AND THAT’S HOW PR IS DONE

Marck Maphori May 15, 2015

Meet The Pro: Dionne Domyan-Mudie

What exactly does Publicity Workshop do?

The Publicity Workshop is a premier entertainment and lifestyle public relations firm. Big Concerts International, Big Electronic, Unicef (Roll Back Malaria Programme), Yvonne Chaka Chaka, About Entertainment, Big Merchandise, The Bra Guru, StyleDiva, Match Creative, Bo (Denim), Elan Lea, Joey Rasdien, Musa, Fresh Music, Next Music, and Vinyl Junkie are among the clients of the company, which was founded in 1997.

What events have you played an active role in that our readers might remember?

As the national publicist for Big Concerts, I have a lot of them. One Direction, The Script, The Fray, Foo Fighters, U2, and Justin Bieber are just a few examples.

How glamorous is it to be a Public Relations professional/publicist? Is it all about popping the cork and eating caviar?

Definitely not – I wish – There are no set hours in this industry. Your phone is always on, and it is expected that you will be available if you are contacted. The media operates around the clock, and if they require a quote, comment, or release, you must be available. Weekend getaways are scarce. It also entails working long hours, understanding your clients’ needs, and developing very specific goals and messaging to communicate with the media. BUT, at the end of a very successful tour or campaign, every second is worth it, and you walk away with the team you work with, grateful that you have the best job in the world, even if it isn’t as glamorous as people think.

How does one become a Public Relations practitioner? Also, how does one go about starting their own business?

All the colleges and universities today offer very good public relations diplomas and degrees. The first port of call should be PRISA (the Public Relations Institute of SA). To that end, the first step is to pursue a tertiary education in public relations and/or communications and then apply for an internship at a public relations or communications firm. It is the only way to discover if this industry is for you or not. Often, it is not. You need to be quite unique to work in the creative industry. You have to be very driven to run your own company and believe in yourself to do the best you can for clients. You have to be goal-driven.

How is the competition between The Publicity Workshop and other agencies similar to yours, like Tutone Communications, for example?

Of course there is always competition, but in general we all get along very well. I respect all the other agencies and what they do, and vice versa.

Now, I believe that in order to really know what the profession is about, we need to know who the players are and what they do? So, we want to know what happens on a typical day in your life?

The first thing I do is grab my phone and look at emails that have come through during the night, and if anything urgent comes up, I will respond. Then it is time to check out what is happening in the world, so I hit the TV first, then the online news sites, and the radio on my way to work. I always spend half an hour doing my “to do” list for the day, and then the day begins. A typical day includes writing press releases, organising interviews, calling the media about the campaigns I am handling and pitching angles to them, making sure my media are well taken care of, and making sure my clients’ needs are met. There are many meetings and a lot of administration involved.

What do you do after a long day in the office?

I try to balance it out with my family. My son plays for Black Aces, and my other son is a promising goalkeeper, so I usually work at one of the clubs until 7 p.m., when I go home.Luckily, my husband is a great support, so when we get home around 8 p.m., it is dinner, a glass of wine, and then catching up on series. Of course, this is only if I am not on tour or at a media event.

What are the 3 things that you cannot simply do without?

It will have to be four. iPhone, my Typo notebook, music, and, of course, the computer!

Do you even sleep with all your work?

What a great question! I am an insomniac, so I often wake up in the early hours of the morning and go through some work ideas, respond to emails, and re-group on campaigns I am working on. At least I can get a few things done then, which helps me sleep better until the morning.

A student comes to you and asks you what it takes to be at the top. What would you tell them? Simply: