My PR Blog

I am in a style and design in PR messages class right now and we have to work on our giant final projects that are due one week from today.  I have been seriously stressed out about it because there is so much work involved, but I keep trying to make myself believe it will be worth it in the end.

The project is a website that contains work we’ve done in the class and over the years.  We have to include a flash version of our resume, a podcast, a tutorial on skype using snag-it, a brochure and a magazine layout done on InDesign, and several things we’ve done on photoshop.  We are incouraged to include any writing or presentations we may have completed in other classes.  This seems like a lot…and it is!  Our teacher says that if there are any errors, we lose a letter grade, so that puts the pressure on even more.

I have been really struggling to make myself believe this is all worth it, and I am finally starting to see the light.  I guess I might be at this point now because I am almost finished with my project.  I’ll be able to use it to get a job in the future and I’ll be able to show my employers all that I can do.  Now that there is a little light at the end of the tunnel, I’m finally glad I had to do this project.  So, thanks Robert for making us do all of this work!  I think it really will be wonderful to have in the future.

The other day I walked into my Style and Design class just as I usually would.  I had a bottle of water and I know we can’t have food or drinks by the computers, so I placed it on the shelves in the back of the classroom to wait for me.  As I was walking to my seat, I noticed a big bucket of Red Arrow licorice.  I had never heard of it before, so I just went to my seat.

Class started and Robert began to hand out the candy to everyone in the class saying that Jeremy Pepper, of Pop! PR Musings, had sent it.  Apparently, Red Arrow is one of Jeremy’s accounts and he sent the candy for us to try so that we could write about it in our blogs. I’ll have to say, I was interested.  How neat that a company has recognized the power of the blog enough to want people to taste their product and suggest that they write about it. 

So, here I am…writing about it.  I myself am a Twizzlers lover.  I admit, I was skeptical that Red Arrow could be any better.  I still love Twizzlers, but Red Arrow was actually very tastey. It was extremely fruity and soft to chew on, unlike the toughness and waxy taste of Twizzlers.  I don’t know…Twizzlers might have a little competition.  Also, Red Arrow deserves kudos for using bloggers to spread the word about their product.  Great idea if you ask me.  That Jeremy Pepper…so innovative!

Social media has become one of the most important ways that we communicate today.  The blog, the wiki, memes, etc. have become some of the most important tools PR practitioners have.  The most important of all is the relationships we can create with people who read our blog.

So many people are starting to read blogs and even create their own blogs.  The traffic in many of the most influential blogers sites has become to climb.  Bloggers can build relationships with the people who visit their sites through comments.  Building these relationships has helped many people get jobs, move jobs, and meet people that can help them in the future.

There is a big issue right now with a group of people who do not think social media is worth anything.  The PR professionals of the world have come together to create the International Association of Nobodies, that was started by Allen Jenkins.  This group of people has come together to try to make people understand just how important social media really is and just how much it is needed in the world today.  Keep up the good work.

The Auburn University Singers are an auditioned group of 36 singers and 9 instrumentalists who have been entertaining audiences around Auburn, the nation, and the world for 34 years.  The group is led by Dr. Thomas R. Smith and assisted by Dale Farmer. 

I am a member of this group and I have spent four years singing and dancing with them.  I have made so many friends and have met so many infuluential and outstanding people.  We have all had the opportunity to travel around the South and also to New York City, Chicago, Disney World, and several countries around Europe.  I know this blog is usually reserved for discussion about PR activities, but I thought I would take an opportunity to do a little PR for this outstanding group that I feel privileged to be a part of.

Each year, the Singers do a big show in the Fall and then one in the Spring.  This year will actually be Dr. Smith’s, the founder of the group, last year.  He will be retiring in May and this last Spring show, which will be mine as well, is very important.  The show will be Saturday, March 29th at 8:00 p.m., Sunday, March 30th at 2:30 and 8:00 p.m., and Monday May 1st at 6:00 and 8:00 p.m.  Tickets are $10.00 and can be obtained through members of the group and by calling the choral office at (334) 844-4194.  I hope this last show will be the biggest and best and that we will get a full house at each performance.  If you are interested, please don’t hesitate to come.

I just wanted to take a moment to pause and reflect on how far the field of public relations has come since it was founded in the early 1900’s by Edward Bernays.  I was just browsing through the internet and I came across a museum of public relations in New York City.  I couldn’t believe that there is actually a museum dedicated entirely to public relations pioneers and groundbreaking campaigns.

There is such a fine line between marketing and public relations that most people just throw PR into the marketing department.  This just doesn’t seem right because they really are so different and the brilliant PR practitioners out there deserve credit for doing innovative and successful things in PUBLIC RELATIONS, not marketing.  I am glad that there are people out there who appreciate this and decided to create this museum in 1997.

There are exhibits on Bernays, Kendrix, Byoir, Page and Burger going on right now.  There is also a reference library that lists all of the sources for the information in these exhibits so that you can go back and read more later.  I think it’s wonderful that there is a museum like this one out in the world.  It’s great that they are recognizing these early practitioners for the outstanding work they have done to bring public relations credibility in the business world.  Keep up the good work.

 

Last weekend, I went out to eat with my boyfriend and his parents for his birthday.  We decided to go to one of the places in the new shopping center, Patton Creek, by their house.  We chose Firebirds because his parents had eaten there once before and really liked it.  When we got there, a table was already waiting for us and we got seated immediately and  by a very friendly hostess.

When our waitress came over to greet us, she was very personable and helped us choose our drinks.  She must be a great salesperson, because I ordered what she suggested.  It ended up being very tasty and exactly what I had described to her in my drink criteria.  We then proceeded to order our meal.  The waitress was very helpful and knowledgeable about the menu.  Any time we had a question about the food, and believe me we did, she was very quick to answer us without getting frustrated.

