Taking Public Relations Global

By: Ashley Mistretta


I decided to talk about global PR. As everyone probably already knows, international communication is increasing for public relation practitioners. This is a great opportunity for companies and organizations to be able to use technology to its highest potential. People who are PR practitioners now have the capability to help their companies build relationships over seas. One company I found online is called LEWIS PR. This is a global public relations firm that works with leading brands and in a very busy industry all across the world. This company has successfully learned how to take a brand and communicate it effectively all over the world.

Global public relation organizations do need to have a consistent message, but that does not mean the same message is sent to all the countries involved. The practitioner needs to cultivate a message that is molded to appeal to the target audience. This is an important piece of information to grasp. Not all regions are homogenous, and organizations have to try and work around this fact. One way of communicating a message could be alright in some parts of the world, where as, it could be an entirely offensive way to communicate in another. It is vital to research and know about the country and its culture.

Although this idea of global PR is mostly a positive aspect, these practitioners need to understand how to communicate with other cultures. It can be a tricky situation because certain countries could be offended by specific means of communication. Global organizations need to be able to comprehend that, certain gestures and words could be odious in different places. In order for global PR to succeed, practitioners need to recognize and respect other cultures ways of communicating. This will allow a good interaction between companies in opposite countries.

Other things to think about with global PR are to remember the challenges when it comes to logistics, language and culture. There are also time differences to think about as well. There are many issues to think about when taking an organization global, but once the motion is in set, there are many benefits that outweigh the risks. With the great use of technology, people and organizations are able to learn faster, communicate quicker and adapt to other cultures.

Guerilla Public Relations and Marketing Tactics

Guerilla Public Relations and Marketing Tactics

By Erin Chancellor

Guerilla marketing is a marketing tactic that focuses on unconventional ideas of advertising. One campaign in particular that stands out to me is the anti-smoking “The Truth” campaign. This campaign focuses on unique ways to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking. Commercials for the campaign have been known to feature disturbing images like piles of body bags, alongside facts about smoking. This campaign as well as others like it have been designed to shock the viewer and cause a reaction.
Some of these marketing techniques may be seen as controversial because of the element of surprise and shock that coincides with many of the campaigns. Guerilla marketing and public relations tactics have been debated in the public relations world, as it’s effects and necessity are questioned. In Boston recently, a guerilla marketing tactic went wrong when cardboard cut-outs promoting an Adult Swim show were mistaken for a potential threat. These cut outs, which featured boxes and lights, were placed in subway stations across the city. When civilians spotted these cut-outs they were confused, and many called the authorities, causing widespread panic. The idea of guerilla public relations has been a topic recently on public relations and advertising web sites such as bizcommunity.com, and PRSA.org

Personally I feel that guerilla marketing is a good public relations tactic. In the very least it usually brings awareness for your particular subject. This tactic, however must be used sparingly in order or it to be affective. It also must be used wisely so that circumstances such as those like the Adult Swim mishap do not occur in the future.

Rick Buchanan, Oklahoma Legend

By: Angenene Kendrick

While attending the Oklahoma Republican Party Candidate School last year, I had the pleasure of meeting a practicing professional who has served in media relations from small town projects all the way to the governor’s office.

Rick Buchanan spent part of the afternoon explaining the difference between earned media (public relations) and paid media (advertising) attention. Although most of it was review to me, I sat with a group of students who were learning it for the first time.

Rick served as Governor Frank Keating’s press secretary from 1995 to 2001. Keating was very generous in his verbal style when he offered remarks about almost everything. He kept Buchanan very busy at times. When asked about the experience, Rick commented, “Gotta love Frank!”

Rick has worked in broadcast marketing at KWTV and is now with the Oklahoma County Commissioner’s office. Although he didn’t admit it to me, I understand that he does some ghost writing for a few organizations. I’m not going to reveal that source.

Because of his experience in Oklahoma politics, I asked him to explain how they work. He said, “You're dealing with egos and personalities and power. Power always gets in the way. It's a great study, however.”

Rick is an awesome resource. When I am working on a project and am unsure to whom in the Oklahoma City media market I should be targeting, Rick is very helpful in showing me direction. He seems to be very well connected. I appreciate his efforts.

