What I Learned From PRowl Public Relations

I'm allowed to get a little sappy for my last blog post, right?

Interviewing for PRowl was the best decision I made in my four years as a Temple Owl. I have met the most amazing people, learned more than I ever imagined possible and had the greatest experience I could have hoped for. PRowl helped me grow and be confident and try new things. Being a part of Temple's first and only student run firm not only solidified my knowledge that I chose the right career path, but it also taught me a lot and I've listed some of the most important things below:

1. We're all just trying to find our way
From freshman year through until graduation, we're all just trying to be the best we can be.

2. Your "competition" are also your biggest supporters
Yes, you'll be competing with your peers for jobs; but they're also going to be the ones you call when you get your dream job. Don't burn bridges.

3. You can learn as much from your peers as you can from your professors
Everyone has a unique perspective and their own expertise. Learn from those around you.

4. No challenge is too big or too small
You can handle anything with the support of the right team. Remember, you're not above anything.

5. People are inherently good
Your peers, your professors, the community and everyone in between wants you to succeed and are more than willing to help you get their if you're willing to make the effort.

Thank you to each and every member of PRowl, past and present for making my college experience amazing. I can't wait to see the firm grow and succeed even more.

How to Succeed as a PRowl Account Executive

This year I took on the leadership role of account executive, leading a group of five PRowl account members. Before taking on this role, I had no idea what to expect, other than it would be a lot of work.

Now, with new leaders on the rise, I’m writing to share my insights on how to be a successful account executive and enjoy every minute of it.

1. Set Goals: Brainstorming your goals for you and your team are key in your account’s success. It’s important to know what each of your account members’ goals are so you can help them achieve them throughout the year.

2. Have a Plan: Being prepared goes a long way, especially when leading a team. Have an agenda and game plan in mind so your team takes you and your plan seriously.

3. Be Personable: Your account members should feel comfortable coming to you with any problems, concerns, or advice in general. Be open with your team, and they will likewise be open with you. 

4. Be Honest: As they say, honesty is the best policy! If you want your team to trust your judgment and overall decisions, you need to be honest with one another from the start.

5. Work with your AFD: Always keep in mind your Assistant Firm Director is there for you. My AFD was always someone I was able to call if I was stressed, confused or just wanted to talk in general. 

I am happy to say, after a long year, I will be taking on the role of an account executive again and I could not be more excited!

Have you ever thought of becoming an account executive or leader in PRowl?  

Top 3 Blog Posts of Fall 2013

As 2013 comes to an end, I always love reflecting on the most interesting and most popular blog posts of the semester. This past fall, each of the blog posts below have reached over 100 plus views, and for good reason. Each blog post embodies all of the elements that make a blog post outstanding; well-written, newsworthy, timely as well as unusual.

1. The Scandalous Side of PR

Written by Lauren Bentley 

The most read blog post of fall 2013 takes a look at ABC's hit drama, Scandal. This is a must read for all of the Olivia Pope fanatics out there!

http://prowlpublicrelations.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-scandalous-side-of-pr.html

2. How Introverts Can Succeed in PR

Written by Cara Graeff

Not everyone in PR has to be aggressive and loud! Take a peak at the second most read blog post of fall 2013 to find out why introverts can have amazing careers in PR. 

http://prowlpublicrelations.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-introverts-can-succeed-in-pr.html

3. Miley Cyrus, PR Pro?

Written by Hiya Ray

Oh Miley. If she hasn't ruled 2013, I am not sure who has. Be sure to check out this blog post to see how Miley's antics are truly just good PR work at the end of the day. 

http://prowlpublicrelations.blogspot.com/2013/11/miley-cyrus-pr-pro.html

These top three posts were written by PRowl Public Relations staff members who all happen to be strategic communication majors in their junior year at Temple University. We cannot wait to see what our staff members produce in 2014! Cheers to 2013, Happy New Year!

Welcome To PRowl Public Relations!

