Rachel Alice

The word ‘Adobe’ is something I am around 24 hours a day lately. Literally, there are times I would swear I say it in my sleep. I have spent the last five weeks learning how to design websites in Adobe Dreamweaver. I have learned to manipulate images in Adobe Photoshop. I have learned to create page layouts in Adobe InDesign. I’m sure you are getting the point.

After the last blog, I continued my research on companies and their strategies concerning community relations. Adobe’s page came into view, and I had no choice but to check it out. I have to admit that when I first read the site I was not impressed. It was talking about donating software and developing programs to teach their software to kids. I thought to myself, “Why use tons of money to donate software when that money could go to more practical uses?” Then it hit me.

I had to do a lot of research on schools located in rural areas for a a feature story a while back. When I was at these schools doing the interviews with the teachers, principals and school kids, I remember wondering how these kids could possibly compete for jobs when or IF they graduated. I went to a high school where every student had access to a computer in every class, and every student was taught the basics that would allow us to function in the workplace. These kids in rural schools were lucky to use a computer lab with 12 computers once a week.

Companies like Best Buy and Adobe are trying to change this. Yes, Best Buy is supplying the technology. That’s a great start and will give these kids a chance to work on computers when they wouldn’t have another chance elsewhere. The fact is, however, that in today’s market knowing how to move a mouse around and how to type is not enough. Students need to be able to learn how to use software such as Adobe to be competitive enough to turn their life situations around. Adobe is also doing the right thing by creating programs to teach the software they donate.

Maybe, just maybe, these kids will remember how they were helped and will one day turn around and do the same. Companies like Adobe have the opportunity to create a cycle of helping that will better the future for tomorrow’s generations.

As mentioned in an earlier blog, my newest obsession is community relations. It is what I hope to do my internship in, and I can even see myself maybe one day pursuing a career in it. For this posting I went to google.com and typed in ‘community relations’ to see what type of hits I would receive. I was pleased to find that I actually got the community relations objectives for numerous large companies.

One of those was the retail giant, Best Buy. This particular website caught my interest, because I went to a magnet high school where every student had a computer in every classroom. We also had what we referred to as academies. One of those was the information technology academy, and the people in this area were obviously very talented with computer technology. Not surprising, a good many of them had part-time jobs at Best Buy. Although every student in my high school knew their way around a computer, these kids could fix or program anything. My high school literally made up Best Buy’s night shift.

Getting back to the point, I went to Best Buy’s website to see how serious they took community relations. Needless to say, I found them at the top of the game when it comes to knowing how important a company’s relationships with the community are.  Their first sentence read, “At Best Buy we believe technology can inspire people to do great things.”  I liked this statement, because it takes something many people look at as cold and impersonal and turns it into something warm and beneficial to humankind.  It reminds customers that the company is not only about technology, but about people, too. 

 There are several ways in which Best Buy gives back to the community.  The company spends millions of dollars providing schools with interactive technology.  They also fund numerous scholarships to students all over the country.  If that isn’t enough, they also partner with non-profit organizations in local communities.

We learn all the time about how important the community is to a company.  They can honestly make or break a company’s success.  Best Buy is an excellent example of a company that remembers what it is important. 

Going into my fifth week of writing blogs, I feel like I have the right to give my two cents on PR. Not that I haven’t been adding my input to each posting, but I now feel as though reading the articles I have written about has shaped my way of thinking. This leads me to my point. I am now a firm believer that PR is a way of thinking.  

Yes, you can be outgoing and have a talent in writing and research.  Those attributes, however, have to be channeled.  They must be refined in order to be useful.  It’s like you go into college as a student with the ingredients.  The professors mix everything together, and when you do an internship the cooking process takes place.  When it’s all over, you come out a ready practitioner.  Amazing how that works!

After taking numerous PR classes and doing research through others blogs, I look at certain things in a totally different way. I can’t watch a commercial without thinking about the intended audience. I can’t look at a print advertisement and not look for visual factors that would influence the message.  More specifically to social media, I can’t watch the news without thinking how the media could maximize exposure on certain things by applying online technology.

Sometimes I laugh at myself when I catch what I am doing.  Sometimes I just roll my eyes and shake my head as my roommate laughs at me. She says I have been completely brainwashed.  I like to think that I have broadened my horizon.  I love the idea that my mind is thinking the “ways of PR” without me even trying.  It seems to be the right track for being a successful practitioner.  I can’t wait to see what happens when everything is put to use at an internship.  Hopefully, the final product will be a masterpiece!

Going through any kind of interview is never easy.  In fact, for some people it’s one of the most uncomfortable situations they’ll ever be in.  Is it a matter of feeling too much pressure to say the right thing?  Is it a version of stage fright?  There are several reasons as to why most people get sick to their stomachs at the thought of performing in an interview.

