PRSSA Ice Cream & Fundraisers
For my Social Media in PR class, we were asked to create a viral video. For this project I worked with fellow classmate Allie Schlumper to create a viral video for our PRSSA chapter at Georgia Southern University.
For the video, I chose to capture some footage from our Bruster’s Scoop Night held Tuesday April 13. This fundraiser was held to help raise money for the PRSSA and SOCS Relay for Life team. Our primary client we focused on was PRSSA, although SOCS also helped out with the fundraiser.
Below is our video. Let me know what you think and help it become viral!
Can Kate Gosselin Dance?
As many of you may know, Kate Gosselin is on this season of Dancing with the Stars. A lot of people are expecting Kate to fail miserably and be one of the first to get voted off the show. I am not one of those people. I think that it takes a lot of courage for Kate to come before the nation doing something she has never done before. Kate has a whole new look including a new, longer hairstyle. I want her to excel on the show so that all those who are criticizing her will be shown that she can do whatever she wants without her ex John.
Kate has been ridiculed so much over the past year because of the ongoing divorce with her ex, John. She has eight kids and has a lot on her plate. Hopefully she will do great at the show, or at least do well enough to stay on long enough to prove to herself and the rest of the nation that she made the right decision in choosing to be on the show.
Kate’s old look before the divorce of her and John.
Kate’s new improved look.
PR Professional Interview
I interviewed Scottie Brown Davis, a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Scottie is the marketing manager at Pineland Telelphone Cooperative in Metter, Georgia. Scottie and I were in the same sorority, Kappa Delta together. This interview was conducted over the phone.The questions I asked her and her responses are at the end of this post. I feel like I learned quite a bit from her and will definitely pay more attention to the things that she said she uses most.My Interview with Scottie did not necessarily make me form any more of an opinion on a career in public relations, but I do know that this the PR field is something I am still very interested in going into when I graduate in May. I would rather work at a somewhat larger company, not necessarily for such a small town communications company.
1. What is your current job and what does it entail?
I am the Marketing Manager at Pineland Telephone Cooperative in Metter, Georgia. Pineland Telephone is a telecommunications company that specializes in telephone, high-speed internet, and digital television services. I am in charge or all marketing, public relations and advertising for the company. This includes website maintenance, creating publications and manuals, and radio and newspaper advertisements. I am also in charge of creating ads for our local public service announcement channel, community involvement programs, and a bi-monthly newsletter.
2. Did you graduate with a degree in public relations? YES
3. What is one piece of advice you would give students majoring in PR?
The one peace of advance I would give is that every student should take the PR Publications class. Learning the Adobe Suite has given me the skills I need to advance my career,. I use the Adobe Suite programs everyday at work.
4. What have you learned the most in your career that you did not learn in college?
In College- most people get by with learning just what they need to. In the business, the more you know, the farther up you will move. LEARN!!!
5. What piece of information that you learned while in college have you used most in your career?
The one piece of information would defiantly been the skill knowledge I gained from the PR Publications class.
6. Tell me about a project you worked on that you are especially proud of.
I re-created, designed, and developed the new Pineland Telephone website.
7. What three tips would you offer someone just starting out in PR?
1. Realize that even if you think you know everything- you really don’t.
2. Pay attention to your surroundings, and if you get a chance to learn something- take advantage of it. You can never know too much!
3. Learn from your mistakes and grow from them!
8. How important is writing in your career? Somewhat
9. What has surprised you the most about working in PR?
Deadlines are the most important thing!
10. What do you wish you would have known before starting your career in PR?
Oh gosh- who knows J
11. How has PR changed since you entered the field?
I have only been in the field for two years, so not much.
12. Do you feel today’s students are prepared for the challenges of new PR? NA
13. What’s a typical week like? (If no week is typical, then what was last week like?)
Design weekly ad or promotion, update website and any pricing as needed, meeting with business associates and co-workers, deal with customer problems, meet deadlines, and then start back over.
Senoia? In a TV show?
I work at an Irish pub when I head back to my hometown for the weekends. Maguire’s Family & Friends is located in Senoia, Georgia and has been open for 2 years now. Maguire’s is a family owned pub and was one of a kind until recently a second location was opened in Morrow, Georgia in the Olde Towne district. I love working for the Maguire family. It truly is a one of a kind place in the area. There is not another place like it.
Some of you may have heard about the Lifetime Network series Drop Dead Diva. There are a couple episdoes where restaraunt or bar scenes were filmed inside Maguires. This was great publicity for the small town of Senoia, along with Maguires. It brought people in from all over the state to see what the big fuss was about. This upcoming season of Drop Dead Diva, one of the owners, Wendy Maguire will be featured in the show.
The Bachelor’s Vienna is a WHAT?
Okay, as you reality TV buffs may know, Vienna (the evil blonde) won out Jake’s heart on this season of the Bachelor. Yes, she was hated by many across the nation for her vindictive side, fried hair extensions, and scandelous attitude on the show. But if the beautiful Jake Pavelka is happy, we’re happy right?
Not only did Vienna win the show, but it also came out that she was in a sorority…Kappa Delta. Now I am a KD at Georgia Southern and most people know that you can’t base a sorority at one school on the same one at a different school in a different state. But it’s hard not to imagine that Vienna being a part of something might influence those girls who are going through recruitment the following fall here. Is that what these girls first opinion is going to be? On Vienna? I hope not, but I think this is why National Kappa Delta has rules in which you may not contact the press or state publicly on any national or local broadcast that you are a KD unless you are talking about a KD function.
