8 weeks and Counting

My internships have been very enjoyable. I have had to go beyond and really come out of my comfort zone in order to produce the work needed. I am doing a combination of three internships. I work with Pink Alliance, which a PR firm that Savina Billups my classmate has started. I also intern at 90.5 on the Love Lounge show, and lastly I am the Florida A&M liaison for Aaron Arnold an alum of Journalism school. I typically work every day. Tuesday and Thursday I am at 90.5 planning out the show and helping with production. I probably work anywhere from 2-3 hours every day trying to get a deadline met.
I am enjoying my internship. I am very fascinated by the entertainment industry, having these internships allows me the opportunity to experience that world. This week I accomplished a project for Aaron Arnold. He wanted to participate in our “Grads Are Back” Colloquium during Homecoming. Aaron is a great speaker he is also a recipient of the 40 under 40 awards. I emailed Professor Ritchie and lobbied on behalf of Mr. Arnold. The end result was Professor Ritchie contacting him to be a part of the panel. The only thing I would probably try to change about my internships is the chance to do more writing. I know that as a PR practitioner we have to constantly write, I wish that I could get more experience in that area.
I have gained a client for Pink Alliance. That was one of my original goals when I became an intern for the company. I have brought on Aaron Arnold and I am also in the works of trying to plan a press junket for student media at FAMU, for the 40 under 40 awards. I think that I am meeting my initial goals that I set out to do with all of my many projects. I really am thankful for the opportunity that I have with all the projects because like I said previously it is really giving me the opportunity to do some kind of work in the industry that I’m interested in.

Ron Sachs' Presentation

I found Mr. Sachs’ presentation to be thought provoking and an inspiration for all. He not only touched on our professional life he dove into the overall life of a graduating senior. My first impression of him was that he was a very thorough man. He knew his stuff and was great at capturing his audience and holding on to their attention. One of his key points that really stuck out to me was his Ron’s Rules. He told us to 1. Respect ourselves, 2. Utilize Our Tools and, 3. Maintain Integrity. Although his tools seemed basic, they were relevant to the future of all of us in class.
I wanted Mr. Sachs’ to talk more about what services they offer at his company. When I reviewed his website I was interested in the client list that they had and the innovative ideas that they came up with. His overall presentation was amazing I think if we had more time to ask him questions it would have made the experience better. However, Mr. Sachs managed his time very well and I was also intrigued by his public speaking skills. He was able to communicate to us on a father, friend, mentor level all at once.
Mr. Sachs’ gave us a plethora of skills we should maintain in the working world. One that I really liked was when he told us not to be clock watchers. He said that a person that comes in right on time and leaves right on time is not impressive. Punctuality was something that he continuously talked about. I do believe that my generation does not pay attention to time because we simply don’t care but that is something that can set us apart and give us that leg up within the company. I am applying this to my internship when it comes to deadlines. I know that by doing this it will make me stand out and it shows that I have initiative and that I want to make myself known.

Am I Likeable??

I found this article to be very interesting. The topic of likeability was something I never really thought about in reference to “corporate America.” I am a firm believer that kindness will get you a lot further than “unlikeable behavior.” Bruna Martinuzzi discusses the importance of having a genuine likeable attitude in the work environment to show how far you can go if you are liked by your peers. I feel that this is an excellent article for young professionals to read because it helps them to realize that by having a more humble and likeable attitude you can progress within an organization.
Likeability has worked in my favor a lot! One specific example comes to mind when I think about my last internship. When I began my internship I had a manager who I really got along with. We achieved all the goals that we had for the semester and even managed to top the previous year numbers. She left the company and I was assigned a new manager. My relationship with her was strained to say the least. The relationship got to the point where she was trying her hardest to set me up to be fired. Because of my likeability and my reputation with everyone else in the office including my general manager I was able to keep my job and on board for another semester.
Out of the four elements that have been listed I would say that “empathy,” would have to be the one I would have to work on. Sometimes I can come off as a person that is not caring. After, reading this article I do realize that being empathetic can increase your likeability. Before reading this article I viewed myself as a very likeable person. After reading I see that there are areas that I need to work on in order to increase my likeliness within an organization.

