TOW #15

This semester has absolutely flown by! I can’t believe I am almost done with college FOREVER. In just 2 weeks I will be graduating. It definitely feels surreal. My Corporate Public Relations class has definitely taught me a lot about myself and the P.R. world. I am not sure what my future holds yet, but if I ever do work in P.R – I feel much more prepared from this semester. Here are the top ten things I learned. (Not in any particular order)

1. The importance of commenting – I have learned that commenting is just as important as blogging. Bloggers need to know if anyone is listening. It can benefit both the blogger and the reader. It can link two individuals and connect them both professionally and personally.
2. Twitter – Twitter is so much more then writing status’s. That is what I always thought anyways. That was until I took Barbaras Public Relations class. Twitter is a great way to connect with people you might not know and also find out a great deal of information – possibly before it hits the news.
3. Social Networking is a necessity for businesses – I have learned that social networking connects the business and the customer. It brings them on the same level. Social Networking can really broaden a businesses audience.
4. Event Planning is hard work – After planning the “Ford Fiesta” Ive learned that planning events is no easy task. There are many steps involved. Even after the planning is done, there are still many things to go over.
5. Crisis Management – The ford fiesta really pushed us to use our “Crisis management” skills. I learned it is always important to have a back up plan and to be prepared for ANYTHING.
6. What you post online is “forever” – I learned that it is important the way you present yourself online – whether thats in a blog or a facebook. Once you post something, it is there forever. So be mindful and think before you post:)
7. Ford – I learned a lot about the Ford company this semester. It taught me a lot about the history of Ford, how Ford deals with Crisis and how Ford markets themselves. I definitely view that company in a new way after learning so much about them.
8. Life in Public Relations is constantly changing – I have learned that life in Public Relations is constantly changing. Every day is different. Public Relations practitioners now are dealing with things that public relations practitioners 10 years ago never even thought about.
9. Reading PR blogs – I have learned that there are many PR blogs out there that can teach you a lot about PR and social media. I definitely want to keep up with some of the blogs I was introduced to this fall.
10. Making Connections – I have learned that making connections is something everyone should attempt to do. You never know what people you might run into that can determine your future.

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TOW #14

This week, we are supposed to share any video that we would like. I decided to share this T-mobile ad. The video was filmed on January 16, 2009  at 11 a.m in the Liverpool Street Station. Around 400 tourists, workers and passengers broke out into spontaneous dance. The dancing was filmed with hidden cameras across the station. The bustling but humdrum concourse of Liverpool Street station was brightened up as people who had appeared to be travellers and station staff began to dance. They danced to a variety of of hip-hop, disco and ballroom moves.

Being a dancer myself, taking part in something like this seems like a dream! Barbara Nixon showed my class this video last semester – and it really stuck with me. It made me look at “T-mobile” in a new light. They were no longer just a “phone company to me. They seemed fun and down to earth. Im sure this was their idea. What better way to not only get noticed, but to be noticed for being fun and creative?

I think all companies should find ways like this to branch out and find ways to promote their business. Commercials that all claim to be the same thing just seems like white noise to me. I commend T-Mobile for their creativity, dedication and fun outlook on the world. A T-Mobile spokeswoman said: ‘Dance brings to life the fact that there are often unexpected, wonderful, exciting things that happen that you want to be able to share’

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TOW #13

Fro my guest blogger, I chose Jessica Nguyen. She has such a relatable personality and has became quite a friend to me this semester. I know she will do awesome things after her graduation. Im excited to see where she goes! Jessica’s blog is really interesting to read and she gives great advice to others. I decided to post her tips on Public speaking, because they were just too helpful NOT to post.

“I am probably not the best person to seek advice from when it comes to presenting. Advice on whether or not those shoes goes with that shirt? Yeah, that I can do. Advice on where to travel? Duh, that is my specialty! Advice, on how to celebrity stalk? Guilty. But advice on how to stand up in a crowded room with people starring at you waiting with anticipated breath for you to say something meaningful and helpful. I want to run and hide.

As much as I hate presenting, it comes with the territory so it is something I’ve had to master. Here are ten tips that I have come up with to help with your presentation skills.