The New Bachelorette: Allie
So if you have been watching ABC’s The Bachelor, most of you probably know Allie had to make a choice between her keeping her job and staying on the show for Jake. She chose her job.
When the season finale aired, the “After the Rose Ceremony” show that immediately followed ended with the announcement of a new Bachelorette for the next season. Surprise surprise…Allie.
Now here is my question, if Allie’s work made her choose between staying on the show just a couple weeks longer and keeping her job, how is she able to be the Bachelorette for an entire season? Seems kind of fishy to me.
Personally, I think ABC thought of this ploy, because Allie is such a good candidate for the Bachelorette, to get her to leave Jake in order to add a little suspense and excitement to the show. Allie is mature, confrontational, and independent. All these things are qualities each Bachelorette has possessed on previous seasons. I think the whole situation was huge PR stunt in order to make sure the Jake and Allie lovers of the Bachelor tuned in to watch the Bachelorette.
Purple Glove Dance
My younger sister attends Georgia College & State University (GCSU) and a couple of students decided to enter their school in the Purple Glove Dance. From www.purpleglovedance.com, I have posted a paragraph that briefly explains what it is:
The Purple Glove Dance is a new and exciting way to join 4THEFIGHT against cancer. The person or team with the winning video will be presented with a check made out to The American Cancer Society in a minimum amount of $5000. Plus, a portion of the proceeds from all boxes of purple gloves sold will be added to the grand total. Check this site regularly for the featured video of the week. Each week the featured video winner will be chosen and will receive free fundraising merchandise from http://www.4thefight.com.
The video can be found on YouTube and went from 31 visits when I first watched the video to over 15,000 in just 3 days! I am not sure who won the contest or if it is even over yet, but I do know this was a great way for all the organizations to get their name out their (i.e. sororities, fraternities, etc.) and for the school to show what a close knit family they are to the entire world through YouTube. Check it out for yourself below!
Tiger Woods’ Apology…
On February 19, 2010, Tiger Woods addressed the public and issued an apology for the sex scandal that was made public just months before. This apology was Woods’ first public appearance since his car accident in November. This public apology aired on CNN and although it was open to limited media, no questions were allowed to be asked.
Below is the video footage of the entire public apology that aired.
Do you think Tiger Woods wrote this speech? Did you believe him and his apology?
These are some of the questions that I asked of myself immediately after watching his live public apology. To be honest, I feel as if Tiger did not write this speech himself, even if the tabloids says he did. To me, it felt very unrehearsed as he was reading it to the public. I feel if Tiger was ready to address all the rumors and the sex scandal he was involved in, he should have been a little more prepared to do so. It was very obvious he was reading the speech that was written in front of him. This could have just been Tiger’s nerves coming out, but I feel as if it was much more than that.
I don’t really believe Tiger after hearing his apology. Nothing he said seemed very sincere. On top of not seeming sincere in his public apology, he also read close to every word. Tiger could not even say he was sorry to his wife, mom, and children without reading it straight from the paper on the podium in front of him. Although it was the right time for Tiger Woods come out and publicly apologize after he had been seeking help in a type of rehab facility for a couple months, if he felt he could not be sincere or at least act sincere in his apology, maybe he should have waited a little bit.
I feel this apology was forced upon him by his publicist and that it made him look worse than he already looked in the public eye.
Recruiter Visit from University Directories
On February 9, 2010 Maggie Woodward, a recruiter for University Directories came to the PRSSA meeting to speak. Maggie is a recruiter. This means she goes around to different college campuses and recruits interns.
One of the key ways to begin the career search in college is to build a relationship wtih the career center located on your college cmapus. They will help you with your resume, cover letters, and even getting you interviews.
Maggie says to begin your resume with an objective that stands out among others. An objective typically appears near the top of your resume, so it will be part of the first impression your resume gives off. Cover letters are also another way to give off a good first impression and stand out among others.
Make sure you have a professional e-mail account set up. You may even want to consider creating a separate e-mail account that is just for your job search. A professional e-mail typically contains either your first or last name or both, so the recipient can easily identify you. You will also want to keep your voicemail on your cell phone professional. Either have a professional greeting created or use the standard “You have reached…(insert name here).” Be aware of what song you choose for a ringback tone, if you choose to have one. You need the ringback tone to be professional if you are going to have one.
Tips on how to succeed in career fair:
- Look up the list your college will post about which companies ill be in attendance at the career fair.
- Research the companies that will be at the career fair, especially the ones you are interested in.
- Practice on the companies you are less interested in, before going to meet with the companies you are really interested in.
- Remember career fairs are the first impression you will make on a company so act eager.
Maggie Woodward had some great advice on using the career center on your college campus.
“Fake it til you make it!”
AP Style
In response to Barbara Nixon’s (www.publicrelationsmatters.com) blog post on AP Style. I find that AP style is a lot easier for me to follow than APA style. When I think of AP I think of a more laid back type of writing and it doesn’t really stress me out like APA style tends to do. Maybe it is because of the types of things AP and APA are used for. APA is used more for research papers, which tend to stress me and most people out anyway, as where AP is used for Press releases and other smaller assignments in my public relations classes. I have not seemed to have much trouble with AP style. Maybe I had a good journalism teacher.
Planet Jess 