Coca Cola Shares Happiness Through Hugs

Coca Cola has always been known for its innovative marketing strategies, so its no surprise when buzz started generating about the new vending machine stunt in Singapore. Located on the campus of National University of Singapore, the machine reads "Hug Me" and spews out free cans of Coke for anyone willing to give it a squeeze. The stunt is a part of the "One Happiness" campaign in addition to Coca Cola's recent strategy to personalize cans and bottles with the first names of potential customers.

"The Coca Cola Hug Machine is a simple idea to spread some happiness. Our strategy is to deliver doses of happiness in an unexpected, innovative way to engage not only the people present, but the audience at large," said a representative from the company’s "Open Happiness" campaign, Leonardo O’Grady.

I believe Coca Cola's new strategy is a winner. It's unique, it's consistent with the branding of the company and most of all - it's fun. It was also incredibly smart to place the machine on a university campus. Students are constantly making social gestures through their social networks such as Facebook and Twitter via status updates and uploaded pictures. This campaign is simply an extension of those social gestures that are increasingly important to younger generations. Coca Cola has been a company that strives to evoke warm, nostalgic feelings from its products and campaigns, whether its the adorable polar bears or the old-fashioned Christmas commercials. What better way to get that warm fuzzy feeling than from a hug?

Watch the video here:

New Standards to Revitalize the Future of Internships

With the recent scandal of an intern suing their employer for working the hours of a full-time employee without any pay, many internship companies are developing better internship programs to ensure that all students receive the most out of their learning experience. Here are some changes you should expect to develop in many internship programs over the next year.

• Time to Get Paid: Because interns are now responsible for more work than years past, many companies are offering small stipends for interns to supplement their hard work and dedication. While not all companies will offer hourly wages, some will include daily stipends or monthly stipends to their interns.

• Mentor Me: Internship mentors are essential to getting the most out of the internship. Companies want to make sure you are able to grow during your internship period and some are offering mentorship programs where students have the chance to interact with professionals on different levels within the business. This is a great way for interns to network and ask any questions they have about the industry.

• No More Resume: Some companies in the market for such creative interns that they are requiring video submissions instead of resumes for the application process. Not only does this application process take time and creativity, it gives students a chance to show their personality and assets they would bring to the business.

• Work from Home: More and more internships are becoming virtual. This type of internship can seem tricky, but is a great way to add onto a resume while balancing a busy schedule. Virtual internships are challenging because your only interaction with the management is via e-mail or telephone, but it is a great way to get experience while monitoring yourself instead of the employer.

Some of these changes may seem scary, but many businesses internship programs are developing because of them. Remember, as an intern it is important to be open minded and ready for any sudden change. In the end, these internship programs will benefit students and prepare them for the work industry.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Andrea Jordan.

Happy Holidays from PRowl Public Relations!

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

Here are just a few fun facts about everyone's favorite holiday:

• Each year more than 3 billion Christmas cards are sent in the U.S. alone.
• Christmas wasn’t declared an official holiday in the United States until June 26, 1870.
• "Jingle Bells" was first written for Thanksgiving and then became one of the most popular Christmas songs.
• Candy canes started as white sticks used to decorate Christmas trees. It was not until the 20th century that they were given red stripes.
• The earliest known Christmas decorations were apples.
• A total of 364 gifts are given by the lover in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

Do you know any interesting facts about Christmas or have any favorite holiday traditions? Share them with us!

North Korea's PR Stunts Don't Fool Me

The North Korean response to the passing of former “Dear Leader” Kim Jong-il was well executed, almost too well executed to be genuine. Behind the country’s thinly veiled PR stunts lies a leader who is inexperienced and scared. I guess that this is a good time to remind everyone that the views and opinions found in this post are my own and do not represent those of PRowl Public Relations.

Kim Jong-il was an interesting man, to say the least. Many have gone as far as to call him paranoid and possibly deranged. He has been a consistent thorn in the west’s side and has issued numerous nuclear and chemical threats against neighboring South Korea.

Kim Jong-un, Jong-il’s 27-year-old son and the “great successor,” led the ceremonies on Tuesday morning as the country bid farewell their former dictator. The death of Jong-il means the potential end of an era marked by increasingly authoritarian policies, state-sponsored brainwashing and attention-hungry PR stunts.

However, it doesn’t appear that North Korea is giving up on its PR stunts quite so fast.

