Working in the Field

Interning. It's great when I can pitch a story to the West Bend Daily News and see it show up a few days later. It sucks when I e-mail a press release and then drown in follow-up calls that are never answered and never returned. Sometimes, I am on a roller coaster of emotions. Am I actually good at this? I cannot tell if I enjoy working with the media or if I loathe it. It's a love hate relationship. Building a bridge seems to take at least two personal phone calls and a few great story topics. Burning a bridge takes two seconds and just one too many follow up calls. What's to be done? My boss is amazing at media relations. Maybe it just takes time, practice, multiple scripts and a few sweaty palms. I must admit that I am getting a bit better after having contacted the media a few times, at least physiologically. I can control my heart, breathing and sweaty palms a bit more. But then again, one rude journalist and I am back to square one. Gotta thicken that skin. Media relations must get easier, just has to get easier, WILL get easier....but my hands still get a bit sweaty.

Is it Election Day yet?!

I've seen it everywhere the past few weeks: "I'm sick of this election." "I don't really care about the candidates anymore." "Let's get this over with." I've noticed that many people are tired of hearing about the upcoming election, and simply don't care anymore.

But why? Are there too many messages in the media? Are we constantly being bombarded with fliers, commercials, magazine ads, newspaper articles, buttons and bumper stickers to the point where it's almost annoying? And if so,  how is it impacting the candidates?

I remember the last election, but I don't remember it being this... chaotic, I guess. Anyone else? Would love to hear your thoughts on this, and the way our candidates are being presented in the media in general...

Saving Money!!

Saving Money!!

This summer I worked at a bar in downtown Milwaukee. I made at least $150 every Friday and Saturday night and got to make it in an environment I really enjoyed. At the end of the summer I realized that with my hard class schedule I would not be able to continue on with my job due to lack of transportation and my demanding class schedules. Classes like Global Marketing, Stats, and PR classes lead to very expensive books ranging from $95-$175 or more. I wanted to save as much of the money I made this summer as I could and decided to start looking for an alternative way to get books for cheaper. I didn't really know where to look until about three weeks before school started. One of my good friends was talking to me online and had told me about how she had saved up to $200 on books this semester because she found a site she could rent them off of. I was a little unsure about the renting books concept because I had never heard of it until now, but I decided to look into it. Chegg.com was the name of the website, and i completely recommend it to everyone who wants to save money on books. My global marketing book, normally $185, I rented for around $85 (the most I even paid to rent a book). I completely recommend the site and will continue to use it for the time left I have at Marquette University to save as much money as possible! 

Boundaries within the Work Place

This summer, many of my friends and I started our first full-time internships at various companies in Milwaukee.  My first day there, while sitting and staring blankly at my computer since they didn't have any work for me yet, I decided to check my Facebook account to fill the time.  I typed in the site address, only to find a warning sign pop up saying, "warning: access denied to dating/social web site."  I wasn't the only one to discover that many web sites are blocked at work sites- a lot of my friends experienced similar situations.  Blocking of certain web sites at work is becoming a popular phenomenon, hoping that employees' attention will be directed towards their work, instead of the entertaining web sites during the work day.  A first I was frustrated with this security block, thinking it wasn't fair for a company to manage what sites I can visit.  But then I thought about it, and I realized a company is completely within its rights to place blocks on certain web sites.  You are at work, being paid for your contribution towards the company during that time, and if you are busy surfing the web you are unfairly using paid company time for your own personal use.  I think a company has every right to lace blocks on certain popular social web sites to defer peoples attention away from personal "play time" during the work hours.

Sarah Palin on "SNL": Good or bad PR?

This past Saturday night, Sarah Palin appeared on "Saturday Night Live."  While many were anxious for her to appear on the show, they are now questioning whether it was a good PR move for the McCain presidential campaign.  The Palin spoofs on "SNL" have certainly increased the public interest in her as an individual and candidate.  Yet, she was poking fun of herself and watching others mock her this past Saturday.  Because of this publicity appearance, how will the public now view Palin?  Does this make her seem weaker in the media or public's eye?  

Ultimately, I think that it was a good PR move for Palin to appear on "SNL."  There was certainly demand for her to do so, and I think if she had not there would have been negative backlash.  (Think of all the negative publicity the McCain campaign received after McCain backed out of the "Late Night with David Letterman" appearance he had scheduled.)  In this case, the old saying "any publicity is good publicity" is true.

Dear Professional Athletes....Why?

It seems as if I stumble upon articles like this, involving professional athletes on almost a daily basis.  Why?  The publicists for these athletes and Media Relations practitioners that represent the franchises have to be pulling their hair out dealing with the "athletes gone wild " types.  

Now, don't get me wrong, I love professional sports.  I think professional athletes deserve a lot of respect for what they do, and the VAST MAJORITY of professional athletes are classy individuals who are just doing their jobs.  However, the actions of a small minority are starting to reflect negatively on the whole industry.  

For me these incidents pose a very interesting dilemma: What is a franchise to do? Do they cut these athletes, who are doing their job on the field but creating bad press off? Or, do they just weigh their loses and keep a press liability on the field.  

