List of comments

Just for my PR class, here is a list of comments I have made on other blogs:

http://www.guitarlifestyle.com/archives/2008/05/26/happy-memorial-day/#comments

http://boxing.about.com/b/ regarding Tyson: The Movie

http://nakedpr.com/2008/05/27/pr-for-the-public-relations-industry/#comment-2789

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7016845068522958828&postID=451070403138472352&page=1

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7527292643459322118&postID=7922637922474631827&page=1

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7527292643459322118&postID=531441991750429617&page=1

http://senatoryourenojackkennedy.blogspot.com/ about obama’s fundraising

http://prblog.typepad.com/strategic_public_relation/2008/05/you-need-seriou.html?cid=117756790#comment-117756790

http://youngie.prblogs.org/2008/04/18/the-universe-is-made-of-stories-not-atoms/#comment-23571

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=21427524&postID=8630290895761305393&page=1

The Face of PR

I think this is a tough subject. For one, I think many conceptions about the PR industry are true. It is dominated by "chicks" and there is always an underlining purpose for the company or organization that us professionals communicate for.
This isn't to say that we lie. Sometimes we cannot disclose the complete truth and other times we need to get the whole truth out there, even if it hurts the organization we represent. This is part of the code of ethics PRos are expected to uphold.
It's not general promotions where the face of PR goes bad, it's during crisis communication. When something goes wrong with the company and us PRos have to “face the media” with a response, it’s no wonder why we look bad. The problem with the organization or company not only gets transfered to us, but we are the ones blamed if information is withheld.
Stick to your ethics above all, your loyalty to the organization and people you represent and everything work itself out. You also need to make sure your values lineup with those you represent so you know you will not be forced into that situation where you feel more needs to be said than what you are being allowed.
Here is a list of a few PR positions I could never hold due to my ethics:

-Publicist for Barry Bonds
-Publicist for Enron
-Anywhere in China (I don’t want my work to be censored!)

The basic reason, for me, is that I don’t want to be restrained. My values also need to align with who I'm dealing with. So, no Wal Mart for me. I feel that if an organization or individual can’t let the media and world know what they are doing, then chances are they shouldn’t be doing it.
The one conception that I think needs to change is that PRos are all spin-doctors. Take a look at this Mac commercial to understand where I am coming from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf81H4v4ByM
The job of a PRo, as I have been taught, is to indirectly influence an audience’s opinion. Not to simply make sure a company doesn’t look bad. That is the company’s responsibility when it makes all its business decisions.

Twitter Rebuttle!

So maybe I might have, kinda sort of, possibly… No! I most definitely made a mistake by making an earlier post. The post was titled “On Twitter: Not all that and a bag of chips.”
Because I am human, I realize that sometimes it takes us time to accept and embrace new things and I think that this is where I went wrong here.

I’m afraid that all of these new things on the internet are going to take over my happy life! Why do I need to post to the world what I am doing every five minutes? It seems too meticulous. But, I have seen the light.

Twitter isn’t designed to be awe inspiring, it’s designed to give you tid-bits. And these little pieces of information don’t have to be about your everyday life, but they can be strictly professional. This is where I see the value of Twitter. You can get the day-to-day inside scoop about what other people are doing in the industry that you can’t get anywhere else.

And so what if someone is posting what they did on Friday night, Saturday morning and every other hour of the day. Now, you have something to talk about with them. This is great for doing research about someone you are going to meet…. Clients, prospective employers and so on.

So, Check out my new Twitter feed. I’m an interesting guy, just don’t stalk me, OK?

Target: Phoenix.

I thought I would take the opportunity to discuss where I am at right now in my career. Maybe this will help me sort things out and give me a clearer picture so I know where I am going.

Thus far: I am 22 years old and three weeks away from graduating from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism with emphases in public relations and a minor in business administration. The University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication is ranked as the 112th best journalism school in the nation out of the 418 that are ranked on USNews.com.

On June 16, 2008 I will move from Portland, Oregon to Phoenix Arizona. Citymayors.com ranked Phoenix as the fourth fastest growing city in America and the Business Journal racked the city as the fifth best place for young adults to be. Portland didn’t make the Business Journal’s top ten, but pulled in at 72 for the fastest growing city competition. The Arizona State University journalism school is ranked 124th nationally and is located in Tempe (part of the greater Phoenix area).

The things I’ve got going for me:
- New place = new perspective
- Portland experience and internship and Media Cabin
- Two years work experience and student run ad agency, Allen Hall Advertising
- Part time jobs throughout college (I paid my own way, thank you very much!)
- Great personality and undying work ethic
- Loads of life experience

The way I see it, the stars are within reach! There is nothing holding me back accept for the economy, but there is still room to wiggle around even that.

