Three Semesters of Knowledge for the Future

When I was hired as a staff member at PRowl Public Relations for the spring 2010 semester, I was a little nervous and unsure about what to expect. I had only taken an Intro to PR course and had no PR experience. I didn't know the elements of a press release or etiquette for pitching and following up. Looking back, I can see how much I have learned and how far I have come since then- beyond PR skills. I will take all that I have learned during my past three semesters at PRowl Public Relations with me as I begin my professional life. Before I go, I would like to share a few of those things:

• Be courteous to everyone you meet. You never know who could end up being your co-worker, boss, or client down the road.
• Murphy's Law exists, but you can't let it stop you. No matter how thoroughly you plan ahead, things will still find a way to go wrong at some point. The key is being able to react quickly, calmly, and effectively to prevent obstacles from becoming catastrophes.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions. It's always better to ask than to assume. I always appreciated when staff members asked me questions. Asking questions doesn't make you look silly, it shows that you care about meeting expectations and doing the job right.

I wish the best of luck to my fellow 2011 graduates and to the continuing members of PRowl Public Relations!

Tips for Acing Your Next Presentation

As college classes come to an end, many of us have just a few things standing between us and the end of the semester, namely final exams and presentations. For Communications and PR students, these presentations may be some of the last of our college careers but will probably not be the last of our professional careers. Below are some tips from Lifehack.org's article "18 Tips for Killer Presentations."

1. 10-20-30 Rule: A powerpoint slide show should contain no more than 10 slides, last no longer than 20 minutes, and be written in no less than 30 point type.

2. 15-Word Summary: You should be able to summarize each idea in 15 words. If you can't, try writing down the idea and choosing 15 important words that summarize it.

3. Speeches are About Stories: If your speech is going to be long, use stories to connect with your audience.

4. "That's a Good Question:" You can use statements like this one to buy yourself more time to organize your thoughts when answering tough questions. These filler sentences are less noticeable to your audience than littering your answers with "ums" and "ahs."

5. Breathe In, Not Out: When you feel the urge to use fillers, pause and take a short breath in.

6. Put Yourself in the Audience: Try to see your speech from the audience's perspective when writing it. Think about what they might find confusing or boring and use WIIFM (What's In It For Me) as a guide.

To read the rest of the tips from the article, click here.

T-Mobile's Royal Wedding Entrance

T-Mobile found a creative way to get their name into the buzz about the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The cell phone company created a viral video mimicking the JK Wedding Entrance Dance video which collected 65 million views since July 2009. T-Mobile's video shows actors playing the royal family dancing down the aisle and ends with the message "One's Life is for Sharing." In the past 10 days, the video has gained over 11 million views.

An important part of PR is keeping up with the news and making your products or services relevant to current events. This is exactly what T-Mobile has done by creating a viral video and relating it to the upcoming royal wedding. If you haven't done so already, check out the video below.

The Power of a Heartfelt Facebook Page

Recently, I have seen friends on Facebook and Twitter promoting a Facebook page called "Mumford & Sons to Philly for Mark's Birthday." Some "liked" it and others posted a link or tweet encouraging people to join the cause. Curious, I checked out the page.

Mark Keeley was a 19-year-old Philadelphia Gas Works worker who died in an explosion in Northeast Philadelphia on January 18, 2011. Keeley's friends and family knew he was planning a trip to see his favorite band, Mumford & Sons, this year. In his honor, they sent a letter to the band and started a Facebook page to try to convince the band to play a concert in Philadelphia for Keeley's birthday on July 27. Currently, the page has over 12,000 "likes" and the story has been covered on NBCPhiladelphia.com. Mumford & Sons have released their June tour schedule, but no word yet on a July tour.

Once again, we are seeing the influence of social media and its ability to spread word-of-mouth messages to thousands. Have you seen any other Facebook pages promoting similar causes? If this Facebook page is successful in persuading the band, do you think we will see more pages like this?

You as a Brand: How Will You Position Yourself?

In my marketing class, we've been talking about branding: identifying a need and positioning your product as the one to satisfy that need by delivering unique benefits. We recently completed an assignment to remind us that this concept not only applies to products, but also to job candidates. When interviewing for a job, think of the employer as the customer and yourself as the product. The employer is looking to satisfy a need in their company and it is your responsibility to position yourself as the one to satisfy that need by delivering unique benefits.

