Centriq PR nurturing future communication ‘heroes’ through We.R.Wira campaign

Seasoned public relations practitioner Jacqueline Arnold finds it funny that most people are clueless about her job.

That was one of the reasons she decided to “give back” to the industry she loves by getting tertiary students to produce videos for the second season of her company’s social impact initiative – We.R.Wira – a campaign to promote positivity by recognising the efforts of everyday unsung heroes.

In the first season, Arnold and her colleagues honoured 11 ‘superheroes’ who made a difference across a myriad of fields, including medicine, the arts, nation-building and unity, autism awareness, and inclusivity.

For the second season, she came up with the idea to get those studying public relations and communication from five local institutions of higher learning to produce the videos. The five are Selangor’s University of Wollongong Malaysia, Sunway University, Montfort Boys Town, Kuala Lumpur’s Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology, and Perak’s Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Kampar.

“To many, PR is about glamorous parties, press conferences, and meeting famous people – that couldn’t be further from the truth,” laughed the managing director of the award-winning public relations firm, Centriq PR.

“They don’t realise the amount of work and research that go into preparing for events, the number of meetings – sometimes until late at night – and the phone calls we have to make.

“Then we must liaise with suppliers, coordinate schedules with dignitaries and special guests, persuade the media that the event merits coverage, and manage a host of other tasks behind the scenes.”

For the We.R.Wira campaign, Arnold wanted to show the students what goes into producing videos and choosing the right subject matter.

“Most of the time, the students are not exposed to ‘real world problems’ as they do their work in a safe environment and not touch controversial issues,” said Arnold, a past vice-president and honorary secretary of the Public Relations and Communications Association of Malaysia.

“Many don’t know about the ‘real’ issues, so the challenge for the We.R.Wira campaign was for the students to find and interview people making a difference in their communities.”

That challenge paid off handsomely as We.R.Wira won a bronze medal in the ‘Best Use of Social Media’ category at the Malaysia PR Awards on Nov 29.

It was one of six awards for Centriq PR. It won gold and silver in ‘Corporate Branding’ for Volvo Truck’s Iron Women campaign and Gardenia’s Wellness Begins at Home, and three other silvers for Altair (Best Use of Content), URM – UR Green (Employee Communication), and Chery (Crisis/Issues Management).

“We’re deeply humbled that We.R.Wira won a medal, and I want to thank the participating institutions of higher learning, the panel of judges, and the Centriq PR team for making it a success,” said Arnold, who has been guiding clients, coaching CEOs for interviews, and managing stakeholder engagement for more than two decades.

“We dedicate this award to all the everyday unsung heroes out there who selflessly give their time, effort, and resources to help those in need.”

Arnold said she was impressed with the students’ work and was particularly pleased that the winning video – judged by an independent panel – was about the plight of transgender people and sex workers.

The winning entry from the University of Wollongong Malaysia in Glenmarie saw the students visiting a clinic set up by a non-governmental organisation in Jalan Chow Kit.

“I applaud the students for their bravery in tackling the issue and for convincing the community to be interviewed on camera – of course with their faces obscured, to protect their identity,” said Arnold, an industry expert advisor to two local universities.

“They said they hated going to government hospitals as people ‘look at them funny’ or are judgmental about their lifestyle – which is not good, as they are in the high-risk group.

“They opened up about how they now had a place to get help, guidance, medical advice, and support, and how much of a difference that made to them.”

Arnold said the success of the second season led Centriq PR to invite another five institutions of higher learning to compete in the third season of We.R.Wira.

“Almost all of them will make the project part of their students’ curriculum as they see the value of the campaign – they have to identify a cause, talk to people, and convince them to be willing to be interviewed on camera,” she added.

“This prepares them for the future and gives them an idea of what they will face when they enter the job market.

“I’m pleased that we are helping to educate the future leaders of the public relations profession.”