When I asked him about advice, he said, “Politics are everywhere. Learn how to play with the big kids, and you can politic anywhere.”

Rick is full of insight and encouragement. Most of the people whom I’ve spoken with about him and his illustrious career have shared very positive stories about him.

Rick lives in Edmond and enjoys photography, golf and spending time with his two daughters.

Social Media in Crisis Communication

Social Media in Crisis Communication

By: Amy Crosby

Twitter is one of the latest social media phenomena to attract the interest of communicators and public affairs professionals. This microblogging tool follows blog, social networking sites, photo and video sharing, and topic discussion sites.

In October when the wildfires raged through Southern California, thousands heard the latest news on evacuations and conditions via Twitter. 

When Hurricane Ike devastated Galveston, Texas, people received a continuous stream of headlines from an on-the-scene reporter via Twitter. When US Airways Flight 1549 splashed into the Hudson River, the first photo the world saw of it came through Twitter. As we can see and have experienced, after a major event, the first news will often come through social media. 

There is no question that social media will continue to alter the landscape of public information. Following the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, universities struggled to determine the best ways to notify students about emergencies. They realized that students often check their Facebook accounts more often than e-mail, and changed their communication plans accordingly to keep up with the latest social media developments.

When I first heard about Twitter, I thought it was kind of creepy that people can always see what your doing and what not. But after I registered and started following people, I soon found out that it is very valuable source in the PR profession and also in general. I have always been a Facebook follower, but now I find myself logging onto to Twitter more than Facebook. And this phenomenon is not just for young people. I saw an interview with Senator John McCain and he said he loves using Twitter and posts his updates himself. After hearing this interview, I quickly found him on Twitter and am now following him. It is a great way to stay connected to anything, anywhere, no matter what your interests are.

Crisis communicators and public affairs professionals, like their PR counterparts, are struggling to incorporate social media into their plans. I read in a PRSA article that perhaps the best was to do this is to incorporate social media into their next crisis drill or major communication exercise. When you plan for things that might go wrong, you also need to plan for the role that social media will play and how its involvement will impact your reputation.

The PRSA article pointed out three key elements that are essential parts of any response: policies, plans, and people. With policy, organizations such as Target formerly had policies that refused to engage bloggers or other social media outlets, however, when a controversy erupted with online complaints, they realized the policy had a serious problem. Crisis communication planning today must incorporate monitoring and active engagement with relevant sites and the use of emerging forms of social media. A drill is an excellent opportunity to evaluate the performance of your responders; but only if those doing the evaluating understand the role and culture of the medium. And in todays current craze with social media, they most likely will.

 

Viral Marketing and Public Relations

By: Leslie Koch

With the internet seemingly taking over the world, it is no surprise that most public relations practitioners are turning to the “world wide web” for campaign strategies. Websites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and the popularity of blogs have helped PR campaigns all over the world reach an entirely new spectrum of target audiences. These new campaign tactics are commonly referred to as viral marketing.

YouTube, a website that features millions of different videos from as many users all over the world, was created by employees of PayPal and bought out by Google in 2006. The website was originally launched in 2005 and the website’s popularity took off in the next few years. The website has been successful because users can create, upload, view and respond to different videos. YouTube has created thousands of “YouTube celebrities” and even caused controversies because of its high-paced messaging. Because of this, YouTube is a great way to use for messaging and to spread messages easily. Even one of our current class clients, Big Brothers Big Sisters, utilizes YouTube in its current PR campaign. An Oklahoma public relations firm recently used YouTube to publicize a job opening with the firm, the agency is looking for a new social media director. The video currently has 884 hits and it has been up for around five weeks.

Another new fad in viral marketing is the website Twitter. Twitter has gained lots of popularity in the past few months and especially in early 2009. Numerous celebrities use twitter and now it has become a great way for companies to send short messages to their followers. The University of Wisconsin has started utilizing a Twitter account to promote the university’s different sports teams and athletics events.

I think it is extremely important for PR agencies and teams to utilize these various types of viral marketing, because it reaches a wide range of people and is extremely time efficient. However, I think campaigns should mix these “modern” strategies with more “traditional” strategies, because it could be difficult to reach a specific target audience through the internet.

