Archive for Responses

Microblogging (twitter) and Community Participation for PR

{ November 6, 2008 @ 6:20 pm } · { Responses }
{ Tags: } · { Leave a Comment }

Dr. V. showed us some resources that use microblogging to engage participation in the community to enhance their organization’s Public Relations.

As most of Americans know, Starbucks used the election day as a chance to engage the community by offering a free cup of coffee if you voted.  This encouragement shows that Starbucks cares about our country and the future of our nation.  Therefore, this act of good PR is a form of corporate responsibility (which aligns the company with a good cause).  Starbucks’ Twitter account is used to promote their event even more.  Twitter is especially helpful to Starbucks (who attracts many on the go, technologically inclined business people) because as Chris Brogan advises, “Twitter helps with business development, if your prospects are online.”

Starbucks is just one example of how the increasing popularity of social media benefits companies who are taking advantage of these media sources such as Twitter.

Engaging in the Blogosphere

{ November 6, 2008 @ 2:57 pm } · { Responses }
{ Tags: } · { Comments (1) }

Dr. V. asked us to respond if we were representing a client (I chose a yoga studio):

How would we engage certain bloggers of the Edelman Authencities blog in a conversation that would eventually lead to them writing about my client?

    Justin

  • I would ask what types of health benefits he believes he receives from going hiking. When Justin responds that he likes the fresh air or the workout that he receives then I would compare those great feelings to yoga. I would tell him that hiking is a wonderful activity but sometimes when going to the wilderness is too hard, you can get a great workout and relieve stress inside through yoga. I would also say that wine and yoga go hand in hand due to the ability of a small amount of each on a regular basis can create life long health benefits. My angle would be to talk about some of his own interests he already has and relate them to yoga.
  • Victoria
  • I would engage with Victoria by taking the angle that we, at our yoga studio, have something interesting that “affects the city.” First, I would ask her if she has heard of our studio and then I would not only tell her how our yoga studio is affecting the city by allowing many all-aged people to come seek the health benefits of yoga, but also I would include a personal story of someone who was skeptical of yoga but has now become an avid fan of yoga. I would let Victoria know that she is welcome any time in our yoga studio to take pictures or even take a free class for herself! That way she would feel that she could take pictures for her blog while simultaneously reaping the benefits which I had previously described.
    Cindy
  • I would engage Cindy by telling her that yoga can be a good way for many people to relieve stress and in cases with domestic violence, some might need to seek help from yoga to calm their stress from being abused. I would tell her as her blog has become major resource for victims, our yoga studio has done the same for housewives and every day people attempting to relax more. I would suggest that she come take a few free classes and see if she would like to offer yoga to her blog readers as a coping method for the abuse they have undergone. After all, yoga can be a great way to get back in touch with yourself after something tragic has happened.

Skype With @pistachio!

{ October 2, 2008 @ 4:13 pm } · { Responses }
{ Tags: , , } · { Leave a Comment }

Ok so this is a wind down from the intense, yet very well informative, conversation we just had with Laura Fitton. Wow, I learned so much more in 20 minutes than I think I ever have!

Background: Laura Fitton is better known as “@pistachio,” her twitter account and she has an amazing blog as well. With over 6,500 followers on Twitter she is considered by some to be the “Twitter Queen” but she states that it is not about the amount of followers you have, it is about WHO is following you. She even told our class that you can “freakin’ change the world with five good followers.” She doesn’t teach how to do campaigns. Instead, she teaches and advises on how to integrate these campaigns onto social media networks.

Advise: Just like the “Clue Train Manifesto” states, it is the first time that the consumer and marketer are on communicating together. This refers to sites with products which consumers can comment on and just as well be heard as the marketer. If you search a product you can find all types of ratings and comments which other consumers have talked about. @pistachio says 2 good ways to twitter are to tweet are by using these RSS feeds to generate conversations and to follow thought provoking PR leaders.

The best advise which I think she gives is to be conversational. Instead of inserting a link, you have to ease into the link. For example, ask a question about the topic which the link consists of & then mention the link later on in the conversation. I think this is a very good way to draw attraction to the website because it makes the “tweeter” seem more human. Therefore, you can relate to them & would want to go check out the link if they suggest it.

