Dian Noeh is a founder and entrepreneur who fosters inclusion and loves canoeing, trekking, history, agriculture, and business models. Dian has over 20 years of experience in public relations and brand building. Having previously worked at a global financial firm and in PR, Dian founded a PR firm named Kennedy, Voice & Berliner in November 2011. Kennedy, Voice & Berliner has become KVB, a content company. KVB has worked with hundreds of clients, including big holding companies, blue-chip companies, and pre-seed startups. This is our second conversation with Dian, the recap of the first one is here.
Our community members can ask her questions on Slido.
Dian Noeh, founder and CEO of KVB Global
KrASIA (Kr): Why and how did you get into PR?
Dian Noeh (DN): I got into communications because I was driven by creating and delivering voices that create a good impact [on society]. I got my job as PR through a simple process. I sent my resume to my dream company and I was accepted for my first job. During my PR career and later as an entrepreneur, I found that constant learning and commitment are very important, as the essence of business is people and trust.
Kr: What kind of personality does it take to go into PR?
DN: PR jobs are good for introverts. We work behind the scenes when building brands or [helping companies] build their reputation. They are good for extroverts too, as the profession sometimes requires us to do outreach.
People somehow think that the ones who work in PR are extroverts who like talking, but PR is beyond just talking. We craft and deliver content for others and we need to be able to strategize. Therefore PR persons must have holistic and helicopter views of issues. And, as PR strategy relates to a massive audience, understanding sociology and anthropology will be an advantage.
Timing is also essential. [PR professionals must be] proactive and reactive when doing or saying something. Speed is necessary and reading time is essential. Finally, humans have both emotions and logic. Therefore, PR [professionals] need to be empathetic.
Kr: Can you tell us the best and not-so-glamorous parts of your industry?
DN: I like working in PR as it requires strategic thinking, creative work, and writing skills that we practice by exercising critical thinking. It also allows you to meet people from different industries, which [grants you] vast learning opportunities. The not-so-glamorous parts would be the deadlines and racing against time [during] behind-the-scenes preparation.
Kr: Can you tell me more about your team and KVB’s pro–bono work? Should all companies do pro-bono work?
DN: Our team comprises humble, adaptive, and committed talents who are eager to learn. We have been focusing on agriculture and entrepreneurship as these two are essential for growth inclusion and sustainability. We have been providing different stages for entrepreneurs to speak about brand, content, and business at multiple forums. Also, we have been mentoring tech founders at events. It is good if a company can do pro-bono work, but it depends on their capabilities and purpose.
Kr: How do you communicate bad news to the public effectively? Is it important to twist a bad thing into a good thing?
DN: Delivering bad or good news depends on the objective, or what you would like to gain, the target audience, and the landscape or holistic situation. To twist a story depends on what you want to achieve by delivering certain messages. I also need to highlight that PR messages are based on facts, and therefore accountability, transparency, and wisdom [are all important].
Kr: What’s your thought process when you create a story for a startup? In your experience, what have you found makes for a compelling startup story?
DN: It’s going back to the simple process of defining the startup’s objective and strategy. A clear objective can create a more solid strategy. Therefore, together with founders, we define objectives first. Every founder is unique, with a different mission and [personality]. Together, these two build compelling stories.
Kr: Now that you have accomplished many things in life, what is the next thing you want to achieve or contribute to?
DN: I continue to focus on co-driving growth inclusion by creating and delivering content for corporations as well as startups in multi-platforms. ‘Multi-platform’ means that we are not limited to PR, but also deliver content via other channels. KVB has been creating and delivering educational content. So we will continue doing so by working with edutech partners. We also continue to create new offerings that fit with society and culture, and diversify our business engagement by adapting with the changing market. On a personal level, I continue my activities in [helping the environment] as [I think] it is essential to maintain sustainability.
Tuning In is a new KrASIA series where we interview and chat intimately with thought leaders who are breaking the mold, pushing the frontiers of innovation and are trailblazing figures in their space. To read similar stories, please hop on to Oasis, the brainchild of KrASIA.
Disclaimer: This article is part of our “Tuning In” series. All answers reflect the personal perspective of the interviewee herself, and not KrASIA’s. If you’d like to contribute as a writer or nominate someone for our “Tuning In” series, you can email us at [email protected].