After an overwhelming amount of applications and an extremely competitive interview process, PRowl Public Relations is pleased to announce our newest members. The following students will be joining the firm as first-time staff members:

Mikayla Appell

Brittany Barish

Rute Barkai

Jasmine Barnes

Benjamin Coleman

Rachel Draghi

Gabrielle Lacherza

Faiz Mandviwalla

Emily O’Connell

Brianna Prime

Kaylie Corallo

Hiya Ray

Alissa Steele

Sara Snyder

Ransford Whaumbush

Nathan Wilson

Maggie Wurst

Looking to #JoinTheElite? Be sure to stay up to date on all things PRowl to find out when our next application process will take place!

Welcome to PRowl!

The semester has officially commenced! PRowl held it's first weekly meeting yesterday afternoon with many returning faces along with a few new ones. Everyone seems extremely excited to begin work with our new as well as returning clients. After such a successful meeting, I am really looking forward to a fun-filled semester.

I would like to give a shout out to our newest staff members here at PRowl Public Relations. You will be seeing their first few blog posts in these upcoming weeks so make sure to familiarize yourself with their names:

Madeline Barry

Tessa Cohn

Cara Graeff

Kadesha Holder 

Virginia Laskowski

Nicole Leo

Ciara Montero 

Antinnea Skipwith 

Welcome to PRowl ladies, here's to a wonderful new experience!

Interested in joining PRowl? Stay up to date with this blog for future opportunities and openings within the firm!

PRoud & Thankful

Three years ago, if you had told me I'd be writing my final blog post as PRowl Public Relation's firm director, I would have never believed you. When I came to Temple University as a public relations major, I had no clue what I was doing or where I was going. I was lucky enough to meet a group of people who took a chance on me and welcomed me into the firm - and since then, it has turned out to be the greatest, most rewarding, and proudest accomplishment of my life.

Each and every year I have watched this firm reach new heights. Whether it's hiring larger-scale clientele, recruiting more talented staff then ever, or finally achieving goals that once seemed impossible as we became nationally affiliated. All of these accomplishments are a direct result of my incredible executive board, account leaders, staff members, faculty adviser and general supporters. 

I want to take the opportunity to thank the staff for their hard work and dedication. Without you, there is no firm and there is no success. I have no doubt each of you will go on to achieve great things.

I want to thank my amazing account leaders: Alex Crispino, Mackenzie Krott, Samantha Miller and Doug Bennett for being the glue that holds this firm together. The growth I have seen in each of you is incredible and your leadership and guidance is the sole reason we ended the year with successful accounts, happy clients and talented staff members. 

I especially want to thank my executive board: Samantha Wanner, Emily Ascani, Doug Bennett and Marianna Morris for being my support system and helping guide the firm when the direction wasn't always clear. Know that I couldn't have made it through the year without you standing beside me.

And lastly, I want to wish next year's firm director, Samantha Wanner and her executive board, Marianna Morris, Amber Burns, Cori Shearer and Kaitlyn Sutton the best of luck, although I know you won't need it. I can't wait to hear about all of the amazing things you and the firm go on to achieve.

Best of luck and well wishes to everyone.

xo,

Niki

PRowl's HIRING!

PRowl Public Relations is Temple University’s first and only student-run PR firm providing students with hands-on experience in the industry, and we’re hiring!

At PRowl Public Relations, students are given opportunities to develop their strategic thinking and gain tactical practice.  Members create and execute public relations campaigns, form valuable relationships with professionals in the Philadelphia area, apply their classroom knowledge to a real-world setting, become part of an interactive communications process and prepare for life beyond graduation.

To be a member of PRowl Public Relations, you must meet the following criteria:

-          At least a 3.0 GPA

-          Be a dues paying member of PRSSA or have the intention of becoming a dues-paying member

-          Have availability for weekly staff meetings every Thursday from 3:30-4:15 p.m.

PRowl Public Relations is a great experience and is a large time commitment. PRowl PR operates as a functioning PR firm and is similar to a working, professional-level agency, not an extracurricular organization. Therefore, applicants should only apply if they are able to dedicate the necessary amount of time and work. Staff members will have the opportunity to work on social media campaigns, event planning and media relations to name a few.

Interested?  Please set up a time using the Google doc link below:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aq3jAk8UiCYKdFVtemtmSDRHY0k1T3JLZktXTFprRlE

MUST BE SIGNED IN UNDER A GMAIL ACCOUNT TO EDIT

Comments, questions or concerns, please email Samantha Wanner at Samantha.Wanner@temple.edu

Interviews will be scheduled starting Monday, April 30 and be conducted through Friday, May 4. All applicants will be required to submit a resume and two short writing samples during their scheduled interview.

