Temple PRSSA Alumni Panel

Yesterday during Temple PRSSA's general meeting, members were given the opportunity to ask questions to former chapter members who have found great success in their post-graduate careers. The panel featured former PRSSA presidents Lindsay Bues (Public Relations Coordinator at Philabundance) and Jessica Lawlor (Internal Communication Coordinator at Cancer Treatment Centers of America) as well as former PRowl Account Executive Brianna Fisher (Account Coordinator at Vault Communications) and former PRowl Assistant Firm Director Melissa Marsili (Partnership Marketing Associate at The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce).

Sitting in the same seats that these graduates were sitting in only a year or so ago, the panel provided students with invaluable information about what to expect after college life and how to prepare for our future careers. Topics discussed included social media, job searching advice and important tips after securing your first job. Although everything discussed was valuable, I will provide some of the key concepts I took away from the panel:

Social Media (and its many uses):
- Although we are taught in class how quickly social media is evolving, it is still important to understand that not everyone is evolving with it. Future clients may be apprehensive about establishing themselves on these networks and it is important to not only understand how to use social media but to be able to explain the importance and investment social media will have on their business.

- It is important to look at your own social media sites as a form of personal branding. Professionals are looking into potential prospects via Facebook and Twitter, therefore make updates and posts that will make yourself look more valuable to professionals. A great way to do this is participating in Twitter chats where you are able to establish yourself as a voice of knowledge and authority while connecting with voices of influence in the field.

Job Searching Advice:
-Always stay in touch with previous internship contacts and professors in order to build your networking base. Whether it is sending an occasional email or meeting up for coffee, building your relationship with these professionals will not only allow you to continue expanding your knowledge of the field but it will also help to have a strong network when looking for employment.

-In your resume, avoid listing assignments that you were responsible for. All professionals in the field of public relations write press releases, pitch stories, compile media lists and manage social media channels. Instead of listing responsibilities, highlight achievements and provide specific quantifiable data that will show your potential employer your success with various assignments.

-Even if a job listing states that it requires 2-3 years of experience, submit your resume and cover letter anyway, explaining and highlighting in detail through your internship and work experiences why you are still qualified for the position.

Tips for Your First Job:
-Deadlines are crucial in the field of public relations and often times it is easy to become overwhelmed with the large amount of work that needs to be accomplished in a short amount of time. Make organized to-do lists that prioritize what tasks needs to be accomplished first, ensuring that you are managing your time most effectively.

-Always follow-up with supervisors about tasks and assignments that have longer-term deadlines. Send an email at the beginning of each week to inform your boss about what projects you are currently working on, what projects you will be beginning in the near future and asking any questions to clarify assignments that you may not have fully understood.

-Become familiar with reporters and the stories that they cover. This will make it easier to pitch a story when you are aware of the writer's interests. Additionally, work to develop symbiotic relationships with these reporters for future pitches and stories.



Thank you again to all of the wonderful alumni that attended yesterday's panel for sharing great insight and advice!

MediaSync: A Free Media Relations Tool

Ever wish you could wave a magic wand and have a lengthy list of journalists, editors and bloggers at your finger tips? Many agencies have access to expensive media mapping software such as CisionPoint to develop tailored media lists in order to pitch for clients. Luckily, those working for nonprofits and organizations that can't afford to spend thousands of dollars a month on this handy software can now turn to MediaSync.

MediaSync has the name and contact information for 511,621 media contacts and 9,603,096 articles and blogs stored in a database just a click away. The mission of the free website that describes its forte as 'media relationship management' is to aggregate contact information that is already available on the web for free. The site saves public relations and marketing professionals hours of time from being wasted on tedious internet searches.

All you need to do to access this wealth of information is sign up and receive login information. The site promises not to sell your contact information to third parties. Hopefully, MediaSync can help save you and your organization both time and money. Happy pitching!

Managing Twitter On the Go!

