How Taylor Swift and Apple Both Came Out on Top

This past week has been a long back and forth between pop-star Taylor Swift and major music mogul, Apple Inc. It appeared to be the clash of the ages, beginning with Swift posting an open letter to Apple on her Tumblr account on June 21. In the letter, Swift explained she will not be supporting Apple’s new streaming service because during the 90 day free trial for customers artists that are available to stream will not be paid.

           

After the letter was published it immediately went viral and, eventually grabbed Apple’s attention. A few days after the letter was published Apple responded to Swift’s letter, saying that they will pay all artists that are available on the streaming service for the first three months.

           

Swift had won the battle she had sought to win, however, it was until June 26, nearly a week after the original letter was published, that Swift finally said she would allow her 1989 album on Apple’s streaming service. In typical Swift fashion she made the announcement in the form of a simple tweet thanking Apple for listening to her concerns.

           

What’s important to note here from a PR stand point is that, while at first, it might seem like Swift came out on top, there’s room for Apple at the top as well. For Swift, her all-star status was reaffirmed and her name is now being seen all over the news as the artist that stood up to Apple. For Apple, they saved millions in free publicity for their new streaming service. Now, not only does the public know about their new service and the fact that it’s free for the first three months, they also know it’s morally solid and that Apple did the right thing by agreeing to pay artists.

           

In the field of public relations the more a company can get their name and service out there without spending a cent is vital because it leaves more funds to do original, innovative or exciting things within a campaign. Though of course Apple isn’t hurting for money, the lesson learned from Taylor Swift v. Apple 2015 is something that all public relations professionals and students can apply to their work.

           

Free publicity can be negative or positive and PR professionals can never be quite sure what they’re going to get until they see it, however, taking a note from Apple it’s easy to see that the saying “all publicity is good publicity” still holds true in the world of PR.        

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Account Executive Hannah Litchfield 

Did Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood" fulfill its hype?

Whether you’re a “Swiftie” or not, there is no denying that Taylor Swift dominated the Billboard Music Awards last Sunday, where she received eight awards.  However, most of the buzz on social media did not pertain to her wins.  Instead, people were raving about the premiere of Swift’s music video for her song “Bad Blood.”

Before the music video made its debut during the award show, Swift was able to create suspense with her brilliant social media marketing plan.  Promotions began on her Twitter and Instagram accounts 10 days prior to the release date on May 7.  Swift first posted an edgy, cinematic picture of herself that revealed her role as “Catastrophe” in her music video.

Meet Catastrophe. #BadBloodMusicVideo pic.twitter.com/q9P7JJoWld

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) May 7, 2015

Leading up to the release, the pop-singer also reveled several other celebrities who would appear in the “Bad Blood” video including: Kendrick Lamar, Lily Aldridge, Zendaya, Hayley Williams, Gigi Hadid, Ellie Goulding, Haliee Steinfeld, Lena Dunham, Karlie Kloss, Cara Delevingne, Serayah Love, Jessica Alba, Martha Hunt, Ellen Pompeo, Mariska Hargitay, Selena Gomez, and Cindy Crawford. Each day, Swift posted pictures of the various actresses, singers, and supermodels as their heroic alter egos.  Over 100 million people viewed the promotional media on Twitter, but the edgy theme and large amount of celebrity cameos made the video highly anticipated.

Luckily, “Bad Blood” was able to exceed its expectations after the premiere.  According to Billboard, Swift was mentioned 149,000 times during the Billboard Music Awards, and the hashtag, #BadBloodMusicVideo, was used over 112,176 times on Twitter.  The social media platform even gave Swift a customized “Bad Blood” emoji to go along with the hashtag.

Source: USA Today

Overall, more than 7 million tweets were posted about Swift and “Bad Blood” since the announcement on May 7.  Swift proved to be a savvy social media user, as well as a fearless and powerful young woman.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Kimberly Leung. 

"Do You Have Any Job Prospects Yet?"