My favorite thing @pistachio mentioned was the future of social media because I had been thinking that it would be so easy to get wrapped up in all of this twittering and blogging. However, she brought it back down to earth by stating the potential social media has in helping others. Her example is that Angelina Jolie could use her phone to send out messages and pictures to others about what she experiences in the third world countries and enhance the number of people she helps! This reminds me of when my parents were adopting from Guatemala they used blogs geared toward foreign adoption parents to get advise and to help each other with their process. I think the blogs even convinced them to adopt a second baby boy instead of just one :) .

The Cluetrain Manifesto

{ October 2, 2008 @ 2:39 pm } · { Responses }
{ Tags: } · { Leave a Comment }

I think the fact that people used to think that the internet was “no big deal” and that people could not conceive how large the internet would become is an example of how technology has not only changed our culture, but has the potential to change our culture in the future. If 15 years ago nobody felt like the internet would be substantial in the future, maybe that could happen for the next new technological invention. Who would have thought that the internet would lead such companies to become billionaires?

However, like “The Cluetrain Manifesto” states, not every company can reap the benefits from the internet. Most of the time, you have to have “something special” which is the “voice.” I think it is true that the internet can go so much farther than a television show in that it can “give you an excuse to get together than not.” When I read that sentence I immediately thought about Facebook. I know so many people make fun of people “Facebook creeping” or “stalking” but the truth is Facebook, and other social media websites as well, have really connected more people. Personally, I stay in touch with my siblings, school mates (especially to ask questions about assignments) and friends. The “excuse” to get together has made these relationships stronger. For example, if I saw something that made me laugh or reminded me of a friend, I probably wouldn’t take time to call that friend. Instead, I would Facebook her when I got on computer the next time. If there was no Facebook I would most likely forget about it and never mention it to her.

This article is kind of scary when it mentions the story about “Joe Six Pack” saying that when Joe is on the internet, he is more important than who he is when he isn’t. I feel like that makes the internet seem so impersonal.

When the passage mentions that workers and markets are speaking the same language and that both groups need each other this reminds me of opinion leaders. The “workers” would be telling their opinions of the products just as the markets would be sharing their opinions of the products, each trying to inform their audience of their experience with the product/service.

I think it shows what direction corporations are moving in by the two sections “The Hyperlinked Organization” and “Talk is Cheap.” These sections explain how businesses are becoming impersonal and standard ways of communication (such as sticky notes) are becoming desolate.

Blackboard Readings Sep 25th

{ September 24, 2008 @ 2:15 pm } · { Responses }
{ Tags: , } · { Comments (1) }

KDPAINE’S PR MEASUREMENT BLOG:

1. Maybe Google Will Finally Replace the Clipping Services: The fact that Google is attempting to put all types of articles online “from the smallest local weekly paper up to the largest national daily” seems to me way overdue. There have been many times when I have wanted to look at an article from the past, whether for a class assignment or a personal need, and have been unable to find them. If Google can successfully create a database where newspaper articles from around the world are easy to find I feel like they could really attract many people!

2. Would You Spend $5 billion and not have good measures of success?: This blog post reminds me of what we have talked about in class about the RPIE (PR plan). Clearly, these companies spending so much money without an advanced way of knowing how they will evaluate their efforts shows that they have a lack of research and objectives. Through research these companies should set a goal and an objective that is appropriate for the amount of money and the amount of change they want to occur.

CHARITY: WATER

Not only is the fact that Paul Young giving up his birthday presents for charity generous, but it is a professional strategy to gain attention to his cause, his company, and himself. He uses social media channels, such as Twitter and facebook, to send out tactics like linking. He included these links in tweets and face book statuses periodically to promote the cause. The success in using these social media channels portrays the fact that Twitter and face book is a very popular means of communication.

“What PR is Not” and YouTube Videos

{ September 1, 2008 @ 1:38 am } · { Responses }
{ Tags: } · { Comments (1) }

Response to YouTube Videos on Dr. V’s Blog

Google Reader- I knew that google reader let’s you subscribe to it so you can allow new content from your added cites to show up on your home “Google Reader” page automatically. I thought when we were discussing this in class it would be so hard to become a part of it. However, after watching all of these videos and trying it out for myself, I understand that all you need is a password and a username and you will be automatically have a google reader home page.

RSS in plain english-RSS allows you to keep up with everything that’s happening on the web. The new way is so that your favorite websites come to you when anything new occurs on their page. I knew that one single website can become your home for reading all of the new stuff of your favorite sites but in class I was, honestly, so confused of how to subscribe all of my websites. It was very simple to add the websites that I wanted to check simultaneously. These videos summed up how to have all of the websites I am interested in all on one home page.

