The End of 2009

With 2009 and the year 2010 just around the corner there are so many things to reflect upon and think about for the future!

What do you think were some of the best and worst public relation moments of 2009? Just thinking about social media alone makes my head spin! Facebook, YouTube and Twitter were all extremely exciting tools for public relation professionals that will inevitably continue to spark interest. And then of course there were the scandals, announcements, recalls and everything else that comes with great/bad publicity.

We'd love to hear what you think! Feel free to share your opinions with us!

Are Idioms the New Ticket to Intriguing PR Prose?

With all of the 'noise' that communicators aim to cut through every day, we're always open to suggestions on new ways to make our writing more interesting. We're taught to cut out the fluff, leaving only the most important content in the message to save our readers time and and to ensure that our message is accessible to the largest possible audience. This 'no frills' approach to writing has been favored by most professional communicators as the easiest and most effective way to convey a message to the public.

Now, Rob Reinalda of Ragan.com is telling us otherwise. In his article 'For communicators, a world of options for spicing up text' he tells us that idioms are the next big thing in professional communication. He's not touting the use of any old cliche, but of new, exotic foriegn cliches, such as 'catching two pigeons with one fava bean'. That's an Italian saying conveying the same meaning as our 'kill two birds with one stone', but it's a bit more PETA friendly.

When reading this article I felt completely mixed up because the use of idioms of any nature goes completely against everything that I've been taught about professional communication. It's an interesting idea, but I can't imagine employing idioms to convey a message any time soon. I'd like to know what you think. Are idioms the next big thing?

Click here for the full article.

Let's Go Owls!

Today the Temple Owls are competing in their first bowl game in 30 years. The Temple football team will be playing against UCLA in Washington, DC at 4:30 p.m. today in the EagleBank Bowl.

PRowl Public Relations wants to wish the Owls good luck on this exciting day. Let's bring home a win!

Click this link to visit the Temple Athletics website for current information on men's and women's sports!

Achieve the Unachievable

My mom got me a wonderful, wise little book for Christmas called "It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be." Although this book is a light read, it holds a great many truths. These truths are applicable for both the personal and the professional spheres of life, and are relevant regardless of one's area of expertise.

Particularly interesting to me so far is the section "You Can Achieve the Unachievable." The author, Phaidon, says this:

Firstly, you need to aim beyond what you are capable of. You must develop a complete disregard for where your abilities end.

Try to do the things you're incapable of. If you think you're unable to work for the best company in its sphere, make that your aim. If you think you're incapable of running a company, make that your aim. If you think you're unable to be on the cover of Time magazine, make it your business to be there.

Make your vision of where you want to be a reality. Nothing is impossible.

Great food for thought! I'll be sure to share some of Phaidon's wisdom in future posts, but I definitely recommend picking up a copy of the book!

100 Smartest People in Social Media

As the year 2009 comes to a close, it is fun to pause and reflect on the accomplishments of the last year. The blog Smarter Social Media recently released a list of the 100 Smartest People in Social Media. Among the gurus at the top of the list:

1. Alfred Lin of Zappos
2. "Social media goddess," Amber Mac
3. Amber Nasland of Radian6
4. Beth Harte, a blogger, speaker, communicator, connector, professor and community manager.
   
5. Bill Stoller, who has been active in social media since 1987

Be sure to check out the blog post for the complete list of social media superstars and to read details about their accomplishments!

Good Digestion PR

Well, Christmas is finally here, which means spending time with the ones you love, giving and receiving great presents, enjoying some time off from work or school and of course, lots and lots of holiday food. Who would think that there are companies out there that are looking out for your good health and good digestion during this time filled with baked ham and yummy cookies. All over the country pharmaceutical companies are showing their concern for your health and creating some PR moves to make sure you are taking care of yourself this holiday
season.

As Purdue Products L.P states in their most recent press release out just a few days ago, the holidays may be fun, but uncomfortable digestion issues are not. Purdue Products recommends a few tips and tricks on how to keep these issues to a minimum this holiday, so you can party on.

Some tips include finding time to relax and get some exercise in during all of the holiday chaos and even adding a few herbs and spices to your holiday meal to help aid digestion and prevent splurging.

