Last class of the semester, and I got to debate whether my entire year studying PR was just a waste of time. A very interesting debate that I found difficult to side with, although I had the task of arguing the idea that a PR degree would never be useful, because connections and your personality was going to get you through the door and on your way to a successful career. Interestingly enough, when the first poll was taken, my team won the majority of the vote. After we debated, the vote changed, and we lost two. Although, our team all believed the only reason we lost was because the rest of the class figured out that voting our team wasn't in their favor. (just a joke) It would actually be admitting that their entire year, and every single penny they had invested, and the degree they would walk away with, was in fact just another waste of time. Of course, they could also think that a degree was a useful thing to have and achieve because it would educate you and teach you the "tricks of the trade", as they say. In fact, I do believe that it is a mix of the two, or three elements that will determine one's success in this competitive industry. It would be a combination of personality, connections, and of course a degree. Today, a degree, especially a Masters degree, is something that will always benefit the person. It gives a certain status that is difficult to beat. It just gives "one step" above the next person. Of course, work experience is also very important too. However you look at it, PR is all about being smart, knowledgeable and confident. A degree will only help validate those points.
Thank you Michaela and Pam for a wonderful year!!!
All the best!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Social Media Marketing
Traditional print and broadcast marketing are no longer the number one ways in which a company can acquire or reach their target audience. According to many, social media marketing is the new fad. I have just finished reading a very simple, easy-to-read book called "Facebook Marketing: Leverage Social Media to Grow your Business" by Steve Holzner. The book describes how traditional marketing methods will not work in this cyberspace social world, and there are a complete set of new rules that do not apply to the old way of doing business. Actually, if you think about it, Facebook is like the new student in school that quickly becomes popular, and just like high school, one slight mistake can cost them their popularity. If something new comes to Facebook people feel it out. The cooler it is, the more it gets passed on to friends. If its not cool, forget it, they are doomed from Facebook.
One of the main components of doing well in the Facebook marketing plan is to create a good profile page. Establishing a proper page will do half the work for you, it will get you into the Facebook world, and once in, Holzner provides you with the crucial do's and don'ts of this popularity game. One of the best tactics of Facebook, as Holzner explains, is the ability to create an "event" and invite friends to it. Invitations are a quick click away, and they can be easily passed to friends of friends of friends. Companies can gather "friends", then create an event that invites these "friends" to it. Facebook provides an already-made guest list, and the company doesn't have to go through the hassel of finding people to come to their event. Even better is the way events can be passed on in the cyber world. Sharing information is quick and easy and extends across the globe!
However, as companies get more into social marketing sites, those who use them are becoming more weary. This video was passed to me through Facebook, and in turn I sent it to many of my friends. Groups have also been created in retaliation to what this video claims, but as a savvy Facebook users soon find out, groups will rarely kick up much dust. This is something else worth exploring, and one that Holzner did not bring up, but groups are an almost guaranteed waste of time.
Who knows if any of this is true, but I know when I watch this, all I want to do is get off Facebook, because it seems companies have figured out a way of retrieving, controlling and even monitoring their target audience. The smart companies are miles ahead in the game, and this is due to the readiness that every social networking member easily gives up their basic and sometimes very detailed information on the net.
One of the main components of doing well in the Facebook marketing plan is to create a good profile page. Establishing a proper page will do half the work for you, it will get you into the Facebook world, and once in, Holzner provides you with the crucial do's and don'ts of this popularity game. One of the best tactics of Facebook, as Holzner explains, is the ability to create an "event" and invite friends to it. Invitations are a quick click away, and they can be easily passed to friends of friends of friends. Companies can gather "friends", then create an event that invites these "friends" to it. Facebook provides an already-made guest list, and the company doesn't have to go through the hassel of finding people to come to their event. Even better is the way events can be passed on in the cyber world. Sharing information is quick and easy and extends across the globe!
However, as companies get more into social marketing sites, those who use them are becoming more weary. This video was passed to me through Facebook, and in turn I sent it to many of my friends. Groups have also been created in retaliation to what this video claims, but as a savvy Facebook users soon find out, groups will rarely kick up much dust. This is something else worth exploring, and one that Holzner did not bring up, but groups are an almost guaranteed waste of time.
