Top 10 Things I Learned as a PR Major

While I feel that I have gained a multitude of knowledge during my time as a PR major at GCSU, if I am forced to narrow it down to a list of 10, I'll do what I must. So here it is:

1.)Probably the most useful: How to write a press release (because it is an art)
2.)How to use AP style (this is necessary for almost everything else on the list)
3.)Team work makes the dream work (love group projects and make new friends from them)
4.)Clients don't always come through on their promises: Have 8 backup plans for everything!
5.)Make connections because they are key in getting internships and jobs
6.)Do a practicum with the Colonnade because it greatly improves your writing skills
7.)How to put together and execute a campaign
8.)Social Networking (Twitter, Facebook,blogging, etc.) is, in fact, useful :)
9.)Save EVERYTHING you've done in order to make a great portfolio
10.) Never, EVER put out carrots at an event without first checking for sliminess

Bonuses
11.)Be careful of where you place fliers. The bathroom stalls are not acceptable locations
12.)I am not a huge fan of the CW
13.)Think gluten free
14.)SPSS is a punk.
15.)I had some of the best classmates EVER

Hershey's CSR

The Hershey Company was founded in 1894 by Milton Hershey. His original intent was to produce sweet chocolate for a coating for his caramel company but by 1895 Hershey was focusing more on the chocolate aspect of his company and ended up working solely with chocolates. He found considerable success becoming the first to mass produce chocolate so that it was inexpensive and no longer a novelty for the wealthy and in 1899 he came up with a successful formula for milk chocolate and became the first man in the world to produce it. Hershey only continued to grow and was continually trying their hand at new products, many of which we still love today. They became an integral part of the WWI army rations production and by the end of 1945, 24,000 “Field Ration D” bars were being manufactured a week. Hershey has made many key acquisitions along the way including the H.B. Reese Candy Company, maker of the original Reese’s cups.

Hershey did its first national advertising campaign in 1968 and believes that the products still speak for themselves better than any ad campaign. They also partnered with the producers of E.T. for product placement of Reese’s Pieces as E.T.’s candy of choice. Sales subsequently soared. Currently, Hershey is a publically traded company, the leading North American manufacturer of quality chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery and chocolate-related grocery products, they make over $5 billion in annual sales.

Not only does Hershey prioritize the value and taste of its products, they are taking many measures to ensure the company is helping the community and keeping the highest standards of business. Hershey has taken many initiatives in order to go above and beyond in the area of corporate social responsibility. They even call it the foundation of their company. The corporate values call for employees to be “open to possibilities” by thinking globally, embracing change, and having the courage to innovate; to “grow together” by building relationships, developing oneself and helping others; to “make a difference” by acting with integrity, driving sustainability and committing to engagement; and to align goals, promote collaboration and embrace accountability under “One Hershey.”

Using these values as a basis for corporate social responsibility, The Hershey Company focuses their efforts in the areas of a sustainable supply chain, environmental stewardship, corporate philanthropy, community relations and employee engagement. Hershey’s is highly involved in the cocoa industry and is a co-founder and member of the World Cocoa Foundation. They support and fund farmer education, as well as basic needs such as teacher training and malaria prevention and are a member of the West Africa Cocoa Livelihoods program.

Hershey’s commitment to environmental stewardship is both local and global. They take great measures to ensure that farmers are educated in the more environmentally friendly way to farm the cocoa. Locally, they strive to conserve resources, reduce emissions and waste as well as recycling anything possible. They focus on finding the best ways to reduce packaging material so there will be less waste (they have reduced 4.5 million pounds to date) and they have their own corporate recycling center and recycle 80 million pounds a year.

As for corporate philanthropy, The Hershey Company is a key partner with both The United Way and The Children’s Miracle Network along with partnering with local, national and international programs to better their respective communities. They give in-kind and financial donations to over 1,400 organizations annually and specifically focus on “Kids and Kids at Risk.”

Hershey’s is deeply committed to helping and bettering the communities in which they find themselves. A few of their outreach programs include the “Hershey’s Tour de Pink,” which is a 225 mile bike tour fundraiser which supports the Young Survivor Coalition, and the Hershey’s Track and Field Games which is a North American youth program that sees about 400,000 kids annually and encourages them to be involved in physical fitness through sports. The Hershey Company’ has supported the program for 32 years. One of the company’s biggest endeavors has been the school Milton Hershey created in 1909 for orphaned boys and the school is still functioning today. The Milton Hershey School operates as a private for children who have limited resources and social needs.

