Social Media

Can you define "social media"? What does it mean? It exists, but not many fully understand it, including me. It's not one thing; it's the free flow of ideas and information over the internet, it's the ability to connect with others through media outlets that have never existed before. Facebook, Myspace, and YouTube are just the beginning. They are merely signals of what is to come. Media in its traditional sense is put out through t.v. and newspaper. Then the internet came along and was another source of output. That has all changed now as the demand for interaction has grown. Media isn't put out only by big news corporations anymore; it's put out by anyone who has a blog or webcam and thinks he/she has something to say. This new trend in media is still not under control. YouTube had 56 million viewers to its site last month but still hasn't figured out how to effectively monetize that. Businesses that do solve that problem are the ones who will succeed in the future of business.

Beanie Babies

The public relations department for Ty Inc., maker of Beanie Babies, have their hands full with the company's newest launch, Obama daughters dolls. Of course, the spokesperson for Ty Inc. denies that the dolls are what they are, replicas of the Obama daughers, she has no choice. The altnernative is to admit the company is shamelessly exploiting minors for their own gain. “It would not be fair to say they are exact replications of these girls,” Ms. Lundeen told The A.P. (nytimes.com) That is the best Ms. Lundeen could come up with, and it's weak. Ty Inc. messed up and I wish I could just sit in one meeting while they talk about this and what to do. I run the risk of making an understatement when I say that it's going to take a very, very effective campaign to counter this. Ty Inc. needs to address the issue; I haven't found anything yet though. I'll be watching, and waiting, for any response from the company. This has created a stir and if it gains any momentum it could get ugly for Ty Inc. If you want to read the article, here is the link

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/us/politics/25dolls.html?scp=1&sq=obama%20daughters&st=cse

You only need to read a few comments left by readers to get an idea of how the public is reacting to this.

Pop Culture PR

popculturepr.com is my latest discovery in the PR world. I don't think they've been around very long, but don't quote me on that. If you visit the site you'll find that they appear to be an online PR agency, which is sweet. Not only that, but some of the stuff they've done is very good; they got attention from all kinds of media. They've also recently added another division, or website, to their company called 3rdplanet.PR; its "green" PR; also very sweet. I can say with a fair amount of confidence that green PR is a growing section of the PR world. Environmentalist groups are more active than ever before-with good reason-and they are looking to get the word out. PR is the natural way to do it because advertising seems so "big corporation". I doubt they have the resources for big advertising campaigns, even if they did those resources would be better spent in other areas. That's where PR steps in to help. Not only is it socially responsible, but how cool would it be to come up with the campaign idea that 15 million people saw? I know this is the glamorous side of PR but to be in that kind of position some day would be ideal.

Press Release Final Announcement

1/16/09
For Immediate Release
ABC Real Estate
123 Creative Way, Logan UT 84341
801-555-4567


Real Estate Company Reveals Patented System
ABC Real Estate offers opportunity for investors; solutions for buyers/sellers

LOGAN, Utah—A new company, ABC Real Estate, is launching its patent pending business strategy in Cache Valley for interested investors.
This business plan revolutionizes real estate practices all while earning a return for investors. There is no need for a high initial investment and the risks are minimal. The program has a 99 percent success rate in Salt Lake City where its been in operation for the past seven years. It benefits sellers who cannot sell, and buyers who cannot buy. “This business model will work in any type of market”, says Preston Parker, company CEO. “I am excited to introduce this model in Cache Valley and solve some real estate problems these people are facing.”

Investing in this program is easy; ABC Real Estate does all the work for you. Investors are needed because the demand for these services is now beyond what ABC Real Estate can handle alone. Greater opportunities are available for those who take action early. All investments are negotiable. A training meeting will take place for all interested to explain the details of this business model.

ABC Real Estate has been solving real estate problems in communities in California and Salt Lake and is now ready to do the same in Cache Valley. Reliable service, honest advising and helpful agents are the least that can be expected.

Matt Frandsen, Director of Public Relations
mattprdirector@email.com
801-555-8934

Helmets for Hardhats

In an article I read on prnewswire.com I found out that Sears Holdings is teaming up with Helmets for Hardhats, a non-profit organization, with specific goals to help veterans transition from life in the service to civilian life by providing them with training and apprenticeship programs in the building trade. Some might pass this off as a publicity stunt by Sears. If you look into it though, it's obvious that that line of thinking is incorrect. Sears is the fourth largest broadline retailer in the nation. They have almost 4,000 stores in USA and Canada. Simply put, they don't need to create awareness. And teaming up with Helmets for Hardhats certainly isn't a strategic decision to benefit their company. That being considered, I submit to you that this is a genuine show of good will. They have the resources to help, so they are. Obviously they will be rewarded for their ethical decision with a favorable public opinion or some nice stories in the press; that's a consequence of helping those who need help, you get appreciated. "Few people will deny the value of military service, either in terms of its necessity to secure the American way of life or as an institution that teaches young people self-discipline, self-respect and the value of teamwork. However, there is often a disconnect between public recognition of the value of military service and what our society is willing to provide our soldiers once they have completed their tour of duty and seek to successfully reintegrate into civilian life," said Darrell Roberts, Executive Director of Helmets to Hardhats (prnewswire.com). I think old Darrell says it best, or his PR writer...either way, it's true. If anyone knows somebody who returned from military duty then they can understand that it's a hard transition for that person. Anything that is done to help will be welcomed by the public with open arms.