So, What’s next?

I don’t have any connections in Phoenix at all! But, I’ll find my feet. If I put myself through college, I can do this.

Most of the public relations firms in Phoenix also consider themselves advertising firms as well. This is perfect for me because I have experience in public relations, advertising, and business administration.

My plan is to target specific human resources personal at all the top agencies to meet with for informational interviews. I want to know what agencies interest me and where I would fit in the best. I also want to meet with news editors at the top local news publications to take tours and get a better feel for the Phoenix media scene.

While surveying the Phoenix scene, I can choose what agencies I want to continue to have a relationship with and apply at some of them.

While looking on craigslist.com for job openings in marketing/pr/advertising, I noticed that all the internships being offered in the Phoenix area over the summer are non-paid. I think I am beyond this step in my career and ready for an entry-level job. I’m a college graduate for peat-sakes! Every now and then a few jobs pop-up on the site that interest me, but for the most part, they’re gimmicks.

I don’t think the fact that I am a guy will come to play a factor in me getting a job in the PR world that is dominated by women. If anything it will help.

The biggest problem I have right now is making that first dive, that first call. I feel as though I am scared to jump in. I’ve done my research, and now it’s time to plunge.

Thank you for letting me sort this out. It was good source for therapy and a good way to map things out.

All cards on the table, please!

“Responsibility? What’s that?” The name of a pop song by the band MXPX that pretty much outlines the wrong way to go about being responsible. The more responsible you are, the easier you are to work with.

Being a responsible person entails many things, but above all it means that you are one sided; always liable to tell the truth. Ultimately, this will outwardly reflect on to your reliability. If your constituents can count on you to tell the truth, you can be counted on to tackle bigger endeavors.

Telling the truth will always improve the level of respect you receive, but what will get you even further is taking responsibility for when you’ve made mistakes. Admitting when you are wrong is one of the hardest things to do, but it shows character.

Whoever you have unfortunately wronged or let down will appreciate the acknowledgment of error rather than blaming the mistake on someone else or ignoring it all together. The obvious next step would be to fix the problem as fast and accurately as possible. This also needs to be practiced on the corporate level as well.

I can't tell you how many times I've been told that in PR, your reputation is nearly all you have. If you ruin it, you ruin everything. It can happen by being caught in a simple lie.

The VP of McDonalds realizes the importance of corporate social responsibility as he outlines the company’s stance on the issue in her blog “Open for M(Golden Arch) Discussion.” Bob Langert says that it is time for companies to start doing rather than saying. The old saying of “actions speak louder than words” is the key here. This is why it is so important to fix the problem after the apology.

That attitude that says “I don’t want to know about it, ever have to think about it,” is what’s getting companies all over the scale into serious trouble. They need to find the source of error and acknowledge it, weather it’s the organizations fault or not. This looks great on a company’s corporate social responsibility.

The author of Crisesblogger illustrates how admitting fault can have a direct impact on repercussions. Although I think in some cases mistakes can be forgiven, most that involve a person’s health can’t be overlooked. Someone is always going to want to profit when a doctor makes a mistake.

Look at John Ritter’s, the late actor, widow. she is suing his doctor because John died. Should the doctor be held responsible? In some respects, yes; in others, no way! There are some things that can’t be accounted for, especially when dealing with life and death; everybody has to die sometime.
So, my point is, doctors can’t just say sorry and not expect to get sued. Life and death means too much to people. Although it is sad that we put our caregivers in that position that says: help me, but if you screw-up, I’ll sue you!

Do Women Have the Upper Hand in PR?

Where are those dudes? Why do women “own” the PR business? Do I have a chance in a women’s world?

I am one of very few men in the PR business, and truth be told it is a little uncomfortable. It’s not like standing out being a “gringo” in Mexico, but I do get lonely sometimes. There aren’t too many girls that caught the game last night or are people that you can B.S. fishing stories with.

I get the question all the time of “So, why did you really join PR?” It wasn’t for the female attention for starters. To me it was about the personal interaction that I would have with an audience.

My theory is that maybe it is because women are more pleasing to deal with in public relations. Look at the stereotype of a phone operator, a nurse, or a secretary. How many of you had an image a guy in any one of these rolls? Not too many.

After reading this professor’s blog, I remain puzzled. It is clear to me that he is somewhat missing the issue. It is not that the message is only getting to girls, that is impossible. In my opinion it must be something that triggers girls to peruse the career of public relations and it isn’t that the boys aren’t getting the message.