On Monday, North Korea released footage of thousands of citizens publicly crying over their former leader’s death. The tapes showed masses of mean and women neatly lined up and violently weeping.

I don’t mean to sound crass, but this kind of stuff just doesn’t happen naturally. It seems to me that this public spectacle must be a product the years of brainwash or some brand of state-sponsored propaganda released after the passing of their Dear Leader. I mean, Jong-il’s rule didn’t exactly do much good for North Korea. I doubt that recent famine has boosted the public’s moral to the point that they’d freely weeping for him.

North Korea then launched off at least one short-range missile into the waters near South Korea, North Korea’s long-time enemy and an ally of the west. This missile test was supposed to be a show of strength but to me it was just a thinly veiled PR stunt trying to mask Jong-un’s cowardice.

North Korea is no stranger to these publicity stunts but I think the country’s bark is worse than its bite. Jong-un is inexperienced and he has just inherited a world full of enemies and problems, including humanitarian crises within his own country. North Korea’s thinly veiled PR stunts don’t fool me for a second. Jong-un is unprepared to deal with the realities of leading a country, especially one as besieged as North Korea. Keep launching test missiles North Korea, because that’s all you’ll be able to do for a long time.

Cat Got Your Tongue?

According to several studies, public speaking is the number one fear among adults, topping the fears of flying, heights, sickness, and even death. What is it exactly that has so many people nervous about speaking in public? Is it the fear of being judged? Or is it the fear of being unprepared?

Whatever the reason may be, public speaking is something that everyone must do at some point in their career - no matter what their vocation may be. Whether you are an engineer, an accountant, or a public relations director, knowing how to confidently present to your colleagues and clients is an incredibly important skill to possess.

To conquer the number one fear of adults, I’ve created a guideline that I’ve titled “The 3 P’s of Public Speaking.” These are little tricks and strategies that I have learned through various public speaking classes along with my personal experiences of presenting.

1. Prepare. Many people lack confidence when addressing audiences because they do not feel comfortable and knowledgeable about the information they are presenting. This can easily be conquered by conducting as much research as you can gather. The more educated you are about your topic, the more confident you will be when presenting it. Also, draft several outlines of your speech, making sure that your points are easy to follow and your transitions are clear and concise. Audiences naturally drift in and out of presentations and you want to make sure they can jump right in to where they left off. This can be done by using recognizable (yet smooth) transitions and key words that are repeated frequently throughout your speech. The more prepared you are for a speech the less anxious you’ll feel.
2. Practice. Practice as many times as you possibly can. Many people make the mistake of thinking they can just “wing” their speech, but often times those mistakes lead to discombobulating, confusing, and unorganized speeches. It is important to practice because the old saying is true; practice does make perfect (or at least brings you a lot closer to it). The more you practice, the more comfortable you will feel with the material. The majority of presentations have a time limit and even in the professional world presentations are expected to meet allotted time slots. With practice you can establish your rate and delivery techniques so that your speech is both time efficient and effective. Stand up and deliver your speech out loud several times, finding out what you need to improve on, whether its your tone, pitch, rate, or volume. The more you practice the more it will show when presenting.
3. Present. Take advantage of every public speaking opportunity you come across. The more you present, naturally the more comfortable and confident you will become. You can gain more experience by joining organizations or clubs that provide opportunities for you to present or by seeking out opportunities within your job or internship. It is also important that after every presentation you gather feedback from your audience because critiques only help to strengthen your skills for the next presentation.

Even if I didn’t cure your fear of public speaking I hope that I offered some valuable and helpful advice for future presentations. If worse comes to worse, you can always rely on the age-old trick of imagining your audience in their underwear (although I don’t always recommend it!).

Food For Thought

We've all had those days where our brains turn to mush and all we want to do is turn the power off and shut down. Whether its an overload of stress from classes and internships or just simple mental exhaustion, its important to find ways to give your brain the extra boost it needs to make it throughout the day.

Instead of succumbing to the brain fog, here are a few tips for clearing your minds and staying focused, courtesy of Heather Huhman:

1. Brain food: Sometimes we ignore the rumbling in our tummies in order to push out as many tasks as possible. However, ignoring that hunger and leaving your tank empty will result in lower quality work. Take a break and enjoy a healthy snack to get your motor up and running again, whether its a handful of almonds or some fresh blueberries, always make sure to refuel your mental tank.

2. Sleep it off: If your eyelids feel like they have 1,000 pounds of iron attached to them and half of your brain is asleep, take a power nap. Power naps are refreshing and they are the best way to boost your productivity.