Building MY Brand

The Art of Self Promotion is the central theme throughout this article. Sherrie Bakshi explains that it is important to build your brand internally and externally within a company. By volunteering, writing articles, speaking engagements, being active in PRSA and many more activities, you can make yourself an invaluable resource according to Bakshi. She also goes on to explain that it is important to market your skills. Make it known what you are capable of, so that your knowledge is always needed. This will give you the leverage you may need within a company.
Bakshi mentions that volunteering with a non-profit organization can be a great way to share your expertise. Last year I was able to participate in ER for PR. This is an event that is sponsored by PRSA. At the event PR practitioners were giving a free consultation session with various non- profit organizations. Not only was it a “good deed,” but it gave us the opportunity to share our expertise While working on my internship with Pink Alliance I think it would be fun and rewarding if we planned an event that immolated ER for PR. Maybe we could reach out to the local community and find an organization that is in serious need of PR help. Then we could put together a SWOT analysis for the organization and help them think of new and creative ideas to boost awareness.
More and more I am starting to realize the importance of Building My Brand. Blogging, websites, published articles, planning events and much more are extremely important. I think while building your brand you must also remember to protect your brand. The internet is such a powerful thing. I think we as young practitioners have to realize that our business and personal lives are starting to fuse due to social media. What you put on the internet stays on the internet. That however can work to our advantage by staying relevant and thorough we can have a successful career. While on my internship I plan to produce quality work and I also plan to stay innovative and current.

Me as an Intern

My internship experience this semester is really geared towards the entertainment world. Working with Pink Alliance Pr has been really exciting. Our first meeting was jammed pack with information about our upcoming projects. Florida A&M University's Homecoming is our next big project. Pink Alliance along with Ethnicity Models will be hosting a model search at the Moon. One thing that I know we have to do is consider our publics target them so that we have a great turn out. The attendance for last year was around 200 people, which is great but it can be better. We are going to utilize all media outlets to insure that we have better numbers.
My strategic thought process is something that I can bring to this company. I do consider this to be one of my talents. So many times we as practitioners get focused on the day to day and not what we can do to set us apart and give us that competitive edge. I know that I can try to get more clients for the company. Reaching out to contacts that I may have so that the company can build its portfolio.
I would definitely like to develop my own project while working for this company. I want to be able to bring on a client and have Pink Alliance help them to have a successful event. I also plan to use this internship as a way for me to become a better writer. Working with Pink Alliance also offers me the opportunity to gain contacts with people who are working in the entertainment field.

My Last Summer of Freedom

LSAT, job, and school were how my summer was spent. It wasn't how I wanted to spend my last summer of freedom, but I needed to get those things accomplished. I viewed this summer as an opportunity for growth. I really needed to get my life and career goals in order.I took the time to think about how am I going to prepare myself for this competitive field. At the end of the summer I was however able to take a week vacation with my family to Puerto Rico.
Being that this is my graduating semester I do not have that many classes. I am taking 11 hours. I have PR Campaigns, PR Practicum, African American Legacy, Basic Photography, and Colloquium. I feel that these classes will help me become more of a strategic practitioner. PR has become more of a multimedia career, having a class like photography I feel will help to give me more of a competitive edge when applying for a job. I want to do very well in my last semester, I am applying for law school and I need to have the best grades possible in my last semesters.
This fall is going to be busy. I am putting together a campaign book for my friends promotional company, I am applying to law school, I am involved in Hatchett Pre- Law Society, not to mention school. I am trying to involve myself in a plethora of activities so that I can have experience to add to my resume. I know that the more experience you have the better your opportunities are. I am going to utilize all my resources. So in the end surrendering my last semester has it benefits.

