PRSSA Conference Presentation is now up!

Please take a moment and watch the conference presentation three of our members participated in.  The three members presented this in front of over 400 people in San Diego at the PRSSA conference, fall of 2009.  Rachel Lawton, Sam Eckel and Emily Nason did a wonderful job!  Take a look.

Beware of Phony Job Ads

Many college graduates end up in interviews for what they think are PR jobs because they respond to a bogus ads seeking “entry-level PR professionals.” These jobs, being hailed as "sports PR/marketing positions" range from doing phone sales for basketball season tickets, door-to-door sales of regulatory signage, or even catalog sales!

While job seekers feel compelled to follow through on every potential job opportunity, it’s wise to analyze any that seem too good to be true–especially those that don’t mention the company or agency where the opening exists.  Most organizations today include their names and locations in job postings.  Always make sure a job sounds like a legitimate position before sending your resume.  Don’t send resumes to unidentified organizations or post office boxes.  Never pay for job lists or a fee for submission of an application.

If you do run ino this, remember it is a consumer age!  You can contact the Better Business Bureaus and alert them to phony come ons. Perhaps a more interesting site is aptly called the Ripoff Report . Here you can post companits concerning phony job ads to online.

Public Information Positions

So students in the Public Relations Case Studies course are all wanting to find jobs as they graduate in May.  However, where to go to look for jobs is hard to know, let alone exactly what they want to do.  In fact, I suggest students don't try to find what they want to do before graduating, but instead endeavor to know without a doubt what they DON want to do.  In this vein, I offer some new links to various jobs.

Good hunting future RWU grads!

http://www.execsearches.com/non-profit-jobs/jobDetail.asp?job_id=19000

http://www.indeed.com/q-Public-Information-Officer-jobs.html

http://wafb.careers.adicio.com/careers/jobsearch/detail?jobId=20398749&viewType=main&networkView=main

https://www.shands.apply2jobs.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=mExternal.showJob&RID=5296&CurrentPage=23

Working in Government Affairs

This positions is most often called a PIO.  Because an organization’s reputation, profitability, and even its continued existence can depend on the degree to which its targeted “publics” support its goals and policies,Public relations specialists—also referred to as communications specialists and media specialists, among other titles—serve as advocates for businesses, nonprofit associations, universities, hospitals, and other organizations. The ket role of a PIO is to build and maintain positive relationships with the public. As managers recognize the importance of good public relations to the success of their organizations, they increasingly rely on public relations specialists for advice on the strategy and policy of such programs.

Public relations specialists handle organizational functions such as media, community, consumer, industry, and governmental relations; political campaigns; interest-group representation; conflict mediation; and employee and investor relations. They do more than “tell the organization’s story.” They must understand the attitudes and concerns of community, consumer, employee, and public interest groups and establish and maintain cooperative relationships with them and with representatives from print and broadcast journalism.

Public relations specialists draft press releases and contact people in the media who might print or broadcast their material. Many radio or television special reports, newspaper stories, and magazine articles start at the desks of public relations specialists. Sometimes the subject is an organization and its policies toward its employees or its role in the community. Often the subject is a public issue, such as health, energy, or the environment, and what an organization does to advance that issue.

Public relations specialists also arrange and conduct programs to keep up contact between organization representatives and the public. For example, they set up speaking engagements and often prepare speeches for company officials. These media specialists represent employers at community projects; make film, slide, or other visual presentations at meetings and school assemblies; and plan conventions. In addition, they are responsible for preparing annual reports and writing proposals for various projects.

In government, public relations specialists—who may be called press secretaries, information officers, public affairs specialists, or communication specialists—keep the public informed about the activities of agencies and officials. For example, public affairs specialists in the U.S. Department of State keep the public informed of travel advisories and of U.S. positions on foreign issues. A press secretary for a member of Congress keeps constituents aware of the representative’s accomplishments.

In large organizations, the key public relations executive, who often is a vice president, may develop overall plans and policies with other executives. In addition, public relations departments employ public relations specialists to write, research, prepare materials, maintain contacts, and respond to inquiries.

People who handle publicity for an individual or who direct public relations for a small organization may deal with all aspects of the job. They contact people, plan and research, and prepare materials for distribution. They also may handle advertising or sales promotion work to support marketing efforts.

Work environment. Public relations specialists work in busy offices. The pressures of deadlines and tight work schedules can be stressful.