I doubt the reason is that men are less capable of carrying out the responsibilities of a public relations practitioner. It takes writing, organization, and personal skills which generally doesn’t differ between men and women.

Another perspective from the author or PR Squared

Dove Launches Truely Meaningful Campaign

We all know sex sells. But what about beauty? I’m talking true inner beauty! The kind that you can’t get at the salon or by a “breast enhancement.” Well, maybe a soap company finally got it right.

Dove, the soap maker, has hit the nail straight on the head with its new ad campaign entitled “Onslaught.” The title represents the onslaught of commercials that kids see these days that mess with their thoughts as to how they are viewed in the world.

The one-minute commercial highlights all of the Barbie-doll images that little girls see in the media. Once they see how all these women are in the media, they feel an overwhelming amount of pressure to be like all the beauty queens, missing the bigger picture of true, inner beauty.

If Dove wanted one way to say that their soap brings out the inner beauty, this is it. The commercial doesn’t say that anywhere, but it is evident that Dove wants you to think that.

The entire program that Dove is launching with this commercial is not only great for their image, but also for the message that it sends.

After showing all the beauty queens in their underwear ads and sexy music videos, the commercial takes a dark twist. It shows the battle that some women have with weightless and the horrors of plastic surgery. The commercial cleverly links the results of the beauty advertising as personal image issues and plastic surgery. Sadly, the commercial hits the issue straight on.

One thing that companies really want to do these days is to come off as genuine and Dove does this. Because Dove is in the so-called beauty industry, it is much more important that it launches this campaign rather than a local grass-root organization striving to convey the same message.

The quote at the end of the commercial reads “Talk to your daughter before the beauty industry does.” This is a clear message to parents that even though the beauty industry is throwing on all the pressure to look like Barbie, it then becomes their responsibility to inform their children, in particularly girls, that beauty is both inside and out.

Ad Age critic Bob Garfield says that that ad “indicts culture’s obsession with Barbie-doll exteriors, raises the consciousness of girls and women and exposes the inner ugliness of the so-called beauty industry. For more information and the commercial and what Dove is doing to practice what they preach, visit: Campaignforrealbeauty.com

Also related to this commercial, on May 15, Whitney became the newest winner of Tyra Banks’ America’s Top Model. Why is this relevant? She is considered a plus-size model in the world of fashion. Maybe it is time shows such as this, and commercials such as “Onslaught” begin to break down the shallow world of beauty and fashion.

To view the commercial and to read what Ad Age has to say about, visit adage/garfield/post?article_id=120975

What's the controversy over?

Staying on the topic of Mr. James...

While researching for my last post, I found this image of the cover of the April 2008 volume of Vogue. Now let me get a few things out on the table:

1. LeBron James is an awesome basketball player. His stats are comparable to Michael Jordan’s when he was this far in his career. He could be considered by many to be the king of basketball at this point.
2. Gisele Bundchen is an amazing model and I would take her over the original King Kong’s Fey any day.

Looking at the comparison of photographs, it is easy to see the resemblance. I am not sure if the editors chose this picture with the knowledge of what it resembles. Personally, I think it’s awesome. It is my perception that LeBron would want to be seen as comparable to King Kong. His Image is that of power. He is a basketball player, a champion, a strong competitor, and an athlete. If I was his PR agent, I think this would be perfect for him.

Not to mention that he is the first black man to ever be featured on the cover of Vogue. Although 40 percent of Men’s Vogue features black males, this is a first for the flagship publication.

I’ve seen numerous comments that James and Bundchen are two of the most beautiful people in the world, so why is this cover so controversial? Are the white men still afraid that the black men are going to take away all their women? I certainly hope not. This is 2008, not the 1920’s. So why is this generating so much buzz?

I cannot help but compare this to the story of the famous boxer Jack Johnson who was persecuted for his lust for white women. Although he was the greatest of his time, he was held back from title fights when he deserved them because of his “antics.”

Any one who has followed LeBron knows that he is no monster, just a dominator on the court. To me the cover seems playful. Although LeBron is in the dominant roll, Gisele seems to be enjoying herself, almost as if she were dancing with him.

This controversy that I wrestle with in my mind just goes to show that the world of PR isn’t sound. Not everything is as simple as it seems.

Check out the conversation brewing over this cover of Vogue here.

Does he look like a crybaby?

Background:
The story goes that last Friday night (5/2/2008) a local Papa John’s franchise in the District of Columbia issued free t-shirts at Verizon Center where the Washington Wizards played the Cleveland Cavaliers in the final game of the play off series. The all-white t-shirts featured the number “23” under the word “crybaby” and the Papa John’s logo.

