MU joins Twitter - News

MU joins Twitter - News

Just Relaxxx

After 3 and 2/3rds of my collegiate career there is one thing that I have figured out. No matter how much work I seem to encounter I always make it through. I think that as college students we can always have a negative perspective on what lies ahead for us.

But in reality if school work is the worst thing that we can have to deal with in our lives we are ok. Just today I caught myself complain in class about the overwhelming workload. I just needed to step back and see that this whole college thing will all be over soon and once it’s gone it will never be back. So in this time of stress embrace it, battle it, enjoy it and just deal with it. Because we should all be so lucky to be college students in today’s economy.

Below I put a link on some helpful tips to relax for college students..

DPS Report

Every Tuesday and Thursday, we all flip through the Marquette Tribune. Like most students, one of my favorite sections to read it the DPS reports. Most of the stories are funny, and we all laugh at the stupidity of some students. Other stories really highlight that Marquette is an urban campus, and there are robberies that happen all the time. Although as students we usually do not think much of the ridiculous stories of "a 19-year-old male getting caught with false identification, and a green leafy substance" or "a 21-year-old female getting her unsecured, unattended ipod stolen," what does an outsider think of this? Although the readership of the Tribune is mostly students, faculty, and staff, there is also a large alumni reader base. Does posting these stories create good PR for these outsiders? Especially alumni who may have high school students considering attending Marquette? Will reading these reports change their mind about sending their own children to Marquette? Although I do enjoy reading the bi-weekly DPS reports, I wonder what a non-Marquette affiliate thinks of Marquette after reading such reports.

Facebook Friends

The day after I ended my internship last year, my boss added me as a friend on facebook. I didn't think much of it, but I wondered how long she was waiting to add me as a friend, and if it would be appropriate to be friends while I was still her intern. It never was an issue, but this semester the opportunity came up that I could return to work for that company again. I ended up not taking the position, however, if I did, my boss and I would have already been friends on facebook. In my opinion, facebook is strictly social and should not be used as a business communication tool. Even now, I am doing some work with my former boss for a project, and I can check up what she is doing in her personal life, and vice versa. I do not need to know what my boss does in her free time, and she should not need to know what I am doing. I guess I just feel as though facebook should be strickly a social networking tool, not a business communication tool. I do not really think that it is moving in this direction, but I hope that professionals do not start to use facebook to communicate with co-workers about business.

Proposition 8 and PR

I just read an interesting article in PRWeek about the PR campaign surrounding Proposition 8. The article reflects on how Proposition 8 was passed in California largely because gay rights activists did not have a strong, consistent PR strategy. Instead, their campaign was largely reactive and did not show the adverse impact that Proposition 8 would have on individuals. PR strategists recommend "putting a human face" on the issue as activists continue to fight the passing of Proposition 8.

I think it's interesting how messaging strategy can determine public opinion and election results so greatly. PR campaigns are often what voters rely on to become informed and then make their decisions. For this reason, it is important that politics and PR are integrated.

What Does This Say About Americans?

Recently, in PRWeek's 10th anniversary issue, readers named PerezHilton.com their "favorite blog." I think it is somewhat pathetic that this is Americans' favorite blogs. Rather than wasting our time reading about celebrity gossip, we should be checking out CNN.com or reading the newspaper online. If our favorite blog is PerezHilton.com, I think this reflects that the American public is uninformed and uniterested in actual news.

However, I admit that I am a frequenter of PerezHilton.com. It is the only blog that I read on a daily basis. Although PerezHilton.com is know for posting celebrity gossip, in the past several months, he has also begun to promote charities and post about national and global news. Nonetheless, I realize that my time would be better spent in other ways.

Networking Events

I recently went to a networking event that was advertised throughout the college and I have fairly mixed reviews.  The night was focusing on first job phobias and the speaker said a few things that I wasn't sure were entirely true which was then confirmed by some of the worried professionals who advised against the speaker's advice.  On top of all of that, I don't feel like I really had the chance to network that much and only remember names of professionals from writing them down and am certain they do not remember mine.  Maybe it was just because it was my first networking event, or maybe I just don't understand what happens at them, but I still have first job phobias as well as no more contacts to add to my list.  How do we network as college students?

