Become a Critical Consumer

Many of us are bombarded with news from all sorts of media outlets each day, whether it is through email, online newspapers, blogs or even social media. The amount of news we are exposed to has rapidly increased in the past decade, allowing for the immediacy in which we receive our news. This creates a problem for many consumers when you have to decipher which information you are receiving is true and which is not. Often, many will take what they read at face value and believe that the information provided is true. If you are like me, you probably have a friend or two that will buy into an article that is false or satirical, such as a post from The Onion.  They then repost the article, allowing other people to believe it is true as well!

The truth is, media is often biased in one way or another. We need to remain educated about what is going on in the world and determine for ourselves whether or not we trust the source of the article. Below are a few tips that will help you think more critically about the information you are exposed to.

Check the source: Look at who the author is, because perhaps their background and position may cause them to be biased on certain subjects. You should also check to see the authors past works, including the subjects that they cover as well as whether or not they are credible.

Compare with articles from other news outlets: Check to see if the information provided has been verified by other news outlets. If the story appears in a number of credible news outlets, that can be a good indication that it is true!

Be an active consumer of information: The more you read, the more knowledge you will gain just by actively seeking out your news. As you consume more information, you will feel more comfortable determining whether or not it is credible!

Don’t believe everything you read on the internet: There is a funny commercial for State Farm that pokes fun at a consumer who believes everything they read on the internet is true. The man starts out by saying, “Where’d you hear that” and a woman responds, “The internet. They can’t put anything on the internet that isn’t true.” The man responds again, “Where’d you hear that?” and the woman responds, “The internet.”

This commercial illustrates that the average media consumer tends to believe everything they read, just because it is on the internet! Also, in a humorous way, illustrates that not everything you read on the internet is true. It turns out that the supermodel the woman was going on a blind date with does not resemble a model at all.

Always, always, always, think critically about what you are reading! Don’t forget to spread the word on the importance of being a critical consumer of information, so that others don’t get caught in the trap. Do you have any other tips to add? We would love to hear them in the comments section! 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Kaitlyn Mashack.

Integrated Marketing Communications...What It Means For Your PR Plan

As a public relations student with a business minor, I have the opportunity of taking some marketing classes to help broaden my perspective of strategic communications. This semester, I am taking a class that’s focused on integrated marketing communications and I would like to share some highlights and help explain why this is an important term for any 

PR or marketing professional to know. 

What is it? Integrated marketing communications can sound like a confusing term, but once you break it down the definition is quite simple. My textbook describes it as a process of integrating messages from a variety of sources about a company’s products or brands. Put simply, it means that all of the communications about a company have to be portraying the company in the same way. For example, a social media campaign has to go along with the overall brand image and other campaign materials put out about the company, it wouldn’t make sense to send your target audiences conflicting messages about your brand.

What does it mean for you? When done properly, integrated marketing communications can help to create a successful public relations or marketing campaign.  This means that when creating a public relations campaign, it is important to first look at your company from a consumer’s perspective and assess the image that it has already established. Then, build your campaign with that knowledge in mind making sure that your plan in sending similar messages. Integration of all communications that your target audience receives helps to reinforce what they already know about a brand. In turn, this creates brand awareness where the consumer can begin to establish a relationship with your brand, and ultimately can be very effective.

All of the strongest and most recognizable brands and companies out there right now follow this simple marketing approach. Some of the brands that come to mind for me are Starbucks, Apple, Nike and Target. Can you think of any other brands that have great integrated marketing communications strategies? 

This guest blog was written by PRowl staff member Kaitlyn Mashack.

Creating The Perfect Portfolio

Whether you are in college and looking to land an internship, a recent grad starting out your career or in the middle of your career and looking to switch jobs, we all know that a portfolio is an essential piece of getting you to that next step. Putting one together can be a long and daunting task.  When done right, a portfolio can highlight your strengths and set you apart from other candidates applying for the same position as you.

I have put together a few helpful tips for assembling your perfect portfolio:

Start early and update regularly: It is never too early to start putting together your portfolio. As you continue to work on projects and you come across a piece that you are proud of be sure to add it to your portfolio. This way, when it comes time to bring it to an interview, it is ready and you won’t be stressed!

Know your audience: You can create the best portfolio in the world, but it won’t mean anything if the materials in it don’t go with the job you are applying for. Make sure to include items that will appeal to the interviewer and make sense with the position you are applying.

Be creative: If your portfolio is dull, it will get tossed to the side and your work may not be fairly evaluated. Be sure to make it stand out: whether you include pictures or make it colorful, be sure that it will make the person want to look through it.

Include a range of materials: No sample of your work is too small to include, so be sure to include all of the different things you can do. This shows that you are willing to tackle any challenge you are given and you have a wide range of skills to offer.

Don’t forget to edit: Be sure to edit your portfolio over and over again! Once you have looked over it yourself, have someone you trust do the same. Any mistake can make the difference between getting the position and not.

If an employer sees how much care you put into your portfolio that can tell them a lot about the kind of person you will be on the job. Hopefully, these tips can help you be confident that you can land the position you want! What do you do to make your portfolio 

stand out? We would love to know!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Kaitlyn Mashack.

