A PR abroad

As I’m writing this, the sun is setting on the first day of the Octopus-Active International Job Swap. So, what have I learnt? Well, despite Dubai and London being over 4,000 miles apart, the similarities in our approaches to PR are surprisingly similar.

• MUSIC: A passion for the office boom box is most certainly mutual. Pharell Williams’ ‘Happy’ is definitely an international success, see Active PR’s brilliantly charming impersonation video here
• MEDIA RELATIONS: Interacting with the media is just as high a priority in the Middle East as it is in the UK. If anything, it is perhaps even more important due to there being a slightly lower uptake in social media channels across the Gulf. The PR mantra is universal: ‘Coverage. Coverage. Coverage.’
• FOOD: I thought Octopus Group was alone in being borderline obsessive about our eating habits, with all sorts of baked goods making their way through the front door everyday. That was until I realised that Active PR has a very healthy preoccupation with sharing chocolate. I, for one, am not complaining a bit
• PEOPLE: We’re lucky at Octopus to have a shedload of charisma, talent and dare I say banter. The minute I stepped through Active’s door I knew that this quality is shared. The only thing that outshines the work that Active produces is the team: a truly stellar bunch!

I’m looking forward to getting stuck into a few more client activities during the week. More news and reviews to come from this PR abroad.