3. Pick a hobby: Sometimes when you're really stressed out because your to-do list seems like its longer than the Great Wall of China, the best thing to do is to take some time for yourself and do something that you enjoy. Whether its reading a book, cooking or exercising, always make sure you take a break from the tasks at hand so when it's time to refocus, you feel energized and rejuvenated.

4. Take a hike! Okay, so you don't need to literally take a hike (not all of us are athletes), however it never hurts to step outside and enjoy the fresh air. A little vitamin D never hurt anyone so the next time you're feeling cramped in a cubicle at your internship or you can't stand being locked up in the library for one more second, go outside and soak up some sun.

All of these are great ways to ensure you don't burn yourself out. How do you keep yourself energized and focused? Let us know!

Politics as Usual: Playing Chicken with Economic Catastrophe for PR Bonus

Preserving the public perception of the Republican Party and its candidates seems to be the paramount objective of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s latest policy proposal.

In case you have been vacationing on an exotic island for the past month (if so - lucky you), the United States has hit its self-imposed debt ceiling – the $14.3 trillion limit on government borrowing. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has set August 2, 2011, as the deadline for congress to forge a deal to raise this limit and allow the government to spend more money. If congress does not raise the debt limit the U.S. will default on its loans, causing massive trauma to markets across the world and to the value of the U.S. dollar. A government default would - best case scenario - push the economy into a double dip recession.

You would think that forging a deal to avoid economic catastrophe would be a piece of cake. Then you realize the sad, divisive state that the American political system is in.

Talks between the Obama administration and congressional leaders to raise the debt ceiling have been akin to a roller coaster. Republicans came out swinging, saying they would only vote to raise the debt ceiling if legislation came paired with slashes to government spending (with focus on entitlements). Democrats first rejected any cuts to entitlements but then regrouped around Obama to offer Republicans a “grand compromise,” which paired entitlement cuts with tax raises - a deal that would save the government $4 trillion.

It was looking good for a while, democrats and republicans seemed to be climbing towards an agreement. The grand compromise included major selling points for both parties and avoiding a looming economic catastrophe.

But of course, the deal was too good to be true. Last weekend Republican leadership formally rejected the compromise and left the talks at a stalemate with only weeks until the government default. It was then that Senator McConnell threw a corkscrew into the roller coaster’s path. On Tuesday, July 12, McConnell proposed a last resort bill in which Congress would cede its power to raise the debt ceiling to the White House. This odd proposal would allow Obama to raise the debt limit in increments for the remainder of his first term. Congress could only block these elevations with a supermajority two-thirds vote.

Why would Republican leadership even propose a bill like this? Easy: to paint Obama as fiscally irresponsible for not tackling the deficit while being able to vote against a debt ceiling raise without jeopardizing the economy. It’s a purely political move to thwart Obama’s reelection attempts without creating any progress at all on managing the nation’s debt, progress which Obama and most reasonable politicians are advocating.

As more proof of McConnell’s dubious PR move, I offer his own words:

"If we go into default he will say Republicans are making the economy worse," said McConnell on Wednesday morning. "And all of a sudden we have co-ownership of a bad economy. That is a very bad position going into an election. My first choice was to do something important for the country. But my second obligation is to my party and my conference to prevent them from being sucked into a horrible position politically that would allow the president, probably, to get reelected because we didn't handle this difficult situation correctly."

In short: Republicans look bad if they cause the economy to crash. Democrats look good if Obama can forge a bipartisan compromise that will secure the economy and attack the deficit. Both of these are unacceptable end results for McConnell.

It is irresponsible to let public perception impede national progress. In fact, it’s a bad public relations move as well. Now Democrats can label McConnell’s proposal as preserving politics as usual, a phrase that tastes sour in the mouths of the American voters.

PR Lessons Learned from Paris

This summer I am studying abroad in Paris and Tuesday marked one week since my arrival. Within a week, I have learned a lot, made countless mistakes, have enjoyed many adventures and have stuffed myself full of more bread and butter than one should be allowed to eat in a lifetime. Throughout the highs and the lows of my trip thus far, it occurred to me that several of the lessons I have learned can be applied to the field of PR because believe it or not, the Paris metro can teach you a few things about social media and crepes, besides being sinfully delicious, can offer some insight to innovation in the workplace.