Some public relations specialists work a standard 35- to 40-hour week, but unpaid overtime is common and work schedules can be irregular and frequently interrupted. Occasionally, they must be at the job or on call around the clock, especially if there is an emergency or crisis. Schedules often have to be rearranged so that workers can meet deadlines, deliver speeches, attend meetings and community activities, and travel.

This is all from an article that you can find here: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos086.htm.

Needed: Communication Specialist (CT)

Positions in this function design and coordinate company communications, including internal and/or external communications. Responsible for maintaining policies and procedures and monitoring company media, which may include company websites. May manage public relations activities, including public information and shareholder information services.

You can be a part of this team. You can put your skills and talents to work in an effort that is seriously shaping the way health care services are delivered. 
Qualifications:

• Uses pertinent data and facts to identify and solve a range of problems within area of expertise
• Investigates non-standard requests and problems, with some assistance from others
• Works exclusively within a specific knowledge area
• Prioritizes and organizes own work to meet deadlines
• Provides explanations and information to others on topics within area of expertise
• Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience

Accrediation with PRSA: What is it worth?

Below you will find three reasons that might be enough to become accredited through PRSA.  Combine the APR with the MBA and your paychecks will be bigger than mine. Accrediation can provide you with some valuable skills and experience that will help you advance in your career and possibly earn more money. In a time when there is more and more competition for PR jobs, and so many people are out of work, it could be a good time to get your APR certification.

1. You’ll earn more money with an APR. A recent Korn/Ferry study found that APRs earn an average of 20% more. Of course, you could increase your earning power by 35% with an MBA, but it costs a lot more than the APR.

2. People will take you more seriously. As a professional, with certification that says so, you’ll be more respected in the industry. Of course, just as many people say the APR isn’t widely known outside of PR, so not too many people may truly appreciate all the hard work that goes into it.

3. You’ll be more respected by your peers. I saw several examples that referred specifically to APRs (other APRs will respect you), but non-APRs will probably wonder what those letters are all about.

To read more from the blog this article first appeared click here.  Many thanks to Ashley Portal for this link!

Networking

Your network is one of the most valuable tools you have available to you when you’re looking for a job. This article comes from Professor Shelton's Alma Mater, Boston University.  For the original article, click here

You create your network by networking. That seems obvious, but do you know what networking really means? There are a variety of ways to go about networking, you can attend an event specifically for this purpose, but the best way to really create a useful network is to constantly be networking. Don’t worry, it’s not nearly as exhausting as it sounds.

The individuals that make up your network are called connections. A connection can be someone you worked with, a friend of your parents, an alum you met at a BU event, professors or even family and friends. Web sites like LinkedIn provide an easy way to keep track of your connections. If you start paying attention, you’ll see potential connections almost every day.

If a guest speaker visits one of your classes, make a point of going up to speak with them afterward, even if it means waiting a little while for all the other eager students to take their turn. Use the time while you’re waiting to think of what you’re going to say. Asking a question is always a good bet. You want to give them a reason to remember you. Then tell them, ‘I am working on building my network, are you on LinkedIn? Do you mind if I send you a request to join my network?’ Chances are good they will agree. You can use a modified version of this approach for anyone you come in contact with. Don’t be concerned about only including communications professionals in your network, you never know where opportunties may arise in the future.

The Difference Between Your Professional Network and Your Social Network

Facebook is a social networking site. You need to create a professional network to use throughout your career. You may end up with some of your Facebook friends in your professional network, but do not make the mistake of including those in your professional network as Facebook friends. Some communications professionals use Facebook as a networking tool, but most people see Facebook as a place for friends only and LinkedIn as a place for professional networking.

Maintain Your Network

If you’re using a site like LinkedIn, you can easily maintain your network. Update your ‘What Are You Working on Now?’ status if you are working on a big project or have an internship. Send emails occasionally to touch base with the key people in your network. If you like the company you interned with and think you’d like to work there after graduation, be sure to stay in touch with those people. Once or twice a year is sufficient for maintaining a connection. You don’t want to be a pest you just want to remind them who you are and what you’re doing.

Picture from: http://jpsblog.org/2009/07/the-jewish-non-profit-guide-to-social-media-marketing/

International PR

 "Pepsodent tried to sell its toothpaste in Southeast Asia by emphasizing that it "whitens your teeth." However,  natives chew betel nuts to blacken their teeth because they found it attractive. Had the PR company behind this campaign analyzed the cross cultural issues related to Pepsodent's product, the failure of this PR campaign could have been avoided."

