Recently, Edelman implemented a new division known as the "goodpurpose Division". This new area of their business is designed to specialize in helping companies improve their impact on society (AKA Corporate Responsibility). Full Article
This is a great move by the PR company because as their survey shows, nearly 85% of people are willing to change brands to support a good cause. It is clear that there is a change in what people expect from the companies that they use. This has created a swift movement for organizations to alter their business practices.
I think that this business move by Edelman has the possibility to be very successful and should prove to be a good decision by bringing in added business.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Investigating Millennials
I found this recent blog post very interest due to the fact that it investigates the generation that I am a part of. Original post
For the most part, I found this post very interesting and overall very accurate. Being at the tail end of my college career and having spent my final term off of the campus, many of these points have become very obvious.
On a personal level, I felt like a few of the statements didn't apply to myself but on an overall basis I think are true.
1] It's illegal for Ad's to lie.
It may be the fact that I am in the journalism school, but I have been aware for sometime, that it is illegal to lie on advertisements. I will argue though, that ad's manipulate statistics in a way that promotes their points.
2] Product placements
Again, this may be due to the fact that I am a J-school member and a PR major but I was aware that companies have to pay for product placements and it is generally very easy to pick them out on TV shows and movies.
3] Brands influence buying
I agree with this point completely but I will argue that many of the millennial's are aware of their decision making. Personally, I am loyal to brands and I consciously choose them over other.
I think that the points that I did not apply to me also do not apply to many millennial's that are my age, but are 100% accurate for millennials that are only a year or two younger. I think that you become aware of how a lot of the real world works when you leave the friendly confines of your local college campus.
For the most part, I found this post very interesting and overall very accurate. Being at the tail end of my college career and having spent my final term off of the campus, many of these points have become very obvious.
On a personal level, I felt like a few of the statements didn't apply to myself but on an overall basis I think are true.
1] It's illegal for Ad's to lie.
It may be the fact that I am in the journalism school, but I have been aware for sometime, that it is illegal to lie on advertisements. I will argue though, that ad's manipulate statistics in a way that promotes their points.
2] Product placements
Again, this may be due to the fact that I am a J-school member and a PR major but I was aware that companies have to pay for product placements and it is generally very easy to pick them out on TV shows and movies.
3] Brands influence buying
I agree with this point completely but I will argue that many of the millennial's are aware of their decision making. Personally, I am loyal to brands and I consciously choose them over other.
I think that the points that I did not apply to me also do not apply to many millennial's that are my age, but are 100% accurate for millennials that are only a year or two younger. I think that you become aware of how a lot of the real world works when you leave the friendly confines of your local college campus.
Emergency Texting
In this recent blog post which discusses the use of text messaging to notify students about emergency situations on campuses, the author makes a lot of good points on how to handle these events. Original post.
I agree with the points made by the author that universities can not depend solely on one media outlet. Instead, they need to cover all of their bases and do everything possible to reach students. This includes the use of emails, posting on the university Web site and TV/ radio outlets. Another system that I think can be useful, is posting an announcement on the log in screen to access the university network. This would mean that anyone on campus trying to access the internet would be made aware of the situation.
Overall I think that text messaging is a great way to contact a large number of people, but I do not think that it should be the only outlet that is utilized.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Dixon is the Epitome of a Team Player
the end of last football season I was unsure about the future of the quarterback position for Ducks during 2007 season, due the deteriorated play and psyche of Dennis Dixon. After starting the season so well, he really feel of the charts, and you could tell from his play that he was very unsure of his skills and it effected his leadership of the team.
This year has been a complete turn around of the skills and leadership of Dixon. I'm so proud of the character and values that he has displayed throughout this great run. As we all know, Oregon's National Championship chances have been eliminated with the loss of a second game to Arizona and Dixon for the remainder of the season.
Nothing shows the passion, desire and team nature that Dennis instills better then him attempting to play the remainder of the season with a completely torn ACL. It has now been announced, by Mike Bellotti, that Dixon actually torn his knee on a fourth quarter hit suffered against Arizona State. The next day Dennis was diagnosed with a completely torn ligament in his knee, but due to the feel and lack of swelling, Dixon was able to talk the coaches and training staff into keeping this a secret to everyone, including his teammates. Most players wouldn't have ever attempt to do this but Dixon instead opted to delay surgery and try and contribute as much as he could to his team.
