Comments

#1. SABRINA SIMPSON–Adam Sandler invites 5,000 guests to holiday party

December 8, 2010 at 6:09 pm

“As an avid Adam Sandler fan, I’ve seen most (if not all) of his movies. Watching all the nonsense that goes on behind the scenes on the DVD bonus tracks, I can only imagine what kind of shenanigans will be going on at this party.

Can you imagine inviting 5000 people to any kind of party? That’s over twice the size of Queens!”

#2 SABRINA SIMPSON– Lab 1: The Publics of Queens

December 8, 2010 at 6:16 pm

“I love how you used pictures of the Queens faculty, the Diana Courtyard, Uptown Charlotte and other parts of the Queens campus. It really helps show viewers who are publics are here at Queens. It’s really interesting to me to see how many publics we communicate with on Twitter and Facebook, and as of lately YouTube. I also like that you put an asteric (*) next to the publics that you are a member of. What a nice touch!”

#3 JIMMY BAKER–Public Relations or Integrated Strategic Communication

December 8, 2010 at 6:22 pm

I couldn’t agree more! Especially when you talk about planning for future events, both planned and the unexpected. When I read that, I automatically thought about that day in class that we discussed crisis management and effective crisis communication. While I was researching other sites on crisis management/communication, I stumbled upon this great site by Reyna Susi. It talks about the Exxon Faldez oil spill and that big scandal back in the 80s with Tylenol. You might find it interesting. Here’s the link to my blog about it…you might find it interesting.

http://lizzielith.wordpress.com/2010/12/08/need-help-with-a-crisis/

#4 MICHAEL REINERT–Lab 2: Timeline

Dec 08, 2010 @ 18:30:06

“I love how most of your pictures for your timeline are these classic oil paintings of the person you’re talking about, and then Julius Caesar’s picture is a cartoon.

It’s also nice that you kept your events to a minimum. Sabrina and I had such a hard time trying to decide which events were the most important that we just ended up putting them all into our timeline. By keeping your selected events at six, you were able to put a real emphasis on each one.”

#5 MICHAEL FLEMING–Black Friday Target Commercial
December 8, 2010 at 6:38 pm

“You think she’s annoying, Lindsey? You should see how my mother acts this time of year. Black Friday is my mother’s favorite holiday, and we take it very seriously in my house. I can remember being nine years old, and getting in the car at an ungodly hour the Friday after Thanksgiving, and driving to the north side of town to get a FULL day’s worth of shopping done. What a lot of people don’t seem to understand about Black Friday is all the joy that it brings people. That may sound pretty lame to a lot of you, but some of my favorite holiday memories have taken place the day after Thanksgiving. And now that I’m older, and I cannot be pried out of bed at such a crazy hour, its still nice to see these kind of commercials and be reminded of all the Black Fridays of the past.”

#6 MICHAEL FLEMING–Chs 9 & 17 notes

December 8, 2010 at 6:44 pm

“I really enjoyed the Washington Post quote that you added to your notes, and how the theme/background/whatever its called for your blog sets it apart from the rest of the text. How creative!

As a journalism major, and a former staff writer for The Queens Chronicle, it always astounds me to talk to people about what they want to read in The Chronicle. These same ideas can be directly related to the views of our society as a whole. We no longer seem to care about the real issues…we just want to read the latest gossip, football scores, and the obituaries.”

#7 MICHAEL FLEMING–A vision of students today

December 8, 2010 at 6:50 pm

“Mac showed this to us as a part of our Media Aesthetics class last fall. I thought this was such a clever way to show statistics and other information about big universities.
I remember watching the very beginning, where the camera is in the back of the classroom and strains to see what’s on the chalkboard. haha Think if Queens was like that? Every class room like Dana Auditorium. I would not be a happy camper.”

#8 MICHAEL FLEMING–Ethics for Dummies

December 8, 2010 at 7:00 pm

Hahah I remember watching this in McAlisters right after you posted it, and I literally laughed out loud…sure, I got a few awkward stares. But what a great opening line. And then the joke about the Treaty of Versailles and Dairy Queen. I wish there were more comedy clubs in Charlotte.
Didn’t you work with some big-wig in Charlotte this summer? See if you can pull some strings and make that happen. Thanks

#9 PRESTON JAHN– Copyright Law presentation

December 8, 2010 at 12:45

“Until seeing your presentation, I didn’t know anything about Prezi, or how neat a Prezi could turn out. I loved the simple black and while of your presentation, and I especially enjoyed how you flipped them (black background and white font, as opposed to the opposite). It looked really sharp, and the transitions between ideas seemed to flow. I liked this presentation so much that I ended up copying the idea for our International Relations lab.
Good work!”