Who knows if any of this is true, but I know when I watch this, all I want to do is get off Facebook, because it seems companies have figured out a way of retrieving, controlling and even monitoring their target audience. The smart companies are miles ahead in the game, and this is due to the readiness that every social networking member easily gives up their basic and sometimes very detailed information on the net.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Crisis Management
Crisis management... one of my favorite classes! Today was a very interesting lesson in the very difficult task of crisis management. As I learned today, there are many different ways for PR professionals to deal with a crisis, and even the slightest error can cause even more chaos.
The class was divided into different areas, where one group were the journalists, another the school in which a terrible problem has arisen, and another were the parents of the children going to the school under question. I was part of the journalist group, and as I learned, one of the easiest groups. We got to ask the hardest questions, and could never be placed under hard scrutiny, because we were the ones getting the answers to the public. The school had the harshest role, to deal with the press and some very angry parents. One of the most interesting parts of this activity was when Pam told the class that although the school may have answered all the questions in the right way, they had never expressed sympathy for the parents of the ailed children. Without any sympathy, the proper message would never come across.
I also learned that a definite answer should never be used, especially if no proof is shown. For example, the school was asked if the symptoms the children had could be fatal, and they answered no. The next day, a child was dead. According to Pam, this was a very very grave thing, because now the school had lied and a child was dead. The school should have just plainly replied that there was no evidence of the symptoms being fatal, but that they could not give any further comment on the matter at that time. All bases covered, and questions were put to a halt, for now.
In my opinion, every company, no matter how big or small, needs a crisis management response plan that needs to be exercised and updated regularly. A crisis team or media spokesperson must be elected or chosen to ensure that only the right person with the best communications ability will be up to the task of softening a crisis blow. This team or person must receive specific training in crisis management, as well, potential issues or crisis situations must have prepared responses. In this way, companies will be able to more easily deal with a crisis or potential hard situation in a better and more prepared way. They can also ensure that any person involved in a crisis management situation will be able to respond in a clear and coherent way, without further complicating matters.
Crisis management PR is one of the most difficult areas of this industry, and one of the most interesting. It puts PR to the test, and true skilled PR practitioner will shine when put to the test of solving a very difficult situation.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Country Branding
I've just read a very interesting book that sheds a great light on the public relations industry called The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR by Al Ries and his daughter, Laura Ries. Throughout the book the authors explain how advertising is dead these days because it has lost all credibility, and the only way to build a successful brand is through the use of PR. I thought the book held a very strong argument against the advertising industry, and the constant use of examples of advertising disasters and PR success stories helped further and strengthen their points. However, there is one chapter in particular that I found to be almost ridiculous, and this was the one on country branding. For those of you who followed my previous blog, you have read my entry on my discovery of country branding. This was a new idea for me and I was quite taken aback by it. I find it intriguing that a country must use PR to promote itself, although quite obvious because tourism is very important to countries, I found it bizarre the idea of country promoting and branding.
On this note, the chapter in this book that discussed this issue went way to far. They discuss the idea of changing the names of countries to make them more appealing for tourists to come visit. For example, The Ries' explain that Guatemala would be best suited as Guatemayan, because it is a country with a rich history of Mayan culture. Since Mayan ruins, they explain, are scattered over Belize, El Salvador, western Honduras and southern Mexico, tourists could be confused about which country actually was the centre of Mayan culture, and thus the name change to Guatemayan would avoid all confusion.
Another example was Peru. Peru is also lacking in tourists, despite the fact that it is home to one of the world's three top tourist destinations: Machu Picchu. The other two, for those who are wondering, are the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal. The authors explain that Machu Picchu is located in the city of Cuzco. The say that this name is terrible and should basically be changed to Ciudad de las Incas, to help tourists understand the real significance of this city. The Ries' believe this is a great idea that will probably never be adopted by the Peruvian's for some reason or another, the reason never is explained.
Although I do believe that country branding is an important factor to help enrich a country with tourists, I think made it almost comical in this chapter. If they actually think that their explanations for the city of country name changes are valid, then I'm a little afraid in all honesty. They treat the countries like brands, and they are not! A name change may seem like a good idea in theory, but in practical use, I believe the Ries' have completely gone out of hand. All of their “country re-branding” ideas, by the way, were not accepted by the governments, and for good reason.
The Ries’ should stick to product branding, and forget about country branding forever.