Cross-cultural differences can make or break a PR campaign. It is therefore crucial that PR practitioners dealing with PR campaigns that incorporate a cross cultural element analyze likely cross cultural differences.

In order for a PR campaign to be successful abroad, an appreciation of the target language and its cultural nuances is necessary. The PR and advertising industries are littered with examples of poor translations and a lack of cross-cultural understanding leading to PR failure.  Translation of documents, slogans and literature must be checked and double-checked for meanings and cross cultural nuances. This should not only take place between languages but also within languages. 

Different Speaking Styles

British and American communication styles are described as 'explicit', meaning messages are conveyed solely through words. Correlating background information is deemed necessary and divulged, ambiguity is avoided and spoken words have literal meaning. In many other cultures, communication is 'implicit'. The message listeners are likely to interpret is based on factors such as who is speaking, the context and non-verbal cues. Spoken words do not fully convey the whole story as listeners are expected to read between the lines.

With relation to content, speakers must be aware of the cross cultural differences in humor, metaphors, aphorisms and anecdotes. In addition, references to topics such as politics and/or religion can be a very sensitive issue in other cultures.

Mass Media

Journalistic traditions, writing styles, news worthiness, delivery systems and whether a 'free press' exists are all areas that will affect how the written word is tailored. The most important point from a cross cultural perspective is how to write in a way that engages the readers in that society or culture. Some cultures may prefer colorfull and inspirational writing, others factual and objective. Some may be motivated by language that incorporates a religious or moral tone, others by a money-orientated or materialistic one.

PR practitioners employ many different communication channels when trying to circulate information relating to their campaign. The main channels of communication in the UK or America are the radio, the press, TV, internet and public spaces. However, these channels may not always be applicable abroad.

In many countries the radio, TV or newspapers may not be the primary source of information. Literacy rates may be poor and/or radios may be expensive. In Africa, only 1.4% of the population have access to the internet. Even where such channels of communication do exist, such as TV, some methods used by PR practitioners, namely guerrilla marketing, would be interpreted differently in foreign countries. For example, interrupting live TV may be laughed at in the UK but in other countries it would be seen as irresponsible and rebellious.

The usual channels of communication in some countries would simply have no effect in terms of PR. In such countries, local alternatives need to be sought such as religious leaders, tribal chiefs, school teachers or NGO's. Information coming from such figures will not only reach the audience but be perceived as more credible than if it were from foreigners.

 "Ford launched the 'Pinto' in Brazil they were puzzled as to why sales were dead. Fortunately they found out that Brazilians did not want to be seen driving a car meaning 'small male genitals' and promptly changed the name."

Picture can be found at: http://en.tehran.ir/Default.aspx?tabid=17663.  Original article can be found at:http://www.aboutpublicrelations.net/international.htm.

A Must Read Book

Below you will find comments on a new book out.  The book "Putting the Public back into Public Relations"  is a great look at where the field may be heading- by showing what works now in regards to social media. The comments below are from the back of the book. Click here to order from Amazon

“There will be two kinds of PR professionals in the future: those who read this book and get with the program, and the unemployed. Your choice.”

Seth Godin, Author of Tribes

“I am thrilled that there is finally a book about the right way to approach PR in today’s world, where hyper-connected conversations trump the old school broadcast mentality. Everyone who wants to build a career in PR or marketing should read this book.”

Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos.com

 Forget the pitch: Yesterday’s PR techniques just don’t work anymore. That’s the bad news. Here’s the great news: Social Media and Web 2.0 offer you an unprecedented opportunity to make PR succeed more powerfully than ever before. This book shows how to reinvent PR around two-way conversations with traditional and new influencers, bring the “public” back into public relations—and earn a new level of results that just wasn’t possible before now.

Drawing on their unparalleled experience making Social Media work for business, PR 2.0 blogger Brian Solis and industry leader Deirdre Breakenridge show how to transform the way you think, plan, prioritize, and deliver PR services. You’ll learn new ways to build the relationships that matter, and reach a new generation of influencers…leverage platforms ranging from Twitter to Facebook…truly embed yourself in the communities that are shaping the future.

Along the way, you’ll learn how to stop being a “publicist” or mere “communicator” and become what your clients or company really need: a genuine enthusiast for whom and what you represent.