I would imagine in almost any other industry, that if employees habitually behaved in such a manor that garnered constant bad publicity for the company they would be released almost immediately.  However, in an industry that is based franchises being successful, it really is quite a dilemma, especially because some of the time, it is the team superstars that are acting so inappropriately.  

Yes, to a professional sports franchise winning is important.  Winning teams have fans. Winning teams make money.  However, fans can also be turned off by inappropriate behavior by their favorite professional athletes.  Look at the whole Brett Favre situation.  Many of Brett's most loyal fans were put off by this summer's retirement indecision.   

I don't know what I would do in situation.  I guess it's a good thing I don't own a professional sports franchise.  

  

Crisis Communication

I found this article on crisis communication.  I think that this topic is often overlooked in classes as well as in the real world.  People are unaware that it a crisis may happen at any moment.  This article offers some great ideas for developing a crisis communication plan.

Another part of this article that is important is that it mentions communication within an organization.  Communication with employees, senior staff members, investors, etc is important especially in a crisis situation.  If you maintain channels of open communication with all of these people, then in a crisis communication situation, there will be no surprises.

Here is the link to the article: http://www.nytimes.com/external/gigaom/2008/10/19/19gigaom-a-startup-roadmap-for-good-crisis-communications-25185.html.

Does PR matter?

A few weeks ago my friend (who is also a PR major) and I were discussing if PR was actually an important part of the business world.  In my opinion, I'd be wasting time in this major if I felt it is not important.  Without PR where would any company be after a crisis?  Furthermore, would magazines and newspapers ever have stories to write?  

I think the challenge we have as PR majors is that there are so many different directions that this degree can be taken... very different from many other majors that exist.  And explaining the fine lines that are drawn between marketing, PR, and advertising-especially in a Integrated Marketing world- makes this even harder to explain PR.

I am curious to think of what other people think.  Obviously, if you're reading this you are probably a PR major, too.  So, is it important?  And is there a way we can prove ourselves?

Feeling Pressured to Vote?

Anyone feeling a little pressured to vote, but don't want to?  Politics seem to divide people in the worst ways, whereas something like athletic events seem to divide people in a better ways. 

Politics seems to bring out the worst in people and I don't like the nature of it all.   I always encourage people to vote, however I choose not to.  Politics and voting just seems like a waste of time, sure my vote counts, but so could a dead guy's in some cemetery.  

Sometimes I feel like if enough money is wired to a computer hacker the results could easily be skewed, thus silencing my voice as a voter.   The candidates are ok, but the system I feel is flawed and voting seems like a waste of time.  Please feel free to comment, thanks.

Election and the Media

This year's presidential election has had huge play in the media...more than any other previous election.  And the public continues to voice complaints and worries about the amount of media attention the candidates are receiving.

Does the media influence people's decision on who the people vote for or does it just reflect the people's already made opinions?

Personally, I think it's a little of both..but...

if it wasn't for media, how would the public know the views of the candidates? By word of mouth?..but...then how would it be reliable?

As much as people complain about how certain candidates have had too much media time and have become celebrities, people should realize that it is partially because of the response of the public that certain candidates have become somewhat of an object of interest...whether you hate them or love them..

Using social media right

I stumbled upon a blog post from a woman who does social media presentations for companies. She talks about the mistakes some social media consulting agencies (i.e. PR firms) make and she goes on about the right way to use social media. It's interesting and pretty relevant to us and to what the PR field will be when we enter it. Check our her post at

http://blogs.zdnet.com/feeds/?p=264&page=1

Inappropriate Websites

I was recently informed about a website called juicycampus.com in one of my classes.  It is a website in which you can post anonymous comments about anyone you wish under topics that are provided by the website.  These topics can be very hurtful to the individuals posted under them.  It is a nationwide website in which a variety of schools are a part of, Marquette is one of them.

After looking through the website I was shocked to find many people that I know under very degrading topics.  I feel that this website is very bad PR for Marquette University and many of the students that attend our school.  If future employers find out about this website they make look under it to find out further information about a potential employee, just like many employers are doing with facebook. 

I feel that sites such as this should be banned from the internet because our focus as students should be studying and trying to better ourselves for the future, not writing hurtful comments about our peers and wasting our time on websites such as this one.  

  

As a PR student, I figured I would take it upon myself to make an announcement for Central Bark Doggy Day Care.  We are currently fostering several dogs who would love a home.  First off is Ira.  Ira is 8 years old and just needs a place to live out his golden years.  He is a very loving dog and would be happy anywhere as he is very easy going.  Ira loves to play and go for walks, but also loves to hang out and watch tv.  Ira gets along with other dogs very well, as he is currently enrolled in day care.  If you are looking for an addition to your family, Ira would be the perfect match.  Please help him find his forever home!!!

Truthfulness in Political Ads

There's a new website, http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/, that goes through both presidential candidate's political campaigns and checks them for truthfulness. The website searches sites for the facts and then later posts whether or not the facts are true or not. This website it great because it lays out the facts and presents them in a clear format. I think this website it interesting for us as public relations practitioners because politics can be a large part of the field of public relations. Also, because PR people get a bad reputation for spinning stories to make their client look good, it's interesting to see that some websites go back and track whether or not what you are claiming is true. 