Ries, Al and Laura Ries. The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR. HarperBusiness: 2002
On this note, the chapter in this book that discussed this issue went way to far. They discuss the idea of changing the names of countries to make them more appealing for tourists to come visit. For example, The Ries' explain that Guatemala would be best suited as Guatemayan, because it is a country with a rich history of Mayan culture. Since Mayan ruins, they explain, are scattered over Belize, El Salvador, western Honduras and southern Mexico, tourists could be confused about which country actually was the centre of Mayan culture, and thus the name change to Guatemayan would avoid all confusion.
Another example was Peru. Peru is also lacking in tourists, despite the fact that it is home to one of the world's three top tourist destinations: Machu Picchu. The other two, for those who are wondering, are the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal. The authors explain that Machu Picchu is located in the city of Cuzco. The say that this name is terrible and should basically be changed to Ciudad de las Incas, to help tourists understand the real significance of this city. The Ries' believe this is a great idea that will probably never be adopted by the Peruvian's for some reason or another, the reason never is explained.
Although I do believe that country branding is an important factor to help enrich a country with tourists, I think made it almost comical in this chapter. If they actually think that their explanations for the city of country name changes are valid, then I'm a little afraid in all honesty. They treat the countries like brands, and they are not! A name change may seem like a good idea in theory, but in practical use, I believe the Ries' have completely gone out of hand. All of their “country re-branding” ideas, by the way, were not accepted by the governments, and for good reason.
The Ries’ should stick to product branding, and forget about country branding forever.
Ries, Al and Laura Ries. The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR. HarperBusiness: 2002
Friday, February 27, 2009
Corporate Respnsibility
"Consumers are increasingly aware that the impact of their product purchase goes far beyond the cash register"
- Robert Reich, U.S. Secretary of Labor during the Clinton administration
Take a look at the infamous brand American Apparel. Known for its plain tees and "regular people" models, this store has taken a new way of business of doing business. In 2000, company founder and CEO Dov Charney created a business that promoted immigrant rights and labor policies and would be known as a company that was "sweatshop free". A little side note that may be of interest to some: Dov is Montreal born and raised and also went to my high school. I met him twice in Montreal, and he left quite the impression... looks like a man straight out of the 70's, I thought it was a joke.. but sadly no, it wasn't.
American Apparel's main headquarters are in downtown Los Angeles, and the factory that makes the clothes is situated in the same spot. They pay their workers more then $12/hour, and despite this high salary, I am making less at my current job, this has not made a dent in the company's yeary earnings. In fact, just as Dov thought, it would make them ever more popular and successful. American Apparel also offers paid time-off, english lessons, free telephones where workers can take and receive long distancephone calls, and numerous other benefits. The company is also environmentally freindly and offers their workers bicycles to go to and from work.
In 2005, American Apparel hosted their bikini car wash, and the company package 80,000 t-shirts for the relief effort in the after-math of Hurrican Katrina.
Now there's CSR done right.
- Robert Reich, U.S. Secretary of Labor during the Clinton administration
Take a look at the infamous brand American Apparel. Known for its plain tees and "regular people" models, this store has taken a new way of business of doing business. In 2000, company founder and CEO Dov Charney created a business that promoted immigrant rights and labor policies and would be known as a company that was "sweatshop free". A little side note that may be of interest to some: Dov is Montreal born and raised and also went to my high school. I met him twice in Montreal, and he left quite the impression... looks like a man straight out of the 70's, I thought it was a joke.. but sadly no, it wasn't.
American Apparel's main headquarters are in downtown Los Angeles, and the factory that makes the clothes is situated in the same spot. They pay their workers more then $12/hour, and despite this high salary, I am making less at my current job, this has not made a dent in the company's yeary earnings. In fact, just as Dov thought, it would make them ever more popular and successful. American Apparel also offers paid time-off, english lessons, free telephones where workers can take and receive long distancephone calls, and numerous other benefits. The company is also environmentally freindly and offers their workers bicycles to go to and from work.
In 2005, American Apparel hosted their bikini car wash, and the company package 80,000 t-shirts for the relief effort in the after-math of Hurrican Katrina.
Now there's CSR done right.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Women and PR
I've just read an article in PR Week that talks about Ann Summers' chief executive, Jacqueline Gold, the daughter of David Gold, founder of the hugely successful adult shops.
