Selewis's Blog

Did You Hear About Tiger Woods?

Sarah — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:40:37 +0000

As everyone in America has seen this past week, Tiger Woods has been surprisingly accused of infidelity.

I do not think anyone could have seen this coming from Tiger Woods.

With voicemail clippings, text messages, and pictures as proof every magazine, news site, and television network has been informing the world of Woods’ alleged affair. Woods is surprisingly taking this very well.

In Ted Turner’s book, he states powerful wealthy men cannot just settle and only have one woman. I guess Woods proves this to be true.

Woods has announced he regrets any wrongs he may have committed and is admitting he is far from perfect. Well everyone is far from perfect, but when you live your life under a microscope I believe better judgment should in fact be used. Not only did he have a professional career in which he is praised for, he had a beautiful family.

Song remixes including Woods’ voicemail have been leaked on the internet and into the television world.

Well PR people of Tiger Woods, get ready to work. Luckily Woods’ sponsors, along with many colleagues, have all agreed to stick by his side through this tough time. This is exactly what he needs. Woods’ is asking for privacy, which honestly will not happen, and is trying to deal with his indiscretions responsibly.

His sponsors have already stated they will not drop his sponsorships or endorsements which is good news for Woods. He now has mega corporations backing him up which in turn is stating they support him and believe he is still a professional and a good guy.

Although he may not have lost his sponsorships, he probably has lost support from many of his fans. His PR team needs to work fast to produce apologies and redeem his reputation.

Twitter Lessons For Companies

Sarah — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:13:26 +0000

Twitter has been hitting the scene and becoming an extremely popular social networking tool. Not only have celebrities and individuals tapped into the Twitter mainstream, but also businesses and corporations large and small have been increasingly curious.

Companies such as Starbucks, Dell, Ford, Best Buy, and JetBlue are using twitter for company awareness, product promotions, company events and many other announcements that are now available from a laptop screen or mobile phone via Twitter.

Companies who are already excelling in the use of this amazing social networking tool are being selected to teach the amazing benefits of networking. These companies are giving “Twitter Lessons” to smaller companies. They are sharing their use of Twitter for their company, showing results and how it can help improve any business no matter the size.

I think it is a great idea for business to be a part of Twitter and this massive network. Through Twitter companies will be able to reach all ages and all demographics in any region. I believe this is perfect for chains of business that are trying to promote themselves and their products in all locations where their business is standing.

I know a lot of people may be skeptical of Facebook and Twitter use, and so the idea of having another business that is already currently using this tool is brilliant. Not only can they give their first hand experience and advice it is easier for a company to view it from another businesses stand point instead of a “teen thing” or however else it may be preconceived.

I think these “Twitter Lessons” will be extremely helpful for other businesses to follow and learn the ways of the new technology and social networking.

http://www.prnewsonline.com/news/Twitter-Lessons-for-Companies-Big-and-Small_13457.html

Catholic Church in DC needs to prepare for damage control

Sarah — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:49:31 +0000

The Catholic Archdiocese in Washington D.C. is threatening to disseminate all social charity services with the city if the bill allowing same-sex marriage is passed.

While I understand that religious beliefs of some can be so profound and they are unopposed to change I think this is just ridiculous. I think what irks me most is threatening to leave those people in the streets because they are being stubborn. I understand that they do not agree with same sex marriage. It states in the bill proposal that churches who do not want to enforce the bill do not have to perform any same sex marriages or otherwise. Why can that not be enough? Instead they want to turn their back on over 60,000 homeless, hungry, sick, uninsured, unemployed and needy people to make a stance.

How very noble.

I am Catholic myself and while I believe in my faith and in my church I do not believe in this. They are setting themselves up for disaster. Not only are they threatening to turn away thousands of people in need that they are currently helping, they are also going to have an extremely upset public.

The Archdiocese needs to realize what they are really proposing, and while they are at it need to implement a crisis plan to redeem their reputation. I believe they are going to have to do some major damage control if they go through with this.

The bill is projected to pass next month so I am very curious to see what happens. Do you think the Catholic Church will go through with what they are threatening?

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/282034

Facebook: The Movie

Sarah — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:55:41 +0000

“The Social Network” is the upcoming movie about Facebook. The movie is said to enter production this year and will be the story of the creator, Mark Zuckerberg, and how he created Facebook from his Harvard dorm room. The Web site that was created in just a small dorm room now has over 200 million active users.