Lastly, the company promotes CSR through its employees. They have implemented a number of affinity groups for almost every race and group. They encourage their employees to volunteer and get involved in the community and remain active through the facilities that the company provides. They are willing to lend financial support in adoption and strive to help employees as much as possible.

A SWOT analysis for The Hershey Company might include the following:
Strengths
• Largest chocolate producer in North America
• Variety and popularity of products
• Sell to over 90 countries, world-wide name recognition
• Strong relationship with suppliers and employees
• Founded over 100 years ago
Weaknesses
• High cost to keep products at correct temperatures
• May rely too heavily on certain products
Opportunities
• Produce new products
• Become more healthy
• Branch into more countries
• Understand and meet stakeholder needs globally
• Achieve greater sustainability for cocoa farms
Threats
• Constant American dieting
• Newer, more innovative products from competitors
• Falling into the background of the candy world
• Increased diabetes reduces market

Just a few more weeks....

So as the weeks continue to fly by, I get closer and closer to being a college graduate. While I will be more than happy to not be writing papers and attending classes all the time, I must say I am not looking forward to being out of college. It actually scares me to think I won't be living in world of my peers with an athletic event or get together always at hand. I will definitely miss this place and the people who fill it. However, life must go on and deciding where it should go has become an ever-increasing problem.

I attended GCSU's PR Day last week, and while I found the speakers very interesting and engaging, I continue to let them teach me what I do not want to do. I don't think I am built to sit in an office all day and the idea of acquiring a job that requires that of me scares me as well. So instead of looking for jobs around here after I graduate I have begum searching in other countries. I am trying to find hands on jobs that I could love which also would allow me to incorporate my fantastic Public Relations education that GCSU has afforded me. I am looking into hospitality jobs which could lead into event planning which is something I really enjoy. All of this would also be a part of a greater adventure which takes me out of my comfort zone here in the great USA and puts me in a place that I do not know which is something that really excites me. But I could really use a good connection, so if any of my faithful readers have any ideas please let me know!

Oooh Jobs

When I first read this article about the economic downturn and loss of jobs for mass communication students, I thought the future for my friends and I was looking fairly dismal. I was happy to see at the end that PR students are doing significantly better in finding jobs after graduation than any of our communication counterparts. I must admit, the whole time I was reading the article, I was thinking to myself, "Well, its a good thing I am trying to find a job outside of the country when I first get out of school."

The past few days I have been researching jobs in Europe varying from teaching English as a second language to working as some sort of communications person at high-end hostels. After I studied abroad two summers ago in Italy, I have been itching to get back to Europe. After reading that gloomy article, this seems like a better idea than I thought. I thought that it was very interesting that PR students are typically more inclined to take jobs outside their direct degree. I, myself, have always been open to jobs that might not fall under the traditional category of public relations. This information is definitely valuable, and I think we have an outstanding education that might give a lot of us an edge over some of our mass comm peer. :)

Blog Action Day 2009

As a part of this year's Blog Action Day I decided that since I am not the most knowledgable person on the issue of climate change I would talk about a company that is. I know that I have written about Patagonia before, but they continue to impress me with their desire for corporate social resposiblity and more specifically their extreme measures to cause little to no harm to the environment. They have many programs installed in order to not only stay green and clean but they are also adamant about spreading the word to encourage others to live a greener life. They are apart of 1% for the Planet, which is a group of companies that gives 1% of all sales to grassroots environmentalist companies. In a recent blog post, they even discuss climate change and how we can affect it this year.

Aside from being a part of this organization, Patagonia also has its own blog, The Cleanest Line, which updates on environmental issues as well. If one is wondering how exactly Patagonia is working to keep their company environmentally sustainable, the company offers a step by step process of how and where their clothing is made. They call this The Footprint Chronicles.

These are the people that are actually working to change the deterioration of our world and environment and have used their position in the best way possible.

t.v. to talk about and music to jam about

Our event, t.v. to talk about and music to jam about, was a promotional event for the CW network in promotion of their new shows 90210 and Melrose Place. Our group decided to host an event on our school's Front Campus that included a free raffle of some of Milledgeville's finest restaurants and stores as well as concerts by Blake Whitworth and The Whales. Whitworth has an acoustic, John Mayer style and The Whales were a hip-hop/rock group. Neither band failed to impress and the night provided attendees with free food and a handful with great prizes. Because GCSU's Fall Break began the next day, there were not as many students in attendance as we had hoped. We also had guests fill out a survey about the CW so we could get a better feel for the shows' audiences and who they should target. I think this was a great learning experience for all teams involved and I look forward to planning more events!