Here is a link to BMA Milwaukee, the group the hosted the event.  They often have upcoming events for college students.  Maybe I will see you at some in the future because I definitely want to try again.

The Perfect Workspace

A new international program and survey initiated by Milwaukee-based Johnson Controls, asks 18 to 25-year-olds about their ideal workspaces. My ideal office is the one to the right. The survey is online and interactive. You get to choose how urban or rural your location is, how you get to work and what you take with you, what your office looks like including wall color and lighting, and even how environmentally friendly your company is. It's a very neat survey and really fun to fill out. I was impressed and the interactivity is great - you get to watch as new items zoom in and out of your office. At the end of the survey, you can download an image of your ideal office and have access to a workspace profile. You do have to register to complete the survey, but it doesn't take long and is worth it. Try it!

"It should all be about the brand."

I recently read this article about Target's branding strategy and overall philosophy.

Obviously the company has been incredibly successful, but I found a lot of their tactics very surprising and impressive.

First, there emphasis on the brand and not about the creators behind it.  The CEO is committed to making sure that people are not familiar with him, but rather with the concept of Target.

Second, the lab they use for research where Target tests products before they go to stores to ensure costumer satisfaction.  I find it reassuring to know they do this.  For example, Target has real customers test how easy (or hard) it is to put together a grill they sell.

Third, their rules and regulations regarding the styling of the brand which is probably what made the bulls-eye so impressive.

And finally, their proactive approach to staying on the public's good side through philanthropic ventures.  This tactic has probably helped them stay clear of the bad press Wal-Mart receives rather frequently.

Target is a great example of genius branding... and therefore PR

Businesses jumping on social media and marketing bandwagon

In last week's issue of the Business Journal of Greater Milwaukee, two different stories focused on companies doing innovative things with Internet marketing and using social media. Other Business Journals around the country picked up the stories and print articles of their own on how companies are utilizing new technologies. This trend in business publications shows a larger trend in business operations. More and more companies are relying on the Internet to get their message across and are relying on social media for free marketing and for monitoring their brand. Often the PR agencies behind these companies are the driving forces behind such efforts.

Google never ceases to amaze

A new feature of Google that I just learned about is Google Trends. This site shows the top hits of the day on Google and what people are searching for. You can also search within Google Trends to see tracking of search hits on that topic. It shows you times of the most search activity and even breaks it down by world regions and cities. It's pretty neat and a great way to see who is searching for info on your company or client and when they are searching. To see how it works and how helpful it can be, try searching some Milwaukee area companies like MillerCoors or Harley Davidson.

What PR blogs to Follow

Visit the Widget Gallery

Twitter in The Marquette Tribune

On Tuesday, November 11th, I was pleased to pick up The Marquette Tribune and find an article titled MU Joins Twitter. The article was featured on the front page of the student newspaper, a newspaper that I typically pick up to read the sports section or play Sudoku, however the article caught my eye. After reading the summary, I have finally realized the importance of this wonderful communication tool. The focus of the article was how Marquette University joined Twitter a few weeks ago in order to establish a new communication outlet between students, alumni and the university. Marquette's connection with Twitter allows people to post updates about events around campus. At first I thought the whole concept of Twitter was a little strange. However, now I can come to appreciate this site after further reading about the advantages in using it.

"Its what you know, its WHO you know"

As the saying goes, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know!” And this saying seems be proving more truth each day in the world of social networking.

Since my recent addition to Twitter, I have noticed myself become more and more addicted to the vast number of social networking sites that currently dominate the internet.

Although these sites can easily leave someone feeling overwhelmed, recent studies have found these sites to have a positive impact on the success of both individuals and businesses internationally! Based on a recent survey released by AT&T , the use of social networking tools as a part of everyday working life has led to an increase in efficiency.

In addition to the widespread success of sites such as Myspace and Facebook, newer and more professional sites such as Linkedin have recently shown increasing popularity and success. I recently joined this site and find it to be like a professional version of Facebook. Although it hasn’t gained much popularity amongst college aged individuals, Linkedin is a great way for students to network and allows users the opportunity to not only post their resume, but also to search for “inside connections” when looking for a new job or business opportunity and to ask industry experts career related questions.

So the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed or annoyed by all the networking hype, keep in mind that sometimes it’s who you know that brings you one step closer to getting your foot in the door!