People, partnership, photography, planning, PR – the Ps behind any successful campaign, according to Jane Dickson who has stepped down after more than 40 years in the business.

Ms Dickson, from Rochester, says that practitioners, staff and, most importantly, clients are all involved in a partnership that determines the effectiveness of any campaign.

Speaking before retiring to her native South Africa, she said PR had changed in those 40 years, yet in many ways had stayed the same. "It is still about promoting companies and people," she said.

She had these three tips for people entering the profession or organisations considering using PR to promote their products or services:

• Partnership: Clients, press and PR all play an important role in achieving the goal.
• Photography: Good photography usually guarantees coverage. "When I started out as a PR trainee, there was always a budget for professional photography of products and events, whether for printed matter or editorial promotion. Now that digital photography is commonplace and everyone takes photographs, it is worth remembering what a skilled professional photographer can achieve.
• Planning: "Another tip I learned from the home economists I worked with in my first PR job, where we were involved in numerous projects and events. They said: 'Remember to plan for every little detail, down to the last teaspoon.' I have never forgotten that advice and how true it is."

Ms Dickson is moving to the Cape Town area to be closer to her family.