The Steroids Era

By Brian Russell

The contemporary issue I chose for this blog is Major League Baseball and their problem with steroids. Over the past ten to fifteen years there has been a growing concern that steroids have been corrupting the game of professional baseball. Within the last few years the MLB has had their back turned to this issue and at worst given a slight slap on the wrist if somebody failed a drug test. Now with the obvious bulking up of numerous big name players of the 1990’s and 2000’s, such as Sammy Sosa, Mark McGuire, Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Raphael Palmero, Roger Clemens, and Alex Rodriguez the media has begun to take a harder look at the game at the professional level. This is a public relations nightmare for the league and now you can’t turn on a sports broadcast without hearing of a big name player that has failed a drug test for steroids.

Major League Baseball has been tarnished, and many people are calling this time period in the game “The Steroids Era.” Many players from MLB have come out and publicly said that they have not taken any performance enhancing drugs, just to look like complete morons when it comes out months later that they have been juicing up for years. Unfortunately, this has hurt everyone that is involved in the league, from administration and minor league players to the superstars of the league. The Steroids Era has left many sports fans such as myself, to believe that none of the players are 100% clean and that they are all guilty until proven innocent. This will continue to be a nightmare for the league and the players involved, until they take a stand and to start implementing lifetime bans for players that failed tests.

Public Relations: A Dark Art

By Drew Kirtley

As someone who has wanted to be in the business for years now, I have always sort of embraced the bad reputation that PR practitioners receive from the very public to whom they are trying to, well... relate. Not to say that I try and make a bad reputation for myself, but just that people don't fully understand what the business is about. I have heard people call PR practitioners anything from manipulators to airheads. The most famous nickname being, of course, "spin doctors." Personally if anyone ever feels the need to refer to me as any kind of "doctor" I won't object.

The bad reputation that haunts PR practitioners has become so popular in our society, there have been numerous projects in television and film that are based on the issue. One of the very first instances in which PR was shown in a controversial manner was the popular television sitcom, Spin City. The series starred Michael J. Fox and revolved around a fictional government in New York City. It deals with the character's ability to deal with the PR of the business but not his own life.

Another very popular example is the 2006 film Thank You For Smoking based on the 1994 Christopher Buckley novel of the same name. It is more of a comedy that stars Aaron Eckhart as a spokesman for a tobacco company. Again, PR is shown in a negative light.

A recent film, however did show public relations in a positive manner. The 2008 summer blockbuster, Hancock, stars Will Smith as a super hero with a bad reputation and a drinking problem. Jason Bateman plays a PR representative who tries to give Hancock a more positive image.

But no matter how many movies or television sitcoms are made, PR has a long way to go before it is viewed as a completely positive business by the public as a whole. There are so many positives to it that go over-looked and it is a shame that there are so many people doing good and they are viewed in a negative light. But, let's face it. The world will always need PR (more and more these days) so it has plenty of time to clean up its own image.

The Importance of Networking in Public Relations

In the public relations industry networking is the key. Whether you are networking for a job or for the organization you are representing, building relationships with others is the most crucial aspect of public relations. Obviously having a talent with words is the most important skill needed to be successful in this industry, but without strong relationships with the public, your work will not be seen. 

Getting involved with professional organizations is a great way to network professionally, such as PRSA. The use of social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Twitter) are becoming more and more popular for public relations professionals in and out of the office. These sites are wonderful for not only gaining attention for your organization, but also to create relationships with those who can help you find new strategies, trends, and jobs. It is extremely useful to become well acquainted with individuals who are media gatekeepers. Obtaining contacts in different media outlets allows you to become an even greater asset to your organization when media attention is needed. 

The great thing about networking is that you can do it anytime anywhere. I recently went to Washington D.C. to attend the Young Women's Leadership Conference. Throughout my trip I took advantage of every opportunity available to network for potential job openings and individual's whose expertise could benefit my professional career. On the plane I met a man who works for Epworth Villa in Oklahoma City who gave me some advice on the job market, his card, and the contact information of successful individuals in public relations. I also met several professionals at the conference in D.C., including one at a Witeck Combs Communications that asked for my resume on the spot. This just goes to show everyone that being prepared to network at any time can lead to many opportunities in public relations.   