When developing your personal brand, you should first think about the qualities you possess. Think about how you would describe yourself and then ask your friends, family, and colleagues how they would describe you. Compare your description against theirs: is the way they see you the way you want to be seen?

Once you have an idea of the characteristics you possess and could bring to a job, research the job of interest. What are the culture, values, and vision of the company? What are the skills needed for the job? How does the company position itself: what makes it unique?

Then, evaluate your fit for the role. How do your skills line up with the company's needs? What is the unique benefit you could bring to the company? With these answers in mind, develop a positioning statement for yourself. A simple template for a personal positioning statement is: For (company), (your name) is the (job of interest) that delivers (need of the company) because only (your name) has (the unique skills and benefits you could bring to the job).

Thinking about your personal brand and developing your own personal positioning statement before an interview will help you "sell" yourself by emphasizing the benefits you can bring to the employer.

PR Careers 101 Recap

Last night I attended my first PR Careers 101 event, which was hosted by the Philadelphia PRSA chapter and Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA). The event included a panel discussion with four PR professionals, round table discussions with young PR professionals, and the opportunity to have your resume critiqued by a PR professional. The four panelists were Erin Allsman – Public Relations Director at Brownstein Group, Meredith Avakian – Public Affairs Specialist at DuPont, Marlo DelSordo – Director of Communications and Marketing at Philabundance and Ike Richman – Vice President of Public Relations at Comcast-Spectacor. The panelists and young professionals offered differing perspectives on many topics relevant to new and future PR professionals. Here were some of the points that resonated with me:

1. On how to set yourself apart as a job candidate: Show what you have done, not what you have studied. Move your experience above your education on your resume and show that you are active beyond school.

2. On how the economy has affected hiring decisions: Companies are working leaner and hiring decisions are not taken lightly. Now more than ever it is important to make yourself stand out. The more skills you have, the better: companies are looking for people who can take on more responsibilities.

3. On networking: Spend as much time you can networking and try to find a mentor. Do informational interviews, they can lead to opportunities down the road. Professors are a great resource because many belong to professional organizations and have careers outside of the classroom.

4. On social media: Social media allows messages to be sent out faster than ever. Ike Richman's early morning tweet about the Wachovia Center's name change resulted in a top story on Philly.com before the press release was even sent. Marlo DelSordo added that social media has become an important vehicle for non-profit organizations and almost every campaign now has a social media aspect.

5. On obtaining advanced degrees: The panelists had different opinions on this topic. Richman advised getting out and starting your career as soon as possible. Erin Allsman shared her experience of going back to school to take courses which were more relevant to her field. Moderator Gregg Feistman suggested looking into employers that will pay for employees to obtain graduate degrees.

6. On print portfolios vs. digital portfolios: The panelists seemed to agree that either form would be acceptable, but said they would still prefer something printed. Richman said he looks at the computer screen all day and would rather look at something tangible, which he could potentially take home and spend more time with.

7. On immediate turn-offs in an interview: Not knowing about the organization, not seeming fully engaged or interested and not following up with a thank you note are definite don'ts. Candidates should also have answers and opinions about current issues in PR, such as recent social media successes.

8. On how to overcome not yet having media contacts: Richman suggested reading newspapers, listening to radio shows and watching news programs to get a sense of who to go to with different types of stories.

What do you think about the panelists' insights on these topics? Are their views in line with what you have heard and experienced, or did some of the answers surprise you?

Resume Mistakes to Avoid

I received an email from the Wall Street Journal with the subject line "The Ten Worst Things to Put on Your Resume." The email linked to an article with this title, which explained that 28% of executives say the resume is where most job seekers make mistakes. Here is a list of the ten mistakes the article advises job seekers to avoid:

1. Unnecessary Details About Your Life: The only personal details that should be included in your resume are your full name and contact information, including email, phone number and address.

2. Your Work Responsibilities as a Lifeguard When You Were 16: Work history should be limited to professional experiences you have had in the past 10 to 15 years.

3. A Headshot: Unless you are a model or an actor, your resume should not include a picture. Employers cannot discriminate based on appearance, so including a picture could put them in an awkward position.

4. Salary Expectations: These should be kept out of the application process unless an employer specifically asks. If an employer does ask, you should give them a range.