4 Lessons on PR from a Parisian Perspective:

1. Clear and concise communication is key when communicating with your audiences (or the French waiter who doesn't speak a lick of English). All too often, we pollute the messages we send with overcomplicated words and terminology that are not always accessible to the publics we are communicating with. Put away your thesaurus with the fancy synonyms, throw your technical jargon out of the window and stick to the basics. The same rule is applied to ordering in a French restaurant... don't even bother asking for additions, substitutions or for "free" tap water, because most likely you will confuse the waiter and wind up with duck instead of chicken and a 35€ tab for all the delicious "free" tap water you just drank.

2. Social media has several available channels, however not all of them may reach your targeted destination (much like the Metro and its 9 multicolored, intersecting lines that will take you to the Chinese district instead of the Eiffel Tower if you aren't careful). Just because all of these channels exist does not mean that all of them should be utilized when communicating with your publics. Certain channels are frequented by specific demographics more than others, therefore construct your message in the channel that is most appropriate for your audiences. If you are trying to reach a young professional demographic, Twitter or LinkedIn might be more appropriate than using Myspace or Facebook, just as taking line 7 might on the Metro might be a better option the next time you want to visit the Eiffel Tower, although I'm not complaining about accidentially wandering through Chinatown in Paris by any means.

3. Innovation and creativity is essential when constructing and executing campaigns, however realize when certain ideas aren't as successful as you had hoped (such as a Kirsch soaked crepe with passion fruit icecream and a fresh fruit medley... sounds good in theory but is terrible in reality). As PR professionals, it is our job to ensure that we are on top of the latest trends and that we continue to push the envelope in terms of creativity and innovation, always searching for the next great idea. However, every new idea isn't necessarily always a good one and it is our jobs to realize when to continue to push the envelope and when its best to seal it up and move onto another one. When you continue to force something that isn't meant to work, it can often leave a sour taste with your clients and/or audiences, much like the Kirsch-soaked crepe that left my tastebuds confused and in despair. But when you find an idea that works, run with it, because every so often you come across an ingenious idea, much like the nutella, raspberry, strawberry and vanilla icecream gastronomic invention that must have descended directly from crepe heaven.

4. Lastly, when you make a mistake, acknowledge your error and apologize (just as Je suis désolé has become one of the phrases I use most frequently over here). We all make mistakes. Rather than trying to avoid them, cover them up or pretend they never happened, it is always best to admit any faults, errors or mistakes while vowing not to make the same mistake again. This is how credibility and trust is created and earned with your publics (and the Parisians). So the next time you tweet something inappropriate (or stand on the wrong side of the escalator designated specifically for those who are running because they are in a hurry), apologize, move on and most importantly... never do it again.

For those who have spent time abroad, are there any PR lessons you have learned from your travels? Let us know!

Anonymous Launches #OpESR - will Fail to get Lulz

On Flag Day - Tuesday, June 14 - the activist hacker group Anonymous launched its latest campaign, this time against the United States Federal Reserve Bank. Operation Empire State Rebellion, or #OpESR as it is known in the Twitterverse, is aimed at forcing Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to step down.

Anonymous and connected groups, including Lulzsec, are attacking the Federal Reserve for “systematically looting the country to enrich one-tenth of one-percent of the population.” The organizations threatened to hack Federal Reserve websites and send USD prices plummeting. They called on their members to resist the Federal Reserve System by organizing protests, trading in their United States Dollars for gold, and switching their remaining money out of large banks.

The first visible signs #OpESR started on Tuesday morning as Anonymous members, fanboys and sympathizers gathered in peaceful protest at Federal Reserve locations around the country. Anonymous simultaneously launched a social media campaign to spread its message and vague threats, leveraging multiple national and regional Twitter accounts.

The initiative comes in the middle of a recent hacking wave targeting videogame companies and government websites. A handful of Anonymous members were arrested in Turkey and Spain in the past weeks for organizing distributed denial of service attacks against government websites. Anonymous also called on its members to attack a Malaysian government website yesterday evening to protest government censorship.

It is likely that the Anonymous attack on the Fed is more bark than bite. Distributed denial of service attacks would have no effect on the value of the dollar and would definitely not persuade Bernanke to step down. Besides, a few nerdy-looking protesters at Federal Reserve Banks are nothing new and will not bring much attention to their cause. In fact, the total protester turnout at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia was a whopping two people.