10. Be confident. That is a tough one to get past, especially when it comes to presenting but remember that EVERYONE has to do it at some point and they have had the same feelings about it as you do. Everyone gets nervous, but you will be fine. Be confident in what you are presenting and you’ll be golden.

9. Be prepared. That may seem simple enough yeah? One would think when presenting you would have all your material, but you would be surprised at how people come into a presentation without knowing the material or presenting with missing pieces. It doesn’t make you look good and it causes others to think you aren’t responsible.

8. Be excited. If you are excited about what you are presenting, others will be as well. So put a smile on and really sell what you are presenting!

7. Be engaged. Connect with your audience. Draw them in. Ask them questions or talk to them as if it were one on one. People appreciate it if you connect with them. It makes them feel special and appreciated, and we do appreciate them because they are our audience.

6. Be practised. Practise what you preach. Go over your presentation again and again until you know it by heart. If you are practised you won’t stumble or falter and that will help keep you engaged, excited, prepared, and confident.

5. Be aware. Make sure while you are presenting you are aware of your audience and your surroundings. Sometimes your audience might not be receptive to your presentation. Maybe you have prepared for a presentation that isn’t right for the audience. Adjust and improvise, that can help your presentation go over better.

4. Be respectful. Don’t drag on and on. Be respectful of your audience and their time. Make sure you have all the information but present it in a concise fashion. You can loose listeners fast if you bore them.

3. Be creative. Use videos, graphics, stories, etc etc, to spice up your presentation. Creativity is key and it is limitless.

2. Be relaxed. Stay calm and cool. Don’t be tense or scared, it will show through your presentation. If you are relaxed the audience will be relaxed and will pay attention to your material instead of the sweat that is pouring off your face.

1. Breathe. The simplest of all my tips but it is the most important. Catch your breath. Don’t spit out your 30 minute presentation in 15 because you were too nervous to breathe. Don’t rush. Take your time and breathe.”

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TOW #12

It is definitely interesting to see the statistics on your blog. Its great for any individual or company to see how many people are looking at their site or blog each day, week and month. This can really help companies improve their social media skills and help them better understand their customers. They can learn which types of posts gain more viewers and which do not. They can learn who their target audience is and what areas create bigger audiences. I personally can relate a lot to this. I am constantly trying to promote my photography business. It is interesting for me to look at the stats for both my blog and website. I’ve learned that the more I update, and put out there – the more people I attract. There are times when I forgot to post new blog posts or update photos on the website – and it definitely harmed my business according to the stats. There is a great decline in the amount of viewers when no activity is taken place. I think this can apply to those working in PR. PR practitioners can better understand their audiences by not only posting more blogs, but knowing what kind of things to post about. Understanding your audience plays a key role in making a better business. P.R. practitioners should know what exactly the public wants and needs to know. Having this opportunity to views the  “stats” can really lead them into that goal. If anything, it will push you more to gain more viewers. It is the greatest feeling in the world to see that stats bar rise. Everyone likes to feel like they accomplished something. Gaining more viewers should be something both PR practitioners and business owners focus on when thinking about their blogs. The stats can help guide them and better understand their audience.

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TOW #11

Public Speaking can be a really scary thing. I personally do not enjoy it one bit. But there are ways you can overcome that fear. Here are some tips to help you be the best public speaker you can be.

1. Gather your Facts – It is never good to go into a presentation not knowing what your talking about. Hopefully if your giving a presentation in the first place, you know a little something about the subject your presenting. If you do not, do your research. Find facts about the presentation and look deeper into those facts. Gather your own thoughts on the information so that you can expand on the topic with your own opinion.

2. Dress the Part – It is always nice to dress professionally during a presentation. People will listen to you more if they think you are coming off professional. This even means your look. You do not want to go into a presentation wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. If your audience things you don’t care, they wont care.

3. Have some Visuals – Visuals can always help add that little extra something to a presentation. It keeps your audience’s attention and gives them visuals to view alongside your presentation. Powerpoint slides are great visuals to use!

4. Speak Clearly – Speak loud and clearly when presenting. Make sure everyone in the room can hear you, even those in the very back of the classroom. Also, do not rush your sentences. Make sure every sentence seems important and you take your time on each.