Internships

Every PR student should have at least one internship while in school. Experience is key, it helps you to get that leg up on someone who is competing for that same position.
This semester instead of just choosing one, I will be involved in three internships. I will be working on a radio show at 90.5. I will also be working with Pink Alliance which is a public relations company that is strictly just for woman. Lastly, I will be working on a speaking engagement for Aaron Arnold at FSU.
The reason I chose to do this is because I want to get the feel for different areas to decide what best suits me.
My past internships were campus based I wanted to venture out and be able to work on projects that allowed me to do more than just Florida A&M University projects. Working for Kaplan test prep I spent the bulk of my time on FAMU's campus. The internship was a good opportunity for me to learn office politics and organizational behavior. I do however, wished that I had the opportunity and freedom to do more innovative campaigns.
At 90.5 I will be helping to plan the segment "The Love Lounge," the show is a relationship advice segment that deals with “love,“ topics that young people face. We plan out the questions that we are going to ask the day before. We also come up with key points that we want our listeners to hear. By doing this we insure that we get a wide range of callers. It's really interesting to see the calls and feedback that we get from them. Brinton Flowers who is over the show really helps with the input of the show, he always wants to make sure that what we talk about is epic. The show comes on Tuesday and Thursday from 6:10-7:00 p.m.
Pink Alliance is a woman ran PR firm. Focusing on the entertainment aspect of PR. Entertainment PR is something that I have always found intriguing. Being behind the scenes of a big production is exciting. On this internship we will have meetings at least twice a week. At the meetings we will discuss the different accounts that we will be working on. Whether it's a press junket or a news release that needs to get put out we will discuss and issue out responsibilities. I expect this internship to be fun and informative. I also expect to grow as a writer and a communicator. Working with these girls to build the name of this company will be a lot of hard work but I’m sure that it will be worth it.
Lastly, I will be planning a speaking engagement for Aaron Arnold. Aaron Arnold is the founder of Music is My Business. He is also a FAMU alum as well as a Journalism school alum. Aaron came to speak at our colloquium about two years ago. When he came I was impressed by his drive and commitment to his passion. By planning this speaking engagement I expect to gain some connections with the Florida State campus. I also expect to gain more insight from Mr. Arnold.
On all my internships I would like to implement social media, transparent communication, and effective strategies. I want to come in and see the problem that they may have and become the solution. I also want to learn more and more about the fascinating aspects of media.

What does it take to have a Great Campaign?

Every PR practitioner should know that every campaign begins with research and ends with evaluation. No mater what model you use be it RACE, ROSIE, or RPIE you have to research your publics and then come up with an efficient way to evaluate them.

But how do you go about this? A great place to start is with formative and evaluative research. According to Professor LaRae Donnellan, formative is done before you start the communication process of your campaign. This can help you decide what kind of strategies and tactics that you would like to use. (PR Research Methods June 2010) During this process it is important that a practitioner comes up with a list of metrics for their campaign. A metric is a measurement; it is how you measure your objective.

Evaluative Research can be performed during or after your campaign. It is important to measure after you have completed your campaign however; I think that it is more important to do this while the campaign is going on. You can make adjustments to certain objectives if they are not getting the best results from your publics.

After you have performed these research methods you may want to use some of these measurable objectives to track your results:

- CPM ( cost per thousand impressions)

- Clip Counting

- ROI ( Return on Investment)

- Benchmarking

Another good tactic is to perform a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats. This exercise is beneficial to understanding all the aspects of the client. You start by making a list of all the strengths that your company/ client may have, such as:

- Location

- Price point

- Contacts

- Reputation

Listing these items will help you get a better understanding of what you may do better than your competitors.

Next, you should list the weaknesses of you client/company. Some examples of weaknesses are:

- Poor reputation

- Poor communication skills

- Poor availability

- Lack of resources

Next, you need to make a list of opportunities. Are known as the external factors affecting your client/ company, opportunities are things like:

- New Developments within your market

- Sponsorship

- The change in common trends with your public

The last step to the SWOT analysis is the threat step. Threats are potential opportunities according to Professor Donnellan. Competition is one of the main threats that a client/company may face.

While there are many other strategies a practitioner may use these are a few that can take your campaign further.

Is My Message Sticky Enough?