Jacqueline Gold is a tiny, elegant, sophisticated and feminine woman who is now in-charge of running the 150 chain stores, and she is doing very well at it. She is responsible for turning this "once seedy sex shop populated with what she calls 'the raincoat brigade', into an almost all-female institution with stores a familiar sight on Britain's high streets" (View from the Top: Sex and shopping ). She started off working for her father in her early twenties and later took over his business. With the stores obvious controversy, Gold has been hit with some lawsuits and criticism over the years, but this hasn't stopped her from moving forward with her success.
Gold explains that at the start of her career she wanted to be taken seriously, so she dressed in business suits and wore glasses, until one day someone told her she looked like a politician (View from the Top). She explains that that day she realized that she wasn't a man, nor did she want to look like one. She was a girly girl and she was proud of it. So she began to dress like one. A lot of Ann Summers fame comes from Gold's image, and consequently, has helped her PR strategy. Along with becoming a successful business woman, she has become a brand in itself. She has written several books and has made several TV appearances to talk both about her success and her haunting past and sexual abuse. With all that in mind, she still comes out on top today.
What strikes me about this article and more importantly about what Gold says in it, is that you don't have to be aggressive to be successful. Movies like The Devil Wears Prada may give the wrong impression to young women trying to break into the tough business world, because they see this extremely hard woman, and they believe that they must be that in order to survive in this testosterone driven society. Gold is approachable, friendly and somewhat girly in nature, and this is far from the stereotype of an aggressive businesswoman. She is the complete opposite of the Miranda character in the film, but her way of doing business suits her just fine, and she does well. However, when it comes to the subject of inspiring women, Gold is all steel (View from the Top). Gold explains that women need to push themselves more, and that women in general are quite hard on themselves and lack confidence in many situations. "Sometimes men are more intimidated by women than we are by them" (View from the Top), she explains. "We forget as women how powerful we are - we need to be reminded of that occasionally".
Gold says that there will always be challenges that face you, but you must not be afraid of them. She believes that its these challenges that have helped her move forward, and she believes that her story can benefit women who are afraid t0 be strong.
I think a balance of both women mentioned, Miranda and Jacqueline, will make the perfect business woman. Being tough is important, but having a soft side can make a person more approachable. Soft doesn't mean weak though, there is a difference and that should not be confused.
Miranda Presly Jacqueline Gold
Which do you think fits the image of successful business woman?
"View from the Top: Sex and Shopping". PR Week 9 January 2009
Jacqueline Gold is a tiny, elegant, sophisticated and feminine woman who is now in-charge of running the 150 chain stores, and she is doing very well at it. She is responsible for turning this "once seedy sex shop populated with what she calls 'the raincoat brigade', into an almost all-female institution with stores a familiar sight on Britain's high streets" (View from the Top: Sex and shopping ). She started off working for her father in her early twenties and later took over his business. With the stores obvious controversy, Gold has been hit with some lawsuits and criticism over the years, but this hasn't stopped her from moving forward with her success.
Gold explains that at the start of her career she wanted to be taken seriously, so she dressed in business suits and wore glasses, until one day someone told her she looked like a politician (View from the Top). She explains that that day she realized that she wasn't a man, nor did she want to look like one. She was a girly girl and she was proud of it. So she began to dress like one. A lot of Ann Summers fame comes from Gold's image, and consequently, has helped her PR strategy. Along with becoming a successful business woman, she has become a brand in itself. She has written several books and has made several TV appearances to talk both about her success and her haunting past and sexual abuse. With all that in mind, she still comes out on top today.
What strikes me about this article and more importantly about what Gold says in it, is that you don't have to be aggressive to be successful. Movies like The Devil Wears Prada may give the wrong impression to young women trying to break into the tough business world, because they see this extremely hard woman, and they believe that they must be that in order to survive in this testosterone driven society. Gold is approachable, friendly and somewhat girly in nature, and this is far from the stereotype of an aggressive businesswoman. She is the complete opposite of the Miranda character in the film, but her way of doing business suits her just fine, and she does well. However, when it comes to the subject of inspiring women, Gold is all steel (View from the Top). Gold explains that women need to push themselves more, and that women in general are quite hard on themselves and lack confidence in many situations. "Sometimes men are more intimidated by women than we are by them" (View from the Top), she explains. "We forget as women how powerful we are - we need to be reminded of that occasionally".