5. Eye Contact – Maintain eye contact throughout the entire presentation.

6. Ask questions – Ask questions to your audience members. Get them involved in the presentation to not only keep their attention, but to give you a breather!

7. Organize – Make sure your presentation is organized and has a great flow to it. Keep subjects consistent and within the same topic.

8. Make an outline – sometimes its good to do an outline of your presentation. It keeps you on track and helps you remember the important stuff.

9. Practice – Practice makes perfect! Do not forget to practice your presentation a few times before presenting it. It will give be confidence during the presentation and you will not feel that terrible feeling of “procrastination”.

10. Have fun – Do not forget to have fun! Even if you hate public speaking, make the best out of it! It is your time to shine and speak your mind! The attention is on you, and have fun with it!

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TOW #10

What is the relationship between corporate responsibility and communication? This is the question Whitney and I were given in Corporate Public Relations class last week. There is only one simple answer to this question – they go hand in hand. Without communication, there is no corporate responsibility and without having corporate responsibility – you can not have communication. Communication plays a key role in corporate responsibility. The book says, Demonstrating corporate responsibility is a key challenge for business leaders, and effective communication is a central element of every successful corporate responsibility program. Most companies have not had the benefit of spending years at the center of the corporate responsibility debate, like Nike, learning what works and what does not. The book also says “Communicating corporate responsibility employs all of the traditional corporate communication tactics, as well as unique corporate responsibility tools, such as codes of conduct, monitoring and certification initiatives, training and education programs, and due diligence.”

Corporations need to communicate with the public and their employees in order to be responsible. Whenever a company talks about corporate responsibility, the communication should be based on corporate action. The first act is usually some form of due diligence. Responsibility begins with accurate information. Companies often find themselves in crisis mode when they first address corporate responsibility. Communicating accurate facts is part of the responsibility of the corporation. Accurate information not only informs smart business decisions, it minimizes the legal and regulatory risks associated with public communications. The author tells us that the most effective communications demonstrate how a company’s corporate responsibility efforts advance key business objectives. Anyone can see that these two go hand in hand. They need each other to exist.

 

 

 

 

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TOW #8

I will admit, when it comes to podcasts – I am not a fan. At least I thought. That was until I listened to “Coming up PR” for my Corporate Public Relations class. The Podcast was really interesting and opened my eyes (and ears!) to all of the great ways of communicating in the Public Relations world. The podcast features three corporate public relations post graduates, including Mary Attard, Mike Kerr and Cheryl Brean. Each individual adds something different to the podcast along with their different views. It really gives you a broad perspective on issues in the PR world. It is interesting to hear what they have to say about their jobs and social media. I listened to their thirteenth episode featuring Catalina Dorobeti. Catalina was an old classmate of the group and is involved in investor relations. Catalina talks openly about the differences between public relations and investor relations. She discusses the importance of knowing a lot about finances in the field. Catalina also takes the time to advise students who might be interesting in the field of things she thinks are important to know. She says that not many PR practitioners know a lot about investor relations so its hard to find people to talk to when your a student interested in investor relations.

I definitely changed my opinion on podcasts after listening to this one. I feel that podcasts truly bring the PR practitioners to life and virtually make them easy to  hear. You can learn a lot about Public Relations and different branches that come from it. These podcasts can help you gain a better understanding of the field and also help you understand the thoughts of someone working in it.

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TOW #7

I read John Cass’ blog for Topic of the Week #7. John is the author of the PR Communications blog, and Head of Digital Marketing at Pace Communications. He started the blog in 2003, as a place for him to share with the world his thoughts on his profession and marketing. He wanted to broaden his communications community in the process. Johns blog is a great one for those interested in Public Relations to look at. He shares his advice openly to his readers about current events that may effect the PR world as well as advice in social media and crisis communication. PR students should definitely consider looking at his blog. I learned a lot just within the 12 posts that I looked at. It is a good way for student to hear first hand what is currently going on as well as advice from a professional. John gives a few statistics in his blog posts about social media. He also talks about how social media has effected the PR industry as well as fortune 500 companies across the world. He has interviewed countless PR reps for advice and their own personal experiences. I personally thought the blog posts where he gives you “tips” and advice were my personal favorites. It taught me a lot. I also think it could teach not only students, but current PR practitioners. Even if you have been working in PR for a few years, it is still good to keep yourself updated on the world around you. It is good to read others thoughts and keep yourself up to date in social media and new marketing techniques.