It was evident how badly Dixon wanted to be on the field by the tears that he shed on the sidelines in frustration. Additionally, the true character of Oregon's stellar QB was on display in his post game interview. When asked about how he though his injury was going to effect his Heisman chances, he replayed by saying that he was never worried about personal achievement and only wanted to help his team win.
Dixon has had his ups and downs at the University of Oregon but I can't remember the last time I have been so proud of a player, and I wish him the best with whatever the future hold for him, football or baseball.
Good luck Dennis!
Don't Dog on Brady
After Oregon's tragic loss to unranked Arizona, I've heard a lot of people dogging and bashing on Brady Leaf. Any chance that Oregon has of making the Rose Bowl, rest on quality play from Brady at the Quarterback position. With the loss of Dixon for the rest of the season, Jonathan Stewart is going to be the focal point of the offense in the remaining 2 games. If Brady doesn't keep the opposing defenses honest with his arm, teams are going to load the box with 8 men and Stew's running lanes are quickly going to close.
Personally, I was impressed with Leaf's performance on Thursday. He played much of the game in a spread offense with limited to no mobility due to a sprained ankle. It was obvious that this affected his play and his timing was clearly off. It's a lot to ask from a guy who has been playing behind, arguably the best quarterback in college football, and play anywhere near the same skill level. It is evident that Brady has been lacking reps in both practice and game situations.
Don't jump of the Oregon bandwagon yet fans. Oregon has one of the best offensive coordinators in the NCAA, Chip Kelly. With a long week to prepare for UCLA, I am confident that the coaching staff can adjust the playbook and game plan to suit Brady and his strength. Plus, we still got J-Stew, who even when banged up is better then 90% of all running backs.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
EVIDENTLY Somebody Needs to Prep This Kid!
I want to start by saying that I think Dennis Dixon is a great athlete, I think that he is having one of the greatest season by any Oregon QB and deserves all the publicity he is getting, but seriously? someone needs to do a better job of prepping this kid for an interview. This Thursday, Dennis made an appearance on nationally televised Jim Rome is Burning on ESPN. Throughout this interview, Dennis managed to us the word "evidently" at least once in every sentence. Dixion is a great kid having a great season, but if they plan to keep putting him on television or the radio they are going to need to sit down and take some time make sure he is ready to go. While watching the interview, I was actually embarrassed for him and all I wanted was for the segment to end. These national interviews are a great opportunity for Dennis to gain some pub for his Heisman campaign and for the University as a whole, but his interviewing is going to need to improve if they plan to keep putting him on tv. Dixon on Rome.
I can only imagine how nerve racking it is to be on a nationally televised show but it is job of the University of Oregon's PR department to make sure that Dennis is prepared for the questions that he is going to be asked. They need to make sure that he has a good idea of what he is going to say and how he is going to format his sentences. Dennis is young and hasn't had a ton of experience with interviews of this magnitude but I would love to see university athletes better prepared for their questioning.
GO DUCKS!
I can only imagine how nerve racking it is to be on a nationally televised show but it is job of the University of Oregon's PR department to make sure that Dennis is prepared for the questions that he is going to be asked. They need to make sure that he has a good idea of what he is going to say and how he is going to format his sentences. Dennis is young and hasn't had a ton of experience with interviews of this magnitude but I would love to see university athletes better prepared for their questioning.
GO DUCKS!
Seizing the Opportunity
This week the son of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner made a comment questioning if the biggest free agent on the market, Alex Rodriguez, would prefer to go the hall of fame as a New York Yankee or a Toledo Mud Hen (Detroit Tigers Triple-A team), the Mid Hens jumped on this PR opportunity. Seeing that Hank Steinbrenner had given them an ideal opportunity to steal some of the publicity that A-Rod has been creating, the Triple-A organization quickly drew up a contract offer for the free agent 3rd baseman, who is seeking a contract worth $350 million. The contract is said to have incentives contingent on A-Rod hitting 75 home runs and leading them to a championship. Furthermore, it is believed that A-Rod would need to battle for a starting a job since Toledo's current 3rd baseman is the reigning MVP.