By showing their stakeholders and customers that they truly care, Purdue Products L.P is yet another company taking advantage of the holiday season to get in some good PR. So take some of these tips and enjoy another great holiday season!

Happy Holidays Everyone, and Happy New Year!

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member, Melissa Colelli.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at PRowl Public Relations!

BlackBerry Service Down

Many of us here at PRowl Public Relations, like the majority of the business world out there, use BlackBerry smartphones. I'm sure you've already either experienced or heard about the service failure this past Tuesday night. Check out this New York Times article about the subject here.

A lot of talk has been going on scrutinizing BlackBerry, which is based in Ontario, for their lack of response to the service interruption. Apparently it occurred as a result of a software upgrade, affecting both North and South America, but this isn't the first time either. This particular article includes examples of how many people rely on their smartphone device as crucial tools to their successful businesses. Failure to be able to communicate can seriously hurt these business professionals; Blackberry's service failure could potentially cause problems or cost them a great deal of money. So the question everyone is asking is... Will BlackBerry users grow tired of a sometimes unreliable service provider and adopt the popular iPhone instead?

What do you think BlackBerry needs to do to keep their clientele? BlackBerry users seem to have been very loyal in the past, but what might cause them to make the switch to a different smartphone?

15 Biggest PR Disasters

With 2010 just around the corner the first decade of the millennium is coming to a close. In the PR field there have been countless product launches, special events and some quite effective reputation management. However, there have also been some unforgettable PR debacles in the past ten years. Fifteen of those made The Business Insider's list of the decades biggest corporate PR disasters.

Kicking off the list is the Bridgestone tire recall of 2000. In 1998, Bridgestone tires began failing. The treads on thousands of the tires began splitting, causing horrific traffic accidents for their users. Bridgestone ignored the problem for a whopping two years and a government investigation ensued. When all was said and done Bridgestone's credibility as a trustworthy tire company was dashed and the company was forced to recall 6.5 million tires on August 9, 2000. It was the second largest recall in U.S. history.

In 2006, HarperCollins gave the 'OK' to publish If I Did It: Confessions of a Killer by O.J. Simpson and scheduled a two part interview with Fox 29 about the book. The media circus surrounding the Nicole Simpson murder trial was unbelievable and public opinion for O.J. Simpson was definitely not positive. The publishing of Simpson's new book outraged many and was seen as disrespectful to Nicole's grieving family.

I'm sure that we all remember the Domino's pizza scandal of 2009 when two employees filmed themselves doing disgusting things to a Domino's sandwich before sending it out to a customer. The video was uploaded to YouTube and was seen by millions of people as the company took two long days to respond to the incident. The employees were fired and Domino's issued a public apology via YouTube video, but the damage was already done to the company's reputation.

These three PR disasters show a one fatal flaw: a lack of planning. Each of the corporations should have had a disaster response plan ready, awaiting the worst possible PR scenario. Usually, it seems that the public handles scandals much better if the company is upfront and honest about their mistake. Corporate PR practitioners must have a disaster plan that can be implemented immediately and must be ready to respond to anything in less than 24 hours, especially with the popularity of digital and social media that can spread messages to thousands in a matter of minutes.

Click here to read The Business Insiders full list of the decade's 15 biggest PR disasters and see if you agree. Let us know your ideas about how these company's could have overted these disasters.

Best CEO of the Decade

Apple is a brand that affects many of us on a daily basis. Even if you're not a Mac computer person or iPhone lover, you may have an iPod that you can't live without.

Fortune magazine recently named Jobs "CEO of the Decade" and today the Harvard Business Journal put Jobs at the top of their best performing CEOs in the world list. Pretty impressive, if you ask me!

Jobs has built an empire in the technology market. The Apple, Inc. company culture is something that draws people of all ages in. I have heard many of my classmates say that they'd love to work for Apple!

With all of this in mind, do you agree with these awards Jobs has won? Let us know!

Check out more information here at Mashable.com!

Winter Reading List!

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I love a good book! Unfortunately, though, my schoolwork keeps me from doing a lot of pleasure reading during the academic semester. One of the things I most enjoy about winter break is having the time to do some pleasure reading!