Ethics in PR and life

As we were discussing ethics in class last week, it got me thinking of what exactly I would do when faced with decisions that some/I might consider unethical. This thought process led me to thinking that I don't see myself ever being in that type of situation. As naive as it may sound, I can't picture myself taking a job at a company that would put me in a compromising situation. I have spent a long time trying to figure out what I want to do when I graduate and every time I think about it, I know I do not want to settle. I see too many people taking jobs for money and not really enjoying their lives. They are just getting by. For me, this kind of job would be with a big corporation or someplace that forces me to sit behind a desk or in a cubicle all day. So I am looking for something that I love and can get behind whole-heartedly. OK, yes, this is going to be hard to find, especially out of college. However, if this dream-job that I have not yet discovered does come about, I assume that our ethics will align.

But I know I live in a world where we don't always get what we want and we always have to pay the bills, so I'll discuss what my ethical stances might have to be. I am not the "do-anything-for-money" type so I would not start out taking a job that obviously conflicts with my faith and values. For example, I almost have a hard time promoting the CW shows, 90210 and Melrose Place, because I really do not support the message they are sending out. The shows are filled with sex, drugs and alcohol and 90210's target audience is made up of a lot of teenagers. I just don't think its OK to basically make drinking and sex look normal for a 16 year old. Also, I would not take a position with a tobacco company, because I do not want to be apart of feeding a habit that is life-threatening for the buyer and those around him.

After I have taken a job that appears to be ethically sound, and then find out I will be asked to do something that conflicts with my set of values, that will be the hardest decision. The more involved you get in something, the harder it is to turn away from it. I can only hope that I will be able to stand up for what I know is right, even at the risk of being fired. I don't want to get stepped on and I really think I would have to do what I know is ethically sound. Look out real world, I'm gonna set you straight!

Where I Fit in the PR Realm

As I read through Dave Fleet's post about the key attributes that PR practitioners should possess, I think that I am on my way to becoming a good professional. I don't think I am quite up to date on all the new media that is out but there is always time to learn.

As for the traditional skills, I am fairly comfortable with my writing. I still think I need to be more familiar with AP style, but I think that comes with time. I think my communication skills are progressing very well. I am very comfortable talking to people and I think I've come a long way from where I was. Of course, I do have some room for improvement there. As I have worked with different people on different practicums and internships, I have learned that attention to detail is one of the most important things we can do. There is nothing more embarrassing than publishing false information. I think I have a good work ethic; I would never leave a job undone or do anything not to the best of my ability. I have a strong desire for people to be pleased with my work and I do not want to let anyone down that has placed their trust in me. I think I still need to work on my media relations and forming contacts and relationships that might get me a better "in" for my news.

As for the new skills and attributes that are fast developing, I am just entering this realm, but excited to see where it takes me. Obviously, I have begun blogging and it has definitely been a new experience. Twitter is also new but I am seeing all that it has to offer and benefits it can hold for companies. Facebook is a tried and true friend of mine and I am glad to see that we can use this as such an effective tool in PR as well. I have a lot to learn in the areas of RSS reading, coding, and blogger relations. I am excited to learn how to use all this tools that seem to be taking over the PR practitioner!

What I Wish I Knew...

As I started to think about things that I wish I knew when I was just starting my life as PR major that I know now, I realized that everything I've learned so far has been so much greater than I initially thought it would be. To be honest, I chose the PR concentration because it seemed like it would be the easiest thing for me to do. As I have gone through the program, I couldn't be happier that I chose Mass Communication and more specifically Public Relations.

When I first entered the major, I thought PR was mainly just handling the press for the company one works for. So I thought I would be learning how to be a press mediator and disseminator of news releases. And I thought if I got really lucky, I would get a job working for a celebrity or something so I would be dealing with high profile people. This is pretty much the realm that I placed PR in.

As I've gone through the classes, I've learned there is SO much more to PR. First of all, and I think my favorite aspect, is event planning. This is a huge segment. We spent a whole semester planning the Athletic Auction...for a class! To me, this was the best class I could ever take. I did learn that there is so much more to planning an event than I ever imagined, I learned that I love this side of PR. I like being involved behind the scenes, so I hada blast. Aside from event planning, there is also the tourism and hospitality industries which are also very different and really exciting. There are also many opportunities for design. I think the main thing I have learned is the the PR field is extremely wide and the options are almost limitless.