Really? When I first heard about the idea I seriously just laughed. A movie about Facebook. Don’t get me wrong I think the story of a college student creating the world phenomenon of a social networking site is absolutely amazing but I am trying to imagine how the movie will come across. But again, Facebook: The Movie? I think the same confusion is probably coming across most minds. However, look at the list of the big Hollywood names working on this project. Aaron Sorkin as the script writer, David Fincher the director and Michael De Luca and Kevin Spacy among others as the producers. Actors such as Justin Timberlake, Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield are confirmed for the film. Without such a credible team though I think the movie would fail. I think it will be very interesting to see how it turns out and might be worth watching. Production is said to have began in October. The film is actually based the Book “Accidental Billionaires” and is focusing solely on Zuckerberg and his creation of Facebook and the overnight success. A lot of reactions from the public are positive about the movie as it takes on an entrepreneurial angle and tells a fascinating story of a very young and very brilliant man. Comments such as “I didn’t realize that Justin Timberlake constituted a part of a “solid” cast, but alright” are also circulating but I see more positive than negative. People need to look past it being a movie about a social networking site, because although that is what it is there is also a very inspirational and amazing story behind it all. I think it is great, being an advocate of social media of course, and will be interested in checking this out.

Controversy in Journalism

Sarah — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:34:36 +0000

An article recently published in the Calgary Sun has caused a lot of controversy among its readers. The arrogant opinion of a certain journalist not only leaves a bad rep for himself but for the paper as well. His article is noted as sexist, cruel and downright ridiculous.

Not only is the article superficial, opinionated and sexist it is also poorly written. I cannot believe the editor let this article run in the paper. That alone is politically incorrect. The assumptions of the left-wing and right-wing women based on their shoes are completely off base. Point being who cares if someone wants comfort over style or vice-versa. Not only does it make the left-wing seem frumpy and lazy but it also makes the right-wing seem egotistical and materialistic. Either way I do not see how this article could please anyone none-the-less be accurate in any sense. Was a male politician ever judged based on his looks? Not that I can remember or everyone would be criticizing height, hair, race and any other physical appearance. Let history show this is clearly off base. I understand the need for looking professional and classy but to judge women on their shows, hairy legs, and comparing them the hikers is just insulting. This is no way should have any effect on their political stance.

This author to me is an egotistical journalist who clearly had nothing to write about that day. One of my favorite comments left on the article was “leaving blank space would have been a better option” and I couldn’t agree more. What has journalism and so called “news” reporting really come to? This is a disgrace to newspapers and writing.

http://www.calgarysun.com/comment/columnists/ian_robinson/2009/10/25/11518221-sun.html

14 Attributes for new PR professionals

Sarah — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:49:36 +0000

Once again it seems social media is the new direction for PR. While many of the tactics needed are the same ones that have been around for years, it seems the new attributes come from the technological savvy and the up-to-date blogger. As a student approaching graduation in the next year the skills listed in the article are extremely relevant. Writing is first and foremost the most important skill I have been taught and the one I see in articles that PR professionals must exceed in. Look at the list of new attributes, blogging, microblogging, SEO, social media, RSS and any other technological advancement you could probably think of. My recent classes are specializing in these types of skills. Not only are we learning the basics of writing and traditional media, but learning to blog, tweet, learn the concepts of SEo and use social media daily. By learning these skills in school we can be one step ahead when we reach the prefessional world. We will be the PR professionals of the future, using these new technological skills and even teaching the professionals who use the old school skills new tricks of the trade. I am glad to see that social media is being taught in school because we can be experts in this aspect of our field. Despite the importance of these new attributes, in no way are the traditional skills and less important because being able to have variety and work across the board is what is going to set us apart from the rest.

http://ow.ly/rDMd

PR Linked with Personality Types

Sarah — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:53:30 +0000

When I think of a practitioner in PR I think of someone fast paced, organized, friendly, outgoing, a great writer, and someone who is able to be communicate effectively. Ya know, the same thing we hear over and over in our classes. According to the Meyers-Briggs Personality-Type Indicator many of these qualities mentioned above are exactly the personality traits that make for a good PR practitioner. While some discredit the personality test saying there is no scientific background or physchological research I believe it is still a good indicator of how many people are. The test shows that people with ENFJ (Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging) INFJ (Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging) and INTJ (Introverted iNtuitive Touching Judging) personality types are fit for a PR job.

“The US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Statistics states that, “Creativity, initiative, good judgment, and the ability to express thoughts clearly and simply are essential. Decision making, problem-solving, and research skills also are important. People who choose public relations as a career need an outgoing personality, self-confidence, an understanding of human psychology, and an enthusiasm for motivating people. They should be competitive, yet able to function as part of a team and open to new ideas.”

I foound it interesting that introverted personality types make good practitioners because they seem more reserved and less outgoing/ friendly, but there are many qualities they hold that make up for this. Think about how many different types of jobs there are in Public Relations. Some are planners, thinkers and problem slovers and these may be the qualities of an introverted person. The extraverted may deal with the clients, media and events hands on better.