In the group’s first #OpESR YouTube video, Anonymous levies high charges against the central bank but fails to provide any evidence. A fundamental misunderstanding of the role of the Federal Reserve seems to be at the bottom of this campaign. The Federal Reserve System has many responsibilities, especially since the passage of the Dodd-Frank Act, but its main functions are to stabilize U.S. currency, strengthen the economy and promote full employment. Bernanke’s quantitative easing strategy may be controversial, but the Federal Reserve System has been instrumental in the country’s economic recovery and has increased its regulation of banking, credit institutions and Wall Street greed under the chairman. Besides, devaluing the dollar would cripple ordinary Americans, the same people that Anonymous claims to be trying to save.

Ultimately, Anonymous will fail to get Lulz, the laughter that from online humiliation, with #OpESR. A distributed denial of service attack, if pulled off, will only be a minor nuisance to the Fed. Anonymous may be plotting something a little more sinister but I do not believe a cyber attack to the Federal Reserve could have a meaningful effect on its policies or the value of the dollar. In my opinion Anonymous should leave the economy to the experts and go back to hacking video game companies that make products that are too difficult for them to beat.

PR Campaigns That Changed the World

As PR professionals, we all have our favorite social media channel, our favorite buzz words and of course, our favorite PR campaigns. Personal favorites of mine include (as an avid Philly-lover) GPTMC's With Love, Philadelphia XOXO campaign, giving tourists and locals reasons to love the boisterous city of brotherly love and of course, all of Coca Cola's campaigns that give me warm fuzzy feelings.

However, I found an article written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases, who blogged about the 5 PR Campaigns that changed the world:

1. Keep America Beautiful

Started in 1953, everyone has seen countless parodies and homages paid to the campaign. Who knows where our "green" movement would be today without it!

2. Smokey The Bear

Created during WWII, this campaign urged nature lovers to be safe with their campfires and matches in order to preserve our forests. According to the Ad Council, Smokey the Bear is recognized by 95% of adults and 77% of children in the U.S.!

3. Ivy Lee

When a train crashed into the waters of Atlantic City, killing 53 people in 1906, Ivy Lee put out what is considered to be the world’s first press release. He persuaded the operating company of the train, the Pennsylvania Railroad, to disclose the facts of the case before anyone else did. This is now standard operating procedure for practically every company in the world.

4. Bacon and Eggs

Did you know that bacon and eggs weren’t always the quintessential breakfast foods? It wasn’t until the 1920s and Sigmund Freud’s nephew, Edward Bernays, was tasked with selling the foods to the public. He put together a survey of doctors where they detailed the benefits of bacon and eggs for breakfast. This survey was used to convince…more doctors! They in turn recommended it to their patients. If you’ve ever seen a commercial that claimed “6 out of 7 doctors approve,” you have Bernays to thank.

5. I <3 NY

Hey, we all love New York City, right? But we didn’t all love it until the 1970s when Milton Glaser designed the famous logo that’s all over t-shirts everywhere. The Big Apple was actually on a downslide into poverty before the campaign was designed, and the simple little logo is credited with keeping the city from totally going under. In fact, it’s often cited as being one of the most efficient repositioning campaigns of all time!

Do you agree with the PR campaigns listed here? Do you think there are other campaigns that should have been included instead? Let us know what you think!

Pitching? Consider pop culture

I was reading through my PRSA Issues & Trends e-mail the other day, and a featured story caught my eye: "How Dwight Schrute Helped Me Place a Story in TIME." As an avid fan of "The Office" and a person who finds Dwight's character to be hilarious, I clicked on the link and read the story on PRSA's ComPRehension blog.

So how did Dwight Schrute help Michael Smart land some great placements, including a spot in TIME? The same way his headline enticed me to read his post. Smart had been working with a professor who was researching the pros and cons of working with people she called "'socially distinct newcomers.'" "That's a perfect, precise description of what she studied...[b]ut it's obviously not very familiar language that would be useful in a pitch e-mail subject line or in the lead of a news release," Smart explained.

His solution was to come up with a way of expressing the concept concisely. He made the connection between Dwight Schrute and "socially distinct newcomers," and used it in his e-mail subject line and to help explain the study. His creativity landed him great coverage, including the placement in TIME he mentioned in his headline.

Smart identified two key takeaways from this successful media relations effort:

1. "Ruthlessly trim your pitches to make them as short as possible," he said.
   
2. "Consider an image or concept made familiar through pop culture to make your pitch stand out," he advised.
   

This case study definitely left a lasting impression on me!