Women in PR

I've noticed as I browse through press releases and hear of big company mergers or projects that were done by PR agencies I see a lot of women in high status positions. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places but it seems that men are out of their league in this field. I looked into this a little more hoping to find some evidence that would balance this out for my confidence's sake, but instead found an article that makes it pretty clear how important women are in PR. Not necessarily as practitioners ( it didn't say one way or the other) but as a market that needs extensive consideration. "After all, there are 30.7 million women in the UK compared to 29.5 million men and, at all ages over 30, women outnumber men. It would be a poor PR company that wooed clients knowing that it can only convey a brand's message effectively to men.
According to Dunkley, executive and creative decisions are often made by men who fail to appreciate women's references and communication sources tend to differ from their own." (prnewsire.com, That special something, 4/20/07) That article is almost two years old, but those numbers are as relevant now as they were then. It makes more sense to me now why so many women are in these positions, because women know how to communicate with women! That is one additional piece of evidence to me of the importance of considering all types of publics when working in this field, and tailoring messages that will effectively reach target audiences without alienating others.

Draft Version Press Release 1 Announcement

1/16/09
For Immediate Release
ABC Real Estate
123 Creative Way, Logan UT 84341
801-555-4567


Real Estate Company Reveals Patented System
ABC Real Estate looking for investors to particpate in beneficiary- directed equity holding land trusts

LOGAN, Utah—A new company, ABC Real Estate, is launching its patent pending business strategy in Cache Valley for interested investors.
This business plan benefits all parties involved by placing the seller’s home in a trust. Interested investors are required to pay a minimum initial investment. The program has a 99 percent success rate in Salt Lake City where its been in operation for the past seven years. It benefits sellers who cannot sell, and buyers who cannot buy. “This business model will work in any type of market”, says Preston Parker, company CEO. “I am excited to introduce this model in Cache Valley and solve some real estate problems these people are facing.”

Matt Frandsen, Director of Public Relations
mattprdirector@email.com
801-555-8934

Letter to Cousin

Dear Cousin


I have decided that I am going to major in public relations. Since I knew little about how to describe to someone else what public relations actually is, I hope I do not come across as presumptuous to assume that you also know very little and would not mind a little education in the form of this letter.
Public relations as a profession is hard to define because it covers a very broad spectrum of different experiences. One public relations practitioner may do very different things than another public relations practitioner, but it is still under the umbrella of public relations. Public relations, as a simple definition, is communicating effectively with the public and organizations in a way that will benefit both parties. A mediator of sorts, employed to bridge the gap of misunderstanding between the two. Within that duty to communicate are many other responsibilities as well. Counseling management is a big responsibility that falls somewhat, but not entirely, on the shoulders of public relations professionals. Should a company or organization propose a plan of action contrary to what I believe would be beneficial to relevant or affected publics, it would be my obligation to speak up in their defense. I cannot, however, give advice based on my opinion or “hunches” alone. Numbers tell a better and more believable story. Meaning that sometime previous to this situation I would have had to conduct some kind of research backing up my claims, that yes, this in fact is not a good idea and a fall out of public support is a likely result.
Another side of public relations is more obvious, getting publicity for an organization. There is a blurry line there between publicity and advertising. Simply put, advertising is content paid for and controlled by the buyer. Publicity is information free to the public. Getting that information to the public in an attractive and understandable way is the job of public relations. Do not confuse a publicist with a public relations professional. A publicist simply disseminates information while public relations takes into account possible consequences and monitors the output of information all with the idea of maintaining a credible image in the eyes of an ever skeptic public. There are also many different types of publics to write for. Knowledge of what type of public you are writing for is crucial in order to make the message relevant to them. It would be ignorant to assume that one form or style of writing is best and therefore most persuasive to all who will read it. One small example of the diversity of publics is in the form of press releases. They are not actually written for the public at all, they are written for news medium. You provide them with newsworthy information and they, in turn, make it public. Press releases are specific tasks with certain goals prepared beforehand. They have a target public in mind as well. Presenting that information in a way that is considered newsworthy is the challenge.
This is a very basic description of public relations and some things they do in the real world. This should at least get you started down the road to understanding a little more what this relating to the public stuff is all about.



Matt

Missed Boat

Last week I read an article in the Statesman about an event held on campus that was a complete bust due to lack of attendance. They actually stopped the party an hour early because nobody was even there. I thought about that again and again and realized that the club who sponsored the event missed a big opportunity to establish themselves as "the club" for USU. Their problem? No PR work was done at all!! I'll be the first to admit that my opinion is biased but I walked around campus after that looking for anything that would have told me about that party...nothing, except for a small design on a marker board placed in the annex of a main hall. Nobody went because nobody knew. I wish I could somehow reverse these last few days, call the president of the club, and just beg him to let me hype his event. How easy would it have been to make some fliers? Or get some air time on the university radio station to announce whats going on? There were so many basketball games held over the break, why not get the word out at an already big event with thousands of students attending? The more I think about all the things that could've/should've been done the more I realize how much of a blunder this was. A determination not to repeat this mistake is the least I've gained from the lesson learned at another's expense.