(picture found at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/479608)

APR

by: Christina Miner

Becoming an accredited as a Public Relations professional is very important. In the public relations field anybody off the street can open a public relations firm and say that they know what they are doing. The best way to separate you from the average public relations professional is by becoming accredited.

There are six steps to getting your APR (accredited in public relations). The first step is to nationally apply to begin the APR process. The second step is to complete the readiness review questionnaire. The readiness review questionnaire has three sections with several questions for each section. The first section is called “your organization and your role.” The second section is about “your experience” and the third section is “your assessment of your readiness for the written portion of the examination.” The next step after answering the questions in the readiness review questionnaire is to request a readiness review. The fourth step in to participate in a readiness review. The fifth step is to schedule your computer based examination. And the sixth and final step in the APR process is to take your examination.

According to the Public Relations Society of America, Oklahoma City Chapter website accreditation “is a mark of distinction for public relations professionals who demonstrate their commitment to the profession and to its ethical practice, and who are selected based on broad knowledge, strategic perspective, and sound professional judgment.” The website also states that becoming accredited is a way to move up in the professional world of public relations. More job listings are becoming specified for APR preferred.

April is accreditation month at PRSA so they are currently invited all public relations professionals to look into taking the next level in their professional career. PRSA is hosting several events to promote accreditation such as Open House Webinars and Accreditation Power Play, one-day seminar in New York City.

PR from the Beginning

PR from the Beginning
By Ericka Burey

Jamie Rugama always knew she wanted to be apart of something
big. She found her niche in Public Relations.


Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Jamie knew she always wanted to be the girl behind the scenes. Graduating from Taylor High School in Houston Texas, Jamie was always a hard worker. She maintained a part-time job at night in order to save up money for a car and college. She was also a devout dancer. Performing in competitive and school teams and she even made an appearance at the 2004 Super Bowl during the halftime performance. Jamie always enjoyed being in the spotlight but when it came down to picking a career Jamie knew she would fit right in Public Relations.
Soon Rugama began her tenure at the University of Houston. Here she majored in Public relations and minored in Global Business. Here in college she found that the public relations field that sparked her interest was corporate. Now that she had her mind set on what she was going to do for a career the only problem was getting there; still working almost full-time in a department store as well as a local bank branch as a teller. Not a stranger to hard work, Jamie worked extremely hard to maintain a high G.P.A. and putting herself through college, and it paid off.
In January 2009 Jamie’s career officially began. After graduating in the fall of 2008 Jamie acquired a highly sought after slot for the Houston Dynamo Professional Soccer team as a communication assistant. Though the position is highly sought after, it is still an unpaid position. With the economy in shambles, Rugama informed me that though the position is unpaid it is still very important to the advancement of her career. She primarily deals with “preserving a good image of the organization as a whole and as well as the team,” said the 23 year-old. “[We] make sure to keep good relations and repport with all media.” Rugama described her position as “conveying the correct images to the audience and establishing rapport.” Rugama expressed extreme excitement for her position and the fact that she is doing what she loves to do.
As for the skills that are necessary for the Communication Assistant in the Public Relations department and for any Public Relations professional include: the ability to network, to be knowledgeable about a wide variety areas and to being a well-rounded as possible according to Rugama. Each of these skills is very important to have a successful career. She specifically emphasized networking as a key to success in PR. Rugama stated that the “contacts that you make with certain people can save your organization from negative backlash, if the relationship is cordial.”
Lastly, when asked about advice that she could give to future PR professionals Rugama had three words, “network, network, network!” Along with this Rugama also suggested to “learn how to have complete composure.” Another piece of advice included “as a PR professional you have to be able to handle any situation that arises as well as yourself.” Rugama had a lot of helpful advice to give to me and the conversation was very helpful to understanding where I plan to go with my career.
In the future, Rugama plans to have a family as well as becoming a practicing PR professional in the corporate sector. Rugama truly developed a passion for the corporate public relations that could be done and looks forward to advancing her career in the field that we all love.

Got Jobs?