You can read Smart's press release by clicking here.

Girl Scout Cookies Get a Mobile Makeover

It's the time of the year again when everyone's cabinets are full of their favorites- Thin Mints, Samoas and Tagalongs, and while our waistlines may be unforgiving, the Girl Scouts have grown into the 21st century with new mobile strategies that are making our favorite cookies more accessible than ever. The Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland and the Girl Scouts San Diego Imperial Council have embraced technology and have reaped the benefits because of it.

An article on Ragan.com by Matt Wilson outlines some of the exciting new ways that these old-school cookies have embraced new-school media tactics to increase their sales and audience outreach:

Card Readers:
Troops in Ohio were provided with phones that had credit/debit card readers attached to them so that customers were provided the option to pay conveniently with card rather than cash or check. Although the price of the cookies has increased from $3 to $3.50, rather than a decline in sales, numbers have remained parallel to last year's because of new strategies such as this one.

Smart phone Apps:
The applications, Little Brownie Bakers and Cookie Locator, allows customers to locate the closest cookie-selling spots with just a few taps. These applications have become incredibly popular, rising as high as the #17 free app on iTunes.

Social Media:
This is the first time that Ohio's Heartland Council is using social media to sell cookies, connecting with sellers through Facebook pages. In San Diego, the Facebook Page is used to congratulate top sellers and talk about sales, while Youtube is used to advertise their top selling pitches.


As a former Girl Scout and an avid fan of America's favorite cookies, I am excited to see such a traditional and long-standing organization embracing new and innovative ways to connect with their audiences. There are several opportunities for further growth with additional channels and platforms, such as Twitter and Foursquare. The key to their success is making the cookie-buying process as easy and convenient as possible, and from the looks of their new mobile marketing strategies, it looks like the Girl Scouts are well on their way.

Trying to rest? Give your eyes a break

It seems as though there are never enough hours in a day. Chances are, your waking activities and daytime responsibilities have a tendency to bleed into your sleep time. At this point in the semester, mine certainly are!

Do you check your e-mail or play around on your smart phone or tablet before bed? Are you up late working at the computer? A new study by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) sheds new light on why this can be a bad thing.

Besides cutting into your sleep time, the use of these devices before bed time can actually "increase alertness and suppress the release of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin," according to the NSF as reported on prdaily.com. The disruption is caused by exposure to the bright artificial light of the screen before bed, the NSF said.

Moral of the story? Giving yourself a break in between using the computer, TV or your smart phone and going to bed can have a positive impact on your quality of sleep. If you're like me, you need all the sleep you can get!

Word On the Street About Food Trucks

This semester, I am taking a special topics course about social media in PR. The class allows students to learn important theories and concepts about social media use and then apply them to simulated campaigns for real clients that are in competition with each other. After debating over local coffee shops, bars and breweries, the class decided to represent various food trucks on campus. Temple's campus is well known for these meals-on-wheels facilities there are always debates surrounding which truck is the best (The Crepe Truck, obviously!). While doing research for our campaign, I realized that food trucks are becoming a popular trend and have begun to explore the various aspects of social media. Throughout my research I came across a great article from Ogilvy Public Relation's blog: 360 Digital Influence about food trucks "thinking outside of the (lunch)box" about ways to connect with their publics both online and offline.


Online:

• Mobile Meteor just launched a new app (it works with an existing Twitter account) that optimizes food truck websites for smartphones, so they can reach new customers who may not use Twitter as regularly. A Google map feature with their exact location will automatically appear on the mobile site. With half of all Americans expected to own smartphones by the end of 2011, it will be interesting to see how many trucks go this “route”.

• Huge corporations see the value of reaching consumers through food trucks -- Virgin America worked with Loopt and rebranded two taco trucks in California with specials to market the airline’s new flights to Mexico.

• Food trucks are joining forces on tracker sites, like Food Truck Fiesta (DC) and Mobile Cravings (which covers about 30 cities), making it simple for fans to get a quick glimpse at the daily food truck scene.

Offline:
• Trucks are hosting unique events, often with partners, to expand their fan base and build loyalty. Seattle’s Skillet, doesn’t just care about your lunch. They care if you have a hot date, or at least something to do on Valentine’s Day. They’re teaming up with two other local vendors to host a street food style v-day.

• Rather than let the Twitter-challenged resort to fast food chains, Holton Farms (a farmer’s market on wheels) has a 1-800 number, which provides info on the truck’s location when it’s on the move.