One of the many responsibilities of a PR practitioner is to make sure that the message is able to stick in the minds of the publics. Malcolm Gladwell the author of “The Tipping Point” described stickiness as, “the specific quality that a message needs to be successful.” (Malcolm Gladwell, 2002 pg 92)

It’s interesting when we watch a commercial on TV how fast we pick up on a jingle, or when you watch your favorite movie you can quote that movie line for line. What makes those messages stick? Gladwell says that when most of us want a person to remember something we try to put a direct emphasis on that message. We may try to speak loudly, or highlight a specific set of words, but Gladwell says while that may work for some messages there are other subtle approaches.

For example, Sesame Street one of the most influential educational programs for children in my opinion, researched how to make these subtle approaches effective. One thing that set Sesame Street apart from everyone else was it was on TV. They were utilizing a medium that had never been used before in order to educate children. The creator’s of Sesame Street said that the creators realize one simple but important thing; if you can capture and keep someone’s attention you can educate them.

The Distracter was the biggest stickiness mechanism. The Distracter was a slide show that was used while an episode of Sesame Street was being played. The slide show would consist of random things varying from a falling leaf to a flowing stream. They would then bring children in the room and make them watch the episode. They would change the slide periodically while the episode was playing; the idea was to track how many times the children diverted their attention from the episode to the slide show. From their findings they would then extract that segment out of the show. The Distracter made their message stick; they realized that if the children weren’t entertained their message would get lost in translation.

So many times a PR practitioner may have an awesome message that some how gets lost in all the media clutter. It is important when drafting a message you find creative ways to make your message stick. Another key ingredient to make your message stick is being mindful of those delivering the message. Gladwell says that in order to give your message that extra stickiness, you have to have three important people on your team: Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen.

Connectors are the networking people. They can put your message in the right hands and introduce you to the people who can help your message stick. Maven’s are the educators; they know a wealth of knowledge and tell people information because they know it’s the right thing to do. Lastly, the salesman is known as the persuader. This person is the last step to making your idea stick. They can persuade people into accepting your message and applying it.

The Importance of Knowing How to Frame Your Message

Framing is one of the most important tools in public relations. This tool allows your publics to see the story in a different light. Much of our media today goes through a gatekeeper, a gatekeeper is responsible for “filtering,” the messages that we receive. While the gatekeeper is filtering he is also framing the message to suit his/her publics. For example, one of the biggest issues we have facing the world today is “Climate Change.” Climate change, global warming, climate crisis and the list goes on are some of the names used to refer to the biggest issues facing the world. Why is it that we have so many names for one particular issue? Well, it is simple it’s all about how people feel. When people here climate crisis it sounds very alarming. It doesn’t sound as if this is normal and it starts to instill fear in these publics mind. According to The Psychology of Climate Communications, framing is important because it brings central points to the forefront. Framing helps the publics organize their ideas in order to formulate an opinion. Framing also helps to place “blame.” Framing can help the publics decide who the aggressor is and what should be done to deal with that person. According Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point there are a group of people that are key influencers in getting a message delivered the connector, maven, and salesmen. It is important that these people are on board when you are trying to frame a particular message. Framing has many different steps that can be used in order to promote a call to action. CRED says that are two people that have certain goals and what they focus on. There are the promotion focused and the prevention focused. The promotion focused people are concerned about progression. While the prevention focused people are concerned with they are a concerned with maintain the “status quo.” It is important as a PR practitioner that you keep in mind the various publics that you have. Every message has to be framed in a certain context in order for it to be received well. In framing it is important to remember the proximity of the frame. Localizing the frame can make it more effective. Giving the publics a sense of loyalty and familiarity makes them more comfortable with the message. Lastly, on important strategy for framing is alluding to the future. It is important to give the publics a look to the future at the same time it is important not loose focus of the present. The important thing for a PR practitioner to remember is that framing can come across a manipulative being sure to include the facts and to appear unbiased is important. Being able to frame is a great way to spread a message, move a call to action, and appealing to the publics.