This is in reference to Cavaliers star player LeBron James, number 23, making a fuss over a few hard fowls that he received in the previous game of the playoff series. There were plenty of shirts to go-around. The shirts failed to distract the six-foot, eight-inch shooting guard when he scored a game leading 27 points. Cavalier fans back in Cleveland, Ohio moved for a boycott against the pizza company to show support for their basketball team that beat out the Wizards 4-2 in the series.

Results:
Papa John’s corporate is dealing with a major “butt-kissing” scenario in Cleveland. The company issued a formal apology, announced that it will donate $10,000 to the Cavaliers’ Youth Fund, and that it will offer $.23 large one-topping pizzas to residents of Cleveland today to make-up for what one franchise did.

The Wizards issued a comment saying that they had no involvement with the stunt that attempted to gain favor with the Washington fans. They noted on the level of sportsmanship that a team must maintain.

In Cleveland, some fans are set in boycotting the national pizza chain while others line up in front of the more than 40 pizza shops that Papa Johns has in Cleveland. Because the pizza chain can not feasibly deliver all the pizzas that would be ordered for 23 cents, lines of more than 200 people wait for their pizza while showing support for LeBron and the Cavaliers.

You can buy your very own Papa John’s “crybaby” t-shirt on ebay for as low as $12.95.

My Thoughts:
This is a case where the company at large must pay for what one franchise owner did. I bet that everyone working at a Papa Johns in Cleveland is not to happy with him or her. This is a classic example of a reactive response. What should happen in the future to avoid these types of situations is make sure that all deliverables receive an O.K. from headquarters before the promotional material is handed out. If it has the company name on it, the company as a whole should approve. This would be a great way to use a proactive model.

It is good, however, that Papa John's is taking full responsibility for their actions though. It's obvious that Papa John's doesn't want to ruin their image because they are giving back so much. When flukes such as this occur, it is best to bite the bullet and move on by impementing new policy to insure that nothing like it happens again. This is combining reactive with proactive responses.

Because Papa John's is doing so much to recover from the incident, they are gaining a lot of good press coverage as well. Although media attention is media attention whether bad or good, it is always best to take something bad and turn it into something that is good and I think that is exactly what Papa John's did here. So, good job on recovery. they received a lot of coverage on this.

You can check out more discussion on the matter here. So Good is a blog dedicated to food.

Also you can check out the full story here on Fox News.

The Olympic Torch was carried through much of China over the last three months covering over 137,000 Kilometers along the Silk Road in preparation for the Summer Olympic games of 2008 in Beijing. Currently, the torch is at the base of Mt. Everest waiting to ascend to the top of the world.
In my mind, you can’t do much better PR work than this. The Olympic Torch is a symbol that is recognizable throughout humanity when the world comes together in one place to compete.
Mt. Everest, the world’s tallest summit at 29,002 feet above sea level, has always held a place in the world’s heart as something to be concurred. There are books, movies, and Discovery Channel miniseries all written on the daunting task of reaching the summit. The mountain has claimed 210 lives in it’s recent climbing history.
The torch reaching the top only means one thing to me: there is hope for humanity. For an organization to link the torch with the world tallest mountain is brilliant. It sends out the message that what the Olympics stand for is here to stay. The good in humanity that the Olympics brings out is one that needs to be adopted and practiced more often.
This event is far better than the stunt pulled off in the 2004 running of the torch in Los Angeles, California. There Sylvester Stallone, made famous by his 1980’s boxing movie series “Rocky,” got to carry the torch in front of spectators and media. A steroid pumping action movie star falls by the way side compared to this Mt. Everest summit.
The Chinese team of mountaineers will carry a specially designed torch designed to burn in frigid, windy, oxygen-thin air. The torch climbing the Himalayan peak is a “sister torch” to the one that left Athens, Greece in March and is now in Hong Kong.

The latest on the journey to the top

On Twitter: Not all that and a bag of chips

First of all, I want to point out that I am not totally against this mictrocasting or what’s known as “Twitter.” As professionals, we sometimes have to assimilate into things we don't favor. I believe that it has some potential to allow for some good networking opportunities, but I don’t think it can go too far beyond that.
It might be that I am coming at this from an old-fashion approach. I really enjoy meeting with people face-to-face and using a web application to fill in everyone who is connected to me doesn’t interest me. To find out what my friends and coleagues are up to, I would rather call and find out. With the use of Twitter, that can easily go out the window.
If I were looking for a job, I would rather sit down with someone and have a conversation with him or her rather than the potential employer trying to find out about whom I am via the last couple months of my Twitter feed. I am a firm believer that you must sit-down and talk with a person before you can actually say you know them. Besides, if they want to look further into who I am, I already have a Facebook page and a blog.
This might be because I don’t know enough about it, but I don’t see how Twitter can help a PR campaign either besides communicating with your contacts. But shouldn’t the contacts that matter to the campaign have more in-depth contact than Twitter can offer?