I would recommend keeping an open mind while thinking about jobs after graduation. And don't feel like you are going to get lost in a world of writing press releases. Although I actually do enjoy writing them, there is much more to do for everyone else. Get excited about all the PR field has to offer!

You will know what I did last summer...

This past summer, I spent most of my time as an intern with the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce. I started the internship in May and worked full time until the end of July. I did so much while I was in Eatonton it is hard to remember it all! A large part of my job was to create and design various rack cards and brochures. A lot of the design work I did was for The Taste Of Eatonton, which is the Chamber's largest fundraiser. I designed a postcard, a rack card and wrote several news releases and a feature story for Southern Distinction Magazine.

Outside of the Taste of Eatonton, the Chamber is also involved in the tourism industry in Georgia. Chamber is involved in many state tourism programs such as The Antebellum Trail, Georgia’s Historic Heartland, Treasures Along I-20 and Georgia’s Lake Country to name a few. I was able to attend at least one meeting for all of these associations and it gave me a great behind the scenes look to see how much these small towns are doing to promote their region. A lot more work and money goes into the tourism industry than I would have thought. Event planning was a big part of it and I was able to assist in getting a few events pulled together. I also made a promotional slide show for Treasures Along I-20 which features the seven communities involved.

The rack cards I produced will be distributed state-wide and the the brochures for joining the Chamber and starting one's own business will be a useful guide to Eatonton's and surrounding city's residents.

Aside from these projects I created various flyers and inserts that were needed as well as helped the staff out in any way that I could. I interacted with Chamber members and attended some of their networking meetings. I learned how a successful Chamber of Commerce is run and what exactly it does. I met many people from the town and neighboring communities who were always willing to offer advice and assistance in any way they could. I found the community to be charming and I will look at the city of Eatonton in a different way now.

I learned so much in the past summer. Just being a part of the day to day life of a company really lets you see how things are actually done. I was thankful they trusted me enough with their projects to let me handle some of them. I think this experience will always be something I will refer back to when I am planning my own events and marketing to different audiences.

PR in Action

So I went to Nashville a few weeks ago to be a part of the Country Music Marathon & 1/2 Marathon race. This was event planning on a large scale. The race drew more than 30,000 runners with 100,000 spectators. Unlike our work with the Athletic Auction, this event required many more workers, planning and of course money. To me the event went off very smoothly and if there were problems, we were unaware.

The event kicked off with a Health and Wellness Expo on Thursday and Friday nights. The expo provided participants a chance to pick up their race numbers and grab a goody bag full of coupons and samples from sponsors as well as a t-shirt. There was also a large expo room where companies could come and sell and display their products related to running. The most impressive part of the expo to me was the quickness of it all. When there are thousands of people waiting to get to one place, it usually takes forever and is chaotic. They wound us around so many places that we never stopped walking which made it seem like we were getting somewhere.

On the actual race day, the marathon had set up a free shuttle service that took runners to the starting line from the finish line. Again, the wait here was minimal. I think they had all the coach buses that Nashville had to offer. At the start, there were food stations with breakfast and rows of port-a-potties, which I have learned, is a necessity at any pre-race location. The area around the start was near a park so everything was spread out and never felt cramped.

Runners were placed in corrals at the start according to expected finish time and they were started in waves. The footage I have of the event is here at the starting line.

The planning continued with the multiple water stations every mile or so. There were also 10-15 bands that had to be set up and playing along the entire course. The streets of Nashville were blocked off and traffic redirected. There was also the finish line that was stocked with food and drinks.

After the race, the event was not over. They held a huge, free concert for the runners by country music star Billy Currington.

These are only the obvious things that had to be thought out. I can’t image the all the little things that no one thinks of because they have already been taken care of. Imagining planning an event like this is crazy to me. There is just soo much! This was the first time I have actually thought about the behind the scenes work at an event instead of just enjoying it, and I have to appreciate all their hard work!

Welcome to PR OpenMic

And here is another social networking site...they just keep a comin'. PR OpenMic is different in that it is meant solely for PR students, faculty and practitioners. It's purpose is to connect and inform. It gives members the chance to interact with others and share learned PR knowledge. Currently, the site offers advice from Oklahoma State PR students and allows for feedback and interaction between the OSU students and the rest of the sight members. This is gives us all a great opportunity to learn from each other.

