tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75849968749280427552024-02-02T23:05:09.386-08:00Communications StrategiesThis is a blog for my Advanced Communications Skills class at Southern Methodist University. Displayed are my observations and personal thoughts as to what make the best practices in public relations. "Insist on yourself. Never Imitate." -Ralph Waldo EmersonAshley Rose Nestorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08023634255407384434noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584996874928042755.post-40813911229586980732007-04-26T21:32:00.001-07:002007-04-30T22:40:30.570-07:00PR Does It Best!With the semester winding down, I feel that I have developed a clear understanding of PR and what it means to implement best practices in the industry. I cannot wait to start my new job this summer at a PR firm in Dallas with the confidence and knowledge learned from research, interviews, lessons and guest lecturers in class. As a blogger, I have picked up several tips about PR and here are the top 5 that seem to be constantly reiterated:<br /><br />1. <strong>Communicate to be Understood, Not Simply to be Heard</strong>. This means investing a significant amount of time and energy in researching the reporter or journalist you are targeting. "Know the reporter and the publication before picking up the phone." Bad media relations comes from people who simply spout their message repeatedly and endlessly without regard for the interests or perspective of the journalist they are talking to. If you are looking to pitch a journalist, take the time to research the reporter, his predispositions, interests and past writing.<br /><br />In a recent post, I noted my observation of a colleague at my internship. Per her instruction, she encouraged interns to build a relationship with a reporter by keeping up with what they are doing in the industry. If they have their own blog, read it regularly. If you like what they’re talking about, post comments. If you have some advice for them, pass it along. It is a great best practice to develop early a positive relationship with your local media. Don't hesitate to call an appropriate reporter and draft a press release for your website. You may not always get coverage, but you have nothing to lose by cultivating these relationships. Investing time in whom you are targeting will help all PR professionals to communicate their message better.<br />http://aboutpublicrelations.net/ucgranat2a.htm<br /><br />2. <strong>Read the Newspaper.</strong> A few months ago, I had the privilege of meeting with Joan Lufrano, a seasoned PR professional at DraftFCB in Chicago. One of the great pieces of advice she gave was to stay on top of the evolution of PR in the communications world. “Nothing is the way it used to be,” says Lufrano, “Everything has changed and the only way to understand the way people currently communicate is to read the newspaper.” It is imperative that PR professionals remain up to date with current events, changes in the business world, what is going on in their clients` industry. Lufrano advised me to read everything from the Business Week to The Wall Street Journal. She even pointed to PR Week as an essential reading aid to keep up as an insider. Immerse yourself in a variety of communication mediums, including the Internet, television, radio, newspapers, and news magazines. I can honestly give her advice partial credit for landing me my first job in the career world. I felt informed, confident and prepared in all of my interviews.<br /><br />3. <strong>Stay Current, Follow Trends.</strong> With more than 52 million blogs and over 800,000 posts daily, staying on top of communication and media trends in our culture is crucial for PR practitioners. Need some examples of trends? Well how about blogs, wikis and podcasts, to name a few. No one could have predicted the recent development and significance of these trends. They not only help the world understand your company, but they help your company understand the world, your competition and your audience. As they change the face of public relations, it is essential for our industry to maximize their influence. <br />http://www.ogilvypr.com/expert-views/personal-media.cfm<br />http://www.nevon.net/nevon/2005/04/edelman_and_int.html<br /><br />4. Know The Fundamentals of PR. This might seem like a simple idea, but one cannot excel in PR without a concrete understanding of what this industry is about. There are certain skills necessary to work in the world of PR. These include:<br /><br />-A very high level of communication skills, written and verbal. This means an ability to craft pitch letters, press releases, fact sheet, backgrounder, etc. Don't know what these are? You're in the wrong industry. <br />-Know your client. Take the time to research their goals and objectives. Know their business sector and industry well. Invest a sufficient amount of time in a professional relationship that allows a mutual trust. If this is established, a door for communication, creativity and a flow of ideas will be opened. <br />-Be very adept at multitasking and time management. Definitely a best practice that is necessary in a rapidly evolving field of technology, news, deadlines and competition. <br />-Adopt a journalistic approach. Look carefully at how reputable publications such as The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal write a story. What is the lead? What type of quotes do they use? Study different types of stories -- features, executive changes and news articles. Say what you want, but say it simply and plainly. Get this sort of perspective and then you'll be sure to end up with a solid product that would appeal to any journalist.