#10 LESLI-ANN LOSCHIAVO–Crisis Management

In a way, Integrated Strategic Communication professionals are the superheros of their organizations. They may not wear spandex or capes; they may not be faster than a speeding bullet or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but they’re always around when they’re needed. They watch out for the company, not only in times or distress, but also any time a public event comes up. They can serve as a face for a company, a person to blame when things go array, and someone to thank once a crisis has been solved.

Posted 0 minutes ago

#11 CHELSEA LANCASHIRE– Whose hosting the Oscars?

LizzieLith (19:22:44) :

I’m so pumped about the Oscars after reading this! I usually just watch the red carpet event, to see all of the dresses of course. But I may actually tune in for the whole event this year. I feel like we’ve grown up with Anne Hathaway, from the Princess Diaries to Rachel Getting Married and now to Love And Other Drugs. I’m really looking forward to what she delves into next.

And who doesn’t love James Franco? haha

#12 JOSH KANE– Balancing Freedom of Speech with Company Policy

December 8th, 2010

“I went to Vietnam for my John Belk International Program study tour this past summer, and it was truly amazing to see all that they were not allowed to do or say. The now Socialist country had almost complete control over the everyday life of the citizens. Things like Facebook and Twitter are blocked on their computers, and students wouldn’t dare speaking out of turn in class, or in their homes for that matter. It was such a culture shock, especially for such an outspoken/loud person like me, to not have that freedom to say what you want when you want.”

#13 WILLS POSEY–Cyber Bullying

December 8, 2010 at 7:39 pm

“Something like this actually happened at my high school a few years back. Two juniors created a fake MySpace page for their Chemistry professor, including the professor’s yearbook picture, and a complete profile made up by the two jokesters. After a while, it wasnt enough to just tell their friends about the profile. The boys began adding other students in their class to their “professor’s” page, and began pretending that they were actually the professor. They gave out fake answers for homework assignments, and eventually started making fun of a few less popular students in the class. When those students’ parents complained to the principal, all hell broke loose. It was a complete disaster. The boys were expelled, but since the boys were still considered minors, they couldn’t be formally charged with anything. Needless to say, these types of situations are harmful to all involved parties and never end well.”

PR or ISC? That is the question

Should our course be called public relations or integrated strategic communication? Based on your readings of the chapter on integrated message making (and your other readings), what are the benefits and drawbacks of naming the course either one of these titles?

                                                                                                                                                                   

I’m going to be completely honest here. When I signed up to take Integrated Strategic communication with Dr. McArthur  this semester, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. I didn’t even know what Integrated Strategic Communications was. I just needed some more Comm credit hours, and I figured it couldn’t be a bad class if  Mac was teaching it.

On the first day of class, Mac asked us if we knew what Integrated Strategic Communication was. I shook my head. No clue. Shortly after, I found out that ISC is one of the newer terms for public relations. ISC is such a long-winded, tongue-tying name, why wouldn’t we just call it PR? It’s so much easier!

As the semester went on, I began to realize why ISC is the new PR. Just about everyone knows what public relations is, and what the field entails. “Promoting a favorable image” just about sums public relations up. But the more involved you get within the public relations field, the more it seems to become.

Public relations is more than just helping an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other. It’s more than press releases and meetings with media outlets. When you truly think about all that the public relations field encompasses, the name “Integrated Strategic Communication” seems to fit more appropriately.

I believe that the official name for everything in the public relations realm should be officially coined as “Integrated Strategic Communication.” Even though it takes a little more effort to say, and a little more space when writing, it better describes all that the field has to offer.

Free Speech Week

National Freedom of Speech Week is October 18-25, 2010. How does strategic communication intersect with free speech? When working for a client or company, how does one balance freedom of speech with company privacy?

                                                                                                                                                                       

On September 25, 1789 the first Congress presented the Bill of Rights—the 10 original amendments to the United States Constitution—to the legislatures of the colonial states. On December 15, 1791, the last state ratified them.