It’s funny how you hear stories about how going to a family holiday party when you’re older is a horrific experience full of questions like, “Are you dating anyone?” or “How old are you now?”  But if you are a senior like me, then you can relate to hearing the most terrifying question of all…”So, do you have any job offers lined up after graduation, honey?”

*Insert hyperventilating, instant panic attack, hot flashes, slight crying, etc. here* 

(Source: Google)

If your answer to the previous questions was “yes” then great, you should be proud.  If your answer was “no,” you are not alone, I am right there with you and I’m going to tell you why it’s okay (through musical song titles because music is how I relax).

1. I’m Not The Only One by Sam Smith

While your significant other may not be cheating on you like Sam Smith says in the song, you are still not the only one.  As I just stated, every person our age is most likely feeling the pressure to find a job at this time, so confide in someone you trust to vent to.

2. Time of Our Lives by Pitbull & Ne-Yo

As Pitbull would say, “Have me a good time, before my time is up.”  College only happens once, so it’s important to remember to live in the moment!  Enjoy every experience the last semester has to offer and make sure you aren’t stressing so much about the job search that you are missing out on making memories. 

3. Elastic Heart by Sia

After three and a half years of college, you’ve built “thick skin and an elastic heart.”  So don’t get discouraged if you are applying to companies that aren’t answering you or respond saying you’re under-qualified; at least you’re putting yourself out there!

4. Shake It Off by Taylor Swift

“Don’t be getting down about all the liars and the dirty, dirty cheats of the world when you could’ve been getting down to this sick beat.”  There is no shame in taking a break from your everyday searches on LinkedIn, Monster, Indeed, etc.  Sometimes a dance party solves all problems.

5. The Heart Wants What It Wants by Selena Gomez

By now you probably have some idea of what kind of PR you want to take on as job whether that is fashion, corporate, tech, agency, etc.  Make sure to go after jobs in your niche, don’t settle for something that you are going to end up hating.  Follow your heart; the more passionate you are about what you do, the more you have to offer to the company.

6. Jealous by Nick Jonas

Do not be like Nick Jonas and get jealous.  One of my supervisors at my previous internship gave me advice that has stuck with me: “Don’t worry about what other people are doing!”  Nobody likes a green-eyed monster, so when your friends land awesome jobs, congratulate and celebrate with them!  Don’t let it stress you out or over-think your job-hunting situation.

7. Out of the Woods by Taylor Swift

Despite what Taylor may have to say, you are NOT out of the woods yet.  You still have classes to pass and internships to complete before you receive that diploma.  Dedicate as much time to your school work as you are your job search.

If all else fails, remember that just like Queen B, you are ***Flawless!  Things have a funny way of working themselves out.  You worked hard these past few years by getting involved, completing internships, making great connections and becoming a young #PRofessional ready to take on the real world!  Good luck and enjoy your last few months of college!  If you would like more advice on the senior year job search, click here.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Kaylie Corallo.  You can follow her @kayliecorallo.

Social Media Lessons from the Grammy Awards

Award shows are a prime time to use social media and build your brand, be it personal, product, or otherwise.  You're automatically included in a celebrity-crazed social community when you utilize whatever hashtag is related to the show.  This past Sunday, several brands (local and national) were live tweeting the Grammy Awards along with the rest of the college students and young professionals on my newsfeed. It really caught my attention and I think it's because it shows that those brands care about what's going on and what their audiences are interested in.

If you're going to participate in the award show mania on social media, there are some things you have to keep in mind.

Be prepared for some backlash
No matter how true the tweets about Taylor Swift or Pharrell might be, there are some die-hard fans out there that will send some pretty rude things your way if you disagree with them. Be prepared with some proper responses for such a situation.

Can we say it enough? PROOFREAD!
Live-tweeting is basically a race between your fingers and the funny, horrifying and classic moments happening on screen. It can be easy to misspell a word or slip up in a post when you're rushing to get it out.

Engage, engage, engage
It's all well and good to push out your own thoughts and opinions about what's going on. If you really want to connect with your audience and build your brand, engage with what they are saying. Respond to their tweets or ask their opinions in a Facebook post.

Were any of your favorite brands following along with the Grammys? What were some of your favorite moments?