Full Article
This was a great move by the officials of the Mud Hens, knowing full well that they had no chance to sign A-Rod. Instead, they created some free publicity for their team during a dull and boring off-season in minor league baseball. This gave the Mud Hens national coverage in addition to poking fun at a high publicized situation. Great move Hens!
Full Article
This was a great move by the officials of the Mud Hens, knowing full well that they had no chance to sign A-Rod. Instead, they created some free publicity for their team during a dull and boring off-season in minor league baseball. This gave the Mud Hens national coverage in addition to poking fun at a high publicized situation. Great move Hens!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
The Red Sox Win the World Series!!!
That title was actually supposed to read "PR on Facebook?" but honestly how many times do you get to see you favorite team that you have been following religiously all year win 7 straight game to take their 2nd WS title in 4 years!
Now on to PR.
In this recent blog post PR Squared.
The author describes a PR mistake that an employee recent made. This mistake involved an employee sending a journalist a very vague pitch via Facebook. I feel for this person because it is always nerve racking when your first entering a business because all you want to do is make a good impression. I know, I'm going through the same thing currently.
I'm sure this employee learned her lesson and will never send another vague pitch. Whenever I have to send out a pitch to a journalist (which is a lot recently) I always try to ask myself what do I need to do to inform this person of my message and how can I get them excited in as few words as possible.
Finally, this is the first time that I have ever heard of pitches being sent to journalists via Facebook. Personally, if I were a journalist I would not want to receive information through Facebook because I feel like it is my personal space and don't want it to be flooded work related pitches from strangers.
Out of curiosity, has this method been successful and do people respond to it well?
Now on to PR.
In this recent blog post PR Squared.
The author describes a PR mistake that an employee recent made. This mistake involved an employee sending a journalist a very vague pitch via Facebook. I feel for this person because it is always nerve racking when your first entering a business because all you want to do is make a good impression. I know, I'm going through the same thing currently.
I'm sure this employee learned her lesson and will never send another vague pitch. Whenever I have to send out a pitch to a journalist (which is a lot recently) I always try to ask myself what do I need to do to inform this person of my message and how can I get them excited in as few words as possible.
Finally, this is the first time that I have ever heard of pitches being sent to journalists via Facebook. Personally, if I were a journalist I would not want to receive information through Facebook because I feel like it is my personal space and don't want it to be flooded work related pitches from strangers.
Out of curiosity, has this method been successful and do people respond to it well?
Ducks Facing PR Problem?
During the USC vs. Oregon game this weekend there seems to have been a grim encounter in the press boxes of Autzen stadium. Reports say that Colleen Bellotti (Mike Bellotti's wife) confronted John Canzano about a recent article he wrote about Luke Bellotti (kicker for Oregon), have received two DUI's that have been covered up. In this encounter it is said that Colleen Bellotti smelled of alcohol and was yelling profanities and threatening to slap John Canzano while in the presence of her family and children. More details- Canzano Blog
First of all I believe that Canzano has done nothing wrong. It is his job to present the truth to the public. But my question is should the University of Oregon athletic program just told the truth from the start. I think YES, It would have been better to tell the press. Inform them that Luke Bellotti has received two DUI's and would be suspended for the first three games of the season (which he was, but no one knew why) and tell them that he would be helped through this process and take a rehabilitation class. It would have stopped the problem and showed the public that you were devoted to fixing the problem.
Also, I have to wonder how this situation has failed to make it into any of the big time media. Is this an example of the PR team for Oregon athletics fixing their mistake our covering it up further?
First of all I believe that Canzano has done nothing wrong. It is his job to present the truth to the public. But my question is should the University of Oregon athletic program just told the truth from the start. I think YES, It would have been better to tell the press. Inform them that Luke Bellotti has received two DUI's and would be suspended for the first three games of the season (which he was, but no one knew why) and tell them that he would be helped through this process and take a rehabilitation class. It would have stopped the problem and showed the public that you were devoted to fixing the problem.
Also, I have to wonder how this situation has failed to make it into any of the big time media. Is this an example of the PR team for Oregon athletics fixing their mistake our covering it up further?
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Response: 20 reasons why a business should NOT blog.
