, add value, and make an impactful contribution rather than watch from the side. Having little knowledge on what PR entails, I was very interested by the prospects of the role and decided to apply.

Getting started

Like every other intern I was as excited as nervous to start the role. I wanted to learn and add value while also hoping what I learnt in theory is relevant to the real world of work.

Entering the role, I was extremely keen to learn as much as I could and also reflect on how much of the theory learned at university can be applied to a real-life situation. Over halfway through my internship, as I look back, I realise what I have learnt so far is so insightful and is also just the tip of the iceberg – there is so much more the profession has to offer!

My responsibilities

My responsibilities include media outreach, influencer collaborations, the media review program, social media, copywriting, supporting media events, and integrated marketing campaigns to ensure the visibility of our innovative brands, Philips Hue, WiZ Connected, and Philips – everything a PR professional can be expected to do.

My favourite part of the role is working with the media/press. Whether it’s press releases, or running the review programme for Philips Hue and WiZ Connected, I work closely with the PR team on all activities. It’s great to get responsibility and accountability for the work that needs to be done. To some it may feel like it is a lot of work early in the job but to me, it brings a sense of accountability. I have had exposure to so many different elements of the business, from product launches, to managing our organic influencer program, giving me the chance to build a whole new set of skills.

Skills I’ve learnt so far

There are a few skills that I feel I have learnt over the past few months that university could not have taught me.  Here are a few that I feel I will value the most for my professional journey over the years:

It has been extremely important for me to manage my time and keep on top of my work as we always have new and unexpected opportunities pop up. I have learnt how to work most efficiently whilst also keeping the standard of what I’m doing as high as possible. This allows me to explore all the aspects that PR has to offer as I can make the time for new opportunities that present themselves and then manage these alongside my existing workload.

Being organised: an undervalued skill that allows me to, firstly, make sure I never miss a deadline, opportunity to feature in a story, or ongoing work that needs to be done. Secondly, it is extremely important for managing my day-to-day activities, on-going activities (like reviews and influencers) and new projects that present themselves.

It’s important to be mindful of time that others may spend on reading your emails. Therefore, ensuring communication is clear and concise. In my journey so far, learning to do so has been a focus for me. From managing relationships with journalist or influencers, to speaking to colleagues internally, it’s so important for me to be clear to make sure there is no misunderstanding, and the teams are aligned with everything going on in the world of PR.

Having strong relationships is key in PR. Whether it’s people inside the business, media/journalists, or influencers, having contacts that we can always rely on is ideal. Established connections can help us when needed and we can support them when they need it. We’ve been lucky enough to build a few such relationships with the media. I have leant that these relationships, like any other, are not built overnight. It takes a lot of work, meetings perhaps even going for lunch with a couple of journalists to further build these relationships, and also being around to give the journalist any information they need on the company or products. There is no one size fits all approach, and it is always great to cement a relationship in person, rather than over email!

What next?

I am grateful to have learnt the skills mentioned above and I know I will take them with me into my next roles. Signify has been a foundation – I have learnt so many valuable lessons and had a great insight into not only the lighting industry and PR, but business operations altogether. I look forward to taking the next step in my career.