<br />-Return calls and respond quickly to emails. An essential in establishing relationships. <br />http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-public-relations.htm<br />http://aboutpublicrelations.net/ucpotvina.htm<br /><br />5. Create the Unexpected. Look for out-of-the ordinary perspectives and initiatives for spurring media interest. While it's easy to recycle press releases and fact sheet templates, infusing your media plans with some innovative thinking will produce stronger, more effective results. For instance, when the PR agency for Russell Stover Candies introduced Peanut Butter & Jelly Cups, they positioned the product as part of the growing retro trend and tied into adult nostalgia for childhood. They sent out "Wouldn't You Like to Be a Kid Again?" personalized purple lunch boxes filled with jacks, jump ropes and product to media nationwide along with compelling video footage. They reached more than 15 million consumers with the message that our new candy is fun for all ages. Media as diverse as The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Today, Seventeen and Time all covered the product. <br />http://aboutpublicrelations.net/ucpotvina.htm<br /><br />Through the semester, I have concluded that these 5 best practices will lead to successful PR.Ashley Rose Nestorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08023634255407384434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584996874928042755.post-25118839267031227182007-04-19T22:24:00.000-07:002007-04-30T22:38:04.318-07:00A Blog to HealCancer affects millions of people each year. Chances are high that you know a family member, family friend or friend of a friend directly affected by the fatal disease. Fortunately, there is hope and plenty of supporters like CURE Magazine dedicated to dealing with patients and survivors alike. <br /><br />According to the American Cancer Society website http://www.acs.org/, survivorship numbers continue to increase and media created to aid in healing are one of the many methods of help we can provide. <br /><br />CURE Magazine, a quarterly magazine dedicated to dealing with cancer on a daily basis, is launching Heal, a magazine <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yy3GjjslDA9OPaDYCZbJbI2z_rUv8HKHurMS8Cr9_wfR5KND7e7CnRmPAsiutXKDGVDYqQZWXYsimEXKfS9ztow-O6MQBSj8vJDAXe3XzQRlz49hSVibfmTcy3npGsk8bHkJO4JMa10/s1600-h/heal_image.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yy3GjjslDA9OPaDYCZbJbI2z_rUv8HKHurMS8Cr9_wfR5KND7e7CnRmPAsiutXKDGVDYqQZWXYsimEXKfS9ztow-O6MQBSj8vJDAXe3XzQRlz49hSVibfmTcy3npGsk8bHkJO4JMa10/s320/heal_image.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059462311014199762" /></a>focused on cancer survivorship. It contains in-depth coverage of survivors and their life changing stories and personal testimonials. Heal is looking to establish an online community to help bring survivors together. <br /><br />The concept of survivorship is often overlooked and a Heal blog is the perfect location for a place that survivors and family members alike can talk about cancer in a whole different way.<br /><br />After recently losing my Grandma to lung cancer, I know that an essential for hope was for her to talk with others going through the same situation. Having a spot such as a blog, a place to hear and talk to "people like you," creates just that environment. To ensure success at Heal, the blog must be updated with current news and consist of bloggers who have cancer, are recovering from cancer or treat cancer. <br /><br />The blog should also be a forum for discussion about inspiring stories of survivorship and hope. Readers of the blog should feel free to post their thoughts and ideas about life after cancer.<br /><br />Blogs such as Glamour's Magazine, Life with Cancer, takes you through the journey of Glamour editor, Erin Zammett Rudy's <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTV-DpZLoTX1lDJg_BkMSMqTwtvrkkak4CU-4cTQBC83ima9jEQCZ4cJR1czUO13eoiNv1Nop2fRhD0eSl_FErLWragIzotUvt5ZJ2bvq_XS6YMGC-OYYpRwWJSCv1UeTA7xz_WmU_4bI/s1600-h/erin_bio.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTV-DpZLoTX1lDJg_BkMSMqTwtvrkkak4CU-4cTQBC83ima9jEQCZ4cJR1czUO13eoiNv1Nop2fRhD0eSl_FErLWragIzotUvt5ZJ2bvq_XS6YMGC-OYYpRwWJSCv1UeTA7xz_WmU_4bI/s320/erin_bio.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059461095538454962" /></a>struggle with Leukemia. (http://www.glamour.com/lifestyle/blogs/editor). The Cancer Blog (http://www.thecancerblog.com) provides news, resources and personal perspectives from cancer survivors and those passionate about health topics regarding cancer.