PRos in Training

Tag: Uncategorized

  • Find a New Blog to Read Today

    The AdAge Power 150 is not a new list. It was developed by Todd Andrlik, a PR and marketing pro based in Chicago. It is a great list with the top 150 (+ honorable mentions = 422 blogs in all… shockingly, this one is not on it. ha!) marketing, public relations and advertising-related blogs.

    You can learn about the rankings here.

    If you feel like you need to branch out? Or find the blogs that anyone who is anyone is reading? This is the place. Check it out and let me know what you find. I could always use a new read.

  • Meet the Teacher: Me!

    Karen Russell at the U of Georgia is going a series on her blog called “meet the teacher” and interviewed me via email for the latest installment.

    She has a great blog. If you’re not already reading it, you should check it out.

  • You Can be Smart AND Cool… I love it!

    Nothing to do with PR, really (except that everything has something to do with PR, I suppose), but I just love this story. From CNN:

    Danica McKellar has a message for girls: Cute and smart is better than cute and dumb.

    Danica McKellar wants girls to steer away from the example set by Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.

    McKellar, who played Winnie on the 1990s television show “The Wonder Years,” is coming out with a book, “Math Doesn’t Suck,” to encourage girls to get into math.

    “When girls see the antics of Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, they think that being fun and glamorous also means being dumb and irresponsible,” the 32-year-old McKellar told Newsweek for editions to hit newsstands Monday.

    “But I want to show them that being smart is cool,” she said. “Being good at math is cool. And not only that, it can help them get what they want out of life.”

  • What About the “Ick” Factor?

    The California Supreme Court has banned the sale of Adidas soccer cleats and other products made of kangaroo leather.

    Adidas is the biggest commercial buyer of kangaroo leather, which is considered lighter and more flexible than cowhide.

    Animal rights groups are protesting the use of the leather, and heralding this ruling as a good step in the right direction.

    According to USA Today, activists say the problem with kangaroo leather is:

    “…hunters mistakenly shoot endangered species. They also say abundant kangaroo species are killed cruelly – sometimes shot during night hunting parties, and sometimes clubbed to death as babies.”

    The Predator cleats by Adidas – made of kangaroo leather since their introduction to the market several years ago – have been popularized by none other than superstar David Beckham. Even Beckham, though, is distancing himself from this controversy. His spokesperson responded very tersely to this ruling by saying, “David wears synthetic Predator boots so this ruling has no relevance to us.”

    The Australian government is siding with Adidas (of course) saying that hunting kangaroos is good wildlife management and that the country has more than 25 million of the animals – hardly endangered.

    Other manufacturers use kangaroo leather. But many manufacturers are using very high end synthetics in their soccer cleats and users seem to like it just as well, if not better.

    There seem to be some genuine benefits to kangaroo leather, and I suppose demand prevails as soccer takes over the world. But, as a PR manager for Adidas, you have to be smart about the markets where you sell your products. Seems, based on the coverage in the American press, Adidas should be considering the “ick” factor. American consumers, for the most part, are saying “ick.” (And this certainly doesn’t help me like, or understand, soccer any more…)

    What do you think?

  • Yes, Social Media is the Real World

    Some of the biggest PR firms (Fleishman, Edelman) and companies (IBM, MTV, Verizon, and Yum! Brands) are searching for social media managers. What, do tell, does a social media manager do?

    • manage and implement social media strategies such as social networking
    • manage a variety of content in a deadline-driven environment
    • understand and implement consumer generated media initiatives.
    If you consider yourself and expert and are thinking about a social media job, what do you need to know from your employer?
    James Durbin of brandstorming asks these questions of Fleishman-Hillard’s St. Louis office. Fleishman answers here.

    The job descriptions associated with “public relations” positions are changing. Are you keeping up?

  • PR Major Poll

    Please look to the right and take my “PR Major Poll.” What do you think? As we look at curriculum reform in the School of Journalism, are there courses we should add?

  • Interview Tips from a PRo

    Guest post from Sally Garner. Undergraduate academic adviser at the School of Journalism and Communication, newly designated Master and grad student in my J454: PR Campaigns class.