I also really like that the site provides information about news in the Pr world and even lists other sites that are helpful in understanding the PR world. They also seek to help members find jobs and internships. I like that the site is not self-promoting and looking to gain money, it seems like it honestly just wants to help. I look forward to really taking advantage of all that a PR OpenMic membership has to offer.

And the Thunder Rolled...

I must say that I thought the 2009 Athletic Auction was a smashing success! Not only was there an excellent turnout and around $40,000 raised, but we also had a great time. Our class worked so well together and I think we all had a lot of fun throughout the auction process. I can only hope I will be so lucky with co-workers in the future!

I think working on the auction has given us a great example of how to plan an event from start to finish. There are so many pieces that have to come together for a big event like this. The world of PR is oh so wide. I thought we did a really great job on the press releases and getting them publicized (thanks Claire!). The posters around town were also a great addition to our publicity campaign. Everyone's talents came together so well and we were able to put out the best materials possible!

I find that I really enjoy being on the other side of events, on the staff rather than a guest. I like to feel like I am in the know and am somewhat responsible for something that others can enjoy. I have always wanted to be the personnel with cool i.d. tags. I definitely think that I would like to do something with the event planning side of PR if at all possible.

Twitter + Google

I read in a recent article that Google is in the process of trying to acquire Twitter. Twitter had previously turned down an acquisition by Facebook, so it will be interesting to see if Google will succeed in owning one of the fastest growing social media networks out there. What made Twitter so appealing to Google was the search feature that Twitter added over the summer. People are looking to hear and learn about brands in real-time as other post about them on Twitter. At search.twitter.com people can search for news and companies can search for feedback about their brands.

Google knows the value of search and they see what Twitter has done and can do. It is amazing to me how fast this idea of social media is growing. Because now, companies would be foolish not to take advantage of outlets like Twitter to promote their products. It seems like only yesterday that Facebook was a network only for college students to keep in touch and now it has expanded to everyone. The PR world has had so many doors opened with these networks, it will be interesting to see how far they can go with this and what will come next.

Oh, internships...

So in my endless search for a summer internship I stumbled across an event marketing internship with the Atlanta Falcons training camp. As a Falcons fan, this opportunity was very appealing to me. I ended up applying for the job that would last two months with 40 hour weeks. I know that marketing is different than PR, but the internship involves community relations, customer service, sponsorship execution, operations, corporate hospitality, and event assistance. So there are definitely some aspects of PR involved. What I wouldn't be doing is writing press releases or compiling media lists. So I am not sure that this would work for the kind of internship the PR program requires. There is a slim chance that I would even get the job, but it would be really hard to have to turn it down.

I have really loved the event planning aspect of PR. With the Athletic Auction growing closer, I am excited to see everything come together. There is definitely a lot involved in planning any event; there are so many things that people don't think of. I would love to get an internship where I could work more with event planning. The Falcons internship might lean to much away traditional PR. I guess we'll have to see how things pan out.

Tip It, Tip It Good!

When I first heard that we would be required to read a book and write a paper on it, I had any student’s natural reaction: dread. We all know that assigned books are usually never a thing to look forward to. However, as I began reading Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point,” I found that his book was not only tolerable but also interesting and valid. Gladwell’s theories about how and why certain ideas, products or behaviors turn into epidemics could be essential in PR campaigns and deserve a close look. In his book, he breaks down all of the pieces required for something to “tip” and make its way to a phenomenon. Gladwell would define his Tipping Point as the point at which the idea, product or social behavior tips over a brink and into widespread popularity.

Gladwell discusses an array of topics that might nudge an idea to its point of tipping. The Power of Context is one of these topics that Gladwell exemplifies by looking at how crime rates are directly affected by the dirty and graffiti-ridden subways of New York. He shows that people were more likely to commit crimes not only in a crime-friendly environment like the dingy subways and run-down neighborhoods but also around others who committed crimes. When people were fare-beating in the subways, many people who would not normally be inclined to break the law did so because of the actions of so many others.