<br /><br />Heal's blog should also contain a variety of sidebar topics such as links to the various types of cancer, age, treatment, prevention, causes of cancer, news related articles, survivor stories and commemorations. The diverse selection will keep the site interesting and help develop it as a place of comfort for all readers. <br /><br />For an uplifting perspective, the blog should be continually updated with members of the cancer community interested in sharing their stories and thoughts of inspiration. Links to positive and enriching sites such as vacation spots should be included as well. <br /><br />To visit Heal magazine, go to www. Healtoday.com<br /><br />Some Side Bar Possibilities:<br /><br />http://www.glamour.com/lifestyle/blogs/editor/<br /><br />American Cancer Society<br /><br />http://www.cancer.gov/Ashley Rose Nestorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08023634255407384434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584996874928042755.post-34755968404888958342007-04-13T08:00:00.000-07:002007-04-30T22:44:46.268-07:00Look-Look at Young Entrepreneurs!Entrepreneurs are everywhere, including our very own college campuses! Look-Look, a Los Angeles-based company that <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgn-IUKDjsklrOSfUGCyH7EKLsvx0Zf0IscibvmQnDBWCvqcIDu76-i_nOmhJSEZKe_8nLem1zQ7WxLP2kae6h-ngoQP-ykI2dg-jzqKqGYPqYoHYoE1hrECGLtgyzxuqTsqnRvCSZz0/s1600-h/Look-Look_8.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgn-IUKDjsklrOSfUGCyH7EKLsvx0Zf0IscibvmQnDBWCvqcIDu76-i_nOmhJSEZKe_8nLem1zQ7WxLP2kae6h-ngoQP-ykI2dg-jzqKqGYPqYoHYoE1hrECGLtgyzxuqTsqnRvCSZz0/s320/Look-Look_8.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059434105963966882" /></a>reasearches and studies youth culture, remains fascinated by this new breed of young people. Detecting this entrepreneurial spirit, Look-Look posed a challenge for our class to observe the many embarking on these independent ventures. <br /><br />Not surprisingly, I know my very own "new entrepreneur". I asked my former highschool classmate, Andrew Wiggins, a couple <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurktKX6EAx2_49maiEiVM-wbws700KPv5osFCLT3hz33E5fTukQGm6rPnrAddR-nn8-RwXd_cXijuOpLj9maM86DVEvBtXgsudl7RvQ5ndeCkqchwAkZeqlL7RnN5xupIV2cpY5aqgXw/s1600-h/147239_thumb.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurktKX6EAx2_49maiEiVM-wbws700KPv5osFCLT3hz33E5fTukQGm6rPnrAddR-nn8-RwXd_cXijuOpLj9maM86DVEvBtXgsudl7RvQ5ndeCkqchwAkZeqlL7RnN5xupIV2cpY5aqgXw/s320/147239_thumb.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059463754123211234" /></a>of questions about his experience. <br /><br />Andrew Wiggins, along with a friend, Taylor Caby, founded a successful poker training website. <br /><br />Taking his concept from the book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Andrew gave the following conclusions about young entrepreneurship:<br />-A high degree of difficulty exists to get ahead on the standard path. <br />-It's easy to get into a “rat race” where as you move up the corporate ladder, buy more things and never truly get ahead. In a nutshell, people go to school, learn to make money, but never really learn how to make their money work for themselves. "Some people are realizing that if you go a different route and learn to make your money work for you rather than work for money, you can get ahead," he says. <br /><br />He notes another probably motivation for this shift as the competitive work environment that has developed last 20 years or so. It's difficult to climb the ladder these days, and if you do, it requires much additional time and effort. Someone can do everything right in their career, but if they are unable to catch the right breaks, they will never make it to the top. <br /><br />Driven by a love for gambling, Andrew actually stumbled into a self-employed career after discovering a talent at online gambling in college. He launched a website for members to enjoy instructional videos, a private poker forum, strategy articles and guest pro instruction focused on improving one's poker game. <br /><br />Considering the amount of boys who gamble, it sounds like a lucrative concept to me. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47X5UpzSMWyg8TUoTzK4mBJO8Bh3IonqWtn65r5Fz2f75YISVeAUcI9C2ewYO4AVmntph2aSY-GxmC84jRB1wPKCWwJ4_MiJSzaBMXOhOqx2POCxqMZhXbwSZsq14Fj1-yDv9wkkaF_g/s1600-h/logoLeft.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47X5UpzSMWyg8TUoTzK4mBJO8Bh3IonqWtn65r5Fz2f75YISVeAUcI9C2ewYO4AVmntph2aSY-GxmC84jRB1wPKCWwJ4_MiJSzaBMXOhOqx2POCxqMZhXbwSZsq14Fj1-yDv9wkkaF_g/s320/logoLeft.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057255148795621730" /></a>Andrew originally saw the website as an opportunity to gain business experience. He realized he didn't want to do accounting for the rest of his life and considered running the poker website as a business after college. Though risky, he has much more freedom in his life by owning his own website.