Measuring the Success of a PR Campaign

It is that time of year again for PRowl Public Relations when we begin working on evaluating the work we have done for our clients. Evaluating a PR campaign is an important final step and can provide valuable information for both the client and PR professional. With today’s technology and increasing social media platforms, there is also an increasing need to know what companies are doing right and where they can improve. Companies are going to rely on their PR professionals to give them this information.

Even though this step is a vital part of a campaign, it is often forgotten or skipped over. If this part of the campaign is missed, how can you tell if the hard work you did was a success or not? Without this evaluation, you would not improve your work moving forward. Below is alist that highlights what I think are some of the most important outcomes an evaluation can provide:

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    Learn your strengths: Through a final evaluation, you can assess the success of your team’s strengths based off of what areas the data shows that you did well.

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   Determine what was effective: Whether it is an event, a written analysis or a rebranding of a company, it is important to know if what you did accomplished the goals and objectives that you had laid out originally.

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   Hard numbers for future reference: A campaign evaluation utilizes many hard facts and statistics to show what was accomplished for the duration of the campaign. For instance, was there a percentage increase in the number of Facebook “likes” or how many people actually attended an event in comparison to the number that was invited?

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   Suggestions for improvement/future work: If you do not stop and asses the success of a campaign, you will never learn how to improve and will just continue to implement the same plans over and over. An evaluation can help you determine which areas need improvement and help you grow as a companyand as a professional.

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   Learn from your mistakes: Along with the good things that an evaluation will tell you, there are also areas where you went wrong. You can then take this information and learn from it moving forward.

Do you think there are any other positive outcomes of evaluating a PR campaign? Share your experiences in the comments section below!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Kaitlyn Mashack.

Tips on Conducting a Focus Group

If performed properly, focus groups can be a vital part of a PR strategic plan in order to gain valuable information for your client. Focus groups can be utilized for a wide array of topics in order to gain insight on a specific issue.

Recently, I had the opportunity to be a part of a focus group and I wanted to share with you some insights and tips for when you make a focus group part of your PR plan.

Keep it small: An ideal size for the participants per focus group is between 5-7 people. If you have it any smaller, you may not be able to obtain enough useful information and may not be able to generalize what you learn. A group much larger than 7 participants may be less likely to speak up or one person may dominate the conversation.

Create an idea-sharing environment: Most focus groups are laid back in order to get ideas flowing. When conducting a focus group, be sure to make your participants comfortable. This can be done by providing drinks and snacks, or even holding it at a casual location.

Don’t go in order: It is important that questions are not read in order so that the conversation continues to flow. If another question makes more sense because of what a participant just said, go to that question instead.

Prepare more questions than you need: You never know just how many questions you will be able to get through during the time you have allotted for discussion. That is why you should always have more questions prepared just in case.

Practice: You can never be too prepared for a focus group because you only get one shot. Make sure the moderator and note taker are prepared to fulfill their duties.

Follow Up: After the focus group is over, be sure to follow up with participants. The follow up should thank them again, along with obtaining any additional information you may need.

I hope these tips are helpful. Do you have any more tips to add? Share them in the comments section below!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Kaitlyn Mashack.

The Great Debate: Education vs. Experience

There has been something on my mind lately as I apply for internships and begin another semester here at Temple. Should I be focusing more of my time on internships or my classes? When it comes to getting a job after college, what is valued more in an employee: experience or education? 

There have been many opinions stated in favor of one or the other. However, I would argue that both matter, especially in the public relations field, experience not only compliments a degree, it is necessary to get a job.

I believe that an education makes for a foundation of a skill. However, for an education to be valuable, one has to make the most of it by taking advantage of the opportunities that campus offers. Certainly, a high class standing and grade point average are important and will help contribute to getting a job.

However, how can you perfect the skills you have learned without real-world practice? Think of it this way: when you are in an interview, usually the interviewer is looking for what experience you have in that field.

That is why, in the public relations profession, internships, shadowing, and volunteer opportunities are important. These experiences, along with a degree, will help to prepare you for the workforce. A company is going to feel more comfortable hiring someone who has past experience rather than someone with an education alone.

So, as we venture out into the professional world, what will your resume show? I hope that it is a blend of an educational base along with knowledge and experience of the PR world! What’s your opinion on the debate? We would love to know!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Kaitlyn Mashack.

Happiest Cities for Public Relations Professionals

As aspiring public relations professionals with goals of someday landing a job we love, it is helpful to know where we will be able to find that dream job. I was always told growing up that if I am doing something I enjoy I won’t work a day in my life, and that will be my goal as I enter into the workforce. 

With that said, there is more opportunity for jobs in the public relations profession near a city than in a small town. The United States is full of cities with endless opportunity and various career paths in the public relations field. Each city has something unique to offer a recent college grad looking to embark on a journey.  

So, what are the happiest cities for public relations and marketing professionals? According to an article published on PR Daily earlier this year, the top 10 cities in the United States with the most satisfied workers in the industry were named based on a study performed by the American Marketing Association along with staffing agency Aquent: 

1. Phoenix

2. Indianapolis

3. Houston

4. St. Louis

5. Detroit

6. Charlotte

7. Boston

8. San Jose

9. Chicago

10. Austin

I hope to one day find a job in public relations near a city with opportunity to grow in my career. Perhaps I will end up in one of these cities and will be able to say that I, too, am happy with my job. Where will you go to pursue your dream job? Share with us!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Kaitlyn Mashack.