5. Lies: Always represent yourself as accurately as possible, including an accurate timeline of your work history.

6. Things That Were Once Labeled "Confidential": Don't use inside information from previous jobs to pad your resume. The prospective employer will know that you can't be trusted with sensitive information and your current or former employer may find out, which could result in dismissal or a lawsuit.

7. If You Were Fired From a Job -- and What You Were Fired For: Your resume should present you in a positive light, so you should not include this information. However, if a prospective employer asks your reasons for leaving a job you should be straightforward.

8. Overly Verbose Statements: Your resume should sell you, but not overstate the importance of your job responsibilities.

9. "References Available Upon Request" and Your Objective: You don't need to state that your references are available upon request, but you should have them lined up for when an employer asks for them. The objective statement is not necessary unless you are a recent graduate or changing careers.

10. TMI: Including too much information on your resume will burden the resume reader and may result in your resume not being read.

To read more about these common mistakes, click here.

Tips for Your PR Job Search

For many colleges, Spring Break has already come and gone or will soon come and go. To me, the end of Spring Break means the end of the semester is in sight. For those of us graduating in May, that could be a nerve wracking thought. With this on my mind, I found an article on PR Daily titled "Stop messing around: 4 tips to take your PR job search to the next level."

Here is a summary of the tips provided in the article:

1. Start a hard-target search. Develop a list of the organizations or agencies you would like to work for and start your search by focusing on those targets.

2. Master your elevator speech. Polish and practice your elevator speech so you have it ready for networking events and opportunities.

3. Brush up on the basics. Doing your research before meeting with people or going to interviews shows your effort and will pay off.

4. Solid follow-up is critical. After a networking event, follow up with contacts by e-mail to thank them for their time. Make yourself stand out by mentioning something you spoke with them about.

To read more from this article, click here.

Happy International Women's Day!

Today, March 8, is International Women's Day. International Women's Day has been observed since 1911, so this year marks the 100th anniversary! International Women's Day is a national holiday in many countries and is celebrated in some countries similarly to how Mother's Day is celebrated in the United States.

International Women's Day celebrates the economic, political and social achievements of women in the past, present and future. This celebration is certainly relevant to the field of public relations, with estimates that about 70% of PR professionals are women.

In honor of International Women's Day, watch the video below for an inspirational message from Michelle Bachelet, Former Chile President and Executive Director of UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.

An Update on Taco Bell's Crisis Control

Earlier this month, I wrote a blog post about Taco Bell's response to a lawsuit claiming the restaurant chain uses more meat fillers than real ground beef. The response was quick and direct: a web campaign and a print campaign attempting to silence the rumors with an explanation of the ingredients in Taco Bell's ground beef.

I questioned whether people would be reassured by Taco Bell's response, considering it wasn't the first time the chain had come under fire about its ingredients. An article on Ragan's PR Daily provides an answer to my question. According to the article, Taco Bell offered all new and existing Facebook fans a free taco coupon on February 8. Within a week, Taco Bell gained 250,000 more "likes."

Taco Bell turned its lawsuit into a web and print campaign to sway the skeptics and a social media campaign to gain more Facebook fans. Sounds like a good example of turning a negative situation into something positive.

iPads Upgrade the Shopping Experience

Keeping up with technology trends is important. For retailers, that means recognizing that their customers may prefer being able to customize products or browse their options online before making an in-store purchase. Many retailers are making efforts to accommodate their technology-savvy shoppers by incorporating iPads into their stores.

An article from the Chicago Tribune discusses some of the ways stores are using iPads to upgrade their customers' shopping experiences. One cosmetic company, Make Up For Ever, is using iPads to allow customers to access face charts for browsing makeup combinations. Things Remembered, a personalized gift retailer, is using iPads to allow customers to browse messages and designs for engravings. The stores plan to eventually add a feature allowing customers to view their completed design before they order. Other clothing stores are using iPads to allow customers to browse their online catalogs while shopping in their stores.

How much the addition of iPads to stores improves the shopping experience is something to be experimented with and debated, but making the in-store shopping experience more high-tech will likely appeal to the wired generations.

Would you be impressed by iPads when shopping in stores? Have you been to any of the stores already using them?