The fast pace and flexibility of this field usually leaves us changing location at the drop of a hat between client meetings, press events and business trips. As Twitter is no longer a new frontier, thoroughness is key when managing a client's account. Missing a consumer @reply or direct message (DM) can do unbelievable damage in a matter of minutes. Fortunately, a bevy of Twitter applications have been developed to help make the monumental task of tracking @replies, followers, mentions and DMs a bit easier on the go.

Mashable.com has published a list of five new applications aimed monitoring Twitter via email. This is a great option for users who can't be chained to a desk all day (most of us!). These applications automatically send a notification to your email as soon as you receive an @reply, DM or mention allowing you to use your smartphone to keep track of who's chatting from any location. This feature also allows users to organize @replies into email folders making them easier to manage. Mashable named Twitstra as the best of these applications for its simplicity.

Check out the rest of the list in this Mashable.com article. Which is your favorite Twitter application?

Hamlet's BlackBerry: A Great Summer Read

Summer is a time where most of us look forward to enjoying some well-deserved relaxation. However, between BlackBerries, iPhones, laptops and wifi it's difficult to completely disconnect. Have you ever planned on having a relaxing dinner, or on going to bed early, when you receive an urgent email that completely distracts you? I think we ALL have!

That's precisely why William Powers' new book Hamlet's BlackBerry immediately intrigued me. He wrote it as a 'practical philosophy for building a good life in the digital age' aimed at helping readers unplug from technology and be fully present around family and friends. Powers understands how difficult this can be, especially when so many people are married to their jobs as well as their spouses. The proof is in the pudding for Powers who practices this philosophy in his own life. To counteract his family's connectedness they have weekend 'dead time' where their modem is unplugged and cell phones are turned off. He claims to see a huge improvement in family communication that brings them closer together and has lasting effects throughout the week.

Powers also theorizes that constant connectivity both fragments our social network and distracts us from our own internal dialogue. When you're tending to relationships through several different avenues of communication (tweet, wall post, text, e-mail) it has an isolating effect. Keeping tabs on your friends and loved ones digitally just isn't sufficient as it's missing a human element. Similarly, all of this digital communication distracts us so much that we don't have time to think anymore. Our thoughts are so jumbled from the buzzing, beeping or flashing we don't have the chance to take a look around and 'smell the roses'.

Powers knows that the digital world is here to stay and doesn't expect readers to stop using technology all together. He's simply suggesting better ways to balance connectivity with real life, one-on-one communication so we can live happier, less stressed lives. As PR professionals we know the importance of connectedness all too well and it's good for us to take a deep breath and relax every once in a while!

Read a July 20th interview with William Powers by NPR and an excerpt from Hamlet's Blackberry here. How do you feel about the pervasiveness of digital connectivity today? Is it a friend or foe?

Introducing our New "Alumni Thursday" Blog Series!

It's official.... after Brianna Fisher's popular "Hello Real World, it's Nice to Meet You" post, we have decided to bring back a few other of the fabulous grads for our new "Alumni Thursday" blog series throughout the summer. We will have three PRowl Public Relations alumni writers: Brianna Fisher, Melissa Marsili and Crystal Wang.

All three graduated in May 2010 and have gone on to pursue various endeavors in the PR/marketing field. I'll let the girls introduce themselves:

Brianna Fisher
"I work for Vault Communications in Plymouth Meeting. Vault provides public relations, social media and marketing services to our clients. I'm assigned to one account - AMResorts. They have more than 20 resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean. My account work consists entirely of social media management for these resorts. I also support several of our other clients including the Mark Twain House, Heartland Payment Systems, the National Pest Management Association and Tastykake."

Melissa Marsili
"I work for the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce (GPCC) as a Partnership Marketing Associate. GPCC promotes growth and development in the Philadelphia region as well as advocates for sound public policy. I write sponsorship proposals that are sent to members for our events, sell website advertisements and work to engage high-level members of the Chamber."

Crystal Wang
"I've made the move to the Big Apple, where I'm interning at Bullfrog and Baum, an award-winning agency specializing in hospitality, lifestyle and consumer public relations and marketing. I'm currently working in the hospitality division directly under Kay Lindsay, Vice President of Hospitality and Susan Hosmer, Vice President of the company's West Coast offices. I'm very excited to have the opportunity to combine my interest of public relations, gastronomy, and the restaurant hospitality industries."