I'm always looking for new authors and titles to pick up from the library. Does anyone have any suggestions?

For others in my situation, I read several books this past summer by Thomas Cook and Greg Iles and I would strongly recommend both authors!

I'd really appreciate any of your suggestions to help me build my winter break reading list.

Healthy Changes for a Healthier Life!

We are always told to eat healthy, exercise, sleep a full 8 hours a night (even though that rarely seems to be possible), drink plenty of water, and to have a positive outlook on life. I never thought there was any real reason for these tips, aside from just living a healthy lifestyle. However, as it turns out, following all these tips -- plus a handful of other easy activities -- actually preserves, protects, and improves brain function!

Who knew that exercising is linked with improvements in memory and learning? Or that learning new things, like how to play a musical instrument, how to cook a new dish, or simply staying informed about what is going on in the world encourages brain growth? The mind should always be stimulated, and this can be done through doing crosswords and sudoku puzzles, reading books, going to museums, traveling, doing crafts, and even dancing!

As far as the whole “8 hours of sleep each night” situation goes-- even though school assignments or busy social lives may interfere with our sleep -- it’s absolutely necessary that we get enough rest. Naps count too! The information we learn during the day is consolidated while we sleep, preparing our brain for future tasks.

How many times can it be said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? The reason this is drilled into our heads so often is because breakfast improves the abilities of concentration, reaction time, learning ability, mood, and memory. If breakfast is skipped, performance at school and at work is reduced. In addition to breakfast, there are other “brain foods” that boost brain activity and power. Foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, walnuts, tofu, scallops, tuna, and mustard seeds, to name a few), as well as fruits and vegetables, keep the brain young and healthy.

Laughter is the best medicine! It’s true—by having fun and laughing, stress levels are significantly lowered. Being able to manage our stress and remain positive whenever we can keeps our brain growing everyday, giving us more capacity for information and memories.

Improving brain function and power is easy! Try partaking in some “neurobics” like getting dressed with your eyes closed, brushing your teeth with your other hand, or driving to work or school on a different route. It’s been proven that simple changes such as these can stimulate different areas of our brain that are not normally used!

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Marissa Sudol.

Nothing to Do Over Winter Break?

Are you looking for something to do over winter break? The break between the fall and the spring semester is an awkward length of time, and it is hard to find an internship for winter break. If you are looking for something to do during the holidays, try volunteering at local non-profits. Non-profits would most likely appreciate help during the holiday season. Volunteering at non-profits is perfect for the short period of time between the two semesters.

What are you interested in? Think of any non-profits in your area that may incorporate some of your interests. I looked into non-profits that integrate arts, entertainment and culture, such as the Philadelphia Film Society and the Mann Center. If you can’t think of any specific organization you would like to work for, search on the Internet for non-profits in the area. There are websites that provide descriptions of local non-profits and specific contacts within the organization.

If you are interested in specific communications work, then look on the non-profit’s website for a contact in the communications department. Call or e-mail the person and inquire whether or not the organization would need any volunteers during winter break. Keep looking if one organization does not need help. There are many non-profits that will need help.

This is a productive way to spend your winter break and a great way to boost your resume!

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member, Evan Nicholson.

Happy Winter Break!

For all Temple University students, it's officially winter break until classes resume on Tuesday, January 19, 2010!

The semester can be very stressful and time consuming (especially finals week!) so it's important to relax, spend time with your loved ones and recuperate for the next semester!

I am flying to Tampa, FL tomorrow to visit my mom and family, then I return to Philadelphia in time to ring in the new year, and then finally I get to go home to Northeastern PA to visit more family for a week!

What are your plans for the break? Happy holidays!

Sheldon Yeager of MTV

The other day I was able to meet Sheldon Yeager when he came in to speak for one of my classes. He's a director of operations/development for MTV in New York City and he talked about his career, as well as, working for the monster conglomerate Viacom. He also offered quite a few interesting points about working in the city and finding success in the job market.

Sheldon got his first job right out of college, starting at Nickelodeon in 1998, while soon after he moved to TV Land working on "packaging" the channel and bringing in a new generational audience. He's had his hand in many projects over the years, working with MTV Puerto Rico and most impressive was his work with the 44 1/2 screen (aka the big screen with the golden frame around it) in Time Square.