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TOW #6 – Corp. PR interview

I interviewed Lance Goulet over the phone for my Corporate P.R. assignment. Lance is a specialist in Employee Communications for P.R. at American Airlines. Lance has a Bachelor of Science from the University of New Haven in Management Science. He has been with American Airlines since 1991. He started out working as a Reservations representative and eventually was lead to working in Corporate Communications for American Airlines in 2007. My mom worked for American Airlines in reservations. I asked her if she knew of anyone who worked in Corporate P.R. She asked her boss at American Airlines in Cary, NC who led me to Lance in Dallas, TX.

When asking Lance what his typical week was like, He responded  that a typical work day starts at 7 a.m. and ends around 5 p.m. Although he is always checking his work e-mail in the evening and on weekends. His job in internal communications is somewhat different than most of his co-workers. His job is much more “operationally-focused” from day-to-day than others who work on longer-term projects. He is the Editor of Jetwire, a daily (Mon.-Fri.) communications missive for all employees which has been around for more than 40 years. He also has a side role involved with American’s video communication for employees, AATV, which is released quarterly. A project Lance is especially proud of is when he worked in

Norfolk, Va., while American assimilated the former TWA employees into AA. He helped to bring the AA culture there. To say current in the industry, Lance says he tried to keep up with public relations in the airline industry through a variety of online and print vehicles. “Aviation Week and Air Transport World are two of the best”, Lance says. Also, both local news outlets in Dallas (the Dallas Morning News and Fort Worth Star-Telegram) have dedicated airline-industry reporters, since both American and Southwest Airlines are headquartered there. Before starting his career, Lance wishes he would have studied communications in college. He thinks it would have definitely benefited him. Writing is everything to Lance – while He sometime gets items sent from others to use, which he then needs to edit. He often times must create something from scratch – so he definitely makes use of his writing ability. Lance hints – “it’s always good to have a copy of the AP Stylebook on hand.” Lance has never worked for an agency.

At the end of the interview I asked Lance if there was anything else He would like to say or advice to anyone looking into his field, Lance said “Whatever industry you choose to work in, it is imperative that you stay current on what is happening in it. I’ve always been considered by my co-worked to be an “airline geek” – and it has truly served me well.” I learned a lot in my interview with Lance. I learned that despite the common belief that you need to be formally educated in the area of your occupation in order to be successful, your success does depend solely on this. I believe that through experience in the field, you can acquire the talents and skills necessary to keep progressing and advancing.

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TOW # 4

Social Media can be both a positive and negative thing for a company. There are many different aspects in various social media outlets. Nowadays, you can find professionals using twitter, facebook, wordpress/blogspot, podcasting, and even youtube. At first thought, I thought to myself – is this professional? Should these major business corporations be stooping down to our level in communication. But, then I realized, I pay much closer attention to different companies, people, etc. because of social networking. I follow a great deal of businesses or organizations through twitter. I think social media can really be a friend to businesses.  Professor Nixon asked us to listen to “Social Media: Friend or Foe?” podcast featuring hel Holtz, Mark Ragan and others  discussing “concerns and objections around the adoption of social media communication channels.” They brought up many of these positive outlooks on social media. Although, social media can also have a downside. You must be cautious about what you put on the internet – because everything you say and do is representing not only you, but your company. It is not just a personal blog/twitter. Your representing your company as a whole. Another negative consequence in social media, is giving your readers an opportunity to speak negativity about your company. There have been a variety of different cases as of recently – where company’s facebook pages and blog’s were filled with negative comments and feedback that others can see. It is definitely a risk. I think companies should continue using social media, as long as they are thinking of ways to avoid this negative feedback. They have to be careful about what “gets out” about them. The public can make or break a companies reputation.

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