My Mission Trip to Ireland And The Importance of CSR

This past July, I went on a two-week mission trip to Ireland with an organization, Adventures In Missions.  Along with 23 other members of my team, we partnered with a local church to help run programs for the youth, where we made crafts with the younger children, played games, and spoke about our experiences in the U.S. We also went door-to-door in the local village to hand out invitations for the youth programs and various events at the church. We also had time to visit a local university, where we got to speak with several international students and university staff. In between running the youth programs and helping the local church, we got to travel to the homes of some of the elderly people in the village. Through these experiences, I got to give back to the local community and develop meaningful relationships with the people in Ireland. Every time you travel, near or far, you have the opportunity to network, and I am happy to say I have connections in Ireland. 

Returning from my mission trip, I had a better understanding of the importance of corporate social responsibility. CSR is becoming more important to corporations as a way to give back to the community and develop relationships with their publics. When corporations implement CSR, employees feel more engaged within the company. It gives employees a sense of purpose and motivates them to do their best work. CSR is also a great way to show your customers how you are giving back.

More and more, companies are looking for employees who have a desire and willingness to volunteer and give back to the community. Any time you are able to volunteer and give back some of your time to people in need, go for it. You’re not only helping others, but you are giving yourself opportunities and experiences to learn from, which will in turn help you land your next internship or job!

This guest blog was written by PRowl staff member Megan Healy.

This Week In PR | No. 8

This week (as are most weeks) was pretty full of major current events and changes in the public relations world. Here are just a few to give you a quick recap of what you may have missed.

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• Remember Malaysia Airlines? As predicted, they have recently launched a social media campaign in an effort to restore consumer trust. Take a look and/or participate in the conversation using #FlyingHigh on Twitter. (Mashable)
• Ladies, it would seem that we aren't the only one's whose body image is heavily affected by the media; men are also subjected to "fat shaming." While women are subliminally (or not so subliminally) told to get smaller, men are equally told to get more buff. It's great that the media is treating both sexes equally, but perhaps they should do so while being encouraging instead of discouraging. (TIME)
• President Obama has officially issued an order for air strikes to be launched over Iraq as well as air drops with aid for "religious minorities threatened by extremists." For his full statement, click the following link. (Associated Press)
• Edward Snowden, the NSA whistle-blower, has officially been granted a three-year stay in Russia. His temporary asylum came to an end on July 31st, but he has since requested it to be extended. On August 1st, his request was granted and Snowden will now have Russian residency for another three years. (CNN)
• It's no secret that the Chinese government can be fairly strict so it should come as no surprise that they've recently enacted tighter restrictions on instant messaging applications. Their reason? They were put in place in an effort to "help build a clean cyberspace." Hopefully they reach their goal. (Wall Street Journal) 
• In light of the massive breach of security that compromised around 1.2 billion usernames and passwords, the Associated Press has a few tips on how to make your information a little more secure...at least until this Russian hacking ring has been caught. (Associated Press) 
• To end on a lighter note, Kentucky State University's interim president, Raymond Burse, has agreed to a salary cut of $90,000. Why? The money will instead be going to 24 minimum wage campus workers in order to raise their hourly salary to $10.25 an hour, a pretty significant jump from their previous salary of $7.25 an hour. When explaining the bold move Burse simply explains, "I did it to bring the lowest wage employees up to a level where I think they should be." (CNN Money)

Take Your Career to the Next Level with the Perfect Elevator Pitch

You’re standing in an elevator and who walks in but THE executive at the job of your dreams. You have less than sixty seconds to convince them that you are the most qualified and most valuable for their company. What do you do? This is the ideal situation but, more than likely, you will be using your pitch in an email introduction, a portion of a cover letter, or in a job interview. An elevator pitch is a speech in which you have 30 to 60 seconds to sell yourself to your listener, about the length of an elevator ride. 