The series will begin next Thursday, July 1 with a post by Melissa. Enjoy!

Hello Real World, it's Nice to Meet You!

It's always nice to get an update from our PRowl Public Relations alum! Brianna Fisher was a member of PRowl for two years and excelled in all positions she took on, including Account Executive and Director of Finance. A full-time PR pro now, Brianna checks in via the blog today:
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No, I'm not talking about a run in with the cast of the popular MTV show. It's been about a month since graduation from Temple U and it's finally starting to sink in that I'm officially a PRowl Public Relations alum. As new, fresh bloggers move up the ranks I'm tickled at the opportunity to guest blog (thank you, PRowl!) and couldn't resist the chance to share some knowledge I've gained as a full-time employee at one of Philadelphia's top PR agencies.

Agency work is exciting and fast paced. I have yet to experience a boring day at work and I don't see that happening any time soon. This made the transition from college to the working world a lot easier for me. If you're going to be at one place 40 hours a week, you'd better like it!

That being said, this work can easily start to overwhelm a new hire like me. As a college student with a lot on my plate I thought I was the queen of prioritization and time management, but those two concepts have a completely different meaning in the work world.

Luckily, I reached out to a colleague for some advice on how to be successful in my entry-level role. This is what she said:

1. Don't be afraid to ask for help! (Gee, how ironic that I had just reached out to her!)
2. Don't be afraid to take time to finish work thoroughly.
3. And finally, don't be afraid to ask questions!

She relayed several stories of past entry-level folks who began feeling overwhelmed with their new duties and got burnt out before any of their coworkers realized there was a problem. If you don't tell anyone you're feeling stressed then they can't help you out!

Thoroughness, she said, is one of the biggest problems for entry-level people. Working with the notion that an agency's pace is fast as lightening will only make the final product less than stellar. I found the more I was assigned, the more I tried to multitask and the less I got accomplished. After hearing that thoroughness was next to godliness in the agency world I began allowing myself to completely focus in on one project at a time and am much more effective as a result!

As a newbie, the last thing you want to do is ask a bunch of questions that could potentially make you feel stupid, right? WRONG! My colleague clued me in to the fact that asking questions is the only way to know exactly how the project should be completed (remember, thoroughness?). If I don't understand something - I ask - saving me a lot of time trying to figure out what the heck they meant by asking me to pull a folder out of the wiki on the data drive?! Lots of companies have lingo and acronyms that you will learn by experience, so ask, ask, ask!

One of the best things I've learned in my transition is that there are a whole lot of things left to learn. But, I'm enthusiastic and excited for the future. What are your plans for the future? What do you think will help you get there?

Become a Fan of PRowl Public Relations on Facebook!

As a student-run PR firm we spend all of our free time promoting our awesome clients the Rebecca Davis Dance Company and Casa Papel. Luckily, our Director of PR Emily Woodward is like Superwoman when it comes to time management and heads up our own publicity efforts in addition to her work for one of our accounts. In PR we're used to being behind-the-scenes, making it difficult to use our talents for the promotion of our own firm.

A few weeks ago, Emily revamped our PRowl Public Relations Facebook profile to keep us up-to-date with one of the biggest new social media trends. Facebook now has something like 400 million active users who spend an average of 500 billion minutes on Facebook each month. After successfully creating, launching and maintaining Facebook pages for many of our clients, we've decided to harness the power of social media for ourselves and spread the word about PRowl Public Relations.

So, without further adieu, I present PRowl Public Relations Facebook page. Please take a look and 'like' us if you believe in our mission to provide clients with comprehensive PR services and solutions, offer PRSSA members with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and gain experience beyond the classroom and to build credibility while forming lasting student-client
relationships.

Also, follow us on Twitter @ProwlPR.

Has your organization begun to utilize a Facebook page to connect with your target audience? How do you feel about this new phenomenon becoming such a big part of PR?