In any case, Sheldon offered a great deal of insight into the industry and living in New York City. Here are a few of the highlights:

-If you're planning on moving to NYC, be prepared to give up a year and dedicate yourself to working. His advice was to "chain yourself to your desk," and work hard for at least a year to really succeed.

-When you're new, it's realistic that you're going to mess up, however, the important thing to remember is... never make the same mistake again.

-Gifts for your co-worker's/supervisor's/boss' children are the secret to staying in touch and being on someone's good side.

-As someone's assistant or when working with people, you should get a feel for what people want and how they like. He referenced Helen Mirren's character from the movie "Gosford Park," in which she plays a servant. She said the best servant knows what the master wants even before he does.

-NETWORK. Always keep in contact with people, make connections and keep up a rapport with them.

-Read the news! Sheldon said reading the New York Times is something he does every morning. (As PR people, keeping up to date on the news is crucial.)

Sheldon shared some really valuable insight, talking about his personal experiences, corporate America, New York City and so many other things I found interesting. I'm glad I could share a few of them with our readers too!

Thanks again Sheldon!

Client Update: Support Center for Child Advocates

The Support Center for Child Advocates 2009 Holiday Toy Drive is this Saturday! Sadly, this means that PRowl Public Relations' campaign for the toy drive is coming to an end. I'm happy to report that my account's hard work has paid off and, thanks to many generous donors, the toys are overflowing at the Child Advocates office.

If you haven't gotten a chance to watch the 2009 Holiday Toy Drive video you can check it out here. The video will show you how much this event means to the donors who make it possible, and the huge impact that it has on the abused and neglected children that it benefits.

Working with Child Advocates throughout this holiday season has reminded me, among the advertising and commercialization of the holidays, the true spirit of the season, no matter what holiday you're celebrating. Child Advocates' kids and many others in the Philadelphia area are in need of support year round, and we can't forget about them when the holidays are over. I think I can speak for everyone on my account when I say that working with Child Advocates has been a great experience and nonprofit PR is very fulfilling work!

If you're interested in following the work of the Support Center for Child Advocates in 2010 become a fan of them on Facebook here or follow them on Twitter @advo_kid.

Do These Scare You?

While reading Ragan's Daily Headlines on Monday I came across this article. The title is "10 things clients say that scare PR pros" and I thought it would be fun to check it out. The article says that the list may be funny to PR pros, and that business and non-profit pros should think before they say things like this to their PR consultants. It also talks a little bit about the relationship that exists between a client and their PR team. It takes some times for a client to get used to working with a new PR consultant, and they should keep in mind that the consultant will take the steps needed to try to get great media coverage.

Here is part of the list:

1. I want to be on “Oprah.”
2. I wrote a press release once in college.
3. How much will it cost to get my press release printed?
4. I want to get publicity but I don’t like to talk to those pushy reporters—I was once misquoted.
5. I know your PR ideas will make me money, but I’m on a very tight budget.

Want to see the other five? Check out the article here!

Has anyone ever been told something like this by a client? Let us know how you handled it!

(Information taken from Susan Young's article on Ragan.com)

Major Sponsor Ends Relationship with Woods

According to an article today in the Wall Street Journal, Accenture has become the first sponsor to end its endorsement of Tiger Woods. Accenture has been a six-year sponsor of Tiger Woods, having used him as a "centerpiece of the company's ad campaigns, which included print, cable and TV advertising in 27 countries, as well as display ads in airports." The conclusion of the relationship comes at the end of a long series of events that began with a mysterious car crash and ended in a voluminous list of extramarital affairs.

The company first sponsored Woods in 2003, when it described him as "'famous not only for his success on the golf course,'" but as being "'equally renowned for his work ethic, focus and commitment to continual improvement.'" This statement underscores the more recent events that have been incredibly detrimental to Woods's credibility and image, as it contrasts drastically with the public's current perception of the world famous golfer.