Blog: In the 20th century, news was made and a tiny group of people decided what to publish. The 21st century introduced PERSONAL news. Blogs were such a mystery to me but after already being in this class for 3 days I now understand that it can be used in a variety of ways: either professional or personal. As this video states even house moms use it to communicate to their family. I have been exposed to many more blogs are ready and understand that blogs are convenient for long distant family members and large corporations to communicate to their audiences.

Response to “What PR is Not”

1. Before this class and before reading this article, I would have thought, like Bill Sledzik, that public relations increases marketing effects. However, I would have believed that public relations is a subset of marketing. I understand now that public relations is purely about creating relationships between different groups of people. Thinking about it, it makes sense that public relations cannot be the same as marketing since marketing wants to sale their products while PR just wants the people to think good about their organizations.

2. PR does NOT fall under advertising because advertising uses publicity to sale products or services. PR only uses advertising to increase a company’s reputation. I would have thought that PR would be more closely related to advertising and promotion and publicity than marketing because I thought the point of PR is to get the company’s name and products into the audience’s minds. However, it is just trying to create and maintain good RELATIONSHIPS between the two instead of selling a service or product.

3. The only reason promotion is associated with PR is when they use promotion through special events. Pubicity is communication designed to gain exposure but, unlike the stereotype, which I thought was true also, is that Public Relations practitioners are not always in the media spot light. I understand this to mean that more often, they are behind the scenes working to create better relations through small details. So, lastly, like Sledzik states, PR is not media relations either. I had no idea there were so many different terms!

Kevin Dugan’s Telephone Call

{ August 27, 2008 @ 2:31 pm } · { Responses }
{ Tags: , } · { Leave a Comment }

Kevin Dugan, director of marketing communications for FRCH Design Worldwide, spoke to our Public Relations course via speaker phone yesterday. After hearing from Kevin, who is one of the writers of “The Bad Pitch Blog,” which presents real live Public Relation pitches that are unsuccessful and almost comical, I had a better understanding of how to be prepared for an interview in the Public Relations field.

Kevin told us that the skills most needed for an interview in this field, especially for someone working for him, would require three main things. First, he stressed the need to be professional in every manner. He advised to pay attention to detail such as professional clothing, speech, and mannerisms. Also, he said that employers want to know that you can write so he encourages us to bring samples of our writing such as essays and articles. Lastly, Kevin says that we must have passion for the job and are willing to learn everything about the position.

Although it was hard to hear Kevin in a large class on the phone, I did understand from him that it is important to have strategies in the Public Relations field. This means we must have a goal in our mind and a purpose for taking certain actions.

Response to PR Examples for Aug 26

{ August 26, 2008 @ 3:24 pm } · { Responses }
{ Tags: } · { Leave a Comment }

These three articles seemed the most interesting to me how Public Relations works through each of these situations to affect certain organizations or groups of people:

I found the “Best Buy and Sex in the City” article to be quite comical. Best Buy had to be very creative to combine two completely opposite subjects together in hopes of associating their “Geek Squad” in the minds of men every where with relief. No doubt that, because Sex in the City was as successful as Best Buy banked on, boyfriends and husbands were requested to watch the movie against their will. Best Buy’s strategy of providing a packet of excuses and tokens for video games was not only viewed as a favor in the eyes of those desperate men but also created a relationship between the men and the Geek Squad. Creating such a relationship will ensure that these men will call on the Geek Squad next time they have technological problems.

Greenville City’s Parking Bunny is a great idea to give the residents or visitors of Greenville relief for parking during the chosen five days. One out of the many parking enforcement vehicles will be disguised as a bunny. If this specific vehicle sees a car violating the parking rules, they will issue only a warning. The goal is to increase the enjoyment of everyone’s time in Greenville as well as increase the relationship between the parkers and the government. Assuming with less parking tickets the residents or citizens will be in a more enjoyable mood to visit the city more frequently or maybe even spend more money in the city and, therefore increasing the revenue.

Another article described the speech that Hillary Clinton gave in front of a back drop with the misspelled word “tommorrow.” This does not present a good impression on the audience because it decreases Clinton’s credibility. Although Clinton’s public relations’ workers may not be directly responsible for the grammatical mistake, they will take much of the hit for this mistake because it will cause many organizations associated with Clinton to be ashamed by the way Clinton was presented. This grammatical mistake could easily interfere with many of the relationships the Clinton campaign has with others, including the public because it makes her look incompetent.