Second HAPPO Twitter Networking Event to Happen Friday

HAPPO, or Help a PR Pro Out, is holding another networking event this Friday, April 30, 2010 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Twitter. In case you missed my first post about HAPPO back in February, check it out here for more background on the origin of the event. Friday's networking event is especially exciting for college grads because it is completely dedicated to entry-level employment.

A few of my friends and I participated in HAPPO and quickly realized the hiring employers and the people searching for employment were slightly out of sync. The majority of HAPPO participants were seeking entry level jobs and most of the jobs being posted required three or more years of experience. This prompted HAPPO creators Arik Hanson and Valerie Simon to dedicate the next HAPPO event solely to entry-level opportunities.

Participate in HAPPO by following the hashtag #HAPPO on Twitter. Write a blog post or produce a video pitching yourself to potential employers; the more creative the better. Then use the link to that pitch in tweets also marked with the #HAPPO hashtag so that employers can find you. Use organizational sites like Hootsuite to schedule your tweets if you'll be busy during the two our window.

Good luck, and happy HAPPO-ing!

Insight on Informational Interviews

With graduation only three weeks away (eeek!) I've begun putting more effort into my job search. Yesterday, I went on my first informational interview at a Center City Philadelphia agency. It was a great experience and made me excited to complete more of these interviews and learn more about the industry. The best thing about my first informational interview is that it really helped me get to know myself even more.

I expected that we'd be talking about the career of the PR pro that I met with and was surprised when the first half of the interview was focused on my personal passions and interests. This helped me put my job search into perspective. I realized that I had been too focused on getting a job and not focused enough on what I want that job to be. We didn't begin to speak about the job search until the second half of the interview when I asked him more about himself and his career. Though this interview was completely different from what I expected, it was also much better than I expected!

The most influential thing that I took away from yesterday's interview was that I need to relax and go with the flow. At 22, most grads don't have a clue what they REALLY want to do, so the key is to find your passion, find organizations that align with that passion and find key people in those organizations that can help you get where you need to go. As a graduate with a bachelors degree most of us feel like we're failing if we don't get a full-time job out of school. It's important to remember that internships and volunteer opportunities are key to building your network and finding that first job. These opportunities are just as valuable after graduation as full-time employment. When you find the key people in the organizations that interest you, the best way to make a first impression is to offer your help. Volunteer to work an event or help coordinate other volunteers. This extra effort can really pay off because it will build your credibility as a professional and your network will continue to grow.

If volunteering isn't for you and you choose to keep actively seeking employment, don't just send an e-mail with your resume. Gaining an employment opportunity takes more effort than just clicking 'send' and giving up. Find a way to make yourself stand out. Make sure you're contacting the right people with your resume and learn a bit about them (yes, find out their name!) before sending that e-mail. Use creativity to make yourself memorable, and you've got a better chance at beating out all of those other grads for the job. The wackier idea, the better. In PR, anything goes when you're job hunting. Instead of talking about your creativity and writing ability in an interview, use it to show them first hand what you're capable of. It will probably put you at the top of the pack.

I hope that some of these insights will help you with your job or internship search. What is the most creative thing you've done to get a job? I'd love for you to share your tips and tricks!

Client Update: Rebecca Davis Dance Company

This Friday, April 16 marks only three weeks until the world premiere of the Rebecca Davis Dance Company's (RDDC) newest ballet Braving the New World. The members of PRowl Public Relations' RDDC Account have been diligently working to promote this premiere through media relations, event posting, social media management and the creation of a promotional video about the performance.

Senior account member Josie Fox did an awesome job crafting the press release that we used to reach out to Temple University media. The following is her succinct description of this special performance:

The performance juxtaposes contemporary ballet and alternative music of bands such as Nine Inch Nails to tell a science-fiction story about the creation and growth of a world state. The audience will experience the characters’ struggle to break free from the controlling world state in their journey to obtain a sense of self identification and freedom. Braving the New World continues Davis’ tradition of addressing social and political issues through her company’s performances to shed a new light on familiar issues.