The first amendment just may be the most important in any democratic society. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Today, free speech defines the American way of life. And in a time when every other cause (some more ridiculous than others) is remembered with its own special week/month, it is the hopes of The Media Institute (the institute that launched National Freedom of Speech Week) and the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation that help ensure that free speech remains “The Language of America.”

When it comes to the public relations world, the first amendment can be a catch 22.  On one hand it’s you’re job to represent the company/organization in a good light, and keep any blips under the radar.  You’re their spokesman, and you are allowed to speak freely. But as a member of the press, it is a journalist’s job to find the juicy stories, to report about philandering CEOs and embezzling secretaries. They want all the gory details and they come to you to get them. They’ll hound you for details, and they’re allowed to do it. You have the right to say what you want, but a good public relations professional must remember that everything you say (whether its “on” or “off” the record) can and will be used against you by a journalist.

Public relations professionals must always be weary of what they say, and how it can affect their organization.

Just a few pointers

Hey there future ISC students,

Here are a few tips about creating/maintaining a stellar blog, from someone who learned a little too late.

Get started…like, now.

• If you put off something as simple as designing your blog, chances are you won’t be too quick to actually write in it either. Find a design that fits your personality, but is still professional and easy to read. There are a ton of themes and design templates out there that are fun. Find one you like, and slap it on there.

If you don’t know what the hell you’re doing, ask Mac.

• Soon you will find out that some of your classmates are wicked bloggers. If you don’t know how to embed a YouTube clip on your blog, chances are someone else in the class will know how to do it. If not, just ask Mac. This whole blog thing is his idea, so he obviously knows his way around WordPress, and he’s always willing to show you how to fix something or how to make something better.

Actually write your blogs when they’re assigned.

• Crazy thought, I know. But as an life-long procrastinator (as you can all tell by the timestamps on my past blogs) I waited until the very last minute to get things up on my blog, and it took me forever. If you’re not a fan of all-nighters, black coffee and Red Bull, update your blog as Mac suggests.

Here’s a little advice about Comments

• They’re boring if you only comment on people in your class. And they’re even worse if you insist on commenting on their chapter notes because you don’t want to read their posts. We all spend a ton of time on these things (some more than others), and any kind of feedback is beneficial. So why not comment on a Connections topic? Or a lab event? Here’s an idea….add some variety and comment on someone’s blog whose not in your class.

If it bores you to write it, do you really think anyone else will want to read it?

• Unfortunately, I discovered this bit of advice too late. Because I waited until the last minute to upload my posts, I didn’t get the chance to really make this a fun assignment. The stuff you will talk about in this class is going on all around you, and you can easily find relevant social/political/environmental/whatev topics to add to your blogs.  This (if done correctly) can add comedic relief, social commentary, and—if nothing else—make it easier for you to stand writing these things. By comparing what you’re reading/learning to everyday events, you’ll be more likely to remember them by the time the test comes around. And it will give your classmates something interesting to post comments.

 

I hope you find this helpful in some way, shape or form. And remember, if you want to go into public relations, this is an easy opportunity to create an online portfolio to take to an interview.

Best Wishes,

         Lizzie

A so-called “scandal”

Do a little web-based research about the Shirley Sherrod case that occurred this summer. Based on your findings, what are the major strategic communication issues present in this case? How could a better understanding of  strategic communication, as you understand, have bettered this situation?

                                                                                                                                                                

If this summer’s scandal involving the former U.S Department of Agriculture official, Shirley Sherrod, has taught organizations anything valuable about employee relations it is “don’t jump to conclusions.” Better results, and less negative publicity, will be gained by conducting a thorough investigation and interviewing the employee that has been accused of wrongdoing or who may be in violation of a company policy.

This past July, Sherrod was asked to submit her resignation after portions of a video were posted on a blog. The video depicted Sherrod telling members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People that she had not helped white farmers to her best ability while she was employed with a private agency.

The USDA and the NAACP hailed Sherrod a racist after the video became public. Shortly following, the full video became public, and showed us all what really happened. Sherrod received apologies from the NAACP and a personal phone call from President Obama. Even after she was promised a new job, Sherrod said she was unsure  of any future plans she may have, other than to sue Andrew Breitbart, the blogger responsible for posting the edited video clip.

Sherrod has yet to receive an apology from Breitbart and it doesn’t look like one is coming anytime soon. Breitbart told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that he saw no reason to apologize. “What would warrant an apology?” Breitbart said. “I’m not the one who threw her under the bus.”