Do you think that Woods could have saved his relationships with his sponsors if he had been more proactive in dealing with the public and the media following the shaky events of the last few months? Could Woods's current predicament have been avoided if he and his PR team had handled the crisis differently? What can be done now to salvage what is left of his image and the public's respect for him?

Putting Philadelphia into Philadelphia Style Magazine

Until recently Philadelphia has not been on the radar as a city known for its fashion, but this is all changing. Philadelphia has a unique style that should be celebrated and the public needs to be informed of the unique fashion trends occurring right in their very own city. During the course of this semester in my Media Information Gathering class, my group conducted research on the readership of Philadelphia Style magazine.

Some of you might be unfamiliar with this publication, others may not. Currently, Philadelphia Style caters to an affluent audience by showcasing top designer brands, luxury hotels and top of the line restaurants. Our mission is to alter the content in order to attract a younger demographic. Like I mentioned earlier, Philadelphia’s style needs to be celebrated. In order to do this we will feature a designer from Philadelphia in the magazine, in order to inform readers of the talents of local designers. Our other changes include articles featuring the designer look for less, store locations for affordable clothes, celebrity looks and the proper way to dress for the corporate world.

We feel that by making these changes to the content, introducing the magazine to the world of Twitter, and promoting it on campuses across Philadelphia will allow the magazine to reach a larger and younger demographic.

The name of the magazine is Philadelphia Style; it’s time we honor that name and put a little bit of Philly into the content. What do you think? Are you interested?

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member, Amanda Kaster.

How to get to the top of the Christmas List

With the economic debt still churning, many people are planning to buy less this year. According to the National Retail foundation, holiday shopping this year is on track to increase, but by only 4 percent. People are really thinking twice about who to buy for and who to cross off their lists. This has resulted in thrifty shoppers giving recycled gifts, homemade greeting cards and cutting costs dramatically.

This means that it is now harder than ever for businesses to market their goods and services. So what sets one product higher on the Christmas list than another one? In order to market a product or service successfully you need to find out what makes that product or service different from all of the other ones offered. If your business offers products that a thousand other stores offer, then figure out why your store is better.

Make sure to utilize the holiday season by running some sort of holiday promotion. People love the holidays and want to be involved with stores that love them too! Jason Markum, a writer for Web Promotion Weekly, suggests a promotion called the “12 Days of X-Mas” promotion. Yes, this promotion does involve your store handing out small complimentary gifts during the 12 days leading up to Christmas. He suggests small inexpensive gifts that will keep the customers coming back for more.

The holiday season is a great time for promotion. So think creative, feel that holiday cheer and make sure your product is on the top of everyone’s Christmas list!

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member, Josie Fox.

New Survey Findings of Teens' Ethics

The seventh annual Junior Achievement/Deloitte Teen Ethics Survey focused on the ethical implications of the popularity of social networking. Here are some findings:

• 88 percent of teens surveyed use social networks every day
• 70 percent of teens say they participate in social networking an hour or more daily
• 58 percent said they would consider their ability to access social networks at work when considering a job offer from a potential employer
• 40 percent do not consider the potential reactions of college admissions officers when posting to social media sites
• 38 percent do not consider the reactions of present or future employers
• 30 percent do not consider their parents' reactions
• 16 percent readily admitted to behavior that included posting content embarrassing to others, spreading rumors and pretending to be someone other than themselves and 54 percent said they later regretted doing so

According to Professor David W. Miller, ethicist and director of Princeton University Faith & Work Initiative: "The contemplation of how one's actions will be received by others is a hallmark of emotional and ethical maturity. A lack of consideration of how one's behavior will impact others suggests that teens need to be more mindful of the ramifications of their actions. If this lack of reflection continues into adulthood, it's a signal to employers that the workplace implications could be considerable."

What do you think? Should we be worried about the future generation of corporate America because of actions displayed on personal social media sites?

Read the full article here.

It's the Last Day of Classes!

Today is the last day of classes for the 2009 fall semester at Temple University. This can only mean one thing, finals week is right around the corner. Finals week is the one week of the semester dreaded by students more than any other. I thought that'd I'd share some study tips from how-to-study.com that I plan on implementing to help get me through. The following is a list of ten tips for effective studying:


1. Study in a quiet place that is free from distractions and interruptions. Try to create a space dedicated solely to studying.