<br /><br />Andrew pointed at American culture for influencing the proliferation of young entrepreneurs. Those who are glorified in the media are people like Jay-Z, who run multiple businesses and have made it big on their own. <br /><br />Although we will probably see more entrepreneurs in the future, Andrew believes there are still plenty of people wanting to play the corporate ladder game. Thus, it might be a while until the shift towards entrepreneurship has a full effect on businesses in America.<br /><br />http://www.cardrunners.com<br />http://www.look-look.comAshley Rose Nestorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08023634255407384434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584996874928042755.post-2543884433821212052007-04-06T07:33:00.000-07:002007-04-13T06:49:48.969-07:00Have A Great WeekendI apologize for not leaving you with a blog update, but I will be away from a computer this weekend due to the holiday. Stay tuned as there are more blogs on their way!Ashley Rose Nestorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08023634255407384434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584996874928042755.post-82261478102305238102007-03-30T06:42:00.000-07:002007-04-30T20:42:16.706-07:00Witnessing Impressive StrategiesAt my current internship at a well-known Dallas PR agency, I have had the ability to witness a number of excellent public relations practices unfold. I am continually impressed by the agency’s ability to stay on top of trends, as well as keep up with recent technology that has become a huge player in professional communication. In the past month, I have attended two conferences where I have been given PowerPoint slides that teach me how to pitch to blogs and take advantage of radio media relations. It has been unbelievable to see my company taking an active step toward understanding the complexity of our culture and the channels that best reach audiences.<br /><br />In one conference, I learned that 93% of all consumers over the age of 12 listen to radio. Additionally, the average consumer spends more than 19 hours/week listening to radio. This is HUGE.<br /><br />So logically, it makes sense to target radio stations across the country to pitch ideas and products. If picked up, you can imagine the value and positive impact this coverage will have on a particular company. It was especially interesting to talk in class about Podcasts, and then see my agency emphasize their importance. I also learned tips for pitching to radio stations, such as what to be aware of and how to develop partnerships. A girl I work for impressed me as she explained that she maintains relationships with radio personnel by keeping up with their station and frequently emailing to comment or agree on something discussed that day on the station. It was also mentioned that she follows their blogs and will post on their site as another attempt to maintain and grow the relationship. This is an incredibly intelligent and clever PR practice that is often overlooked, as it requires additional time and energy spent outside the office. I find it impressively strategic. <br /><br />It is good to know that I am gaining experience from an agency with excellent PR practices!Ashley Rose Nestorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08023634255407384434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584996874928042755.post-44023883570244256792007-03-23T11:10:00.000-07:002007-03-23T11:32:12.539-07:00Hewlett Packard(China)-IPG Case Study: An "Out of this World" LaunchBased on my analysis, Burson-Marsteller did an excellent job, in opinion, with the Hewlett-Packard China and IPG collaboration on an integrated launch. In 2003, HPC and IPG introduced a completely new range of digital imaging products designed for every Chinese household. A key element of the announcement included a breakthrough pricing strategy that would enable HPC to offer top quality products at competitive price points. As an IT brand better known for its commercial printers, this would be one of the most significant assignments globally and strategically for HPC to penetrate the consumer home market in China. <br /><br />Burson-Marsteller (B-M)-Beijing was appointed to lead the six-month PR-led launch campaign that served as a platform to start establishing Hewlett-Packard as one of the leading consumer IT brands in China. BM worked on all elements of the campaign including ideation, strategy, planning, media relations and event management.<br /><br />Strategy: To start shifting consumer perceptions, B-M designed an excellent strategy focusing on creating an emotional impact with Chinese consumers through an "experience-based" approach, which leveraged key findings from the market research. The strategy was comprised of three main pillars:<br /><br />1. To demonstrate how Chinese consumers can be "at home with HP" by showing real people using HP. <br />2. To focus on HP's value by combining affordability message with innovation message. <br />3. To show the unexpected side of HP through an intimate understanding of consumers based on the affordability and experience of using HP's products.