In this blog posting the author list his 20 reasons that he thinks that a business should NOT blog.
http://vaspersthegrate.blogspot.com/2007/10/20-reasons-business-should-not-blog.html
I think that this author makes some valid points but personally I think that the overall idea can be boiled down to fewer points. While reading through some of these points I found myself thinking that, "if a company can't do these things on a regular basis, they aren't operating a good business and blogging is the last thing they should worry about."
For example:
(1) Doesn't need customer feedback, and doesn't value their suggestions.
Consumers are the foundation of any business, if there is no one to buy their product then they have no company. Therefore, company should always be interested in what their consumers are thinking.
(20) Cannot commit to being truthful, transparent, and trustworthy, by displaying corporate values and goals in a public forum.
Any company that cannot be truthful or trustworthy will fail in a matter of time. Inevitably, dirt will always come out and if your entire business is based on lies then you will go under, take Enron for example.
Those are the two biggest comments that really stuck out to me while reading this list of Twenty. Overall, I feel that the message and concepts behind the top 20 list was great but I feel that some ideas may apply to the entire company rather than just blogging
P.S.
THE RED SOX ARE HEADING TO THE WORLD SERIES!!!!!
(Kelli I many be sick on any day that we have class and there is a game *cough* Thursday *cough*)
Just kidding the game starts after class is over.
http://vaspersthegrate.blogspot.com/2007/10/20-reasons-business-should-not-blog.html
I think that this author makes some valid points but personally I think that the overall idea can be boiled down to fewer points. While reading through some of these points I found myself thinking that, "if a company can't do these things on a regular basis, they aren't operating a good business and blogging is the last thing they should worry about."
For example:
(1) Doesn't need customer feedback, and doesn't value their suggestions.
Consumers are the foundation of any business, if there is no one to buy their product then they have no company. Therefore, company should always be interested in what their consumers are thinking.
(20) Cannot commit to being truthful, transparent, and trustworthy, by displaying corporate values and goals in a public forum.
Any company that cannot be truthful or trustworthy will fail in a matter of time. Inevitably, dirt will always come out and if your entire business is based on lies then you will go under, take Enron for example.
Those are the two biggest comments that really stuck out to me while reading this list of Twenty. Overall, I feel that the message and concepts behind the top 20 list was great but I feel that some ideas may apply to the entire company rather than just blogging
P.S.
THE RED SOX ARE HEADING TO THE WORLD SERIES!!!!!
(Kelli I many be sick on any day that we have class and there is a game *cough* Thursday *cough*)
Just kidding the game starts after class is over.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Why Sports Teams Need Good PR People.
Over the past two days I have come to the realization that no matter what you say or how you say it, somebody will take it the wrong way. After the Red Sox lost a tough game four in the ALCS on Tuesday, Manny Ramirez spoke to the media for the first time all year. This alone is a big story because the relationship between Manny and the Boston reports (some of the toughest in the nation) is not a good one and anytime he talks it turns into a huge story. Even though Manny is regarded by most experts as one of the best pure hitters of his era let alone one of the best right handed hitter of all-time he is still scrutinized for every little thing he does.
On to the real news though. In his post-game interview when Manny is asked about the Red Sox current attitude being down three games to One in a best of seven series he said, "It doesn't happen, so who cares?" Ramirez said then. "There's always next year. It's not like it's the end of the world."
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=3069942
Everyone in the baseball world know that for many die-hard Sox fans it is the end of the world. When you first read this you many think that the guy is just counting down the seconds until he gets to go sit on a beach with a margarita but after seeing the video of the interview and hearing commentary from baseball experts it is clear that the real point that Manny is trying to convey is that the team is still confident and loose rather then playing uptight. Some of this gets lost in the language barrier and in ability to hear his tone on paper.
This isn't the first time that a situation like this has happened to the Red Sox. You see this situation all the time in the sports industry and and I makes me wonder why teams don't hire larger Public Relations staffs. After working for a minor league baseball team over the summer and seeing first hand the amount of work that these PR professionals go through I truly believe that it would be in the best interest of the teams to upgrade this department. These situations can lead to image problems that can effect the teams ticket sales (Jail-Blazers) or even on field distractions that affect the quality of play.
