Media Kit: Final Projects

Sadly (but not so sadly), Spring semester is coming to a close. For our final PR project, we have been divided into groups to create a media kit. This project has a lot of room for creativity; allowing us to create our own company, product or nonprofit organization and providing loose guidelines that leave room for creative invention.

All media kits will include at minimum:
• Company History/Overview
• Company Mission and Vision
• Important Biographies (each write our own individual one…then we can compile)
• Company logo and branded imagery
• Contact information (each do our own individual contact…then we will compile)
• Awards and Recognition
• List of publics/target audience
• One press release

Last week we had our first round of presentations for the media kits and they were very interesting! The two groups presented very well organized media kits. I’m excited to see what’s in store for the next round of presentations!

My group has yet to present but we are hard at work on our kit. I don’t want to spill the beans as to all the little details, but it will be fun, flirty and feminine! I can’t wait to see the finished project and to share it with you all.

#journchat

Calling all Journalism/PR professionals or those interested in becoming one. Join your peers for an informational and thought-provoking discussion on Twitter, hashtag #journchat.

#journchat is a Twitter chat where journalism professionals and students can meet to discuss current issues surrounding journalism. I learned a lot from my first experience, and I plan on joining the chat again next week at 7pm.

Tonight was my first experience using #journchat. There were several interesting questions presented throughout the chat. I want to present a couple for you guys.

What do you all think? Leave me some comments with your answers a couple questions presented in tonight’s discussion regarding digital journalism.

Q1:USA Today is considering page view bonuses for journalists to get “writers thinking digital.” Good? Bad? Ugly? Best practice?

Q2:Would the “page view incentives” concept influence how stories and content are shaped? What does it mean for news?

All About Yelp!

If you’re looking to try a new restaurant but are nervous that you’ll regret your choice, look no further… Yelp to the rescue!

Yelp is a review website that allows people to find new local spots and to communicate with one about about local businesses.

There are 22 different categories that you can search from, allowing a quick and easy way to find and talk about several different types of businesses. These range from restaurants, nightlife, and local flavor to shopping, pets and active life.

Next time you’re looking to try something new, don’t take a gamble…check out Yelp and up your chances of finding a great new spot in your town!

Happy Birthday Twitter!

Taken from PR Daily

March 21, 2011: Today is the 5th anniversary of Twitter.

Over the past couple of weeks, my appreciation of Twitter has grown and I can now say I’m an avid “tweeter”. So, I say this with great enthusiasm; Happy Birthday Twitter!

Twitter has been very useful over the past 5 years. It has given voice to silenced groups, supplied a new source of news to the public, and connected people. Needless to say, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey has created a social media outlet with a huge influence on society today.

An added bonus of Twitter is that you can use it to find a job. I guess the question is, what can’t Twitter do? Are the possibilities endless regarding it’s power and influence?

Going Corporate.

Last Monday we had the opportunity to hear from Jess Manocchio, a corporate PR professional from Rich Products Corporation. She was able to give us a different look at PR; a corporate approach.

• More assets to reach out for help if needed.
• Lots of writing (no surprise there!)
• Numbers and financial analysis (eek.)
• Communication to associates and publics.
• Goal: to tell a story to your desired audience.
• Brand ambassador for the corporation.

Here are a pieces of advice from Jess about the corporate PR industry:

• In news-writing, make your words matter.
• Editing is essential. You are speaking on behalf of the entire company!
• You will need numbers.
• You won’t always have all the answers. And that’s okay.

Award Winning Communication

In public relations, the idea is to shape the image of a company or person. To do this there is a need to craft your message so that it appeals to your targeted publics.

 

Using a looped communication style is the best approach because it gives the public an opportunity to respond to your message.

5 Key Objectives to consider when crafting your message:

1. Exposure: Who receives the message?
2. Dissemination: Is the message widespread?
3. Acceptance: Does the audience believe in your message?
4. Attitude: Does the audience change their outlook or beliefs?
5. Behavior Change: Is the audience acting upon the attitude change from the message?

The Oscar-Winning King’s Speech provides solid lessons about communication.

Much like other viewers and critics, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. With the help of his speech therapist and friend, King George IV overcomes his stammer and finds that he has a voice that deserves to be heard. This movie inspires it’s viewers to believe in their potential and to overcome obstacles that interfere with effective communication.

Fresh Beans PR Plan.

PR Plan:

Guidelines: “A new local organic coffee company, Fresh Beans, has contacted your PR firm to produce a 3 month campaign aimed at college students in Austin, TX. After consulting market research, Fresh Beans sees an opportunity to move into the college market to increase sales, specifically in a “green” city.”