2. Make a study schedule that shows what tasks you need to accomplish and when you plan to accomplish each task. This will provide you with the structure you need for effective studying.

3. Try to study at the time of day you work best. Some people work well early in the morning, others late at night. You know what works best for you.

4. Make sure you are not tired and/or hungry when you study. Otherwise, you won't have the energy you need to concentrate. Also, maintain your physical fitness.

5. Don't try to do two tasks at the same time. You won't be able to concentrate on either one very well. Concentration means focusing on one thing to the exclusion of all else.

6. Break large tasks into series of smaller tasks that you can complete one at a time. If you try to complete a large task all at once, you may feel overwhelmed and will be unable to maintain your concentration.

7. Relax. It's hard to concentrate when you're tense. It's important to relax when working on a task that requires concentration. Meditation is helpful to many students.

8. Clear your mind of worrisome thoughts. Mental poise is important for concentration. You can get distracted by your own thoughts. Monitor your thoughts and prevent yourself from following any that take you off track. Don't daydream.

9. Develop an interest in what you are studying. Try to relate what you are studying to your own life to make it as meaningful as possible. This can motivate yourself to concentrate.

10. Take breaks whenever you feel fatigued. There is no set formula for when to take breaks. You will know when you need to take a break.

I hope this helps! Happy Studying (well, if there is such a thing)!

Wal-Mart Pays for a $40 Million Suit

Wal-Mart owes 87,500 employees from Massachusetts $40 million, and not for good reasons. The money owed is a result of a class-action lawsuit against Wal-Mart from 2001 that said the retail giant wasn't giving employees rest and meal breaks, was manipulating time cards, and wouldn't pay them overtime.

"Resolving this litigation is in the best interest of our company, our shareholders and our associates. These cases were filed years ago, and the allegations are not representative of the company we are today," a Wal-Mart spokeswoman, Daphne Moore, said.
(The New York Times)

I know that I have talked about Wal-Mart in conjunction with unethical business practices in many of my classes. Do you think that unethical business practices, like the ones faced by employees in Massachusetts, are in the past for Wal-Mart? How would you handle this situation from a PR standpoint? Let us know!

Holiday Shopping?

The holiday season is quickly approaching! I recently came across a clever list of gifts for young PR practitioners by Rachel Esterline. Out of Esterline's 20 gift suggestions, here are my favorite 5:

1. PR Week subscription
2. Business cards with an engraved case
3. Personalized stationery and thank you notes
4. Netbook
5. GPS

I recommend checking out her full list! She offers some great suggestions, both for those who are interested in PR and for young professionals in general.

What gifts might you suggest for aspiring PR practitioners?

Client Update: Support Center for Child Advocates

Our new, year-long client contracts have allowed my account team the opportunity to take on a special winter PR project for the Support Center for Child Advocates, a local nonprofit that provides legal and social service advocacy for abused and neglected children in the Philadelphia area. In a previous blog, I mentioned Child Advocates' annual Holiday Toy Drive is quickly approaching on Saturday, December 19. The toy drive has been the corner stone of our campaign for Child Advocates which includes three things: three press releases geared toward legal, business and general Philadelphia media, a promotional YouTube video and a social media campaign. Did I mention that we're only contracted for six weeks? Needless to say, we've been busy!

So far, we've finished the press releases and videos which will be sent out to the media on Monday morning. We've also been regularly updating Child Advocates Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as uploading sneak peaks of the promotional video onto their YouTube page. All of the media relations for this campaign will be complete after next week and then we will focus our work on a final push to create a buzz about the toy drive through our social media campaign.

Our account for this project consists of:
Melissa Marsili, Assistant Firm Director
Me, Brianna Fisher, Account Executive
Niki Ianni, Assistant Account Executive
Melissa Colelli, Staff Member
Josie Fox, Staff Member
Amanda Kaster, Staff Member

Are you interested in the work of the Support Center for Child Advocates? Follow them on Twitter @advo_kid or visit their Facebook fan page here , and check back for a link to our Child Advocates promotional toy drive video!