Rebecca Davis' ability to address such difficult issues through dance with the development of each of her original ballets is inspiring. The issue of totalitarianism is one that she's always wanted to explore after reading famous literary works such as George Orwell's 1984, which inspired Braving the New World.

The performance premieres on Friday and Saturday, May 7 and 8, at 8 p.m. at the Suzanne Roberts Theater at 480 South Broad Street in Philadelphia. Tickets are priced at $25 for general admission and $20 for students and can be purchased at www.rebeccadavisdance.com. Follow our daily Braving the New World updates via @RDDanceCo on Twitter, and keep a look out for the premiere of our promotional video about the performance on YouTube for a special sneak peek.

Thanks for checking in!

First Ever SMILE Conference Begins Today

The first ever Social Media in Law Enforcement Conference begins today and runs through Friday, April 9, 2010 in Washington, D.C. The goal of the conference is to bring law enforcement officers together from around the globe to learn how social media is being used to combat crime. The use of social media in law enforcement is still in its early stages but is already being used by hundreds of police agencies.

Lauri Stevens organized the SMILE Conference after seeing a growing interest in the incorporation of new media into law enforcement. Stevens is the founder of LAwS Communications, an organization that helps law enforcement agencies with web solutions, and is the current Chair of Web Development and Interactive Media at The New England Institute of Art, according to an article in yesterday's Huffington Post by Lon S. Cohen.

The aim of using social media in police work is to not only help officers connect the dots by breaking down communication barriers between agencies. It is also exciting to see law enforcement open their investigations more to the public who can spread the word more quickly about missing persons or suspects.

Read more about the SMILE Conference in this Huffington Post article. How do you feel about the use of social media in fields like law enforcement? Who else do you think could benefit from this new media?

Oral in the Underground 2 is Tonight!

Back by popular demand, Temple PRSSA is hosting its second spoken word event, Oral in the Underground 2, tonight from 7-9 p.m. in the Howard Gittis Student Center. Temple talent will be showcased in the form of poetry, singing and rapping. Special guests include members of Temple's own poetry collective Babel and PRSSA past President and published poet Meredith Avakian.

Doors open at 6:30 and tickets are only $4 for PRSSA members and $5 for others at the door. Come out and support Temple PRSSA at one of our best fundraisers of the semester!

White House Launches Post-Healthcare Reform PR Campaign

The news of the passing of healthcare reform through Congress broke late Sunday night to completely mixed reviews. Some news stations praised Obama for completing a task begun a century ago while others shared harsh criticisms of a Congress that pushed legislation through without listening to the people. Personally, I was confused about the details of the 2,700+ page bill and how it would effect me and other Americans. I spent Monday morning reading article after article in a handful of publications and finished my search for information only slightly less confused.

After being kicked off of my mother's health insurance at age 19 (even though I am still a full-time student at Temple University) I'm excited to see that the bill will allow people like me to stay on their parents health insurance through age 26. That was one of the only details that I could clearly make out in the several articles that summarized the legislation, however.

Considering this, I was excited to hear in a PRWeek article by Jaimy Lee posted on Monday that the White House will launch a three phase, post-healthcare reform informational public relations campaign to answer the important question, "what's in it for me?" The campaign will aim to cut through all of the opinionated media noise surrounding this historic legislation to provide Americans with factual information about the bill in an attempt to change public opinion.

The first phase of the campaign will focus on the immediate aftermath of the legislation, the second will handle the seven months leading up to the crucial November midterm elections and the third will handle the years after as the legislation begins to take effect.

I'm excited to see the campaign play out in the next few years and I'm hopeful that it will remain informational without being tainted by propaganda. It will also be interesting to see how oppositional groups communicate their messages against the bill. How do you feel about the White House's new PR campaign? What would you like to see them do?

PPRA Careers 101 Event

"PRomoting the PRoduct when the PRoduct is You" is the theme of Monday's PPRA Careers 101 event. It is open to college students and young professionals in the Philadelphia area, giving them a chance to meet and hear from a group of top PR pros who will discuss their jobs and the industry. Panelists will also share their advice for navigating this difficult job market and applying your education in the work world. Attendees will have the chance to network with professionals, have their resumes reviewed and enter to win a shadowing day with one of the panelists.