Learn more about PRowl Public Relations:

Follow us on Twitter: @PRowlPR
Find us on Facebook: PRowl Public Relations

PRowl Public Relations is Nationally Affiliated!

After opening its doors for business four years ago in January 2008, PRowl Public Relations, Temple University’s first and only student-run PR firm, recently became nationally affiliated by the Public Relations Student Society of America! This level of distinction is only made to student-run PR firms that exhibit professionalism at a high standard, as well as meet the standards of connection, professionalism, and ethics, upheld by PRSSA.

PRowl Public Relations began the application process to become nationally affiliated in late November of this year. Cohesively, members of the firm and the executive board compiled case studies, letters, and background information on the firm and clients to be submitted to PRSSA headquarters for approval. In the four years PRowl Public Relations has been active, the firm has made great strides in such a short period of time. The firm was recently recognized as one of the “50 Best Blogs for the Public Relations Major” by Bachelors Degree Online and becoming nationally affiliated by the Public Relations Student Society of America is an honor the firm has been working towards for years.

All of these amazing accomplishments wouldn't be possible without our amazing staff members, our encouraging alumni and those who have always supported the firm and our efforts.

Check out the National PRSSA website to see us listed among the most prestigious student-run firms in the country!

PRowl Public Relations is HIRING!

Are you a public relations student interested in gaining hands-on experience in the industry? PRowl Public Relations is Temple University’s first and only student-run PR firm, and we’re hiring!

At PRowl Public Relations, students are given opportunities to develop their strategic thinking and gain tactical practice. Members create and execute public relations campaigns, form valuable relationships with professionals in the Philadelphia area, apply their classroom knowledge to working on client campaigns, become part of an interactive communications process and prepare for life beyond graduation.

To be a member of PRowl Public Relations, one must meet the following criteria:

· At least a 3.0 GPA

· Be a dues paying member of PRSSA or have the intention of becoming a dues-paying member in the spring

· Have availability for weekly staff meetings every Thursday from 3:30-4:15 PM

PRowl Public Relations is a great experience and is a large time commitment. PRowl PR operates as a functioning PR firm and is similar to a working, professional-level agency, not an extracurricular organization. Therefore, applicants should only apply if they are able to dedicate the necessary amount of time and work. We encourage students of all levels of experience to apply, from freshmen to seniors!

Our clients for spring range from tourism & hospitality to the beauty industry. Staff members will have the opportunity to work on social media campaigns, event planning and media relations to name a few.

Interested? Contact Niki Ianni, at nicole.ianni@temple.edu to set up an interview. Interviews will be scheduled starting January 17 – 23. All applicants will be required to submit a resume and two short writing samples during their scheduled interview.

Learn more about PRowl Public Relations:
Follow us on Twitter: @PRowlPR
Find us on Facebook: PRowl Public Relations

End of the Semester Recap

Yesterday was PRowl's last staff meeting of the semester. Although everyone will still be busy working on client projects over winter break, many projects are winding down and coming to an end. These past few months have been incredibly busy with the addition of two new clients and several new staff members.

In the beginning of the semester we signed returning contracts with TUTV, Temple's student-run television station and the Department of Strategic Communication as well as welcomed two new clients, Jean Madeline Salon and Institute and Visit Bucks. On these accounts, students had the opportunity to write strategic communications plans, pitch the media, develop a social media manual, host several successful events ranging from the StratComm Social to the upcoming event, No Nonsense Networking, and help create and produce new content for a TV station.

In addition to finishing old projects and starting new ones during yesterday's meeting, we also said goodbye to a graduating staff member, Shari DaCosta, who has been with the firm for over a year, working on several accounts. The staff wishes her the best of luck on her future endeavors and plans. The 2012-2013 firm director was also announced during yesterday's meeting and a big congratulations goes to Samantha Wanner, who has proven that hard work and dedication can pay off in a year's time.

Thank you to the current staff members, previous staff members, clients and our supporters for helping this firm grow into the success that it has become. Here's to a great fall semester and an even better one in the spring.