Gold says that there will always be challenges that face you, but you must not be afraid of them. She believes that its these challenges that have helped her move forward, and she believes that her story can benefit women who are afraid t0 be strong.
I think a balance of both women mentioned, Miranda and Jacqueline, will make the perfect business woman. Being tough is important, but having a soft side can make a person more approachable. Soft doesn't mean weak though, there is a difference and that should not be confused.
Miranda Presly Jacqueline Gold
Which do you think fits the image of successful business woman?
"View from the Top: Sex and Shopping". PR Week 9 January 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Ethics in PR
At the beginning of class, Michaela put up a question about ethics. The question asked whether you would stop a train from killing a lot of people by detouring its tracks to kill just one person. I was reminded of a question I have heard many times which asks, if you were standing over Hitler's cradle, would you kill the young innocent baby boy? Tricky question on many levels. When I first heard the question I responded immediately, yes yes yes. No question about it, a very stern yes. The person who asked me this smiled and said, you see its not that simple, and began to explain the complicated ways why. They said: what happens if what Hitler did was written somewhere.. as in it was meant to be, and if you killed him someone else was bound to take his place and do even worse? This stumped me, I hadn't thought about it in this angle. Another was, perhaps it was his upbringing, his nurture, as Freud explained, and you could change his destiny by changing his educational upbringing. The final angle was an obvious one, which i chose to overlook, and this was, Hitler wasn't Hitler yet, just a young baby in a cradle, innocent and helpless. I thought about The Minority Report, the movie with Tom Cruise, where criminals get arrested before their crime is committed. Great idea in theory, horribly unjust in another. Ethics is a very tricky study and people will always disagree with one another on the right ethical choice. Just like this question, where there is no right or wrong, just a simple idea that raises many ethical questions.
I also thought about Erin Brockovich's story and her battle to reveal the truth. Brocovich, with her little training in law, went up against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) of California in 1993, and won. The movie has many scenes in which she and her boss meet with the company's PR team in order to "negotiate" settlements. In each scene the PR people downplay their company's role in the water contamination of the nearby Southern California town of Hinkley. This movie definitely portrays PR as evil.
Have a look
I was also reminded of the movie SuperSize Me, where independent filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, documents his one-month McDonald diet and this lifestyle's drastic effects on his physical and psychological well-being. The film also explores the fast food industry's corporate influence, including how it encourages poor nutrition for its own profit. At one point in the film Morgan enters one of McD's head offices and he speaks to a PR representative. He tells this man that McDonald's is killing America, and the man continually denies it. Morgan shows him evidence and reads statistics and is eventually escorted out of the office. At the end of the movie the credits reveal that this man eventually quit his job because of Morgan. Apparently his conscious got to him...
Michaela's slides says it well: "PR is about reputation.. it builds and maintains a reputation", but do we as future PR people do the greatest good for the greatest number (Bentham),or do we do as Kant says, "the right thing". Both will inevitably bring up massive ethical arguments.. and so the ethical debate continues...
I also thought about Erin Brockovich's story and her battle to reveal the truth. Brocovich, with her little training in law, went up against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) of California in 1993, and won. The movie has many scenes in which she and her boss meet with the company's PR team in order to "negotiate" settlements. In each scene the PR people downplay their company's role in the water contamination of the nearby Southern California town of Hinkley. This movie definitely portrays PR as evil.
Have a look
I was also reminded of the movie SuperSize Me, where independent filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, documents his one-month McDonald diet and this lifestyle's drastic effects on his physical and psychological well-being. The film also explores the fast food industry's corporate influence, including how it encourages poor nutrition for its own profit. At one point in the film Morgan enters one of McD's head offices and he speaks to a PR representative. He tells this man that McDonald's is killing America, and the man continually denies it. Morgan shows him evidence and reads statistics and is eventually escorted out of the office. At the end of the movie the credits reveal that this man eventually quit his job because of Morgan. Apparently his conscious got to him...
Michaela's slides says it well: "PR is about reputation.. it builds and maintains a reputation", but do we as future PR people do the greatest good for the greatest number (Bentham),or do we do as Kant says, "the right thing". Both will inevitably bring up massive ethical arguments.. and so the ethical debate continues...
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