Author: Kelli Matthews

I have to admit, that I still keep a box of 64 Crayola Crayons in my office supply closet. In fact, I think right now, I have the deluxe box of 96. And, I also keep a supply of coloring books.

I suppose I have a better excuse now that I have a child… but my current box of Crayola crayons is probably 4 years old. And the child is just 9 months.

According to the Bulldog Reporter, Crayola is stepping up its efforts to be innovative. Apparently it has a “stodgy” image. I would probably disagree with “stodgy.” But certainly Crayola is not taking a lot of risks with its product line.

Crayola isn’t pulling any punches. Putting a huge holiday budget on on the line, the company hopes to “reinvent” itself. No, we’re not talking about new colors of crayons, but rather Crayola’s line of “less mess” toys.

The Color Wonder airbrush sprayer toy only works on special color wonder paper.

The Color Explosion Spinner is also “less mess.”

Both these new products (and others, see Crayola’s Web site) seem to be in line with Crayola’s branding. Creating new opportunities for kids to express their inner artist. And, as a mom, I love that it’s less mess. I could see Braxton playing with these toys (I would’ve LOVED them as a kid).

It’s World AIDS Day.

You’ve heard the statistics. The thousands of men, women and children suffering and dying from HIV and AIDS – they are heartbreaking.

You’ve seen the photos of orphans or people in their prime literally wasting away because they can’t get the health care and support they need – they are gut wrenching.

The problem seems overwhelming. But you can take a step and make a difference.
Join (RED)
Buy a bracelet
Wear a ribbon
Light to Unite: For every candle lit, Bristol Myers Squibb will donate $1 to the National AIDS Fund.

Want to learn more? The Independent, a London paper, has gone (RED) for today’s edition with stories, photos and articles about the AIDS epidemic worldwide.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving yesterday launched a new campaign to eliminate drunk driving. You can visit the press room here.

MADD has announced a specific four-point plan to reach its goal of total elimination of drunk driving on our nation’s streets. The four points (from MADD’s Web site):

* Intensive high-visibility law enforcement, including twice-yearly crackdowns and frequent enforcement efforts that include sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols in all 50 states;

* Full implementation of current alcohol ignition interlock technologies, including efforts to require alcohol ignition interlock devices for all convicted drunk drivers. A key part of this effort will be working with judges, prosecutors and state driver’s license officials to stop the revolving door of repeat offenders;

* Explorationof advanced vehicle technologies through the establishment of a Blue Ribbon panel of international safety experts to assess the feasibility of a range of technologies that would prevent drunk driving. These technologies must be moderately priced, absolutely reliable, set at the legal BAC limit and unobtrusive to the sober driver; and

* Mobilization of grassroots support, led by MADD and its 400+ affiliates, to make the elimination of drunk driving a reality. MADD is uniting drunk driving victims, families, community leaders, and policy makers in the fight to eliminate drunk driving.

A key to MADD’s success is the specific, measurable points that it lays out. There’s no ambiguity for the public or opinion leaders about what the organization hopes to accomplish.

I checked the mail yesterday. Admitedly, it had been a couple of days – but inside I found 21 pieces of direct mail from every candidate in my district plus some on the variety of measures that are up before the Oregon voter this term.

In my neighborhood, a couple of key races are taking center stage: Jim Torrey vs. Vicki Walker for Oregon State Senate and Chris Edwards vs. Debi Farr for State Representative. All four have inundated my mailbox with direct mail. Such that I don’t look at any of them anymore. I make a pile of the political ads and file them in a folder.

Why file? I keep that stuff for class purposes. If I were not a university instructor, they’d go straight to the recycle bin. Thousands of dollars in direct mail, ignored, pushed aside and recycled without a thought. Thousands of dollars in literature from both sides of the party aisle.

As a credit to the candidates, most are issues-focused. “I’m for kids,” “I’m for education, ” “I’m for better jobs.” Some are negative. “He’s a mudslinger,” “She’s not on your side.” But the most negative of the comments come from the left and attempt to tie local and statewide elections to the mistakes (and low approval ratings) of the Republican Party.

With the competing, conflicting and confusing messages that are a staple of every campaign season, I hope you’ve taken the time to define your values and issues and look for the candidates and the causes that line up most closely with your vision for Oregon’s (and the nation’s) future. Not Oregonian? That’s ok, we’ll forgive you. But your responsibility in your home state remains the same.

Public relations, like democracy, only works if people are paying attention and joining in the dialogue.

If you’ve not voted yet, the Oregon League of Women Voters puts out an excellent (non-partisan) voter’s guide.

To end with a chuckle… my favorite “oops” of the campaign season, was this one:

If the world population was 100 people, only 2 of us would have a computer.
The One Laptop per Child Initiative aims to change that. And, the program argues, thereby opening a window on the world for children in disadvantaged communities all over the world.

Information flow is thought by many to be among the most important elements of improving health and development in resource poor areas of the world.

Patterns of information flow are among the most important factors shaping globalization. Increasingly connected digital environments environments subject information to new methods of distribution and manipulation. Control and influence of information flow will help define who holds power in the global information economy.

Access to laptops for the children of resource-poor communities have the potential to have a dramatic impact on the children themselves, but also the communities in which they live and the nations and regions they will help to shape.

[This is an example of an entry for J350: Principles of Public Relations mid-term “exhibit group” projects. For more info on the project or to view student work, contact Kelli]

Uses & gratifications theory says that people are active users of media and selective in the media they use. Not everyone reads the daily paper, watches the evening news or listens to talk radio. Each person chooses when and how to use mass media.

As PR people, it’s our job to figure out how our target audiences are using media in order to best reach them. One stakeholder group might read the newspapers religiously (baby boomers or seniors) while another gets all its news from the internet or the Daily Show (youth). A PR person must target groups accordingly so that they receive your message.

“oh my god … [smack gum, blow bubble]… you know what be sooo awesome… [flip hair]… if we like, you know, bought those poor african kids arms and legs for being in our movie… but we have to wait til the movie comes out. ‘Cause, you know, we totally need publicity from it to make it worth while. I mean who does good just to DO GOOD? for real, right?”

Defamer: “Hollywood Accounting” shows no funds left in prosthetic limb budget for African amputee extras
Page Six: Studio too far out on a limb
Hollywood.com: Warner Brothers Slam Exploitation Reports
Official Movie Site