In their attempt to deal with what seemed like an embarrassing and explosive situation in the media, the administration took no time to consider their source. They didn’t even investigate the story! This media scandal could have been avoided, if they had merely talked to Sherrod about the video, given her a chance to tell her side of the so-called “scandal,” and read a little more into their less-than-reliable source.

Need help with a crisis?

Here’s a great site all about effective crisis communication by Reyna Susi. On this site, she gives a background on crisis communication, and discusses the important of research. Susi also gives a brief examples of two scandals in the past– he Tylenol scandal of 1982, and the Exxon Faldez oil spill of 1989.

Even though these crises are a little dated, Susi does a great job of explaining what happened, why it happened, and how the organizations reacted to the crisis. She also outlines what you should do before, during and after a crisis occurs.

Chapters 5 & 20: So you want to be a PR pro?

Organizing the job search:

• Figure out what interests you, and start early.
  • Today, everyone has PR people. So if you’re looking for a job in public relations, you’ve got a lot of options, you just need to figure out what area suits you best.
• Get a name
  • Network with colleagues to see if someone in the organization can recommend you, or at least introduce you to someone who can get you in the door. If that fails, call the organization and request the name of their Public Relations Director.
• Dispatch a personal letter.
  • Write directly to your contact, requesting an interview. Explain who you are, why you’ve chosen this organization, and why you want to meet with this particular person.
• Call
  • If you say in your letter that you “plan to call,” call. What’s the worst that can happen? You get sent to voicemail. They never return your call. Well, at least you gave it a shot.
• Prepare an elevator speech
  • This is your 30 second, “this is who I am, and this is why I’d be a great fit here” speech. If you know what you’re looking for, most people are willing to help you find it.

 

Ensuring success:

• Diversity of experience—
  • “It takes three-to-five years to develop a skill set, but if you’re unhappy, move on, diversity, and take a risk. Repeating the same job each year won’t get you to the level of these senior professionals,” –William C. Heyman
  • Performance—
    • Successful PR executives must deliver results, do more than just “take orders,” be creative, take risks and challenging seniors in the organization
  • Communication skills
    • Technical skills of writing, editing and design really count at the entry level
    • At the second level, analytical skills of strategic planning must be developed
    • At level three, your interpersonal communication skills are tested, as you begin to develop a network.
    • At level the fourth, the most sophisticated level of PR counsel, you must be able to give good advice and make good decisions
  • Relationship building
    • It’s not what you know, but who you know.
    • More important than gaining relationships with outside media outlets, analysts and government officials, it is important that you nurture relationships with people inside your organization to gain influence, insight, and get ahead.
  • Pro-activity and passion
    • You’ve got to be a go-getter, self-starter, risk-taker, opportunity-seeker with boundless energy, curiosity, and passion…or else you might get lost in the shuffle
  • You’ve got to be a team player
    • “Probably less than 10% of the jobs in this field depend solely on individual performance,” said Heyman.
  • Intangibles
    • Chemistry
    • Likeability
    • Personality
    • Presence
    • Cultural fit

Chapter 19: Crisis Management

 

Issues Management:

• Five step process that:
  • Identifies issues that the organization should be concerned about
  • Analyzes and delimits each issue with respect to its impact on constituent publics
  • Display the various strategic options available to the organization
  • Implements an action program to communicate the org’s view and to influence perception on the issue, and
  • Evaluates its program in terms of reaching organizational goals
  • Encompasses the following elements:
    • Anticipate emerging issues—precrisis planning
    • Identify issues selectively—select specific priority issues to deal with
    • Deal with opportunities and vulnerabilities—determine what good/bad can come out of each situation
    • Plan from the outside in—by looking at the company with an unbiased eye, it makes it easier for you to see what needs to be done
    • Bottom-line orientation—defending the organization in light of external factors and enhance the firm’s business by seizing forthcoming opportunities
    • Action timetable—propose policy, programs and implementation timeline to deal with whatever issue may come up
    • Dealing from the top—the issues management process must operate with support from chief executives

Managing a Crisis:

• Warning Signs
  • Surprise—Often natural disasters, robberies, embezzlement or large losses catch us by surprise. Sometimes the first time a PR pro hears about an incident is when the media calls them wanting to know what they’re planning to do about it
  • Insufficient info—with so much information flying around, its hard to get a grasp of whats going on
  • Escalating events—the crisis gets worse…its inevitable.You must respond in an orderly fashion, even though events unfold at rapid fire.
  • Loss of control—once the story hits the media, you no longer can control what is said about it…bloggers, Twitter, the Internet, and the airwaves.
  • Increased outside scrutiny—Investors demand answers. Customers want to know whats going on. The media wants responses. And they all want it right away.
  • Siege mentality—the organization feels surrounded
  • Panic—it is difficult to convince management to take immediate action and communicate what’s going on when it seems like everything is caving in on them.