By Brittany Atwood

Graduating from college is a big step in a person’s life. It is a huge milestone that is exciting and nerve-wrecking at the same time. The state of the economy correlates to how stressful this time can be. Unfortunately, today the economy is suffering from a recession which makes it hard on recent graduates to find a job. With the job market taking a downturn it is not an ideal time to start a job search. However, it is possible. Roberta Chinsky Matuson president of Northampton Human Resource Solutions said successful job seekers in a recession know to dig deep to find a job during tough times.

I know for me I am becoming very frustrated in my job search. Every time I feel like I’m getting closer to finding that job, I hear back that a company isn’t hiring. It just feels like everyone is looking for a job at the same time. Not only are there recent graduates looking but also those who were in the workforce but got laid off.

One tip to landing a job is to network. Networking is a skill that recent college graduates have because they know about the different networking sites. Also, they have connections to professors and fellow classmates. An article in CIO, said in order to be successful in a job search you have to start with finding the right company first. I never really thought of this but it makes sense. If someone is really dedicated to working for a company, then they will make it happen. The unemployment rate has reached an astounding proportion. According to government data, the national unemployment rate has reached a 25-year high at 8.1%.

After reading all of these articles, I am even more nervous about finding a job. I do not really know what else to do but just wait. Unfortunately, I am very impatient so waiting to hear word about my future is stressing me out. For me, it is even harder trying to find a job because I do not know in what city I want to focus my job search.

Social Networking and Public Relations

By Leah Packard

For the last blog assignment, I interviewed Whittney Beech, the public relations manager and First Fidelity Bank in Oklahoma City. Throughout the interview, she brought up the importance of social media and the future of public relations so I have decided to expand on this issue.

Social media is everywhere now; there is a social networking site for just about everything out there. Every career field has its own site for those in the field or students planning on joining the field. Colleges have their own sites and so do sororities and fraternities. And of course you can't leave out the giant-sized facebook.

However, not only are public relations practioners using their own sites like www.onlinepr.ning.com but they are using sites like facebook to monitor and participate in conversations about the companies or brands they represent. There are many blog stories I found about the importance of practioners engaging in social networking, like this story with tips about making the most of your online networking time, or this website completely dedicated to the future of public relations and marketing.

The upcoming class of consumers will be more tech-savvy than any before. They have access to the internet practically everywhere they go on social networking sites more so than any other besides yahoo and google.

Not only are practioners engaging with other social networking users but they are paying for advertising space. But not just any advertising space, this advertising can be tailored to a very specific audience based on what type of information the user reveals in their profiles.

Social networking is a huge part of life today and will only grow in the future. Public relations practioners know how valuable understanding social networking is and will continue to integrate it within their campaigns.

The Moment of Truth: My Real Job Interview

The Moment of Truth: My Real Job Interview
by Chelsea Moore

I just recently landed a job in the College of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma. From the moment I went into the interview, I was thinking of how I was going to convey to them that I would be the best person for the job. I wanted to make the right impression, but I wasn't even sure what they needed.

I realized how much my classes prepared me for the interview. As I got ready for the interview, I happened to come across my portfolio from my publications class. This class was, by far, my favorite public relations class. I've always had fun doing creative graphic publications. So, I took a revised version of my resume and my portfolio to the interview.

When I got there, the first thing they asked me is if I had samples of my work. I didn't realize the importance of the portfolio would be. I handed it to them and they sat me down at a table with three other people. One woman flipped through my portfolio as one guy asked me questions and the other guy took notes-- definitely nerve racking! This was way more involved than I had expected. I found myself pulling information out of my brain from classes from years previous.

Then it clicked. I am a graduating senior. And that interview, though it was intimidating, wasn't so bad. I knew all the answers to their questions. I had no idea that I was adequately prepared for the workforce.

At the end of the interview, he asked me to write a strategic plan for the college's public relations. I applied the 10-step matrix that Dr. C had been explaining that week in class.
A few days later, I received an email explaining their satisfaction with my plan. After a second interview and a little bit of waiting, I got the job.

It showed me why I am going through the stress of college. It may be tough at times, but my rounded knowledge of the public relations industry that enables me to land a good job will make it all worth it. Today, College of Architecture--tomorrow, the White House?


Image Source: BioJobBlog.com