I really liked how friendly she was.  She kept coming over to see how we were doing and if we needed anything else. Also, she would strike up a conversation with us so that we felt like old friends by the end of the night.  She mentioned having quite a few “regulars” that requested her and I’m sure that we will be “regulars” of hers in the future.  She even brought out a little piece of cake for my boyfriend’s birthday for us to share.

Our overall experience at Firebirds was excellent and I’m sure we will go again.  It is so important for restaurants to have friendly and attentive servers.  If you don’t, people might as well go to McDonalds or some other fast food joint where the most contact you have is getting your bag at the window.

JC Penny has long been known as a quality department store.  It is ranked right up there with Macy’s, Parisian and Dillard’s.  People know they can depend on JC Penny to “do it right” as their slogan says.  Employees of the company are dedicated to pleasing customers and going the extra mile.  JC Penny may not be as large as some of the other department stores, but it certainly does as much or more for the communities it is located in.

The company website says, “The company supports organizations whose goals are in line with company priorities.  Priority is given to organizations and programs that serve a broad spectrum of the community, have a multiplier or catalyst effect and are located in communities in which we have business presence.”

JC Penny is involved in programs relating to health and welfare, the united way, disaster relief, education, volunteerism, and diversity.  One of the company’s programs is called JC Penny Afterschool and focuses on increasing the number of afterschool programs in communities. The educational fund partners with national organizations known for outreach and advocacy to raise millions of dollars for education.

JC Penny has also worked with the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the United Way to aid with disaster relief.  The company coordinates donations with these other prestigious organizations to help out communities where JC Penny stores are located.  JC Penny is a company that is able to give back and tries very hard to give all it can to the communities it serves.  It does a very good job of creating good relationships with its community members and a great overall company reputation.

California Pizza Kitchen places a huge importance on community relations within the company.  Since it was founded, CPK has been involved in charitable organizations in the communities that it serves.  They donate money and hold events in these communities to demonstrate their concern for its customers.

Each new California Pizza Kitchen opening is held in conjunction with a local children’s charity.  They give proceeds to these organizations and have fun events at their openings.  Immediately following the grand opening of each restaurant, one day is designated as “Pizza Day” where 100% of sales are donated to the local children’s charity.  In 2004, the CPK Foundation donated more than $100,000 to children’s charities across the country.

CPK also has other programs like CPKids.  This program includes restaurant tours, VIP passes and fundraising events.  All of these things help kids raise money to better their educations and to learn about the inside workings of the restaurant.  They even learn how to make a pizza.  The VIP passes can be used by the schools as a reward for students who do well in their classes.

CPK is always willing to help schools and children by donating money and helping with other community fundraisers.  All you have to do is call them and let them know what you’re raising money for, and they’ll donate 20% of profits from a specific day.  CPK has done a great job of becoming involved in the communities they serve and continue to raise the bar of excellence in the restaurant industry.

This Friday was Saint Patrick’s Day as we all know.  I decided that the best place for me to go and enjoy the festivities would be somewhere in Birmingham, AL.  Once I was there and all of my friends got together, we decided that the best place to go would be the Blue Monkey Lounge on Cobb Lane.  Most people who are of age like to go out on this very rousing holiday, so we had to be very particular about where we decided to go.  We ruled out Innisfree because it is the only decent Irish Pub in town and we knew that everyone and their brother would be there.  The Blue Monkey turned out to be a great choice.

When we arrived at the bar and ID’s were checked, we immediately went inside because it was very cold outside.  It was a comfortable temperature inside, which I always enjoy because I am very cold natured.  Even though it was just a martini bar, it was still crowded inside because of the holiday.  We did manage to find a table though and I was surprised at how promptly our waitress came over to take our drink orders.  We actually weren’t even ready to order at that point.  She waited a few minutes and then came right back over.  This is always a good sign.

Drinks were brought out immediately and we enjoyed the laid back atmosphere of the bar while listening to their cabaret-style pianist play all the good songs.  Conversation flowed and even though it was loud in the bar, it wasn’t so loud that you couldn’t hear the person sitting next to you.  Yet another plus!  Our waitress was very nice and attentive and she even brought us some beads and leis to help with the festivities.

We all had a wonderful time at the Blue Monkey and we will definitly return next time we go out.  It was nice to be able to go out on such a busy holiday and still recieve great service.  A lot of times, when waiters or waitresses get busy, they forget about the quality of the service they do.  I’m glad to report that this was not the case at the Blue Monkey.  Hopefully it will be the same experience next time we go. 

The Facebook is an online program that people in college and now even people in high school can join to talk with friends, post pictures and other things.  On Facebook, people can create a profile of themselves where they post information about what sorority or fraternity they’re in, what their spring break plans are, their social calendar, where they live and other demographics, etc.  People join groups with other members who share similar interests or even just for no particular reason other than to have groups listed on their page.

Facebook has turned in to a great way to keep up with friends that you haven’t seen for a while. You can also find out where people have moved to after college because of the alumni geographic location feature.  On Facebook, you ask people to be “friends” with you and they can either accept or deny.  Its really neat to get to catch up with friends old and new.  AOL is becoming obsolete because of The Facebook because no one needs to get online to chat with friends anymore.  You can send people messages, “poke” them and invite them to parties all on Facebook.

There is also a blogging feature on your profile where you can write about what you are up to.  Only confirmed friends have access to your profile and can view your activities and pictures.  This is somewhat of a safety feature, but there have still been some psychos out there trying to stalk people through Facebook.  Even though The Facebook has a lot of precautions installed, people still find ways to break through.  You have to be careful about who you let be your “friend”. Overall though, The Facebook is a great new way to stay in touch and network.