A Bakery Masters Social Media

It seems that companies in almost every type of business have jumped on the social media bandwagon. Your gym, your bank, and your favorite coffee shop might now be on Facebook or Twitter. Social media has become an important way for businesses to connect with their audiences if their audiences are in the demographic of social media users. However, simply having a Facebook or Twitter account is not enough. Businesses must be strategic in their use of social media to reach their audiences in the right ways.

An article in the Wall Street Journal profiles a New York bakery's effective use of social media. Spot Dessert Bar uses its Facebook page to offer discounts, contests, and news to customers who "like" it. The bakery also offers laptops and iPads to customers in the shop so they can make posts about the bakery on their social media profiles. According to the article, the bakery has seen a 15%-20% increase in sales since it began this social media campaign.

Spot Dessert Bar has figured out how to use social media to engage and attract customers. Although the bakery's tactics would not be appropriate for all types of businesses, other businesses would benefit from taking notes and thinking about social media tactics that could work for their company.

Do you know of any other businesses effectively using social media to attract customers?

Have the Internet and Social Media Become Rights?

There are countless blog posts and articles discussing the many ways social media is changing our lives. The recent events in Egypt have created a new debate about social media. An article in The Washington Post reported on U.S. officials speaking out against blocking the Internet and social media, referring to these technologies as rights.

This topic was brought up in one of my classes last week. Our conversation quickly became focused on what constitutes a right. As we all (should) know, the First Amendment gaurantees us five rights: speech, press, religion, assembly and petition. My professor stressed that social media and the Internet have become tools to help us exercise these rights. The ability to exercise our freedom of speech through social media is obvious, but the other First Amendment rights can be exercised through technology just as well. As oppressive goverments have realized, these technologies have come to aid people in organizing themselves to challenge the status quo. Banning social media and the Internet do not completely prevent people from exercising these rights, but it does take away a major channel for doing so.

So the question stands: if the Internet and social media are tools for exercising our rights, does that make access to these technologies a right as well?

Taco Bell's Lawsuit Response

Taco Bell has recently been hit with a lawsuit accusing the fast food chain of using meat fillers rather than real ground beef. To combat the negative accusations, the chain has launched a print and web campaign.

The print campaign includes full-page ads in national and local newspapers with the headline "Thank you for suing us. Here's the Truth about our seasoned beef." The ads explain the chain's reasons for adding extra ingredients to their ground beef and give a list of all the ingredients used in their recipe. The web campaign includes a YouTube video of Taco Bell President Greg Creed explaining this as well.

Personally, I had not even heard about the lawsuit before reading about Taco Bell's response. The company's prompt and aggressive response to the situation may help it to reach consumers with its message before consumers get wind of the negative accusations from other sources.

This is not the first time Taco Bell has come under fire about the ingredients in its food, but its response seems to be on the right track for this one. What do you think: does Taco Bell's response reassure you about its ingredients?

To read more and see the campaign efforts, click here.

How Does Philly Rank in America's Favorites?

According to Travel+Leisure Magazine's "America's Favorite Cities" reader poll, Philadelphia does not seem to be one of America's favorites in many categories. The best rankings for Philly came in the categories of pizza, historical sites/monuments, and museums/galleries. The worst rankings came in the categories of cleanliness, barbeque, and relaxing retreat. A notably negative result from the survey was Philly's ranking as the third rudest city in America, following New York and Los Angeles.

A Philly.com article suggests the reputation of Philly sports fans may have contributed to the city's high ranking on the rudeness scale. The tales of rowdy and highly intoxicated spectators at Philly sporting events, especially those which gained significant media coverage this past year, may have reflected poorly on the demeanor of the city as a whole.

To some, the results of this type of survey come as nothing more than entertainment. To others, such as those in the tourism and hospitality industry, these rankings may be more important. The economic structure and job market in cities such as Philadelphia thrive on tourism, so it is important to keep the visitors coming. From the PR perspective, the city may need to take the low ranking categories into consideration for making improvements and emphasize the high ranking categories to visitors.

The accuracy of this type of survey is questionable, as it is based purely on reader responses. However, the results are interesting and could be beneficial to the city's tourism and hospitality industry. What do you think about the rankings? Would any of them affect your decision about whether or not to visit a city?

Facebook Releases More Personal Information

Some people are skeptical of using third party applications on Facebook due to reports of Facebook granting the developers access to personal information, but others continue to use the applications freely. However, the information these applications can access may have just become a little more personal than some would like, including your home address and cell phone number.