• Food trucks are using social media for social good, by getting behind local charities that their followers care about. DC’s TaKorean truck donates 1% of gross sales to local environmental and youth based non-profit organizations – and they write about it on their community giving blog.

I am really looking forward to learning more about this upcoming market and how they are successfully utilizing social media to increase their awareness and traffic with the public! Are there any other ways food trucks are getting the word out via social media? Let us know!

Creating Less Stress for the New Year

Only two weeks into the new year, many people are already faltering on their resolutions for 2011. While the lists of goals for many are long and daunting, my resolution for the new year is simple: to reduce stress and achieve balance.

For many students, this task can seem daunting with classes, work, internships and extra-curricular activities. However, there are a few tips that I have put together to spend less time stressing and more time being productive:

1. Maintain an organized planner that outlines all of the tasks that need to be accomplished. Highlight tasks that are of timely urgency in order to effectively prioritize and cross things off when they are completed to demonstrate to yourself that things are being accomplished.

2. Keep your desktop organized and clean. When everything is in its correct place and can easily be found, you are able to accomplish more tasks in a timely manner because you will spend less time looking for the materials you need. Also, when your work space is uncluttered, so is your mind, allowing you to better process things that need to be done.

3. Instead of multitasking, accomplish one thing at a time to ensure that your work is accomplished more effectively. By dedicating your focus and attention to one task at a time, the job will get done better and you will not have to waste time redoing an assignment that did not receive your full attention.

4. Don't procrastinate! Rather than approaching a project as one large, overwhelming and daunting assignment, break it up into smaller pieces to make it more manageable. Make sure you are handling your time efficiently to ensure that things are accomplished in a timely manner, allowing for less stress later on.

These are only a few tips that anyone can use for handling and reducing stress. As an up-and-coming PR professional, the more effective and efficient I become at handling stress as a student will only better prepare me for the workforce.

Do you have any additional tips to share? Let us know!

Do You Follow the Cheese?

Last night, my professor showed a short animated video to my class. The video seemed a bit silly at first, but the message behind it is a pertinent one. The video is based on Spencer Johnson's book Who Moved My Cheese? The story follows two mice and two little people on their search for "cheese." The cheese is meant to represent anything you want in life. Throughout the video, the cheese moves and the characters have to choose whether to follow the cheese. Ultimately, the characters learn the importance of following the cheese when it moves. In other words, the video conveys the message that it is important to anticipate change and adapt to change. I think this message is not only important for attaining what we want in life, but for success in careers such as public relations, which depend on keeping up with the trends. What do you think about this message?

Here is a preview of the video:

Why Traditional Media Will Never Die

There has been a pronounced debate as to whether traditional media is threatened by internet-based communications, or whether it can stand its ground and endure in a digital world. Public relations practitioners have been challenged by the explosion of the internet and social media sites.

Traditional media continues to reach large audiences for public relations practitioners. Network television stations, like ABC, reach millions of viewers at a time during just one prime-time hour. It is unlikely to ever get that many visitors to a website on a given day, or even week. According to Editor & Publisher magazine, daily newspaper readership, although declining, maintains a circulation of about 55 million during the week and 58 million on Sunday. Consumer magazines total a monthly circulation of almost 300 million copies, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulation. Radio is not going anywhere either, reaching 95 percent of the public every day of the week, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Established media are also filtered by the press and gatekeepers, who help interpret and sort the excessive amount of information we are constantly bombarded with for what is most important. This process involves a lot of fact checking and creates more trustworthy, familiar news, which some internet-based sources may not. In addition, traditional media have more influence with older populations, who are better reached through television and newspapers than websites, blogs and social networks. The opposite may be true for younger populations who have different news and media habits. For this reason, it is important to know how your audience gets their information.

With the popularity of social media sites and blogs and their increasing numbers, it is easy to get caught up in all the hype about them. While they may act as mass distribution channels for news, they are still merely one of many tools public relations practitioners should consider when communicating their messages.

Temple Cookie Selection Day 2010

Yesterday, millions of Americans fulfilled their civic duty by visiting their local polling places and making sure their voice was heard for the 2010 midterm primary election. In order to raise school spirit and remind students to vote, Temple University Dining Services held their own mock election yesterday, known as Temple Cookie Selection Day 2010.