Notice I used the word performing.  It is my belief that this is exactly why people get so worked up.  They feel like they have to give a stellar performance to impress their potential employers.  It is also my belief that getting rid of this way of thinking is the only way to be rid of nervousness. 

I do realize that it is important to impress those you are hoping to be hired by, and I’m not informing you to go in, slouch and talk like your speaking to your best friend.  I am, however, advising you to be yourself.  If you are comfortable, your interviewer will take notice and most likely take that as a sign of confidence.  They will be impressed that you are able to keep your cool.  After all, they have all been where you are now and remember what it’s like to be in the hot seat.

If it makes you feel any better, interviewers are as nervous as you are according to an article by Steven R. Van Hook on aboutpublicrelations.net.  In a post written to answer the question of a recent graduate, Van Hook informs readers that it is “just plain scary” for employers to put themselves out there and interview potential employees.  They have both their organization and reputation to protect, and it is hard for them to trust outsiders during the hiring process. 

Remember during your next interview that your palms aren’t the only ones getting sweaty.  It will say a lot of your character when potential employers realize that you’re taking their fears into account, and doing so will also go a long way in downplaying your own fears.  As someone who is getting ready to go on interviews for an internship, I believe this is sound advice.  If anything, it can’t hurt. 

This past semester I took a case studies class that I am now realizing prepared me more than I ever imagined while I was actually taking it.  Since I have started posting blogs, I have mentioned the class several times, and today is no different.  In fact, it was because of this class that I became so interested in community relations.  I am even considering doing my internship in that area. 

In the class, we were taught that an organization can look at their relationship with their surrounding community in two ways.  They can be at arm’s length and do only what is expected of them, or they can become part of the fabric that makes up the community and go above and beyond what is expected of them.  Obviously, the second choice is becoming more and more important. 

As mentioned in an article by Diana Laverdure on aboutpublicrelations.com, giving back to the community not only benefits those around the organization, but it benefits the organization itself. By participating in the community, an organization can improve its reputation and image by gaining positive publicity. It is important, however, that the organization is sincere in their efforts and that it is not participating ONLY for the media coverage. If the organization gets involved for the right reasons, everyone wins.

I was searching on Google for topics centering around the PR industry, and I happen to fall across a new site.  It’s not really a new site, just new to me.  It’s called aboutpublicrelations.net.  I really liked this site, because it is broken down into PR subjects and the content is simply put.  As a soon-to-be young professional in PR, I don’t always understand the jargon.  This site helps.

Although I could have searched the site and read articles all day long, one in particular caught my interest on the front page.  It was called “Ethical Public Relations: Not an Oxymoron”.  Within the first sentence, the author refers to the PR department as the “ethical heart of an organization”.  I happen to agree.  In fact, it is why I feel like I would be good for a company.  I have the drive to succeed, yet the moral standings to keep my publics’ interests first. 

This article supports every teacher I have ever had in the teaching that PR must be a managment position.  If not a managment position, then the PR professional must at least have access to managment on a regular basis.  If a crisis happens and the PR professional was left out of a deicsion, how is he/she going to know how to handle the situation?

Mentioned in the article are several common denominators concerning ethical PR.  The most important being never to lie.  Nothing can stay secret for forever, and a company will pay worse when the truth is uncovered. 

Second, public relations is a two way street.  A relationship is not a relationship if there is only one person involved.  It is imperative that a PR professional not lose focus on this. 

Put these two pieces of advice together, and you’re well on your way to being a good practitioner.  The key to any good relationship is to remember there are two people involved and to always remain truthful.  I know it sounds like a corny wedding toast, but good advice is good advice.  No matter where it is applied. 

As always, I have my eye out for any advice from professionals concerning how to be successful in the PR field. I once again turned to marcomblog.com, and I found an article by Dave Forstrom on “Seven Keys to Unlocking Great PR”. The article ended up being an outline of everything I learned in a case studies class I took recently. It’s always nice to find out I’m learning material I will actually use.  Below I am going to provide a quick summary of what I took away from the article.

It is so important in PR to “jump the gun”.  Yes, patience is a virtue and it is needed at times.  In PR, however, things are competitive, and if you want to succeed you have to be more than good.  You have to be good and first.

Part of being good is having a goal.  A successful campaign in PR has a desired outcome.  While you must be flexible when it comes to seeing what works and what doesn’t, you have to be looking for the light at the end of the tunnel.

Next, don’t forget this field is called public “relations”.  Employers don’t want to hear you say that you’re a people person, but that is an aspect of your job.  Don’t be so focused on your objective that you forget to maintain the relationships that will lead to success.

Other than building relationships, staying up-to-date on what is going on is the most important key to PR.  If you don’t know what’s going on, how are you going to successfully serve your client?  Always be willing to add to your knowledge base, and remember that you learn a lot by just listening and paying attention.