Personally, I do not have my address and phone number listed on my Facebook page because I didn't find it necessary to share that information with all of the Facebook world. Many of my Facebook friends do have this information listed, as they may feel more comfortable than I do about sharing it with all of their Facebook friends. Sharing the information with your network of friends is one thing, but sharing it with the developers of third party applications is much different.

To be fair, Facebook does request your permission before allowing the applications to access your information. However, I have to wonder how many people will click "allow" before realizing what information they are agreeing to share. According to an article on Switched.com, Facebook claims sharing the information makes it easier for users to register with other sites. In my opinion, it just seems like another way for spammers to gain access to us.

How do you feel about Facebook sharing this information?

Intangible Skills of the Successful PR Pro

We spend a lot of time in our classes learning about the tangible skills we will need as professionals. However, there are some important skills we may not learn in the classroom. An article on e-releases discusses five intangible PR skills needed by PR professionals. The five are as follows:

1. Curiosity: PR pros who think outside the box and try new things often find great results.
2. Storytelling Ability: PR pros must be able to identify worthy stories and captivate their audiences with them.
3. The Gift of Gab: PR pros should be confident and precise in their speech.
   
4. Personal Networking: PR pros interact with many people, and should always be professional and positive in doing so. Showing an interest in meeting and helping others will encourage others to do the same for you.
5. Business Sense: PR pros need to understand what is best for their company or client and act on it.

Do you agree that these intangible skills are important to PR professionals? Are there any others that should have made the list?

Benefits for the Twitter Savvy Traveler

The snowstorms that accompanied the holidays this year left many travelers stranded. Many travelers tried to seek information about their flights by phone but were met with busy signals and long waits. However, some travelers found a line of communication that didn't involve those frustrations: social media.

Technologically savvy travelers used Facebook and Twitter to find information, vent about their situations and even book new flights. Some airlines, such as Delta, trained staff members to respond to their troubled travelers through social media. Many could only offer apologies, but a response nonetheless.

While airlines still recommend travelers contact them primarily by phone, this situation demonstrates yet another way social media is changing how we communicate. While non-technologically savvy travelers waited for answers by phone, their wired counterparts had the information at their fingertips.

To read more about this, check out the article from the New York Times.

Michael Vick's Endorsement Redemption

NFL quarterback Michael Vick once endorsed big name products such as Nike and Coca-Cola. After his arrest in 2007 for his involvement in dog fighting, he lost all endorsements. A few weeks ago, Vick appeared in an advertisement for the first time since his arrest and his return to the field as the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback.

Vick's first new client is Woodbury Nissan, a New Jersey car dealership. While certainly a lot smaller scale than his former clients, it's a start. The dealership's executive manager said the response from their customer base has been mostly positive, but still negative from animal activists.

Vick's recent performances on the football field and seemingly good behavior off the football field have helped improve his image with many people. However, many people still feel that his involvement in dog fighting is unforgivable and should not be overlooked.

The ice is now broken for Vick to begin endorsing products again. It is likely that more companies will now begin considering Vick for marketing deals. Do you think Vick has redeemed himself enough with the public to begin representing brands again or will his past have a negative impact on the brands' images?

To read more about Vick's endorsement deal, check out the article on Philly.com.

Watch Retailer Fouls with Philly Sports Fans

Time After Time Inc., a local watch retailer, is taking heat from Philly sports fans over a poor choice of billboards. The retailer is behind two billboards on I-95 featuring New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.

According to Derek Koss, the company's president and chief executive officer, their nine stores have been flooded with calls, emails and visits from unhappy local sports fans. The billboards are advertising designer watches carried by the retailer and the athletes are the brand ambassadors.

Koss claims his company does not necessarily support the brand ambassadors on the billboards, but also does not have the authority to change them. His company only endorses the products sold by those brands and pays to have those products advertised to bring business to his store.

While Koss' explanation is reasonable, his decision defies one of the most basic principles of advertising: know your audience. Philadelphia sports fans do not play around when it comes to their sports teams. Their feelings toward the New York teams are no secret. Displaying ads with New York players in Phillies and Eagles territory is like asking your audience not to buy your product. Koss probably would have been better off running no ads than running ads featuring Manning and Jeter in Philly.

To read more, check out the article on Philly.com.