1. Situation: Fresh Beans is a new company that is looking to introduce their product to college students in Austin, TX.
2. Objective: To increase awareness of Fresh Beans and inform college students by reaching 30% of the college population in Austin in the next year through social media outlets, events and college media outlets.
3. Audience: Environmentally concerned and health conscious college students ages 18-25 living in Austin, TX.
4. Strategy: “Organically grown to awaken your senses”: budget-free media approach to expand awareness to college students.
   1. “Go Organic” Campaign on college campuses including events on campus encouraging college students to “go organic” with free samples from Fresh Beans. These events will improve knowledge of the benefits of drinking organically grown coffee and give students a chance to sample the product. The event will also include free t-shirts and appearances from other local organic food companies with booths at the event that give students a way to associate and relate to Fresh Beans and other organic opportunities in the future.
   2. Flyers posted in focal points of campus (library, student life center, sporting event centers, etc.) with tear offs for a discount off of the first purchase at Fresh Beans.
   3. Social Media: Twitter account to spread the word about events, benefits of drinking organically grown coffee, and to inform the public about Fresh Beans and any discounts or promotions.
   4. Campus news and media coverage.
5. Tactics:
   1. Coverage in campus news papers and magazines both print and online through a Press Release (ie: The Daily Texan and Hilltop Views).
   2. Use of Twitter as the primary social media outlet using college students from each major university in the city of Austin to tweet for Fresh Beans. Also to create connections to other local organically based companies in Austin.
   3. “Go Organic” campaign/event to increase awareness of the company and the benefit of going organic with purchases.
6. Calender:
   1. Plan must be complete in one calendar year.
   2. Base the “Go Organic” campaign around spring time, when students are itching to spend time outside after being locked up inside during winter.
   3. Flyers and coupons in late April and early May for finals week when students need something to “awaken their senses” to cram for exams.
   4. Begin running social media immediately and really get the word out about the “Go Organic” event.
   5. Press Release sent to campus media outlets (magazines and newspapers) immediately announcing the opening of Fresh Beans and the benefits that organically grown coffee beans provides and another release sent the week of the “Go Organic” event announcing the event.
7. Budget:
   1. All efforts must be done without an advertising budget. (FO’ FREE)
8. Measurement:
   1. Sales
   2. Awareness

Milking Your Knowledge.

“Your knowledge is like milk: If you don’t use it, it’ll spoil”

Last week we had the chance to hear from two women from the PR Channel, LuAnn Glowacz and Christine Cox. The PR Channel is a local PR collaboration blog located in Austin, Tx. LuAnn and Christine were very entertaining and helpful when discussing the current state of affairs in the PR world. Here’s a bit of what we discussed:

For college students (like me):

• Writing skills are essential. Develop them.
• Stay active in learning and sharing knowledge.
• Always get someone to proof read your work.
• Don’t have preconceived notions; keep an open mind, otherwise you’ll only be disappointed.

Tips on social media in PR:

• Not a strategy, it’s a TOOL.
• Facebook is like going to a party, Twitter is like going to a news conference.
• Requires you to be transparent.

Flash, Bing, Bang!

FLASH MOB! One of my life goals is to witness (or be a part of) a flash mob. How fun right? Flash mobs can be used for pointless entertainment and attention, or as a publicity stunt as seen in the clip below for T-Mobile. These stunts catch the attention of by-standers and if you’re lucky like T-Mobile they can end up going viral and catching the attention of millions. Flash mobs started in 2003 and have been growing in popularity. Look here to see another example well-known from T-Mobile that will make you want to get up and dance!

All Rights Reserved by janda03 @ Flickr

I wanted to share this particular example with you all because after my recent visit to the Austin-Bergstrom Airport, I decided that the arrivals gate is the happiest place on earth. I didn’t mind the fact that I had to circle the airport over ten times because I got to witness some of the greatest evidences of love: a father coming home to his wife and kids, a solider returning from war, life-long friends reuniting, a boyfriend greeting his girl with a bouquet of flowers, or mothers and daughters embracing.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, watch this clip from the beginning of the film Love Actually. Just try not to smile.

The Ultimate Package.

To successfully build a brand image, a company must have smart and effective integrated marketing communications. This refers to any form of planned message that is sent out in order to influence the audiences perception of a company, service or product (brand).

Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) includes Advertising, Public Relations and Marketing. Many times the lines between the three areas become blurred.

• Advertising is directed towards consumers (trying to SELL something).
• Public Relations is mutually beneficially for both the public that it is addressing and the company that is being represented.
• Marketing encompasses promotional efforts. It is directed towards a target market and works in support of advertising.

Check out Asics (my favorite running shoe!) approach to IMC:

From the New York City Marathon: Event Sponsored by Asics (PR)

• Advertising: Campaign to represent their brand image “Sound Mind, Sound Body”. The purpose? To SELL the shoes to the consumer.

• Marketing: Guerrilla marketing on a bus. Guerrilla marketing describes an unconventional, unexpected way to catch peoples attention. Check out more fun examples of Guerrilla marketing here.
• Public Relations: Asics puts on several events for the public, usually in the form of marathons, to encourage people to get up and get going in support of a healthy, active life style which their brand supports.