<br /><br />B-M developed a creative core concept ("At Home with HP. Out of this World.") which anchored the campaign and was used as the event theme and in all communications collateral. The big idea was to recruit 99 real families across China and demonstrate first-hand how they can be "at home with HP" and receive a digital imaging experience that is "out of this world." Families had to submit their family portraits and stories, each standing the chance to be selected as one of the 99 families who will receive HP's newest home products. <br /><br />The launch event kicked off on June 5, 2003 at the beautiful Soong Qingling Residence in Beijing, which was lined with poster-sized portraits of the families. Digital imaging and digital entertainment solution booths, designed around the idea of a home, provided journalists and families with a hands-on experience and a strong photo opportunity. The event was replicated on a smaller scale in Shanghai and Guangzhou. To sustain the momentum post-launch, B-M worked with key media to pitch and place family stories that demonstrated how real families in China have benefited from using HP's new products.<br /><br />Results: 113 media across three cities attended the event, resulting in US$850,000 worth of print and broadcast coverage in over 215 outlets nationwide, including key consumer, IT and business media. This included several extensive high-profile feature stories and TV interviews in top tier media such as CCTV, BTV, People's Daily, Beijing Daily, Guangzhou Daily, China ComputerWorld and China InfoWorld. HP's consumer launch became a key talking point in the industry and media interest post-launch has been strong with additional stories generated focusing on the market impact HP has made in China.<br /><br />The coverage has also resulted in three media awards, including PC Magazine's Editors Choice, China Computer World's Readers Choice and Chip Magazine's Editors Choice.<br /><br />Consumer response in the six launch cities has also exceeded original expectations and sales targets. In a month since its launch, HPC managed to increase its PC market share from 0% in May to 4% by the end of June, placing it on par with the top six players in the market and the number one foreign home PC brand. In terms of brand share in units, HP managed to move from 0 to 5 units across seven cities, ahead of all the foreign brands.<br /><br />What I think worked so well in this case study was the attention paid to details, research and strategy. B-M excelled at paying attention to what would appeal to the local audience in China, thus creating a campaign that was a success in the end. The results of the launch are a testiment to how well the event was executed and what a great job B-M did in their PR practices.Ashley Rose Nestorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08023634255407384434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584996874928042755.post-16542849058651894992007-03-02T07:05:00.000-08:002007-03-02T07:47:52.309-08:00Blogs Matter!I was browsing Edelman's blog, 6 A.M., when I ran across an interesting post regarding the importance of blogs to the media. What I found most interesting, however, was that Edelman has data proving that the blogosphere isn't only expanding as a means of mainstream media in the U.S., but in plenty of other countries as well, including Belgium, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Poland, and the UK.<br /><br />Edelman drew the following conclusions from their data: <br /><br />• Blogs are the new on-ramp for mainstream media. They found that leading political blogs are increasingly quoted in stories in mainstream media. The same is true of technology blogs, where stories such as the Google acquisition of YouTube broke first on Techcrunch.<br />• Blog readership levels vary significantly by market, but influencers are more likely to read blogs. Influencers are those who actively attempt to impact the public discourse (this survey group is different from our Trust Barometer population of opinion leaders who make over $75,000 and are media attentive). Blog readers are willing to spread the word, both good and bad. <br />• Blogs do spur readers to take action. For example, 78% of German readers of blogs have attended a public meeting on a local issue covered in a blog. <br />• The composition of the “short head” of the blogosphere in most markets is technology blogs, followed by politics, personal journals or entertainment. <br />• Multinational companies such as McDonalds, Microsoft or Samsung (disclosure—last two are Edelman clients) draw more attention from local bloggers than major companies headquartered in a market (VW in Germany) <br />• The survey respondents in the Asian countries surveyed, China, Japan and South Korea, all read blogs with significantly more frequency than their counterparts in the US or Europe.<br /><br />A number of readers shared comments below the post and seemed to have a similar reaction as me: Surprised.