Dimdim

Dimdim is a web conferencing program. Much like skype Dimdim offers video and phone conferencing for its customers. The difference however is that this program allows you to share pdf files and show pictures. Unlike the other web conferencing programs, Dimdim was created more for the business savvy individual.
Dimdim was started in February 2006. One of the important factors for the inventors was to have a user friendly product. They also didn’t want people to have to download software in order to utilize the program. Dimdim offers its services for free and does offer a paid program for its clients who want to customize their conferencing.
Even at its most basic level customers can meet up with 20 people at a time. There is also an advanced scheduling book that you can set up to plan future events. Much like the free conference calls you are given a moderator pass code and a participant one. You can send out an e-mail list and set up different time zones. You even have the option to use a white board where you can post comments that everyone can share.
Another interesting aspect is being able to host webinars on the program. All of your members can view a presentation that you have put together. You can show them by either sharing your screen or by having the option to click on the webinar option.

The Biggest Media Scandal

The Climate Cover-Up is a book written by a PR practitioner, James Hogan. Hogan a long time PR professional wrote the climate cover-up to talk about one the most controversial topics in today's society. What is interesting to find throughout the book is to see how well researched the book really is. How Hogan took the extra mile to highlight the uncertainties of exactly what climate change is. the first chapter which is titled "Lemmings and Lifeguards," helps to put into perspective where the public could be confused by the message that is being delivered through the media. For example, Bjorn Lomborg is an environmentalist. Much of his writings come from the skeptical side of global warming. He speaks out against the thought of having a carbon footprint, that it would be impossible to measure. He goes on to explain that our footprint will decrease in size because our population will continue to grow. He comes up with all these theories yet he doesn't even have a PhD in environmental science. Instead Lomborg received his PhD in political science. He was still published in a leading Canadian newspaper and listed as a reliable source.
Since Hogans has an experienced background in PR, he gave a few pointers in how to deal with addressing media. In chapter three he commends Lee and Bernays for their innovative ideas that are still used today. Some of the PR implications that are faced when spreading the word about global warming is creditability. People want a relabel source that is able to deliver the truth good or bad. In dealing with climate change a PR practitioner must show a plan of productivity, utilize the steps that the father's of PR have provided, and always tell the truth.
Hogan did an excellent job at highlighting the importance of practicing ethical PR.

How I FRAME!!!!!!

In dealing with Framing it is important for a PR practitioner to know the basis of what framing is really about.
A strategic frame analysis is an approach to communications research and practice that pays attention to the public’s deeply held worldviews and widely held assumptions, according to the frameworks institute. It is very important that a PR practitioner recognizes that there are multiple ways to tell a story. YOUR story is the one that you want to have the most creditability and be the most persuasive but not manipulative.
It is important to know exactly what a frame consists of, METAPHORS, VISUALS, STORIES, CONTEXT, MESSAGES, MESSENGERS AND NUMBERS. This is how to effectively reach the audience that you desire and to insure that they see the story from your point of view.
In dealing with the issue of “CLIMATE CHANGE,” it is amazing to see how even the name screams framing. When the issue of climate change first came about we referenced it as Global Warming. The term brings about a harsh and negative cononation when you hear it.

One example of framing, was when Philip Morris the smoking company came up with the Smoker Alliance. This was a non-profit organization that helped smokers fight for their rights! That was how the organization was framed. It actually an astro-turf, it was highly funded organization that was used to enforce tobacco laws in favor of the smoking company.
It is important to remember that when you are framing you must stick to the views of your publics. It is a great way to send a message that will work in your favor.

The Tipping Point

The Tipping Point should serve as a PR Bible for PR practitioner's. The book highlights the starting and take off points for any product or trend. Malcolm Gladwell does an excellent job at breaking down the science of "The Tipping Point." In the book Gladwell uses the word epidemic to provide a metaphor for the tipping point. No one knows why something takes off or how it happens but the impact is known. Gladwell provides three factors that every trend possess; the law of the few, the stickiness factor, and the power of context. Gladwell also pinpoints three people that help to "sell " the trend; Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen. If any PR campaign posses those three people it is sure to succeed according to Gladwell.
One of the examples provided in the book was the epidemic of the Hush Puppy shoes. Hush Puppies were on their way of being out of style and extinct, until some New York city kids begin to wear them. What started out with a few kids trying to be different, turned into a rebirth of a classic. Hush Puppies became the "it" fashion for ever designer's line.
It is important for a PR practitioner to remember that the "tipping point" serves as the catalyst for a major move in an idea, theory, or product.