Exploring Atlanta During PRSSA National Conference

 

In case you haven’t heard, the 2015 PRSSA National Conference will be in Atlanta this November. For us in the Philadelphia region, it is more than just a Mega Bus ride away, but still a doable distance. I highly suggest trying to fit National Conference into your fall semester budget, especially for seniors. Not only will it be extremely beneficial to your professional life, but Atlanta is an awesome city. Below are some pretty neat things to check out in the ATL while you’re not handing out business cards and networking with professionals.

1. Piedmont Park – Even though winter coats will be in full effect in Philadelphia in November, the weather in Atlanta will still be nice. This is a perfect spot to relax, hang out during down time, and capture a great Instagram picture.

2. BBQ- Being the foodie I am, a bunch of different sites have said to not miss out on some BBQ while in the South. Some of the top recommended restaurants are Heirloom BBQ, Fox Bros. BBQ, and Community Q BBQ. Apparently, it would be a sin to not get a side of mac and cheese too.

3. Inside CNN Tour- This is not only on all lists to do while visiting Atlanta, but we all know media is a huge part of our field. This would have to be something most likely planned out in advance because of how often it sells out. I think crossing this off the list is definitely doable over the five days there.

4. The Varsity – This is the world’s oldest drive in restaurant. Eating meals during Conference will not always be the top priority, so why not treat yourself with something fun and easy. Reviews say it is some of the best grease out there and are known the most for a Frosted Orange.

5. Centennial Olympic Park – Created for the 1996 Olympic games, this park is still in business. Conference will have us constantly on the move in between sessions, so why not grab a meal to go and hang out here. This is also another sweet spot for a skyline photo.

The list of attractions and restaurants in Atlanta goes on and on, but these are five things I think can definitely be accomplished during the span we are visiting for Conference. Let the countdown begin!

Spotify Stays Creative with Statement after WWDC

On Monday, Apple announced at the Apple Worldwide Development Conference that it would be stepping back into the music scene. Not as far back as the days of Limewire, but not as recently as Touch Tunes, Apple did play a major role in the way that downloading music has developed. Apple Music is the company's new music service that ultimately serves the same needs as Spotify, iTunes, and Pandora. 

Innovations like these in the business world affect marketers because it immediately means competitors. Before announcing the big idea, Apple's communications team had to research and strategically plan how it would compare to the leading streaming services for music.

Spotify Chief Executive Officer, Daniel Ek, did not have much to say about the announcement initially, sharing only two words via Twitter:

Since then, Spotify posted a statement on their website sharing powerful statistics that they have reached 20 million paying subscribers. Not to mention, 75 million active streaming users. Basically - hey Apple, this is what we're working with - Spotify is getting personal with their audience and spreading the love to their fanbase in case they were thinking about turning.

In the statement, "The Spotify Team" include graphs to give users the inside scoop on how the numbers work behind the scenes. This type of reference makes the public think that Spotify thinks we are important even to know ourselves!

You haven't even heard the best part yet - as per any occasion, Spotify has come through and made us a playlist. "20 Million Thank Yous" is 17 popular, upbeat, happy-go-lucky songs, ranging from Zedd to Queen. It was a great idea for Spotify to take a creative approach when addressing the announcement of Apple Music. Spotify doesn't have to act or innovate now, but the PR team has to plan one way for the brand to publicly say something.

I decided to put "20 Million Thank Yous" on while I wrote this post. I couldn't be happier I did.

Why Traveling Is Important For Both Our Personal And Professional Lives

I’m sure many of us have heard the phrase, “travel while you’re young”, and we often think that it’s not that easy. While being in college, it sometimes seems that traveling would be impossible.  A lot of us are busy putting ourselves through school, working multiple jobs and trying to keep our grades up.  While the financial aspect of traveling can be daunting, it doesn’t compare to the amazing experiences you will take away from visiting unfamiliar places.  Whatever kind of trip, whether it’s big or small, can bring you countless benefits. Traveling enables you to learn more about yourself, different types of people, cultures and the world that surrounds you.  The lessons you’ll take away from traveling will help you grow in both your personal and professional lives and here’s how.