Today: Bake Sale to Benefit Philabundance!

Are you on or around Temple University Main Campus today? If so, stop by the Student Center to grab some delicious baked goods while supporting a great cause!

Temple’s Public Relations Student Society of America and PRowl Public Relations are hosting a bake sale from 11 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. in Temple’s Student Center. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Philabundance, a non-profit organization dedicated to driving hunger from the greater Philadelphia area. The bake sale will feature an assortment of delicious cupcakes, cookies and other baked goods; all for $1 or less!

Temple University’s Student Center is located at 1755 N. 13^th Street (on the corner of 13^th and Montgomery) in Philadelphia. For more information on how to get involved with Philabundance, click here.

Hope to see you there!

PRowl Public Relations Announcement

We're hiring!

Before all PR students at Temple are notified early next week, we want to give our readers the chance to schedule interview slots before they are taken. If you are studying public relations (or a related field) at Temple University and are looking for the opportunity to experience the full-scope of the PR planning, implementation and evaluation process with clients from a variety of industries, I encourage you to schedule an interview today. We are looking for candidates of all age groups and experiences. The only requirement - the drive to learn.

See announcement below.

----------

Are you a public relations student interested in gaining hands-on experience in the industry? PRowl Public Relations is Temple University’s first and only student-run PR firm, and we’re hiring!

At PRowl Public Relations, students are given opportunities to develop their strategic thinking and gain tactical practice. Members create and execute public relations campaigns, form valuable relationships with professionals in the Philadelphia area, apply their classroom knowledge to a real-world setting, become part of an interactive communications process and prepare for life beyond graduation.

Interested? Contact Niki Ianni at nicole.ianni@temple.edu to set up an interview. Interviews will be scheduled starting Monday, April 25 – Wednesday, May 11.

Learn more about PRowl Public Relations:
Check out our blog, updated daily: www.prowlpublicrelations.blogspot.com
Follow us on Twitter: @PRowlPR
Find us on Facebook: PRowl Public Relations

Moving Forward: Spring Fling

On Tuesday, April 12, Temple University will host Spring Fling, one of its students’ favorite annual events. This year, Temple’s Public Relations Student Society of America and PRowl Public Relations will have their own stand. Members of PRSSA’s fundraising committee and executive board will be at the stand all day and will offer a variety of treats to spring flingers.

What not to miss at the PRSSA and PRowl Spring Fling stand:

· Fresh fruit smoothies will made and sold

· PRSSA cups will be sold with smoothies and separately

· Bake sale table will feature a variety of home-baked goods

“There are going to be over 200 booths with student organizations playing great activities, vendors selling products, and campus departments distributing information about their programs and services,” said Associate Director of Student Activities Chris Carey.

Spring Fling will be located between Liacouras Walk and 13 Street and between Montgomery and Norris Streets. Festivities will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 4p.m. The rain date for Spring Fling is Wednesday, April 13^th.

This guest blog was written by PRSSA External Communications Committe member Hannah DiSanto

PRSSA and PRowl Walk for a Cure

Temple University’s Public Relations Student Society of America and PRowl Public Relations will be participating in Temple University’s Relay For Life this Friday. The event will be held at the Student Pavilion, located at 1901 N. 15th Street across from the Turf Complex.

PRSSA and PRowl team members will walk around an indoor track for 12 hours to help raise money for the American Cancer Society. The PRSSA and PRowl team currently consists of 8 members and has already raised $90. Help us reach our goal by making a donation or signing up to walk!

Temple University’s Relay For Life has already raised over $22,500 and has more than 770 participants signed up to walk. The overall fundraising goal for the relay is $60,000. All money raised will go toward funding cancer research and prevention initiatives. Several events will take place throughout the walk, beginning with the Survivor Lap, during which participants who beat cancer will be invited to walk a lap while being cheered on by their fellow walkers. During the Luminaria Ceremony, participants will have the opportunity to light candles and walk a lap in silence to remember those who have lost their battle with cancer. The relay will end with the Fight Back Ceremony, which encourages all walkers to take a stand and pledge to continue the fight against cancer.

The cost to participate in this event is $20 and you can register here.