I believe the Power of Context is going to be very important in guest participation/money-making at the Athletics Auction. Hopefully, the atmosphere we create will leave guests feeling ready to spend money. The guests will also see others bidding and will be more likely to throw their money around than usual. The current state of the economy leaves us with a bigger challenge to not only create a money-loose atmosphere, but also to make sure there are people in the seats. This means that we will have to make sure there is a certain “Stickiness Factor” to our auction. Gladwell talks of this stickiness factor as something that something that people will remember; something that will “stick” with them. We have done our very best to make invitations and posters that will draw people in. Who is going to forget a bobcat motorcyclist? Let’s hope no one! Let’s also hope there will be some connectors, mavens and salespeople that think our auction is a good idea as well!

I think our stickiness factor at the auction will have to be our professionalism and overall look of the auction. We want people to be impressed by the event. We have to work hard to give the auction the fun and hard feel of a motorcyclist but also a classy, professional feel as well. People must respect the Athletics department first, before they give money. If we can just get started on everything, then I think this atmosphere is definitely attainable!

Gladwell’s Law of the Few attributes some tipping points to a combination of three different kinds of people: connectors, mavens, and salespeople. As I read this section, I had trouble really defining myself as any of these, but I think I can draw a little from the mavens and salespeople. While I do not actively seek out information on all the products I buy, I do want to share any knowledge I might have. If I do come upon some valuable information about products, I will want all of my friends to know the benefits and drawbacks about products. When I have this kind of information, I get really into it and get behind whatever the best deal is. So I think my passion comes through to other people and through it, I can be persuasive about said product. I know it is kind of a stretch to compare myself to mavens and salespeople but we all don’t fit into three categories, right?

I definitely do not think I have reached the Tipping Point for blogging yet. It is still a little new to me, and I’m not sure that anyone cares what I write about. Twitter, on the other hand, has tipped for me. I never thought I would acknowledge Twitter as something of importance in my life, but I really do enjoy seeing what is going on in people’s lives. I think my tipping point was that so many celebrities are on there and are willing to open up about their daily lives. Unfortunately, I am a sucker for the entertainment media, so when I feel like I know the celebrity I get sucked in! Also, it has been a big help in communication with my fellow classmates.

I do not think that Twitter has reached its Tipping Point yet, but I believe it is well on its way. There are still many people who have never heard of it but it is getting more and more press. I think it will eventually become bigger and tip when enough people and the right people continue to talk about it. Our society seems to be fully embracing social media, so why not ad another outlet to the list?

Patagucci

In my advertising class we were told to choose a client we would like to research and develop ads for and, on a whim, I chose Patagonia. Patagonia is an outdoor clothing and gear store comparable to companies like The North Face. The more I look into this company, the more impressed I am. Stick me on a street corner in front of the store and I'll promote it all day. I think they are an example of a company that seems to be doing everything right.

Patagonia currently boasts to be The Cleanest Line, and has a blog of the same name to document what they are doing with the green initiative and what is going on in the environmentalist world. Patagonia lets their high quality products speak for themselves and their customers would use no other brand. They were also ranked as one of the top 10 best places to work. Their employees are outdoors men themselves and no one knows their products better. They have also been featured in Newsweek, USA Today and Business Week

I say all this about Patagonia because this is a place that I would love to work. Working in PR for them would be a dream, they have so many good things going on. I think that their PR team is doing an incredible job of making their progress known and available for anyone interested to see. They do not place great value on making sure the whole world knows about their company, but for those who are interested the have a plethora of information to share. The Footprint Chronicles is an interactive site they have created that allows customers to track the impact of ten specific Patagonia products from design through delivery. This company is very impressive to me and it is something I would love to be a part of!

PR Real World

When I first heard about PR Real Word, I was not exactly sure what to expect. When we got there, at 7:30 in the morning, it turned out to be really informative. The information that was really viable for where we our in our PR lives. As someone who does not know exactly which direction I want to go after college, I needed to know all that was available to me as a would-be PR professional. Real World was able to highlight all the different fields within PR and give a "day in the life" type of overview of what they do.

The theme of the day seemed to be networking. Almost every person that spoke said they held their current job because of the connections they had made early on in their career as well as the connections they are still making today. It was kind of daunting thinking about how many people we need to start "knowing" in order to advance ourselves within the field. I guess a conversation is worth a lot these days.

One of the most interesting sessions I attended was one that talked about entertainment and sports PR. I would love to work in the sports industry somehow and the lady with experience had worked with everything from professional basketball teams to the Olympics. She, and every other speaker, talked of working their way from the very bottom to where they are now. Those kinds of positions do not bother me because if you really love what you do, you will be excited just to be around it. She spoke of finding your passion, because it is required to get what you want. I think that will be my task when I get out of school; finding a true passion and pursuing it. Overall Real World was a good experience and I think it opened my eyes to a lot.