Politically Incorrect but Fun

A friend of mine recently sent me a link to an article from a website called stuffwhitepeoplelike.com which 1. I've never heard of before and 2. really makes me laugh while extremely politically incorrect.  Minus it being about/making fun of white people, I thought everyone would enjoy the link to the article I was sent.  

The article is a joke about white people liking grammar.  The reason my friend sent me the link is because in high school we were both writing tutors together and always joke about how big of a role grammar plays in our lives.  For all of us, especially those planning on working in PR, grammar is a huge part of your daily lives, and something that can be fun (which this article is trying to make it) even though it is tedious.  So anyway, if you would like to get a little laugh check out the article on Grammar which is something we all should like!

Grammar Article Link

Direct Mail pieces... used for good & evil

This blog shows us an example of how something we can create as PR practitioners (direct mail pieces) can be used for good or evil, so to speak.

The households of Florida have recently received anti-Obama literature in their mailboxes.  The proximity to the election can't be ignored, and many people throughout the country have seen the ads of both candidates.  But the use of direct mail pieces in a negative way takes campaigning to a new level.  

As future PR practitioners, it is important for us to understand the ethics that plays a large role in what we will be doing.  I am curious who came up with these mailings, and what the strategy behind them is.  I understand that politics can be harsh, but are mailings that attack another candidate necessary in the political process and public relations?

Other uses for Olympic Athletes

It amazes me how the Public Relations world has taken advantage of the instant celebrities that the 2008 Summer Olympics created. In the United States, we now have Michael Phelps, Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin as recognizable endorsers of products and opportunities.

These are athletes--they did a wonderful job competing and representing our country, and they deserve fame--but sometimes they aren't very good at it! Michael Phelps hosted Saturday Night Live recently, and some would say it became clear that he should stick to swimming, and not comedy! Here's a link to a special on his rehearsals for the show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCO70-9_utU

Shawn and Nastia are signed up to be spokes girls for the new television special to raise Breast Cancer awareness. This is great because it gives an opportunity to raise awareness and potentially draw more viewers to this special with their celebrity status.

Who knew that when Michael Phelps first jumped into a swimming pool that it would someday lead him to tons of endorsement deals? Just another example of the power of PR!

New Partnership is a Cost-Effective Solution

I recently read an article on PR Newswire highlighting a new partnership between PR Newswire's MultiVu and Spot Runner Production Network that will develop a more cost effective solution for advertising. The service will provide a more afforable solution for planning and distributing videos for multimedia news releases (MNRs).

One thing I found interesting was that MNRs are the fastest growing service because companies realize that they reach a much broader audience. What I find most interesting about that is how multimedia has changed the way P.R. is practiced. The industry has gone from sending out packages via mail to being able to mass distribute videos online and reach a much larger audience, faster and easier. I think it is only a matter of time until some of the basic P.R. principals we learn in class are no longer going to be necessary with the advances in technology.

Chrysler Foundation Donates $100,000

I just read an article about the Chrysler Foundation donating $100,000 to the National Infantry Foundation, Inc. This is in support of the National Infantry Foundation's capital campaign to construct a museum and soldier center in Columbus, GA. I think it is great that such a large corporation has a foundation that is able to donate to great causes such as this. Not only is it good publicity in terms of public relations strategies, but it also displays the company's strong belief in corporate social responsibility.

Could Celebrity Anti-McCain PSA's Change Your Vote?

No matter what media outlet I turn to these days, the topic is always the election. Although it gets a little tiresome, there are interesting new developments everyday. For instance, it's hard to miss the involvement by young celebrities encouraging young voters to cast their ballots this year. But they aren't just telling us to vote . . . they are telling us to vote for Barack Obama. Aside from the positive advertisements and PSA's for Obama, there are also anti-McCain PSA's circulating the Internet. These feature popular actors including Hayden Panettiere and Gossip Girl stars Penn Badgley and Blake Lively.

Panettiere's PSA features her saying "I know I'm hot enough to have your attention for at least 30 seconds." She continues with "there are three things that I think every citizen should do. Smoke cigarettes, vote for John McCain, and don't wear a seat belt." Through the entire PSA with a sense of sarcasm, she sends a message that voting for John McCain is not voting for change, it's keeping things the same.

Badgley and Lively's PSA mocks the typical anti-drug campaign but instead targets parents. "Just because people your age are doing it, doesn't make it cool," states one character. It goes on telling parents to vote in the best interest of their children: vote for Obama.

I think these PSA's have an affect on younger voters but I wonder if it will actually changes any ones decision on who they want to elect. The Panettiere PSA was added to funnyordie.com only eight days ago and has already been viewed by almost one million people. There is no doubt that these are being viewed. It is unfortunate for McCain's campaign that these PSA's cannot be regulated and it is clearly not the type of publicity that he would want. This is just an example of how a public relations tool can be used in a negative way (depending on which side you take).

Just google "anti-McCain PSA's" and see for yourself! Would they change your vote?