Are America's Political Parties Brands?

This isn't exactly PR news, but it came from AdAge.com, so I figure I'll give it a go.

I saw two different article titles on the website today: "After the Victory of Brand Obama, Now What?" and "To Rebuild, GOP Must Tear Down Its Brand and Return to Core Values." So my question is, have our political parties been reduced simply to brands?

To call out the "GOP brand" and "Brand Obama" seems to me to say that the Democratic and Republican Parties are just brands that the American public subscribe to. Call me naive, but I like to think that people follow a certain candidate because the agree with their ideas and policies, and not because they like the way their respective party brands itself.

Maybe I'm not politically active enough, but I've always thought that campaigning and all the commercial and propaganda that come with it are part of the election process. That's all well and good, but after the election is over, should we really be considering our President-Elect the face of a brand or as a man who won because of his ideals and message?

Tweet! Tweet! Twitter lands in PR Week

Who knew that everyone knows about Twitter? Before this class I had never heard of it, but now I've begun to notice it everywhere. In a PR Week article "Tweeting Your Way to the Top" it is noted that Twitter is being talked about on CNN and in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.

So apparently Twitter isn't as unknown as I thought it was. I've probably been too caught up on Facebook to notice other social media sites. Twitter is being used to launch viral marketing campaigns, to initiate and maintain relationships with reporters,and to create different media opportunities. 

But therein lies my dilemma: how many social media and networking sites to I have to monitor in order to stay on top of everything that is going on in the public relations and other media communications fields? Am I going to turn in to Dwight and be myself in a Second Life? What is Flickr? Do I have to have MySpace and Facebook accounts? I'm already clearly on Blogger and Twitter for class, and Facebook of my own accord. Where does it end?

However, as the PR field and the world in general becomes more technologically savvy, it is even more important to stay on top of this social media and networking trend. So while I may not create a Second Life or join every social media site out there, when CNN, WSJ, and the Times start talking about it, it might be time to take a closer look.

Obama's Campaign Team

It is without a doubt that Barack Obama's campaign team did an excellent job getting Obama out and making his name a brand. AdAge examines what the team did to help get Obama's name out there as well as help him win the presidency. David Plouffe led the team and did a great job according to many professionals in the industry. He did a great job of of blending technology and strategic research helped him get the grassroots organization out there. He managed to coordinate and create a brand through the use of research, strategic decisions, and the right kind of advertising. But the Obama campaign didn't just focus on the Obama image, they also focused on getting people out and voting. Plouffe also did a great job as well of getting free press as well. This is the goal of a PR professional. Plouffe had other great resources as well. He had a wonderful team helping him plan and create. But most importantly, the team created a great strategic plan to get Obama's name out there and get peple excited about the Obama campaign.

Here's the article: http://adage.com/article?article_id=132357

TV Anticipating a downturn-

As everyone knows, the economy sucks right now. Everything is taking a hit. People are trying to save the money and they have are not really willing to spend it. Thus, advertisers and those involved in Public Relations need to come up with a new way to get consumers out there buying products. AdAge reports on how televions now is expecting a terrible 2009 season. Since TV is a great media to reach consumer's, and TV is seeing a drop, it is going to be harder to get to the target market. So what does this mean for advertising and the media? What can they do to change this? I think it's going to be important for agencies to step up and really take charge of the industry, otherwise, all these media industries will continue to see a downturn. It will be interesting to see how PR professionals will begin to handle these situations as well. Their clients are beginning to see huge profit loses and are turning to their PR people to help keep up the organziation's image.

look at the article here: http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=132400

Obama and PR

Recently, I read anarticle in PR Week about Barack Obama's win in the presidential election in relation to the field of public relations. The article explained that Obama's recent win has forevered altered how public relations is practiced, especially in political campaigns.

Obama's campaign was successful because it focused on developing a specific message: change. He focused on socially interactive commuinications, especially the Internet. In particular, Obama's campaign placed great mephasis on hsi web site and creating a presence on Facebook and Twitter.

While technological savviness should not affect election results, I think it did in the 2008 presidential election. Simply put, Obama's campaign was much more in step with current communications practices and trends. They ran a very integrated campaign; I received messaging from them via several mediums, including e-mail, text messaging, and Facebook. Certainly, Obama's campaign was superior to that of McCain in terms of communications.

The article can be found at: http://www.prweekus.com/Obamas-savvy-comms-propel-him-to-victory/article/120451/?DCMP=EMC-PRUS_Daily.

Starbucks: Free Coffee Equals Free PR

On election day, Starbucks offered a free tall cup of coffee to any customer who voted. Using only one paid spot and an online spot, Starbucks advertised their offer.

So was the free coffee worth the free PR for Starbucks? According to an AdAge.com article on November 10, Starbucks' buzz rating jumped from 25 percent to 51 percent on November 5. Starbucks isn't disclosing the cost of the promotion or how many cups of coffee were given away.

Starbucks is clearly already a very well-known and well-liked brand, but what I found interesting is the actual spot that ran. It puts Starbucks in a very positive light because they are promotion the give away as a reward rather than as a bribe. It was not "We'll give you a free cup only if you vote," but more of "Thank you for voting, here's your free coffee." It shows Starbucks as being a very socially responsible company because it acknowledged the right and privilege we have as Americans to vote.