It Gets You Out of Your Comfort Zone. We’re so used to the routines that we follow from day to day. We know the situations we will find ourselves in, and the people we will come in contact with. But when you travel, you are forced to deal with unfamiliar situations. You have to navigate yourself through foreign places and communicate with people that live a completely different life than you do. By doing this, you open your mind to new experiences. You become a more well-rounded individual and you become more understanding to different cultures. These actions allow you to grow not only personally but also professionally. Our world is one big business, and—knowing that—you can adapt to any situation and conquer just about anything.

It Teaches You Life-Long Lessons. We could spend our entire lives sitting through classes but there are just some lessons that can’t be taught in the classroom. We need to do put ourselves out there in the world to test our independence, confidence and sense of self. Traveling teaches you who are, how to interact with different types of people and allows you to appreciate your life in the present moment. These experiences are not only humbling but they can also give you a leg up in the professional world. Employers like to hire people that they know can adapt and can interact with anyone.

It Enables Further Networking. There are opportunities across the globe for whatever industry you hope to find yourself in, and the sooner you get out there and meet new people, the better. It’s inevitable that you’re going to meet new people wherever you go and you never know what they can offer you. The more connections you make and keep up with, the more opportunities you are opening up for yourself.  

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Breanna Fars. 

Summer Traveling on a Budget: How to Gain Experience Without Going Abroad

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Summertime isn’t just for relaxation and catching up on sleep.

Many students use the time off to travel abroad through programs offered by their colleges, which often gives them the opportunity to study or intern in a foreign country. These programs are wonderful, and many students talk about their experiences for years after their trip.

However, these programs are very expensive, and they also require a student to give up a lot of time, which may not be possible if he or she is trying to graduate within a set number of years.

If you are a student who cannot afford to travel abroad for whatever reason, don’t worry! There are many different travel experiences that you can have that will enrich you and give you many stories to tell your friends when school resumes in the fall:

1. Museum hopping in your closest city: If you want to learn something new while experiencing a new environment, a great way to do so is through exploring museums in a city. Many museums have days in which students can be admitted at a discounted cost, and different museums have different themes that will satisfy different interests. After a day of hopping through multiple displays, take some time to experience the nightlife of the city you are visiting. You will come away from your experience with knowledge of a new topic, and you will have had fun experiencing a new type of urban culture.

2. Sitting on the beach: This idea may sound like all fun and no work, but it doesn’t have to be that way! While soaking up the sun, you can pick up a book you have been dying to read about the PR industry or professionalism, which may help you during your upcoming semester. If you aren’t located near a beach, explore other options. Some lakes are just as popular as beaches, and have sandy areas waiting for beach towels and umbrellas!

3. Visiting a historical site: Regardless of where you are located, there are historical sites around you. Visiting these sites will give you an opportunity to experience our country’s history first hand rather than through a history Gen Ed! Find sites near you by searching online-you never know what you will find!

What are some of your summer plans? Let us know in the comments!

Learn New Skills to Boost Your Resume

The summer is a time to distress from a hectic school year, take a break from classes and be able to work or intern without having to balance classes, meetings and homework. It is also a great time to learn some new skills and build your resume.

Whether you are a public relations, mass communication, advertising, marketing or similar major, there are countless internship and job opportunities available. With so many young professionals applying for these positions, knowing how to use various programs and software helps diversify your portfolio and supplements your past experiences on your resume.

There is a wide variety of skills and programs such as coding, Final Cut Pro, the Adobe Creative Suite, Google Analytics and others that are helpful in future job opportunities. The job description may not ask for someone with these skills but you can introduce them into your workplace if appropriate and find new ways to complete tasks. Knowledge of some programs also can be used when you are asked to use a brand new program or system because you will be able to see some similarities and work though any issues easier.