This guest blog was written by PRSSA member Alison Curran.

TUTV Student Organization Filming Recap

Yesterday (March 3), PRowl Public Relations assisted client TUTV (Temple University Television) with an event to promote the March 16 launch of TempleTV.net, the channel's interactive online platform. One of our largest audiences for the launch campaign is current students on Philadelphia's main campus and abroad. When doing our research in the planning portion of the campaign, we found that Temple University has more than 300 registered student organizations on campus, with a total membership reach of 15,330 students.

In order to engage these students and get them excited for the website launch, PRowl planned a four-hour event where student organizations were invited to film a clip welcoming all visitors to TempleTV.net and introducing their organization to Temple's global community. On the upcoming March 16 launch day, these student organization "welcome" messages will rotate on the homepage. Every time a visitor enters the site, a new student organization will be there to greet them.

After a lot of e-mails and attending meetings to talk to student organizations, we got a great turnout of 58 organizations throughout the day. Students were invited to either share a message about what their organization does, or demonstrate their mission through a creative act. There was even more creativity than we expected! Singing, dancing, guitars, keyboards, flags, acting scripts, and other props appeared in the room throughout the day, and we were happy to have them!

Thank you to all Temple student organizations that stopped by. We look forward to sharing the messages we got yesterday with visitors who enter the site around the world on March 16!

PRowl Public Relations Fall 2010 Initiatives

With almost two weeks left until the fall semester, PRowl Public Relations' Board of Directors met last night to discuss different initiatives we'd like to focus on internally in the year ahead.

A few (but not all!) of them include:
-Relaunching our website
-Fundraising to help send members to the 2010 PRSSA National Conference in Washington, DC
-Creating a valuable evaluation system that allows members to gain professional feedback about their strengths as well as areas they should look to improve
-Developing our Facebook page to better engage current members and PRowl alumni
-Gathering client testimonials about their work with our student-run firm

We're looking forward to the year ahead. We have some great clients and new members that I can't wait to share with all of you! Stay tuned...

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

It's always nice to get an update from our PRowl Public Relations alum! Brianna Fisher was a member of PRowl for two years and excelled in all positions she took on, including Account Executive and Director of Finance. A full-time PR pro now, Brianna checks in via the blog today:
---

No, I'm not talking about a run in with the cast of the popular MTV show. It's been about a month since graduation from Temple U and it's finally starting to sink in that I'm officially a PRowl Public Relations alum. As new, fresh bloggers move up the ranks I'm tickled at the opportunity to guest blog (thank you, PRowl!) and couldn't resist the chance to share some knowledge I've gained as a full-time employee at one of Philadelphia's top PR agencies.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Become a Fan of PRowl Public Relations on Facebook!

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

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

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

Also, follow us on Twitter @ProwlPR.

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

Blogging Workshop at Temple U

Calling all Temple University students! Are you interested in learning more about how to become a blogger or how to better promote your blog? Jessica Lawlor, President of PRSSA and former Director of Public Relations for PRowl Public Relations is presenting a workshop on blogging on Monday, April 26 from 3:30-4:30 in the Writing Center (second floor of Tuttleman).

If you are definitely planning to attend, the Writing Center appreciates people signing up ahead of time on their Web site, so they have an idea of how many to expect (http://www.temple.edu/writingctr/incenterworkshops/index.html) but feel free to walk in too!

If there are any questions, please e-mail Jessica Lawlor (jessica.lawlor@temple.edu).

PR Myths!

This is a list that I found on Ragan.com about five public relations myths that some business owners believe. It's funny to look at them as a PR practitioner!

1. "PR is a waste of money"
2. “Once I get a good spot of PR, I can go back to laughing all the way to the bank.”
3. “Once I get a good spot of PR, I can go back to laughing all the way to the bank.”
4. “I went to law school/I kick ass on Jeopardy!/I always win arguments; therefore, I will control/intimidate/steamroll any reporter interviewing me.”
5. “How hard can it be to write an op-ed/letter-to-the-editor/press release?”

I especially think number five is funny. We know all too well here at PRowl Public Relations how tricky a news release can be!

Read the list with descriptions here.

Do you know any other PR myths? Share them with us!