<br /><br />One of the great things about people using blogs universally is that it allows PR professionals to conduct excellent research if looking to expand globally or market a product overseas. Without knowing the culture and trends of the people living there, it is difficult to generate appropriate PR that will appeal to them or appear tasteful. It is a best practice in PR to "think global, act local," and blogs assist in doing so. <br /><br />I think it is truly exciting how quickly blogs have caught on around the world. Can you imagine what mainstream media will look like in 10 years? Communications is certainly evolving rapidly.Ashley Rose Nestorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08023634255407384434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584996874928042755.post-23608668563201134432007-02-19T17:07:00.000-08:002007-02-19T17:53:58.690-08:00An Intelligent PerspectiveOn February 12, our class had the good fortune of receiving a visit from special guest, Scott Baradell. Over the course of four years, a number of speakers have lectured in my CCPA classes, but Scott was definitely the most honest and appealing to listen to. Scott, an accomplished corporate brand strategist and communicator who has been the senior corporate communications executive for two Fortune 1000 companies, leads the Idea Grove. With his credible background and likable personality, Scott kept the class attentive and provided us with some great tips for navigating around the world of communications. <br /><br />Though we had briefly browsed the Idea Grove website in a class prior to his visit, Scott took us through the purpose of his PR firm and how it has helped him with a successful career overall. What Scott has done so well is that he has kept his website updated with the current communications strategies available over the internet. For example, he 100% supports the use of blogs. He keeps is own and shares how it has attracted numerous clientele with interest in hiring him. He says that blogs show that you are knowledgeable and positively promotes your business. Perhaps other PR agencies should hop in this boat, it seems to be doing wonders for Scott Baradell. <br /><br />Additionally, ideagrove.com contains a link to spinthicket.com, a page stacked with feed packages. Spin Thicket is valuable because people can add links to any sort of content updates from NY Times to Yahoo! News. Scott also showed us fark.com and dig.com, which contain odd news items and share the same sort of purpose as Spin Thicket. I had never heard of this type of site before, but it is easy to become hooked once you begin browsing through...Take a look!<br /><br />I also enjoyed hearing Scott's perspective on the increasing amount of importance placed on the healthcare field by PR and marketing professionals. I have been hearing a lot lately of healthcare becoming a "hot" area. <br /><br />I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to hear such an intelligent professional speak in our class. He truly seemed to understand the concepts of public relations and I was impressed to see his progress in its best practices.<br /><br />http://ideagrove.com<br />http://spinthicket.com<br />http://fark.com<br />http://corporate.disney.go.com/wdig/index.htmlAshley Rose Nestorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08023634255407384434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584996874928042755.post-84769119214370254802007-02-19T14:28:00.000-08:002007-02-19T17:01:17.865-08:00Getting Attention in a Media-Dominated WorldGetting the media's attention is essential to the function of PR professionals in their relationship with a client. Knowing that experts have a number of creative strategies up their sleeve in order to shine brightly and garner attention, I decided to browse the web to see what sort of examples I could find. <br /><br />According to publicrelationsideas.com, the following are recommended tactics that will no doubt draw the desired attention from journalists:<br /><br />1.) List company experts at your site and invite the media to call on them for commentary, background and story ideas.<br /><br />2.) Include a "Media Room" at your site. For an example of an excellent media room, visit the Society for Human Resource Management at http://www.shrm.org/press/<br /><br />3.) List story ideas about your company.<br /><br />4.) Offer an electronic version of your photo.<br /><br />5.) Ask your media contacts if you can e-mail them when you have new content at your site that might interest them.<br /><br />6.) Ask for links on industry sites, such as trade associations.<br /><br />This same site hints that letters to the editor are always an overlooked publicity opportunity. Professionals should think of clever ways to weave into the letter what they do, how they can help people and your areas of expertise. As they read letters in publications they would like to get into, they must notice how the letter-writers publicize their own businesses without making it sound like a heavy-handed sales pitch. I think this is and incredibly useful strategy-I never thought of it before!