Confirmed panelists include Ashley Berke, PR Director at the National Constitution Center; David Brown, Principal and President of BrownPartners; Ike Richman Vice President of PR for Comcast-Spectacor; Deb Rinaldi, Business Communications Coordinator for the Philadelphia Phillies and more.

PPRA Careers 101 will take place this Monday, March 22, 2010 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Energy Hall at the PECO Building at 2301 Market Street in Philadelphia.

The cost is $10 per person and the deadline to register is this Friday, March 19.

Gowalla vs. Foursquare: The SXSWi Showdown

As the South by Southwest Interactive Festival, or SXSWi, begins this Friday, March 12 in Austin, Texas, the spotlight is locked on a hot new trend in social media: geolocation. Sites Gowalla and Foursquare, both started less than two years ago, will be competing to be the geolocation social networking front runner by the end of SXSWi. Both sites allow users to 'check in' at locations that they visit and follow their friends movements around the globe. For example, attendees of the SXSWi festival can 'check in' on their preferred site as soon as they land in the Austin airport and can use their friends posts to develop an up-to-the-minute itinerary.

Gowalla and Foursquare seem to combine features of other popular social networking sites. Users can update their geolocation (similar to Facebook status updates), follow their friend's updates (similar to Twitter feeds) and upload videos (YouTube) and photos (Picasa, Flickr) depicting their current location. Companies can utilize these sites to encourage business by offering users rewards for checking in at their sites and users benefit from each other by swapping information about new countries, cities and businesses. The sites are convenient for travelers because they're available in mobile versions on iPhones, Blackberrys, smart phones and PDA's.

Twitter was launched into the technology spotlight at SXSWi's 2007 festival and has grown in leaps and bounds since. Their success at the festival has proved its importance in hooking SXSWi attendees, a prime audience of early technology adopters, to choose a favorite and run with it. The SXSWi front runner will generate quite a buzz that will grow its base of users dramatically. Read a full CNET News article on the competition here.

I'm excited for this new development in social networking, but a little weary as well. I'm not sure that I'm ready to divulge my location to thousands of users globally. I'm still waiting and watching the impact of these new sites before I take the plunge myself. Are you checking in on Gowalla or Foursquare? What are your thoughts?

My HAPPO Resume Review

As you may know, I participated in the first ever HAPPO Day last month where PR pros helped their unemployed colleagues and entry level graduates network and find new job opportunities via Twitter. I spent four hours monitoring HAPPO tweets and, luckily, my diligence paid off. I met a few great peers, a Philadelphia area PR pro offered to help me with my job search and I was one of 10 participants to win a HAPPO resume review.

HAPPO paired me with reviewer Jessica Smith, veteran blogger and VP and Digital Integration Specialist at Fleishman-Hillard in Sacramento, California. Jessica graciously took time out of her weekend to thoroughly review my resume and provide me with some great advice. Having her fresh eyes take a look at a document that I've been revising myself for quite a long time was an amazing opportunity. As someone who has already been successful in the industry her insight gave me a great new point of view.

The first thing that Jessica made me realize is that my resume should act as my ambassador to a company. I originally thought of it simply as a way to convey my credentials and have always used a cover letter to communicate more directly with a prospective employer. Jessica suggested that I think more deeply about what my resume alone can communicate. She made me realize that I should tailor my resume to every job opportunity just as I would with a cover letter.

She suggested that I think about what my strengths are and what my dream job would be, and then generate a list of corresponding attributes that will set me apart from other candidates. The purpose of this list is to help me stop and think about what I want from a job, how my skills can fulfill the requirements of the position and, ultimately, how I can personalize my resume for a specific job opportunity so that I stand out in a sea of applicants.