Don’t put your nose in the air about accepting help.  You can have all the talent in the world and still manage to fail if you aren’t willing to play nice with others.  Think back to grade school.  Remember the Golden Rule.

Finally, never settle.  One, because it is a competitive field.  Two, because your client deserves the best.  Most importantly, however, you never settle because doing so means you’ve lost the passion to be in this field.  Pinpoint your strengths and use them to your advantage.  Realize your weaknesses and figure out how to improve them.  If you never settle, you’ll never have any regrets.

Once again, I returned to marcomblog.com to find a topic to discuss. I like most of this site’s postings, because they are applicable to those of us that will be graduating soon. Without meaning to, I found myself picking something written by the same author who wrote the posting I discussed in my last blog.

Any post that gives advice to newcomers in the PR field is worth reading in my opinion. This particular post is a summary of eight articles written by Leo Bottary of Hill & Knowlton. The summary is presented in list form and includes the author’s own pieces of wisdom. They are humorous and valuable pieces of information that can be taken in different ways, depending on the reader’s perspective. Below is my own personal summary of the list.

1)Use what you have to work with. There is no reason to start from scratch.
2)Look at the old with new eyes. Keep an open mind for new ideas.
3)If your responsible for something, deal with it. Don’t pass it off to someone else.
4)Be smart about when to ask questions. There is a time and place for everything.
5)Shut up and listen.
6)Consider possible answers before you ask a question. You might know the answer once you put aside the confusion and THINK.
7)Don’t get a job in PR if you can’t write.
8)Delivery without passion means nothing. Plus, passion replaces stage fright.

Don’t misunderstand. This list was not on the posting. This is what I took away from the actual list. If you are interested .in comparing the two, please visit Eight Tips for Newly Minted Public Relations Professionals.

I am writing this blog after spending most of my day cursing the technology needed to keep up in today’s PR industry. In the past two weeks, my brain has been overloaded with information on programs such as Adobe’s Photoshop, InDesign and Flash. If you have ever worked with Flash, you will understand why I am ready to pull my hair out. After only an hour and a half, I was about ready to declare another major.

There are times, however, when I must admit that my classes at Auburn seem to be preparing me far better than other PR undergraduate programs could. This is especially true when I sign on to sites like marcomblog.com, and there are postings about how professionals feel that recent graduates are not adequatetly prepared. As I continue to scroll down, I notice a familiar name and have to do a double take.

Yes, there it is. The same teacher I was condemning earlier today is mentioned as an excellent example of someone who is teaching his students the tools needed to be successful in the realm of social media. Don’t you hate it when you have to grudgingly admit someone was right all along?

The post focused on the three critical skills needed to be successful in PR after graduation. Not surprising, a high GPA and perfect class attendance were no where on the list. The skills the list did mention included good writing, the ability to think critically and knowing the tools and techniques of PR. If I were a good student, I would now go and personally thank each of my teachers, including the one who received praise in this article. The truth is, however, I think I am going to turn the television on instead. After all, I wouldn’t want him to get too big of head.

I sit alone as I write this blog, yet I am doing my best to keep from laughing out loud. Somehow it just seems to be inappropriate after reading Jack O’Dwyer’s latest article, “PRSA Must Act American to Use Its Name.” As I read the commentary, I believe my facial expressions passed back and forth between humor, bewilderment and pure shock.

This is a respected man tearing apart the very society which establishes the standards for the field that O’Dwyer is a part of. After getting over my initial astonishment, I couldn’t help but feel admiration and gratefulness for this individual who is attemtping to better the field that I plan on devoting my talent to.

In the article, O’Dwyer is honest to the point of disturbing at times. He questions how the PRSA, or the PRS* as he has labeled them, could possibly feel as though they deserved to use the word “America” in their title when they refuse to honor the values of democracy. The article points out that the PRSA has been anything but honest and open with its members. In fact, O’Dwyer goes so far as to compare the society to a dictatorship. He pushes the envelope even further when he refers to the devastating events in Iraq. He ponders how democracy must be pretty important if our soldiers are willing to risk their lives to establish it in a country that is not their own, yet the PRSA can’t even manage to understand its importance. If that doesn’t get their attention, I don’t know what will.

In my last blog, I mentioned how proud I was to be part of the public relations field in a time when organizations are finally starting to realize the importance of what we do. As I get ready to find an internship and start my career path, I still hold true to those feelings. I do, however, feel a lot of pressure to uphold the ethics and standards that I have been taught in my education. I believe I can say the same for my classmates. We have worked hard to become young professionals that Auburn can be proud of sending out into the real world. Is it too much to ask the experienced professionals in the PRSA to act in a manner that we can look to for guidance?