    Marilyn Hawkins of Hawkins & Company PR, LLC handed out some great tips onjob interviewing last week. “Be pumped for every interview,” she writes. “Get a good night’s sleep before and consume a limited amount of coffee, soda or other stimulants.”

    Great advice but I’d go one step further: Have a good solid breakfast.Whether or not you believe it’s the most important meal of the day, eat something hearty before your interview, especially if you’re in for one of those hours-long marathon interviews that are becoming more and more popular.

    Trust me: it takes fuel to remain “on” for hours on end. You’ve got enough to worry about that day; you don’t need hunger pangs or a growling stomach to distract you. Bonus tip: stash a granola bar in your bag or briefcase. In between interviews, take advantage of the restroom break to take a quick bite. Your mom will cringe but you’ll feel better after the quick refuel.

    (This is true even if you’ve treated yourself to T-Bone Steak and Eggs at IHOP that morning. Your adrenaline will sap up your reserves faster than usual.)

    One of things the handout doesn’t mention is how to handle yourself on a phone interview. HotJobs has some great tips.

    Phone interviews are rough for reasons most of us are familiar with: no visual cues, everything must be relayed via voice alone and you never really know who’s in the room on the other end.

    One tip that isn’t mentioned here: make sure your phone line is reliable. In this day and age of “I only have a cell phone,” make sure your phone is fully charged and you are in a spot that doesn’t provoke static. You might even check with your cell phone provider to see if there’s a way to turn off your call waiting function for the duration of the interview.

  • Students are Interested in Cocaine

    As part of their blogging assignment, students are required to respond to a prompt that I send. This week, I sent this post about the PR fallout around the “energy drink” called Cocaine.

    Lindsay says that Cocaine has more problems than just its name.
    Jessica chimes in and says she’d be embarrassed to be seen drinking it.
    Finally, Chelsea suggests that any company inclined to name its product “cocaine” is not likely to bow out gracefully of any fight, despite the recommendations of PR Week.

    What do you think?

  • PR Students are Smart!

    Walk of Fame Animated codes - ImageChef.com

    We’ve started our blogging project in Advanced PR Writing. The students are tasked with writing two posts per week – on based on a prompt from me and one of their choosing.

    Here are some of the highlights from the first couple of weeks.

    Megan talks about what she’s learning at her internship with a real estate software developer in Eugene. Sounds like she’s getting a good foundation in the basics of communication. You know, try as we might to “teach” this kind of thing, it’s really the on-the-job work that helps connect the dots between class and the real world. Kudos to Megan for taking the time to process what she’s learning and making these meaningful connections.

    Jessica’s post about wanting more up-to-date news strikes me as interesting commentary on how the public’s demand for information has changed. I find myself expecting more and different news on a story, too. That’s really where Internet media comes in. While this particular story she talks about might not be covered “more” in blogs, it’s just the kind of thing that will be as the medium grows.

    Shelley says pastors make the best presenters. I wholeheartedly agree! My dad was a senior pastor of a church for 20 years and he’s one of the best speakers I know. Shelley is doing an amazing job with this assignment. Check out her other posts, too.

    Finally, Heron has a thoughtful post about the advertising agency environment. Heron gets “it.” She’s a big picture thinker and a good team leader. This is a great post that made me think. And one of the things I thought is that I’m clearly not even remotely “edgy” enough to even think about walking on the sidewalk in front of the “leading edge” boutiques. Wexley School for Girls?

    Look forward to sharing more with you soon.

  • Blogtipping: The Job Hunt


    Came across several posts tonight dealing with job searches, applications and interviews. Happy reading!

    The Search:
    Eight Tips for Landing Your Dream Job in a Web 2.0 World

    Apply and Conquer:
    A Glimpse & a Hook
    How to Easily Create Professional Video Resume in 5 Steps
    Everything You Wanted to Know About Getting a Job in Silicon Valley, But Were Afraid to Ask

    Impress:
    Nine Steps to Acing the Job Interview
    How to Ace Your Job Interview: 88 Sure-Fire Tips

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