The second important thing that Jessica's review taught me was that yes, I have experience from internships, my work with PRowl Public Relations and my education at Temple University, but that is only the foundation of a great resume. The icing on the cake comes from the results that are attained from that experience. For example, I have media relations experience that I've gotten from my work with PRowl Public Relations, so I need to take my resume a step further and explain what news coverage I've generated for PRowl's clients. Another example comes from my work as an special events intern at the National Kidney Foundation. I list event planning experience on my resume, but could take it a step further by listing how many people came to the event and what steps I took after the event to ensure their repeat participation.

Working with Jessica has allowed me to see my resume from a different point of view. I know that after considering all of her advice and making revisions to my resume I'll be able to send it to prospective employers with confidence. I hope that this advice will help you as well! Do you have any other resume writing tips to share?

How Will SeaWorld Save Its Image?

One of SeaWorld's veteran trainers Dawn Brancheau was killed Wednesday after being pulled under water by her trainee, a 12,000 pound Killer whale named Tilikum, at the end of a typical afternoon Shamu Show. Brancheau is said to have died from traumatic injuries and drowining according to investigators.

SeaWorld is one of the nation's most family friendly amusement parks making the tragic death even more of a shock to the public. Other trainers, including animal expert Jack Hanna, are defending the whale saying that there are certain risks a trainer accepts when working with live animals.

The most disturbing fact of the story, however, is that Tilikum has killed twice before. In 1991 the whale and two fellow female Killer whales drowned a trainer at Sealand of the Pacific in Canada and in 1999 SeaWorld officials found the lifeless body of Daniel Dukes on Tilikum's back. Dukes' was the only case not involving a trainer, though, as he was a tourist who snuck into SeaWorld in search of swimming with the whales.

Considering Tilikum's past history of aggression coupled with SeaWorld's family friendly image the question becomes what the amusement park will do to resolve this crisis. The only thing saving them from an onslaught of media scrutiny is that the incident happened the same day that the head of Toyota visited congress in an attempt to clean-up his own public relations debacle.

So far, it seems that SeaWorld is taking the right steps in dealing with the public. They've been truthful but fairly silent as they figure out the details, have left questions up to investigators and have canceled all Shamu Shows at all three SeaWorld Parks nationwide. The park's next steps will be most critical, however, in ensuring that the public feels safe enough to return. SeaWorld officials must explain how this tragedy happened and what they are doing to make sure that this doesn't happen again. What are your thoughts on SeaWorld's communications crisis and how they're handling it?

PR and I, We Have a PRomance Going On... #HAPPO

As a graduating senior I've decided to participate in HAPPO (see Jaime Scofield's post below for details) with the hope of building my PR network and discovering what opportunities are available in the PR field. PRowl Public Relations has been generous enough to host my HAPPO post on their blog today. Check out my post below!

In PR, our goal is to produce creatively crisp communication that starts a dialogue. Considering this, let's talk. I'm a senior Strategic and Organizational Communications major at Temple University graduating on May 13 and I'm looking for a job in the public relations field. I've chosen this field because of my love of writing, my curiosity, my creativity and, most importantly, my desire to tackle challenges with innovative solutions. In short, PR and I were bound to fall in love. For me, public relations is like a puzzle, and finding a way to fit all of the pieces perfectly together - goals, strategies, tactics, etc. - is the best, most rewarding challenge of all.

Why hire me, you ask? Well, I began my evolution from college student to communications professional over two years ago when I joined the Public Relations Student Society of America. This led me to interview for PRowl Public Relations, Temple University's first student-run PR firm. I acquired a position on the firm's staff and quickly began learning everything that I could about my new passion. In PRowl, we produce, implement and evaluate full public relations plans for real clients. My hard work and dedication to the firm paid off when I earned a spot as an Account Executive. On April 14, 2009 I landed my client Ursula's About PHace, a Philadelphia-based skin care spa, on a NBC 10 evening news broadcast - a highlight of my college career. As a current senior I'm proud to be a member of the firm's Executive Board as the Director of Finance, as well as an Account Executive for our long time client the Rebecca Davis Dance Company.