So, where should you begin? The best way to start writing your elevator pitch is list as much as possible about yourself and edit from there. This way, you can narrow it down to only the most important qualifications you possess. The purpose is to convince your listener that you would be a beneficial addition to their company or firm.

Here’s a simple example of how to set up your pitch:

• Name
• Currently enrolled at Temple University with a degree in ________ (include any minors or certifications)
• What you’re seeking; interested in finding a job/internship in ________
• Activities involved in
• Through these activities you’ve learned to accomplish ________
• You will be of value to their company because ________

As with anything else, practice! Delivery is just as important as content, and with practice comes confidence. But the key is to keep your pitch sounding natural. Make sure to include a hook in the beginning; your hook should get their attention and the rest of your pitch should keep it. For example, mention a unique internship that sets your apart from other students. In terms of effectiveness, it is also important to adjust your pitch to your listener, depending on their position or firm. You will have succeeded in perfecting your elevator pitch if it leaves your listener wanting more. 

Is Nine West on the Hunt for Fast Publicity?

Social media has been a buzz with opinions and backlash at shoe company Nine West's new advertising campaign. 

Recently, the company unveiled a series of images and online ads encouraging women to purchase shoes fitted for their most momentous occasions. While many events come to mind when mentioning momentous moments for women ages 25-49, Nine West's target audience, the company has decided to hone in on a very specific set of moments: husband hunting, a stay-at-home mom sending her child off on the first day of school, and soon to come: an anticipatory walk of shame.

Nine West marketing representatives have defended the campaign saying that the campaign is not meant to offend or belittle women, but rather to help reach women in a younger audience who see moments differently than their older counterparts. Vice President of Marketing for Nine West, Erika Szychowski explained to the Times "A night-on-the-town shoe, for example, would now be considered an on-the-prowl shoe."

Many consumers have taken to Facebook and Twitter to express their displeasure with the new campaign, while other female consumers search for the comedic light in the situation. One Facebook user added to the conversation on the photo above saying "As a professional woman, that's an offensive campaign based on an outmoded ideal. Apparently, your marketing team must be comprised of misogynists."

As a brand creating products for women, regardless of the specific demographics of the women being targeted, a campaign which seeks describe the experiences of women should be handled with care. While the women who have taken offense to the campaign are justified in doing so, the campaign in itself is not a complete loss.

So far the message of the campaign has been perceived as an outdated model of the female experience. A model which places women out of the boardroom and into the dressing room of a bridal boutique. While this perception of womanhood is not wildly popular, it is a portrayal of one aspect of some women's lives. Now, Nine West should feature other aspects of women's lives to portray.

In their attempt to reach women ages 25-49, there are other moments that I hope they opt to feature: graduation from college or graduate school, the launch of a successful business, or landing an executive position at work. These are the moments that women who were offended by the brand's first sweep of campaigns would better respond to; and, these are also moments that members of their new demographic would relate to and rejoice in celebrating.

What do you think? Is the Nine West campaign a complete miss? Or would adding to the message help to even out the responses to the backlash? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Embracing the Title of “Social Media Guru”

I’ve heard it multiple times from many aspiring PR professionals.

With a grimace on their face and often a caffeinated beverage in hand, numerous individuals have told me the story of their internship supervisor assigning them monthly Twitter schedules, Facebook “likes” analyses, and so on.

It gets even worse.

I have often heard (and even experienced first-hand) the all-too-common occurrence of a family member thinking that a PR professional’s job revolves only around social media, and because of this, they expect you to teach them everything there is to know about every social network available.

I completely understand a person’s aversion towards being known as the “Social Media Guru”. There are many other facets of PR that you may hope to master, and although social media is significant, it is often the first thing people associate with PR.

However, it is crucial to remember that social media is very important.

Along with press releases, PR plans, focus groups, and more, social media is an integral part of PR as a whole.

Oftentimes, when a company first enlists a PR agency to help increase its business and outreach, the first thing the PR professionals assigned to the client will do is analyze their social media presence.