<br /><br />We discussed in class how understanding the journalism business is necessary in order to get PR pick-up. I completely agree. I read a great piece of advice on gettingattention.org from William Newcott, features editor at AARP the Magazine, which said, “The best advice I can give to a PR person pitching a story is to get a good idea of the process we go through to get stories through the editorial team in-house. It’s different for everybody, but you need to know what happens after you sell us on a pitch so we can take the idea further behind the scenes.”<br /><br />I also found an article from the Wall Street Journal that recognizes that the rules of the publicity game are changing, and discusses a couple of ways to claim the spotlight for one's business. Not surprisingly at all, I found the article's buzz to be around blogging. As reliance on the internet increases, so does the impact of using blogs. The key to using blogs is that you have the ability to talk about something other than, "buy my product." This advantage allows journalists and other readers to make a connection with a company and remember them for details that are attached to a unique or interesting story. <br /><br />Some other more obvious ways might include networking to build relationsips and going to places that journalists meet. For example, there is the Press Club of Dallas. If we think of the channels and places journalists go on any given day, then we have found the spots that PR professionals should frequent. PR experts are hired to be creative and innovative. If they can find ways to strategically break-through to journalists, they are on the right path to success. <br /><br />http://publicrelationsideas.com/get_media_attention_000145.html<br />http://www.gettingattention.org/my_weblog/2006/03/media_ins<br />http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB115885283520170125-dFoeWf5cCZS4YYhThM3YPrxlpW8_20061002.html?mod=blogsAshley Rose Nestorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08023634255407384434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584996874928042755.post-8153781870567314832007-02-06T19:05:00.000-08:002007-02-07T11:32:34.685-08:00Climbing the Great Blog Ladder!As we continue to talk about the significance and rapid growth of the blogosphere, I ran across an interesting article published this morning in the The Wall Street Journal. The title was called, Blogging for Web Sites, and it described the increasing number of people who have shifted blogging from a hobby to a full-time career. The article explains the job description of some self-employed bloggers and notes the appeal of such a job for them, such as setting their own schedules, celebrity event invites and opportunities to be quoted in the media. The article also lists "having no life" and "guilt when not writing," as complaints of a full-time job in the industry.<br /><br />I was also shocked to learn that during election time, a political blogger can bring in $20,000 to $30,000 a month if they contain a large audience base. Unbelievable! I am quickly understanding what an asset blogs are becoming to communications. <br /><br />Though the article is not relevant to the PR direction of our class, I was surprised to learn that blogging is increasing in popularity and interest within all areas of professional practice. This is all a testament to how important it is for PR professionals to keep on top of this growing technology and watch where blogging will take our own, as well as other industries in the future.<br /><br />http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117072031237598933-search.html?KEYWORDS=blogs&COLLECTION=wsjie/6monthAshley Rose Nestorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08023634255407384434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584996874928042755.post-49257177623518200122007-02-03T10:09:00.000-08:002007-02-03T11:52:54.138-08:00The Importance of Blogs in Network BuildingBlogging has quickly emerged as an important and essential tool in the PR and Corporate Communications industry, especially since a primary function of this industry is network building. The world is beginning to see PR practitioners use blogs as a foundational tool for the building and strenghthening of relationships with their audiences. It is used to break through the clutter of communication and push messages directly to the public. <br /><br />It wasn't difficult to see that most public relations practitioners recognize that the dynamics of blogs are both appealing and popular amongst their target audiences. I believe that it is important in PR to focus on networks and relationship building because by investing in, building or hosting the connections, links or pathways between and among key audiences, they will be well positioned to use these networks over time to persuade people to action, to respond to a crisis, to leverage current market conversations and to improve business overall. Participatory communications tools like blogs are particularly well designed to help do all of these things. Blogs are used as powerful communications tools. <br /><br />I also found that blogs are important tools in PR for network building because they give professionals a place to generate visible links, both incoming and outgoing. By enabling and encouraging comments, they are creating visible relationships. By commenting and trackbacking themselves to other blogs and websites, they are also creating links. That is why it is so important that, beyond just producing a personal blog, they are contributing to others.