Throughout election day, students were able to vote on an official poll in the Student Center, Johnson & Hardwick cafeteria or the Learning Center on Ambler Campus to select the first official Temple cookie. Voters had four delicious candidates to choose from: Cherry and White, Red Hot Temple Berry Smash, Coconut Cherry Champ and MY-T Red Velvet Chunk. All four candidates were available for sample tastings and students were then able to fill out a ballot voting for their favorite sweet treat. After the ballots have been counted, the newly elected cookie will be available for purchase at the Student Center and retail satellite locations, such as Lucky Cups and Fresh Bytes.

I think Temple Dining Services did a great job with their Cookie Selection Day campaign because not only were they effective in involving and engaging the student body in a fun and creative way, they were also able to remind and encourage students to participate in the primary midterm elections. Although all of the candidates were delicious, I made sure I voted for Coconut Cherry Champ and enjoyed the rest of my samples while waiting in line at the polls.

Do you think Temple Dining Services' campaign was effective and successful at engaging the student body? Let us know what you think!

Check out the rest of the article and the Temple News exclusive here.

Bar Codes Now Appearing in Television Commericals

Bar codes have found a new home for themselves: television advertisements.

Now, anyone with a smartphone is able to scan these little black-and-white boxes from their TVs and pull up additional information on the product being advertised and receive immediate discount offers.

The current leader of this new trend is Bravo, whose audience is largely engaged in fashion and pop culture, making them the ideal participants for this new innovation. Online fashion retailer, Bluefly.com, broadcasts 45-second segments that feature interviews with fashion icons, celebrities and designers. When individuals point their cellphones at the bar codes featured on the commercials, they are promptly linked to the Bluefly.com website and offered a $30 off of $150 purchase discount.

“We see this as a great way to expand our audience in a measurable way,” said Bradford Matson, Bluefly’s chief marketing officer. “This is new for us, but we expect our page views to double.”

With more people using Smartphones, the trend of using bar codes in television advertisements is expected to quickly gain momentum and popularity. It allows consumers to shop from the comfort of their sofa without having to interrupt their TV programming.

Although Bluefly.com is the first national retailer to use the technology, other organizations have also dabbled in the use of TV bar codes. Weather.com briefly tested the technology to urge viewers to gain more access and knowledge on their local weather forecasts and HBO used the new advertisement tool to promote their upcoming season of True Blood.

I think that integrating bar codes into TV commercials is an incredibly smart move to increase promotion and publicity of an organization, product or brand. Although the technology is only in its infancy, Bluefly.com has already noticed an increase in their sales an average of 50 percent. Television bar codes allow for a wider audience to be reached and for users to easily access additional information.

As the technology continues to develop, I believe it will prove to be an incredibly beneficial tool for companies who wish to not only increase their sales but their awareness with the public as well. I am excited to see how this new form of advertising will be utilized by different corporations.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

All About the Blogs

Yesterday at our staff meeting, Assistant Firm Director Emily Woodward and Director of PR Michelle Voli held a blogging workshop intended to help guide staff members when writing their guest blog posts (find them here every Saturday and Sunday).

With blogging at the forefront yesterday, Faculty Advisor Gregg Feistman told me about a recent article he read by PRWeek dubbed "Study shows failures in PR, blogger relationships."

The study, conducted by Burson-Marsteller, found that a company's message is getting "lost in translation" to 76 percent of bloggers in the US. Their advice: In order to be successful when reaching out to bloggers, PR people have to be clear, transparent and forthright.

Many blogs do not have editorial oversight and can write about whatever they want, even at the PR person's expense. To reduce the chances of being humiliated, don't try to "spin" (dare I say it) anything. They will dig and find the truth. If you have a good story, tell it to them, but don't mislead and overemphasize how spectacular whatever you're promoting is. They'll see right through it.

In addition to being up front with the blogger, the same rules about doing your research apply. Know what the blogger's beat is and read previous posts before pitching to ensure your story is relevant. Warning: Bloggers often take no prisoners with their reply if they think you did not do your research on them.

Although the results aren't too reliable, URLAI is an interesting new tool that can guess the gender and age of a blogger based solely on the writing style to help you decide whether "Mr." or "Mrs." is a more appropriate greeting.

For fun I tried our blog, www.prowlpublicrelations.blogspot.com. According to the site, we are a male blogger between 66 and 100 years old. We have an academic writing style and are happy most of the time. Good to know we have a happy yet academic tone, but no, none of our bloggers are male (yet) and we are drastically under the age of 66. Nice try though.