Page 2 of The Game
Henry walks out of one of the offices wearing a big smile and a suit, and I realize I might need to step up my fashion game to fit in here.
I’m dressed well enough, with black suit pants, a white blouse, and a blazer, but this is probably one of only three outfits I have in this style.
That means I need to go shopping when I get the chance.
Not that I mind; I love a good shopping trip, and wearing stylish, professional attire is always a bonus.
“Hello, Sarah. I’m Henry. So nice to finally meet you in person.”
Once again, I’m struck by gratitude for this opportunity and for the kindness of Henry and Clarissa at the front desk. The welcoming atmosphere makes me relax.
“Hi, Henry. Thank you for meeting with me. I’m excited to be working in your team.” Henry clasps my hand in his before motioning me over to his office.
The walls in his office are covered with signed jerseys of the players, and I smile. Even though the building is sleek and modern, it’s nice to see the sport celebrated on its walls.
We sit down, and Henry begins to explain the organization and its structure. He leads the PR department alongside his assistant, Miriam. They oversee the primary operations, ensuring everything runs smoothly.
Then there is image and brand management, led by Wayne. They’re responsible for the team’s public image and the athletes’ individual images, and I will be working on that as well.
Further on, we have Samantha, who works in media relations, building and nurturing relationships with journalists, reporters, and media outlets.
Samantha is the one I will be sharing an office with, and even though we don’t work under the same umbrella, Henry assures me that she’ll be a great help to me.
She’s also close to my age, which will be nice.
Crisis management handles negative publicity, responds to crises, and mitigates potential damage to the team’s or athlete’s reputation.
Henry makes a joke about this part of PR being the hardest, and I chuckle.
Hockey players can cause a great scandal, that’s for sure.
Lastly, we have fan engagement, which is closely tied to brand management. Building strong connections and loyalty with fans is crucial, and social media plays a big part in this.
“You’ll be working on the public image of the players, showing authentic behind-the-scenes content which hopefully will create more engagement for the team.”
Part of the internship will involve setting up profiles for players who are not interested in social media. I will also manage the newer social media profiles for the team overall.
There is already a lot of engagement surrounding the team, but Henry explains they also want to reach younger audiences, and that’s where I’ll step in.
He tells me I’ll meet with several players to discuss their individual strategies.
To this point, they haven’t had much of a strategy for individual players, but as the sport’s popularity intensifies, it’s necessary to include this in PR management as well.
Once I gather more information on the players’ preferences, we’ll move forward and determine how many personal assistants and similar support staff are needed.
Henry tells me that all the players have PAs, but their social media strategies vary widely.
My job is to collect this information and develop a more comprehensive plan we can use. Some players prefer to handle their own social media, while others want PR to manage it for them. Being a good PR assistant means knowing your players.
I’ll meet with each of them to understand their future preferences.
If I were to show a phone in someone’s face before a game, when they prefer to be left alone to handle PR and media on any other day, I need to be aware.
I have my work cut out for me.
We finish the meeting, and my head is buzzing with all the information.
I will start the following Monday, and Henry shows me to a shared double office.