"Twitter" as defined by the wiki...

Old running!

After his run in the London marathon on April 13, 2008, Buster Martin claims to be the oldest person to have ever completed a marathon at 101 years of age. Buster runs to raise charity for the Rhys Daniels Trust, a trust that goes towards children battling Late Infantile Batten’s Disease, a children’s disease that leads to an early death.
Buster, who completed the 26-mile run with a beer and a cigarette at the finish line, raised a total of £ 20,000 for his favorite charity and counting. Keen Footwear is looking into sponsoring the old runner who now holds the world record for being the oldest man to run a 5K, 10K, half, and full marathon.
“if you’re healthy when you get to my age, that’s luck and you make your own luck most times,” says Buster, who still works three days a week and trains for his runs the rest of the time.
This unlikely candidate makes the perfect front man for an organization looking to make an impact. Not only does it get the name out there, but it also allows people to donate to a charity that is by all eyes, running strong.
Martin, who has every intention of continuing to run, is the proud father of 17 children His only regret is that didn’t have more children.
Buster Daniels run for charity

Bringing back the children to polygamy?

It is odd that this story should hit the news within a week of my return from my first trip to Utah where polygamy is outlawed but still remembered as a part of the early days of the Mormon religion and sometimes joked about. This image is of a beer that I saw at a liquor store. The beer, Polygamy Porter, has the tagline “why have just one?” and features an image of a naked man and woman holding each other surrounded by other women. This, honestly, was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the news.
On March31, 2008, authorities in Eldorado, Tex., received a phone call from an underage woman claiming that physical abuse was taking place at the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ “Yearning for Zion,” or YFZ, isolated ranch in west Texas.
On the evening of April 3, 2008, state authorities began raiding the YFZ ranch looking for the minor who had called authorities earlier and supposedly at age 16, has an eight month old baby. Although the woman has not yet been found, law enforcement escorted just over 400 minors off of the compound where they believed that underage marriages were taking place with nearly all of the women.
Now the mothers who are separated from their children are attempting to gain sympathy and donations from America via the newly published “CaptiveFLDSChildren.org.” The website, created by members of the compound, contains links to donate to a fund that will help return the children to their parents, pictures of the raid, and videos of the children that were taken away that are meant to strike a note with the human heart by the slow emotional scrolling of the children before the raids accompanied by spiritual piano music. Also included are links to discover more about the church and what it truly stands for.
I believe that the publishing of this website is somewhat an attempted to reconnect the families, but also further testament to the level of brainwashing the people have been subjected to. From a public relations standpoint, it is a predictable move from the church. Although I don’t believe that they will gain too much support, this is the best way to do it
On Thursday, April 24, 2008 100 polygamist supporters gathered outside the Utah Jazz versus Houston Rockets NBA playoff game in protest and for returning the children to the ranch. It is obvious, then, that they are receiving some support.
Although it is unknown how much money the website has raised, it remains unclear as to whether or not the children will be returned. The church is using the website to not only inform the nation of their side of the situation and to collect donations, but they are also looking for representation I court. The website attempts to play off of emotions to gain favor and sympathy. These children cannot and will not be returned to the ranch where it is believed that both physical and sexual abuse of minors is taking place.

If the children aren’t returned to the secluded compound, they will continue to be broken up into foster homes. Although foster homes don’t have the best reputation it is the only alternative to the life they had at the ranch.

Big World

Hello big world of blogging! This is my first blog and I must admit that I am a little overwhelmed by stepping into a whole new world. I want to use this as a tool to learn not only about this phenomenon that is blogging, but also about the real reason I am starting this blog: public relations and marketing. As a duck, I know the value of getting my feet wet; it’s the best way to learn. The two biggest tips I receive from anyone in the marketing profession are to get real world experience, and start blogging. So, here I am, ready to jump-in, turn-on, and start learning.

I once posted on an internal blog for Allen Hall Advertising, but that is the extent of my blogging career. As a journalism major at the University of Oregon, blogging was always in the background of what I should be doing to prepare for my career. I am ready to discover the potential of blogs and what they can do in marketing. Well, here I am.
The learning process will be facilitated by Kelli Matthews’ PR blog: http://prosintraining.blogspot.com.
Let the games begin!