While we as a public don't necessarily know the monetary ramification that this promotion had on the company, I think it put Starbucks in a good light and also acknowledged those who exercised their right to vote. The free PR that Starbucks received from word of mouth and customer satisfaction seems to outweigh the loss that it may have incurred from the giveaway. I thought it was refreshing to see a company that received free PR for doing something good for people and beneficial toward society rather than come sort of negative attention that ultimately results in publicity.

The value of PR

In my last post I questioned the value of PR and I believe I finally found some true evidence of how great an impact a media release can be.  The link is to an article about an upcoming show at the theatre I intern at that is on a national website, which is a pretty big deal in the theatre community.  Several of the quotes came from the release I wrote for the release, and without the release the show would not have been described at all, because it is a new show and therefore there isn't information available about it.

So PR does matter!  It can chance the entire face of a company, if by luck (and yes, sometimes it can take a lot of luck) someone picks up your story!

Marquette Joins Twitter

I know we talked about how Marquette joined Twitter in class but the Marquette Tribune wrote an article about it.  They talk about the advantages Twitter could have for the University.  It could alert everyone on campus to an emergency or to events that are going on.  I think Twitter could be a valuable asset to the University if it is utilized.

Cell Phones

How important have cell phones really become, and isn't it amazing how texting has become an integral part of the college-aged form of communication?  I personally think texting is stupid, in most aspects it is a step backwards in communication.  It has no personal feel to it, it can get expensive and it can take a lot longer to communicate a simple message than talking over the phone.  

I realize this more than ever because currently my phone has become nothing more than a white screen, it cannot tell me the time, who is calling and and certainly who is texting me.  However, it makes me wonder if texting will evolve as our generation grows.   Is it possible for texting to become the accepted form of communication in others aspects like business relations or organizational communication?

The economy....

Technology seems to be something that will always be in our society....something that is indestructible no matter what. I mean what would we do as a society if there were no computers to watch Youtube clips or check your Facebook on, televisions to see the reports about celebrities, or Ipods to hear your favorite music?!  

I'm pretty sure our society would have to be going through some major problems to let technology disappear...We will always have money to spend on a new camera or phone right?

Wrong!

Circuit City and 17 of its affiliates filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy yesterday, November 11.  As we all know the company is well-known for its entertainment and technological products and has competed with huge companies such as Best Buy and Wal-Mart since it started on the market...

As no surprise the company blamed its losses to the economy...but how bad is it really?

I know we all hear and talk about it..but c'mon I want someone to give me the details and the predictions for what we should be expecting in the months/years to come...  

www.channelregister.co.uk/2008/11/10/circuit_city_files_chapter_11/

Listen and Learn you might just like what you hear

For most communication students the reality of our major is that we listen to many presentations by working professionals in our field. Besides being able to have such a great real world resource there is one thing that this Marquette senior has learned. What they say is actually important. Think about when you were a kid and your parents would give you great advice and you would “ahhh,” whatever. Well I can see us looking back on the advice these professional’s give us and say WOW! , I wish I could have listened to it closer back then. Believe it or not I actually have. Here’s what I took,
• Work hard, just don’t sit around and think you entitled because you went to Marquette take the initiative to find a job or an internship or to take the next step in one you might already be in
• Always look for ways to better yourself and educate yourself. Look at this as a way to empower you career and it will change many aspects of your life
• Learn to be a good communicator. Believe it or not communication students should strive to master this. Communicating is a skill that should get better over time not regress
My advice is to read and learn to better yourself in every way possible, hey you might just like what happens. Here is a link that will help give you some great tips to jump start this.

Facebook: The good and the bad

I have been a member of facebook for three years and I have never been so annoyed with what it has become since I signed up. I feel that it is a great networking tool and a way for you to stay in touch with high school friends, college friends and family, but it is getting to be too much. I do not know if this has happened to anyone else, but my aunts and uncles are starting to add me as a friend and to be honest, it is awkward. I cannot deny their request because I am sure that they will ask me why I have not accepted their request at some family event, but at the same time some things just need to stay separate. I really wish that facebook would have stayed a website for just college students, as that was the original plan. The other thing that I am getting really tired of is invitations to events. Whenever I check my facebook profile, which is a rarity now-a-days, I have many events and messages for upcoming events that I do not even bother to read them anymore. If only facebook would go back to what it first was, I think the majority of us would be a lot happier.

Be prepared with tips from real travelers on your next vacation!

http://www.virtualtourist.com/

I found this website while I was still in high school, and preparing for my AP Euro class trip to London and Paris. It's full of great tips and advice on every city and region in the world. You can find safety tips, restaurant and hotel reviews, things to do, off the beaten path suggestions, etc. You don't have to register if you just want to browse tips, only if you want to suggest some yourself.

I really like that VT users don't sugarcoat anything. Personally, I find this website more beneficial than most guidebooks, because you are informed of everything you may be in for! Check it out!