It's Weird That I'm Professional?

Because the public relations industry is slowly becoming synonymous with social media, we've been asked to "grow up" a little faster than our peers might have to. Our Twitter accounts have been spotless for years and Facebooks wiped clean, while our friends still post drinking pictures every weekend. I'll be the first to admit that it can be a bit frustrating having to censor myself online. You can attempt to have two profiles (one personal, one professional) but from my own experience, it became taxing and one profile always suffered more than the other. However, I try to look at it as an opportunity to write more creatively. Sure, there's probably an easier (and more profane) way to get your point across, but where's the challenge in that? At the heart of our job we're creative writers, so coming up with a bio sans #IWokeUpLikeThis shouldn't be that hard.

While you may gawk at the things your friends post online, they may equally be questioning you and your decision to not allow certain things on your profile. I'm sure you have all had the awkward or uncomfortable experience of having to ask your friend to un-tag you in a compromising photo or to refrain from using curse words in your comments. They look at you as if you had just asked them to give you their first child.

My purpose in writing about this is two-fold. First, I wanted you to know that you're not alone. Again, because of the profession we've chosen, we're required to mature a little faster in the way we present ourselves online -- and that's alright. In fact, I'm grateful for it. That brings me to my next purpose: to let you know that being a "grandma" or "grandpa" online is okay! I've realized that outside of our little public relations bubble there are still tons of students who either just started to create a LinkedIn profile or still aren't even aware of its importance. We all have friends that still think it's okay to say whatever they want because it's their profile, but luckily we know better. We don't have to learn the hard way by not snagging our dream job. We learned about the importance of online decorum the easy, by reading the PRowl blog of course!

So keep participating in your Twitter chats on personal branding, taking headshots for your LinkedIn, and blocking people on Facebook. Your friends may look at you a bit funny, but you'll also make employers take a second look.

Keep the Change: PYT Responds to NFL Player's Poor Tip

The NFL is plastered all over the news this week from the exciting start of football season to the Ray Rice scandal. But Philadelphia seems to be dealing with some football-related news on a more local scale. On Monday, Northern Liberties burger joint PYT posted a photo on their Facebook page of a receipt from Eagles player LeSean McCoy’s recent visit to the restaurant. But it wasn't to share excitement at serving the running back but to highlight the poor tip he gave his server. The receipt shows McCoy’s tip of $0.20 on a $61.56 bill, totaling a mere 0.32% gratuity. Both the athlete and the restaurant have received backlash from the public; McCoy for leaving less than a 1% tip and PYT for taking to social media to publically express their frustration. 

(Source: Facebook)

Fresh off the season-starting win, PA native McCoy has yet to address the incident publicly.

• Why this hurts: A tip that is less than 1% for an average person would be considered inappropriate but for McCoy, who has a $45 million contract with the Eagles, it may seem unacceptable. Seemingly ignoring the issue may damage his reputation and likability among the notoriously fickle Philadelphia sports fan.

Though McCoy has yet to address the issue, the owner of PYT, Tommy Up, responded to criticism by releasing a statement via their Facebook page that you can read here.

• Why this helps: While I neither agree nor disagree with Up’s decision to post the photo, I do think his response was apt. As the owner, he showed responsibility for his actions and stands by his employees and even applauds the Eagles and McCoy on their recent win. While most released statements seem crafted by PR reps (and most are), his statements comes off as purely genuine. Because of this, people will respect him and his restaurant, increasing their reputation in the long run.  

No matter who you agree with, this is garnering a lot of attention for PYT that’s not limited to Philadelphia. Even actor Charlie Sheen is chiming in on the issue!

Update: A few hours after this blog was posted, LeSean McCoy released a statement defending his $0.20 tip. You can read his response in an article from CSN Philly here.

Santa Claus: Bringer of Presents or PR Pro?

The countdown is on, only 6 more days 'til Christmas! Time to brave the mall crowds, wrap endless gifts, and to hope that Santa brings you something shiny. Santa Claus, a figure we've always held on a pedastal since we were kids, that is, until someone in your family decided to crush your dreams (hi Mom!). But Santa is more than just a jolly old man bearing gifts, he's an icon, who has garnered more attention than any other figure in history. But how does he do it? Below are some PR tips courtesy of "6 PR lessons from Santa Claus":

• Make a list, check it twice: Make sure you cover all angles; countless times PR pros have been caught in a situation because of stray press releases or emails being flung around. Check that you are including everyone necessary on your lists, and omitting those who are not, then check again. This can be said for emails and writing in general; always edit your writing, then check it again by having someone look over it for you. Little mistakes can get you in hot water so save yourself the effort and check your work. If Santa and his little elves could make toys for thousands of Christmas lists, you can manage your list too!



• Plan, prepare, and deliver: Plan how you want to approach a crisis, prepare for what you are going to do about it, and deliver your results. Never promise your boss, client, or a report something that you cannot deliver within their set deadline. Santa has to plan months in advance, but in the end he always makes his deadline!



• Ho! Ho! Ho!: The tagline that Santa is famous for. "Got milk?" "I'm lovin' it!" "Just do it." All are famous for the brands they are attached to. Santa is reknown for his, and though it may be corny, people always know the image attached.



• Big rep: He's known across the world as Santa, St. Nick, Father Christmas, etc. But still, he is the most recognizable man on the planet. It has taken time, but so does a solid reputation.

Have you learned anything else from Jolly Old St. Nick? Have anything to add to the "list"? Let us know!

The Fashion Industry and its Glaring PR issue

It is no secret that from the outside looking in, the fashion industry has a major PR problem: most of its waiflike beauties have light complexions. This is to say, the fashion industry hires people that look like the majority of those who work in the industry.

However, recent news has revealed an increase in models of color in headlining shows during New York Fashion Week. According to the New York Times blog "On the Runway" Keli Goff, a fashion industry watchdog and blogger, found that 90 percent of the 200-plus designers featured in Fashion Week had at least one black model, a seven percent jump from last year.

Though this is good news for the industry’s PR reputation, the industry still has to fix the problem at hand. So, what can they do to address it? The simple solution is to hire more models of color and feature them in advertisements. Another, more loftier suggestion, is for fashion houses to host events that celebrate women of color in the fashion industry. This would show that fashion houses are trying to change and are making the effort to diversify the industry more than ever before. In the future, professionals in the fashion industry can also come together to have a panel event where fashion experts discuss industry race issues and come up with ways to ultimately evolve the industry for the better.

Do you have any creative suggestions for the fashion industry to diversify itself? Let us know!

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Kurie Fitzgerald.