Mastering the art of social media will make you a valuable member of any team you join and any job you fill.
Believe it or not, there is an art to social media. Knowing the best times for reaching people with your posts and well as knowing how to craft a client’s brand through the use of social networks can lead to great advancements in a person’s career.

The bottom line is, being known for you talents with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and so on will only make you a stronger professional and will help you develop your resume.

At your next family dinner, embrace the title of “Social Media Guru”, because if you have the chops to hold that crown, you should embrace it!

How do you feel about social media and its importance in PR? Let us know in the comments below!

"Oh The Places You'll Go" With Public Relations

As every public relation student knows, as soon as they say they are majoring in PR, a series of almost standardized questions always seem to follow: “What to do you want to do?” and “Where do you want to work?”

However, because of the diversity that public relations can offer, these questions can be hard to answer. But, that is the great part about this major. While looking into internships this summer, I applied to all the go-to’s. I applied to different agencies and non-profit organizations that I always pictured myself working at eventually.

The internship I ended up taking was something I never even though of. This summer I interned for a solo-attorney in center city Philadelphia, who focuses on criminal defense and personal injury.

At first, I felt extremely out of place in this office populated by legal interns and paralegals. I didn’t think a public relations student like myself belonged in a law office. But, this was definitely not the case. Even though I worked in a law office, I spend my days doing typical public relations work like writing blogs, press releases and newsletters. However, I also learned a lot due to the fact that the assignments I was doing were very non-traditional. For example, writing blogs about different legal situations and solutions.

I never realized how much any and every company needs public relations specialists. For example, every company and organization needs to have a positive relationship with the public in order to be successful. Thus, a public relations specialist can basically work anywhere for a multitude of different types of companies.

So, when you’re thinking about “What do you want to do?” or “Where do you want to work?”, remember, the possibilities are endless.

Did you have any alternative public relations internships this summer? 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Emily Charles. 

Twitter Made Me Do It

Social media plays a big role not just in the lives of PR professionals, but in the lives of just about everyone. I’m constantly checking Facebook, tweeting about something, or scrolling through Instagram all day long.  I know that I am not the only one guilty of doing so on a daily basis!  It’s safe to say that people love social media, but have you ever thought about how you apply social media to your life? You obviously use it to stay in the loop of the lives of your favorite celebrities, have a serious case of FOMO when you see what your friends are up to, and to creep on your ex boyfriend or girlfriend, but have you ever noticed how often you blame social media for something?

Think about it this way: now-a-days most conflicts begin with a subtweet or a status that offends somebody else, in turn, creating an argument. Also, social media has managed to become people’s outlet for when they need to vent, again causing conflict. How about the excuse, “It’s just Twitter/Instagram/Facebook, it doesn’t mean anything…”? This statement can stir up a huge fight in relationships or create a stir in a business. Little do most people realize, social media is extremely powerful and it isn’t always just those 200 followers that see your tweets or posts. Your words on social media are often times more puffed up than what you meant for them to be and can be taken the wrong way in a split second. This is a very important fact for PR professionals to understand.

 In the PR industry, you absolutely cannot blame social media for the words that you put out, because after you hit that send button there is no turning back. So instead of blaming social media for your mistakes, try to remember these three rules.

 Don’t use social media as a crutch. Otherwise don’t use the infamous “I didn’t mean to post that.” STOP USING SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN EXCUSE FOR YOUR ERRORS!

Understand the purpose of social media. Social media was created to spread news in a faster and more efficient way. Your thoughts and feelings may not be headliners, but one slip of the tongue can turn you into the latest news.

Know your role on social media. This is the most important rule to follow. Know your role is simply knowing your place on social media. Before you go posting something take a minute to think about it, the meaning behind it, how you feel about the comment, if it’s offensive, and if it reflects you in a positive way.

Next time before you run off and start playing the blame game, think about what your actually using social media for in order to avoid all conflict. After all, if you’re in the office you won’t go off running blaming your mistakes on the guy next to you, so why blame social media?

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Alissa Steele.