Even though these personality types seem the best suited for a PR job there are many many qualities and traits that can be useful throughout the profession.

http://www.brazencareerist.com/2009/10/13/do-you-have-a-pr-personality

Trends in PR

Sarah — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:59:39 +0000

We all know the big trend lately has been Social Media, and I agree. I found a blog by MetricsMan who talks about the top trends to forget and the top five to learn when it comes to Social Media and Public Relations in the year 2010. As an upcoming undergrad in PR I thought this was helpful and interesting to see where this field may be going as I start to put my foot into it.

The blog has many great points and many which are very true. Two of the tips stood out to me from the rest. The first tip: forget media relations. When I first read this I had a big question mark because I always learned that media relations are extremely important. You have to create relationships and maintain those relationships especially with the media because they are who you want to put your story out. As we have all seen over the past few months traditional media is disseminating. We move into a time where everything is online and instantaneous. According to MetricsMan a sole focus on media relations fails to really capture the essences of PR including brand, reputation, employee relations, and crisis communication. Studies are now showing that people don’t trust the media anymore so why would PR practitioners want to put all of their faith into the media? With traditional media on the demise and Social Media on the rise, I feel that as I graduate and step into the professional world there are going to be so many new ways and techniques for practitioners to get their word out.

The second: three zones of measurement; Web sites, Social Networking and Offline. The measurement is considered the Holy Grail. This is supposed to be able to track how online involvement affects offline and vice-versa. The Web sites zone consists of corporate Web sites, blogs, Twitter accounts and Facebook pages. In the Social Networking zone, where I actually thought I would find twitter and Facebook, is where the actual conversations between people go on: what is being said, what is being tweeted and how often is the brand being mentioned and by whom? The third zone is the real- world offline transactions. In other words the basics and how we all know to measure success. Event attendance, products sales and name recognition. I think this model is a perfect example of what we are moving towards and a great guide to follow what to look for. One of the points made by MetricsMan was how important primary research is in this new model of measurement. Primary research I think is the most important. It gives a full sense of what people think and how they feel and involves one-on-one engagement. The primary research will give the best results from consumers for the companies then to turn around and provide the best for the consumers.

http://metricsman.wordpress.com/2009/07/29/public-relations-measurement-2010-five-things-to-forget-five-things-to-learn/

Social Media

Sarah — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:18:53 +0000

Social media is an evergrowing trend that seems to be popular with almost any business. You can follow people, businesses, news channels, organizations, charities and so many others on twitter or Facebook. It seems like everone has some sort of social media contact almost every day. The trend of social media I feel is one worth investing in. Whether it is a blog, podcast, RSS, twiiter or Facebook account social media can be found everywhere. With todays young adults and adolescents, who will be tomorrow’s future, social media is all the rage. It is a faster and more convient way to get out messages and updates to the public. Social media provides instantaneous information without any hassel. If you want to know wthe newest story on E! or CNN just follow them on twitter, look at their account and all the sudden you are in the know-it- all. I recently read an article on whether or not businesses should have a Facebook account. My opinion? Why not? Maybe not every single business is right for a Facebook but I have seen so many charities, businesses, donations and many others on Facebook that generate a lot of recognition online. Today’s young are so technical, “online” and social media friendly. We are able to bring something to the table that many of the older popluation are not. I think social media is only going to go froward as we step into the professional world and bring along our online skills and expertise. I think social media can be an extremely effective source of communication. Social media and public relations go hand in hand. Social media can be used to promote events, products, launch ideas, press releases and gain the public attention for their compnay and their products. I think social media is a great channel and should never replace public relations, as some might think it will, but work with it to create a better profession.

Is Any Publicity Good Publicity?

Sarah — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:33:57 +0000

Publicity may only be one aspect of public relations, although not the same, but it is still based on word of mouth, reputation and promotion. Indian actor Shahrukh Khan was frisked and detained at Newark Airport in New York because he seemed suspicious. When he told the airport staff he was an Indian actor they didn’t believe him. He was humiliated and extremely disappointed in the way he was treated in America. It seems Khan was detained soley on his appearance and the sterotype of the Middle Eastern decent since the 9/11 attacks. Alhtough Khan said he would never return to America. He was only detained for two hours and was not released until the Indian Embassy in the US intervened. Khan is said to be one of the biggest actors in Bollywood and not only was he humiliated but India as a whole. The Indian government said America deserved to be paid back for this event. Khan hasbeen able to turn this embarassing event into good publicity. His name has since been a topic of conversation and his movie that will be coming out this year is expected to do well especially with his name being so popular recently. Khan has been able to portray himself in a good way and remain calm although he was upset over the situation. The saying “no publicity is bad publicity” may be true in this specific situation but I do not feel that is always the case. The publicity Khan receieved may have been bad to begin with but he was able to turn it around and use it in good manner and use his name recognition for the better especially with his new movie approaching. I think there could have been a little more PR present in the situation but I feel for there being so little it actually turned out to not be so bad. What do you think?

http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/features/2009/shahrukh-humiliation-blessing-disguise-180809.html