Facebook rules the world

Even with the controversy surrounding the new terms of use the Facebook founders have tried to enact, people will still be addicted to Facebook. Although, Facebook did retract its new hidden policies today, I doubt that the would have affected Facebook use. I know that I would still post pictures, send messages and put up information. We are too addicted. Facebook has become a force in social networking and could possibly take over all other forms of electronic communication.

Think about it, Facebook has a message system, a chatting feature, updated statuses, photo albums, and personal profiles. This website combines email, AIM, Twitter, individual photo album pages and could possibly serve as a resume. The group and event features are great ways to communicate to a desired group of people. Many PR and business professionals see this Facebook overtake as a definite possiblity. In the Fusion PR Forum they discuss how Facebook could serve as a more initimate connection between reporters and PR professionals as well as updated contact information. Facebook provides 3 ways of communication, and one is sure to contact someone through one of them. All these features present a convincing argument for the switch to using Facebook as one's main form of communication.

Facebook has the potential to be the biggest people connector in our society. Watch out. Can it be stopped?

Diversity in Public Relations

I found this article on the issue of diversity in public relations and it was interesting because it was something I had never thought of. The article discusses the lack of diversity in the PR field and the measures PRSA has taken to try to incorporate and welcome different races and sexual orientations into the field.

When I first started reading the article, I couldn't help but thinking that this was yet another ploy to make PR professionals look better by having a racially and sexually diverse industry. Everyone knows that diversity always looks good. Then I started to realize how beneficial diversity would be to public relations. People of different heritages and lifestyles have unique views on business that the average Caucasian person might not have. To most effectively promote and relate to all sectors of the public, diversity is more than necessary.

Why then, has it been so difficult to recruit and maintain ethnically and sexually diverse people in the public relations field? PRSA has implemented many diversity outreach programs and has taken many measures to place people of different races in influential positions but they are still having problems.

When I look at my school's public relations program, the overwhelming majority of students are Caucasian. This fact may have a lot to do with the fact that GCSU does not have an extremely diverse campus. I think public relations might need to do some PR work for themselves. I know that before I came to school and desperately needed a major, I had never really heard of a PR professional. I came upon this field by chance while searching for something that I might enjoy. Maybe we should take a break from promoting others for a minute and promote ourselves!

Twitter 101

So I think this Twitter thing is something that will take getting used to. Right now it is hard for me to see the full potential that so many believe it has. It is becoming a little addicting. It is not quite on facebook level for me, but I do check Twitter almost every time I am on a computer. I look forward to seeing it in action for class projects.

I have started using the @ replies some and since I learned you have to click on the "@ Replies" button it has made finding them a lot easier! However, since we started following so many new people I feel like I can't really read all the posts because there are so many and they get lost behind the constant updates. Maybe that is something I will have to get used to or learn how to better manage everything.

Following 25 new people, especially in the PR field, keeps us more connected to the PR world which is interesting. Now we can kind of know whats going on and hopefully build some contacts!
I think using Twitter this year will be an interesting ride and I look forward to getting more involved with it and understanding it more!

The Future of Public Relations According to Dr. John Guiniven

In Guiniven's article, "PR in 2009- dark clouds, but pros see a silver lining," he discusses possible budget cuts, low-risk decisions, and integration of PR with advertising. Guiniven predicts that, because of the recent economic downturn, the Public Relations industry will have to tighten up with money and decision-making but there will still be a pressing need for PR.
This year will likely stifle the creative genious of many new up and comers in the PR world, which is unfortunate because as we enter the world of Public Relations we will be ready to flex our creative powers. However, this article shows that businesses will tend to go with experience and direct, to the bottom line campaigns as they are the safest and most reliable.
Guiniven says that as long as the economy is spiraling downward, it is likely that PR professionals will take pay cuts and their budgets will also be lowered. This budget-lowering will force professionals to get creative in new ways, with less money. Professionals will have to push themselves to be better. So we are really gaining something here, right?
Guiniven's article also points out that PR will be an important force with every type of company this year, as an institution's relations with the public can make or break a company. He says that effective PR will work at gaining the people's trust.
It looks like we will always be needed, but might have to settle for a little less until the economy gets better. With the media as strong as ever, effective PR will always be necessary, which is comforting!