<br /><br />I believe that professional communicators have learned that they need to focus on building these relationships via online networks. This doesn’t mean abandoning the activities they already pursue via in-person and other forms of communications, but they have begun viewing these activities as part of our overall network-building objective. One of the core forms of public relations is that having someone else speak credibly about your organization and its products or services is more valuable in terms of persuading people to take positive action than a corporation speaking for itself. This remains true in the blogosphere. The challenge is to first find the influential people and to enter into an ongoing conversation with them. A lone PR person trying to speak on behalf of his or her corporation isn’t enough. Rather, one should consider viewing his or her entire organization as full of spokespeople: employees, partners, customers – in fact, all relevant audiences. Increasingly, they are doing it online, where they can easily link up, driving increased visibility of corporate issues. <br /><br />I witnessed a specific example of a company successfully utilizing blogs to speak credibly about a product during my internship this summer. I worked in-house for Alberto-Culver, a company that owns Nexxus, VO5, Tresemme and St. Ives. On the Tresemme account, we worked as a direct sponsor for Bravo's hit tv show, Project Runway. Tresemme's spokestylist, Nathaniel Hawkins was on-set styling the models' hair before hitting the catwalk. This was a huge promotion and PR opportunity for Tresemme, but the greatest success came from Nathaniel's blog that was written after each show aired every week. He would comment on everything from the designers' attitudes to the models' conversations. As viewers logged onto Bravotv.com and Tresemme.com to read the blogs of both Nathaniel and the show's design guru, Tim Gunn, they were directly exposed to Tresemme product placement and promotion. The blogs were a huge PR tool for Tresemme and contributed to the incredible profits the company experienced over the past couple of years. <br /><br />I believe the example above shows how companies use blogs as a place for a product's spokesperson to write about their insight and opinions. It creates a sort of connection with the audience that was not able to be experienced before the evolution of blogs. <br /><br />I also found that blogs are used as a great opportunity to show accomplishments, to track trends and to talk to people at the grassroots level. I found that the president and CEO of Edelman Europe, David Brain, has a blog that posts a series of "occasional one minute interviews with figures from business, media, government and NGOs on topics of the moment with a public relations or public affairs flavour." The blog is neatly organized, easy to read and insightful to the expertise and interests of Edelman's leadership. I believe the blog gives credibility to David Brain, as it shows the investment of his interests and time in the PR industry. <br /><br />I almost feel that I cannot read or learn enough about the influence blogs are having on communication, network building and PR itself. I truly feel that I can’t think of a more interesting time to be a professional communicator!<br /><br />http://www.bravotv.com/Project_Runway<br />http://www.tresemme.com/askexperts/nh.cfm<br />http://www.sixtysecondview.com/Ashley Rose Nestorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08023634255407384434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584996874928042755.post-21101003572147239422007-01-29T11:34:00.000-08:002007-01-29T11:35:51.811-08:00I Can't Believe It!Wow, my very first post! I am ecstatic to enter this blogging chapter of my life- it's very technological of me! I am usually behind on acquiring the cool new technological devices or learning how to manage computer programs. I don't even have an iPod yet! I guess I get it from my mother who still doesn't recognize when her cell phone is ringing and thinks text messaging is called "mext messaging." After I reminded her the other day about what blogging is and told her I was going to begin my own site to do so, she warned me not fill it up with celebrity gossip and other nonsense. I assured her that this isn't that type of blog and I have no interest in writing about anything other than public relations ;). Anyways, this really is exciting for me and I cannot wait to quickly add useful information, insight and graphics onto my site, especially since the extent of my progress is a poorly uploaded picture. This class will certainly post as a challenge for me, but I can't wait to begin. I am fully aware of how significant blogs are becoming to the evolution of superior communications and public relations.Ashley Rose Nestorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08023634255407384434noreply@blogger.com1