Meet Selina Rashid, a talented young woman who currently owns the only art and entertainment based company in Pakistan. Although she had studied abroad and was working for a high profile PR company in London, she decided to move back to Pakistan and create her own PR company. Selina's company Lotus Client Management & Public Relations, promotes clients ranging from celebrities to fashion designers. Read on to learn more about her experiences of working in Pakistan, what her company is all about, and where it's headed!

Introduce yourself to our readers:
Born Selina Saadia Rashid in Hong Kong. I run Lotus Client Management and Public Relations in Lahore, Pakistan.

Tell us where you grew up, your family and education:
was born and educated for the first seven years of my life in Hong Kong after which my family relocated to Lahore, Pakistan. Educated at LCAS, I went to the University of Toronto to read politics and sociology. I transferred out of UofT after my first two years to the UK’s West Midlands region, the University of Warwick to be precise, where I graduated with a BA in Politics.

PIC

How and when did you get involved with Public Relations?

I got involved in PR some years back in London, England, when I joined Avalon Public Relations. Avalon was strongly rooted in all PR related to the arts, including stand up comedy, television shows and the odd celeb thrown in for good measure. (Read: Hugh Hefner)- it was his European tour for which I was initially hired!
It was at Avalon that I developed an interest and taste for art and entertainment related PR.


How was it like working for a big name like Avalon?

At Avalon, I got my first taste of the heady world of PR - I was heavily involved in fun publicity stunts, photo ops, red carpets, green rooms and the occasional glitzy party all over London. One summer, I was packed off to work at what is now the most ‘in’ place to be from July-August, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where I spent one month sans even a Sunday off, courting journalists, befriending clients and getting in every stand up and sketch comedy show I could. Working for the company was intense and exciting and a very fortunate opportunity.

Tell us about your company Lotus Client Management & Public Relations:

Where my decision to move back was sudden, my decision to set up my own PR company was calculated. It took me from March – October to take a very basic concept and spin it into a viable business venture.

At its core, Lotus is a representational company, i.e, a talent agency, and a PR company, meaning we look after the promotional and public image of a client. We are also the only art and entertainment focused company in the country.

Who are your clients and what services do you provide for them?

We represent quite a cross section of people and brands including fashion designers, motion picture houses, luxury brands, schools and café’s (on occasion). Our website is actually a handy resource to stay up to date with all our clients and services: www.lotuspk.com - My team and I have tried to keep each client’s page as informative as possible to avoid mass googling efforts and sifting through gazillions of pages to find the information one is looking for.

Have you had to deal with unprofessional behavior and bad attitudes in this business?

Yes – people can be clique-y and cruel and will undermine you if they perceive you as a threat. That’s the honest truth and there is not point in sugar coating it!

Why is it important to have a publicist in Pakistan? And what are the biggest mistakes celebrities or artists make?
It’s important to have a publicst anywhere in the world if you have a specific talent and want it to be known to your target public at the right time and through the right mediums. While the next points are not mistakes per say, what I perceive as problems are: 1) Artists/Celebs constantly pitching their work and themselves to the media. It lacks credibility and also leaves the artrist/celeb little room to focus on their talent rather than their PR. The second problem lies with celebs/artists aligning themselves with particular journalistic or industry ‘camps’. To be accessible to all, one must be above alliances and fraternities. Lastly and as a general rule, most creative talent requires a team to handle the practical, logistical and strategic side of their work. Unfortunately, in Pakistan so far, the value of such experience, proper training and industry know how is tossed aside - all for the sake of a freebie or getting a service on the cheap– despite knowing that the cheaper option may not necessarily be what they require.

What are your future plans and where do you see your company in the next 5 years?

My near future plans include involving Lotus with more music and writing based clients as my personal passion lies with music and reading.

Lastly, your message to the readers of The Saturday Post?

The Saturday Post staff and readers have always supported Lotus and our clients for which we are very grateful!