Engaging the Media:

• Speak first, and often
• Don’t speculate
• Go off the record at your own peril
• Stay with the facts
• Be open and concerned, never defensive
• Make your point and repeat it
• Don’t wage war with the media
• Establish yourself as the most authoritative person
• Stay calm and be truthful and cooperative
• Never lie

Chapter 18: PR and Social Media

Chapter 18: Social Media

The World Wide Web:

• The most exciting/revolutionary part of the Internet
• Developed in 1989 by a physicist named Tim Berners-Lee to enlarge the Internet for multiple uses
• The web is a collection of millions of computers on the Internet that contain info in a single format (HTML or Hypertext Markup Language)
• Combines multimedia—sound, graphics, video, animation, and more
• The most powerful tool in cyberspace
• By 2009, the Internet was used by nearly 24% of the world’s population; 73% of Americans are online

PR and the Internet

• The Internet has (obviously) transformed the way people communicate and contact  one another, and the practice of public relations has had respond accordingly.
• Uses of the Internet by public relations professionals will grow as the century proceeds, for the four following reasons:
  • The demand to be educated rather than sold
  • The quest for conversation
  • The need for real-time performance
  • The need for customization

Web Site:

• To develop a winning web site, the book suggests you start by answering the following questions:
  • What’s our goal?
  • What content will be included?
  • How often do we plan to edit?
  • How will we enhance our site’s design?
  • How interactive will it be?
  • How will we track users/viewers?
  • Who will be responsible for managing the site?

Email:

• Email newsletters for external use (customers, investors, or the media) need to follow these three guidelines for best results.
  • No more than one page—people don’t want to read all that nonsense. Keep it short, sweet and to the point
  • Link content—by sending links to other material, the customers/investors/whatever can get a better idea of what you’re talking about
  • Regular dissemination—it’s a good thing for recipients to expect your email at a certain time of the week/month/year

Blogs:

• Nearly 1.5 new blog sites are created every second
• There are 11,000 spam blogs (aka splogs)
• It took 320 days for the “blogosphere” to grow from 35 to 75 million blogs
• The number one blogging language is Japanese (37% of all blogs); English is second at 33%, and Chinese is third with 8%
• Most of the blogs out there don’t attract many followers and are barely worth a PR professional’s time, but the few blogs that have earned credibility in certain areas are as important to PR professionals as any other traditional reporter

Chapter 17: Integrated Marketing

Integrated Marketing Communications

• Integrated marketing is the intersection of public relations and publicity, advertising, sales promotion, and marketing to promote organizations, products, and services.
• Traditional advertising and marketing build brand awareness. Public relations establishes credibility and gives consumers a little bit more of the brand’s story.

PR vs. Marketing vs. Advertising

• Marketing—the selling of a service or product through pricing, distribution and promotion. Everything from free samples to buzz campaigns
• Advertising—a subset of marketing that involves paying to place your message in more traditional media formats. Newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, internet, billboards, etc
• Public relations—is, more or less, the marketing of an organization and the use of unbiased, objective, third-party endorsement to relay info about the organization’s products/services.

Product Publicity

• Can be the most effective element in the mix:
  • Introducing a revolutionary new product
  • Eliminating distribution problems with retail outlets
  • Small budgets and strong competition
  • Explaining a complicated product
  • Tying the product to a unique representative

Building a Brand

• Be early
• Be memorable
• Be aggressive
• Use heritage
• Create a personality

21^st Century Integrated Marketing

• Online marketing: the fastest growing category of advertising; includes social media sites and other websites to create “buzz” for products
• TV brand integration:  not just commercials anymore. Brands are having TV shows advertise their products on the screen by having the show’s characters use/talk about their products
• Infomercials
• Buzz Marketing: word-of-mouth, enlists “influencers” or “trendsetters” to spread the word about a particular product