Top 10 Reasons Letterman is Still Golden

Hot news off  PR News Online.

Despite David Letterman's confessions about late-night dalliances with female staffers on his show, Dave is still Golden. Helene Solomon, CEO of Solomon McCown & Company, gives a communicator's perspective about why he will survive this image crisis.

10.) Dave owned the story. He controlled the message and did so on his turf—behind the desk.

9.) He avoided death by a thousand cuts by being transparent and first.

8.) He said “I’m sorry” and seemed to mean it, especially when apologizing to his wife.

Follow this jump to see the top seven.

Print is Not Dead!

These comments featured below are from a larger debate over the subject of the medium of print. I have included only a portion of the debate, which you can read in its entirety here.

According to John Griffin, President of the National Geographic Society's magazine group, "print is where words go to live--we're still reading the ancient Greeks. On the other hand, I question the life span of blogs."

Griffen continues, "Blogging is great if you want to see yourself published unedited, and the Internet is wonderful when you already know what you are interested in. But there is tremendous value in passionate, knowledgeable, talented editors who can assign stories and photographs with budgets to do them better and more authoritatively than any individual can. The reader of a magazine like National Geographic can depend on the information being accurate, coherent, concise, beautiful and created by the by most talented writers and photographers in the world. And readers may learn about something that they didn't know they were interested in.

Print is the perfect introduction to an informed debate and to the deep resources of the web. The words and pictures in print or on a magazine's web site become the basis for searching, linking, talking and ranting for those with the time or inclination to do so. The web is the friend of print, not its killer."

New Study Finds PR Leads Marketing in Social Media

The PR department leads digital communications at 51% of organizations, while the marketing team leads it just over 40% of the time, according to the 2009 Digital Readiness Report from iPressroom, Korn/Ferry International, and PRSA.

The study broke down digital communications into several specific categories, finding that:

* PR leads blogging activities in 49% of organizations, compared to 22% for marketing
* PR leads in microblogging as well, 52% compared to marketing’s 22%
* Marketing generally leads when it comes to the e-mail marketing and SEO aspects of digital communications

Click here to download report

Press Releases: Are they dead?

Are press releases dead?  Not at all. Press releases are not primary tool of communication anymore; they are simply channels through which information is conveyed. The reason press releases are not the primary in the field anymore has more to do with the web and how it allows people to communicate directly. Press releases do not generally get conversations started the way a blog does for example.  This is press releases generally do not include a way for the recipient of the message to respond. However, when press releases are published on the web, they become a different kind of channel, one that potentially invites a conversation with a wide public. This seems simple enough, but many old style PR people believe public relations to be simply putting out the press releases their clients want them to.  There also still some senior management who sees the function of PR as putting out press releases. This is a very outdated view of public relations.  In today's world, the role of public relations is to create understanding. In the complex world of today, there are many complex ideas.  Thus, it is the PR person’s task to disseminate these complex ideas in a way that makes people understand and want to contribute. What I see as the main problem with PR is that many times the PR function in an organization is focused on tactics, when public relations should be treated as management function.  Public relations is actually managing relationships with various publics...any public that can present obstacles to your being in business. In today’s world, this is complicated somewhat by the fact that all of these publics are now able to talk to each other. Clearly, then public relations must be taken seriously as a management function. (Picture is from http://www.mbda.gov/?section_id=12&bucket_id=844)

Networking: Views from The Field

Join us for our first guest speaker of the 2009-2010 academic year, October 21st.  The focus of this seminar will be on networking. The program begins at 6:30 in GHH001.

Dr. Downes, prior to joining academia full-time, worked professionally for ten years for communications programs throughout metropolitan Washington, D.C.

He has held positions as a research associate, personnel specialist, campaign organizer, special events producer, fund-raiser, editor and writer, marketing representative, performer, and public relations director. His doctoral dissertation was titled “Messages from the Hill: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding the Congressional Press Secretary."

Learn more about Dr. Downes here

Needed: Promotions Assistant

Contact here
Sony Imageworks Interactive

Description:
30+ hours/week. Admin duties, arrange travel, maintain supplies, prepare creative production work requests, schedule, collect, manage creative assets, schedule meetings, develop pitch lists, promotional concepts, program outlines. Req computer, communication, orgz, interpersonal skills, strong interest in entertainment, internet.