In addition to my extracurricular work with PRowl Public Relations I've been fortunate enough to intern for the National Kidney Foundation Serving the Delaware Valley and for LevLane Public Relations, both in Philadelphia, Pa. In my combined year and a half of work experience with both organizations I've handled media relations, planning, research and social media. Having both nonprofit and agency PR experience has given me a well rounded look at the industry and I'm confident that it fits me like a glove.

To learn more about me please don't hesitate to find me on LinkedIn, on Twitter @BriannaMFisher or connect via e-mail at brianna.fisher.tu@gmail.com. Also, take a look at my archive as a weekly blogger for PRowl Public Relations by clicking on my name at the right of the screen. Thanks for taking the time to get to know me and for participating in #HAPPO. If you like what you've heard, now it's your turn to talk.

Friday Marks First Ever HAPPO Day

The rise of social media and slowly recovering economy have contributed to a five percent rise in PR spending over the last two years to $3.7 billion. Help A PR Pro Out, or HAPPO, is a recently created online network of PR pros dedicated to helping their unemployed colleagues and recent grads connect with newly hiring employers. The ingenious idea was created by pros Arik Hanson and Valerie Simon who were seeking a solution to unemployment for their seasoned, talented and worthwhile freeagent PR friends.

The first ever HAPPO day will take place this Friday, February 19, 2010 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET on Twitter. Any communicators seeking employment are urged to participant by writing a creative and informative blog post explaining to prospective employers why you deserve a job. Post the blog link in a Tweet indentifying yourself as a PR job seeker and reach hiring managers by using the hash tag #HAPPO. Prospective employers will also be using #HAPPO to post job opportunities.

PR pros are also hoping to build a huge online network by using the #HAPPO hash tag when talking about anything PR related on Twitter. Finally we're using our own social media skills to help out our PR community! As soon as I got wind of #HAPPO I was excited of the possibilities it offers to grads seeking entry level employment.

I've already reached out to the #HAPPO community for tips on creating a blog post and I'm amazed at the overwhelmingly warm and helpful responses I've gotten within minutes of my Tweets. The #HAPPO community has given me the following tips to keep in mind when writing my blog post for Friday:

• Make the post both informative and catchy - as always, BE CREATIVE!
• Include information about why you want to enter the PR field, what internship/ job experience you have and how you already use PR in everyday life.
  
• Find a way to differentiate yourself from the crowd.
  

One of the Tweeps who responded to my query directed me to a fellow PR blogger's site where his #HAPPO blog had already been posted. Wanting to do her part for the #HAPPO effort, blogger Lauren Novo interviewed five PR hopefuls and posted their responses to her blog for Friday's tweeting. The questions that she posed to the PR employment seekers included 'What is your background in PR?, 'What are your PR passions?' and 'Where can employers find a copy of your resume'? Click here to read all five blog posts.

I will be posting my own #HAPPO blog here for Friday's session in addition to Jaime Scofield's weekly post in hopes of at least building my own PR network, if not finding job opportunities! Keep up with all of the excitement on Twitter by following @Helpaprproout, @arikhanson and @valeriesimon. Good luck, and Happy HAPPO-ing!

'Snowpocalypse' Continues in Philadelphia

The second blizzard this week has hit Philadelphia today causing dangerous white out conditions for the city and the surrounding tri-state area. This winter has produced an unusually high amount of snow fall. Philadelphia's highest snow fall total on record was for the 1995-96 winter season when 65.5 inches fell. As of now the city has been pummeled with 65.1 inches this season, so it looks like we'll break the all time record by the end of the day today. The series of storms this week has been dubbed the 'Snowpocalypse' due to the two intense blizzards hitting the area within four days of each other.

Most Philadelphia businesses, schools and courts have closed for the day with only public transportation running on a delayed schedule. For a complete list of Philadelphia cancellations click here. For the first time since the blizzard of 1996 Governer Rendell has officially closed I-76, I-676 and I-476. As the day goes on more businesses close and conditions are getting a lot worse.

Be careful in the 'Snowpocalypse' and stay warm! Please tune in to your local news for weather updates and don't dare travel anywhere today. Good luck!