Tiger Woods Should Stick to Golf

Golf superstar Tiger Woods has been in the public eye for over a week now dealing with rumors of his mysterious early morning car accident, cheating accusations and lack of a coherent response. In other words, right now Woods is in the midst of a public relations nightmare. Media outlets all over the nation, from NBC Philadelphia to the New York Times and OK Magazine, have been covering the Woods story as it continues to unfold each day.

When Woods crashed his car in the early hours of Friday, November 27, 2009, questions immediately started to surface and comments from both Woods and his wife didn’t add up. In the following days several women have come forward with statements regarding relationships they had with the married man, some dating back three years to 2007. Rumors then surfaced about the status of Woods’s marriage and changes in the prenuptial agreement signed by Woods and his wife. Since then, evidence from the women, a canceled press conference by one, and Wood’s pulling out of a gold tournament he was sponsoring have all become media sensations.

On December 2, 2009, Wood’s posted a short statement on his website that starts with, “I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart.” While this message to the public is a start, it is nowhere near what Woods needs to do to clear up the disaster he has caused himself.

As a PR student, I have to ask, who is advising Woods with his public statements (or should I say lack there of)? While his team might be trying to wait out the scandals and hope another celebrity takes media attention in the next few days, hiding in the sand (no pun intended) is not the route Woods should be taking right now. As suggested by an article found on foxnews.com, to properly clear up Woods's sticky situation, he needs to tell the truth, do it himself, and learn from his mistakes!

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Tristin Fabro.

No More Candy In Philly

According to Gawker.com, DailyCandy, "the popular consumer Web site that blasts e-mail newsletters to millions of subscribers every day with information about local events and bargains," is reportedly not going to be publishing it's daily, locally-based blasts for much longer. Instead, they'll be sending out an “everywhere” edition every day, plus "twice weekly e-mails with local content." It's rumored that Philadelphia will be one of the affected cities, along with Atlanta, Dallas, Seattle, Miami, Boston and Washington, D.C.

To read the internal memo distributed by the SVP of DailyCandy click here.

PPRA Event!

Sign up to attend the Philadelphia Public Relations Association's event highlighting Business Etiquette this Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009 for just $10. The deadline to RSVP is Friday, December 4th, so don't delay! For more information and to register online, click here...

The event will be at PECO Energy Hall, 2301 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA

5:30 - 6:00 p.m. Registration
6:00 - 7:00 p.m. Presentation (featuring Gail Madison)
7:00 - 7:30 p.m. Interactive Session with Students/Attendees
7:30 - 8:00 p.m. Networking/Reception

This event is open to all Philadelphia college students, recent graduates and PR practitioners looking to freshen up their business etiquette skills!

Sorry, Paula, We’re Gonna Have to Pass on the Butter This Year!

Since it’s nearing the holidays, I’ve been on a huge baking spree. I just learned the “proper” way to bake (no Rachel Ray measuring!), so I love trying out my recipes at the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and PRowl Public Relations bake sales we hold every few weeks.

My favorite thing to do with goodie recipes is to make them healthier for everyone to enjoy without feeling guilty the next day. That got me to thinking about how many holiday office parties there are throughout the season—I’m betting that very few offer healthy options! While it may be easier and less time consuming to buy store-made goodies, baking your own and altering the recipe for more healthy ingredients will make them much more fun to eat!

Almost all of your holiday favorites can be made healthier and still have that same, sinfully good taste—and your coworkers will most definitely appreciate the effort you put into it!

Here are some websites/magazines that I use to find a healthier recipe:

www.self.com

www.cookinglight.com (my favorite!)

www.realsimple.com

http://blog.healthyeats.com/

Bon Appétit!

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations firm member, Ashley Kraynak.

Twitter and World AIDS Day

If you were on Twitter today you probably noticed that the homepage looked different than usual. The homepage on Twitter was red with a link to click to follow @joinred because it's World AIDS day. @joinred currently has 904,293 followers and is following 6,741 people.

We write about social media frequently at PRowl Public Relations, it's always a discussion topic in class and articles are written about it in traditional media every day. One of the great things about social media is its ability to bring people from all over the world together on global issues.

Do you think that social media is a good channel of communication to spread information about issues that affect the whole world, such as AIDS? Let us know!