Cision is another skill that public relations professionals frequently use. It is a website that serves as a database of journalists and their contact information. Professionals use it to build media lists when they want to send out a press release or media alert. To learn more about it, watch a tutorial here.

To find some programs that interest you, watch tutorials on websites like YouTube or Lynda. The tutorials will take you step by step and allow you to learn at your own pace. Some universities, like Temple University, offer free memberships to Lynda, so check before buying a membership.

If you would rather spend your summer days by the pool or at the beach, you can take supplemental classes during the school year to learn these skills. Last spring semester, I took a digital design class where I became proficient in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and Design. I added these three programs to my resume and hope to apply my skills in an upcoming job opportunity.

Regardless of your major, never stop learning and discovering new skills to stand out and get your dream job.

What programs are you looking forward to learning? 

This blog post was written by PRowl Secretary Shaun Luberski.

The 3 Steps to Handling a Crisis

Amid the “19 Kids and Counting” scandal, there were a few missed opportunities for TLC to use handy PR tricks to help save face. During these tough times, it is important for companies to stay ahead of the issue at hand in order to restore their image and the faith their stakeholders have for their company. These are the steps TLC should have taken to handle the crisis/scandal/issue

1.   Communicate the issue. Once these types of scandals break, the media will be all over you looking for comment. Although there is no rush to provide one, it is not good to completely ignore the media outlets. This will allow other people to speculate your stance on the issue and create new opinions that could distance them from your service. People need to know where you stand on the issue.

2.   Apologize. Everyone is human, and humans are not perfect. Regardless if your company is in the wrong, you should always apologize for the situation at hand. It shows that your company is compassionate and cares about the people who are involved in their business.

3.   Be transparent. Be available to stakeholders to voice their opinions and concerns, and take serious initiative to make change. Every scandal presents a company with the opportunity to make positive changes and be more open and honest with its constituents. Companies should share as much as they can with their constituents to prove that they are taking the necessary steps to make changes.

All of these steps help companies deal with crisis issues and help solve them quickly and swiftly.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Rene Cosides. 

A PR Pro's Guide to Working with a Graphic Designer

Our world today is fueled by digital and visual content. As a soon-to-be public relations professional, it is likely you will be creating visual content to develop a relationship and engage with your client or company’s audience. However, you might not be an expert in design software, such as the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign). It is likely you will have to work with a graphic designer to reach your creative goals.

Source: Stocksnap

Know your objective. What do you want to achieve through this visual content? How do you envision the graphics? Know what you want so you aren’t wasting your time or your graphic designer’s time because we all know time is our most valuable resource.

Be able to describe what you want, but give the designer some creative freedom. Before meeting with your graphic designer, write down what you want to you can easily explain what you would like to see in the design. However, remember that the graphic designer is the expert. You should give him or her some creative freedom because the designer knows what will look best and may even create something better—something you may have never imagined yourself.

Send the right files. Ask the graphic designer about the specific files he or she needs to start creating your graphic. By asking first, you will eliminate unnecessary back-and-forth emails.

Do not underestimate the time it will take them to complete the project. A graphic is just like any other piece of art. It takes a lot of time to make. Even the simplest tasks may take more time than you think. Be patient and understanding because you don’t want the final product to look rushed.

Take an introductory course in graphic design. Even if you aren’t an expert after taking an introductory course, it will help you understand the programs that graphic designers use to create your content. You will be able to understand graphic design jargon, making it easier to communicate with your graphic designer. Also, you will learn the difference between vector and pixel-based graphics. Especially when dealing with logos, you will understand that vector-based images can be resized without damaging the quality of the image.

Graphic designers and public relations professionals are both creative in their own ways, and we have one thing in common – we both communicate with our content. By knowing how to work with a graphic designer, you will be able to complete your job more efficiently, while making your client or company happy at the same time.

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