From my personal experience sports teams are generally understaffed in order to save money and 3-5 guys are doing the work of ten. The PR people generally handle the media relations of the team; sending out and writing all the press releases and media info while coordinating all the press conferences and prepping the speakers. Plus, these officials act as the team publicist so they have two or three people overseeing atleast 25 players. This is arguably the most important area because it is extremely important that teams monitor the comments of their players as the comments above show.
Most sports teams including the Red Sox have a extremely large fan base and make a significant profit throughout their season. As the media gets better and better at scooping up any and all dirt that they can find, no matter how large or small, it because increasingly more important that these teams manage their image as well as their players since they have so much money invested in them.
On to the real news though. In his post-game interview when Manny is asked about the Red Sox current attitude being down three games to One in a best of seven series he said, "It doesn't happen, so who cares?" Ramirez said then. "There's always next year. It's not like it's the end of the world."
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=3069942
Everyone in the baseball world know that for many die-hard Sox fans it is the end of the world. When you first read this you many think that the guy is just counting down the seconds until he gets to go sit on a beach with a margarita but after seeing the video of the interview and hearing commentary from baseball experts it is clear that the real point that Manny is trying to convey is that the team is still confident and loose rather then playing uptight. Some of this gets lost in the language barrier and in ability to hear his tone on paper.
This isn't the first time that a situation like this has happened to the Red Sox. You see this situation all the time in the sports industry and and I makes me wonder why teams don't hire larger Public Relations staffs. After working for a minor league baseball team over the summer and seeing first hand the amount of work that these PR professionals go through I truly believe that it would be in the best interest of the teams to upgrade this department. These situations can lead to image problems that can effect the teams ticket sales (Jail-Blazers) or even on field distractions that affect the quality of play.
From my personal experience sports teams are generally understaffed in order to save money and 3-5 guys are doing the work of ten. The PR people generally handle the media relations of the team; sending out and writing all the press releases and media info while coordinating all the press conferences and prepping the speakers. Plus, these officials act as the team publicist so they have two or three people overseeing atleast 25 players. This is arguably the most important area because it is extremely important that teams monitor the comments of their players as the comments above show.
Most sports teams including the Red Sox have a extremely large fan base and make a significant profit throughout their season. As the media gets better and better at scooping up any and all dirt that they can find, no matter how large or small, it because increasingly more important that these teams manage their image as well as their players since they have so much money invested in them.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Intro Time!
Hey everyone,
Looks like it's intro time. My name is Sean and I am currently a senior at the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!). I'm a PR major and for my final term of my college career I am participating in a fairly new program called the Portland Experience. This "experience" entails taking your final set of classes at the satellite campus in Portland while working as an intern in the local market. This is a great way of building connections and get your foot in the door in Portland but there's one major downfall... WE CAN'T GET STUDENT TICKETS TO FOOTBALL GAMES ANYMORE!!!
For my internship I'm working at a PR agency called Media Cabin. This has been a great experience thus far and I really enjoy the work because I'm getting to work with companies like Wilson, Suunto, Salomon and Atomic skis. If you can't tell I love sports and the outdoors. I'm a die hard Sox fan who can't wait for the ALCS to begin on Friday. I also love skiing and I can't wait to hit the slopes this winter. It looks like this year has the making to be a great snow season and it's definitely a perk to be so close to Mt. Hood now.
Well, that's about all I got for now so in closing I would like to say... Go Sox!!!
Looks like it's intro time. My name is Sean and I am currently a senior at the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!). I'm a PR major and for my final term of my college career I am participating in a fairly new program called the Portland Experience. This "experience" entails taking your final set of classes at the satellite campus in Portland while working as an intern in the local market. This is a great way of building connections and get your foot in the door in Portland but there's one major downfall... WE CAN'T GET STUDENT TICKETS TO FOOTBALL GAMES ANYMORE!!!
For my internship I'm working at a PR agency called Media Cabin. This has been a great experience thus far and I really enjoy the work because I'm getting to work with companies like Wilson, Suunto, Salomon and Atomic skis. If you can't tell I love sports and the outdoors. I'm a die hard Sox fan who can't wait for the ALCS to begin on Friday. I also love skiing and I can't wait to hit the slopes this winter. It looks like this year has the making to be a great snow season and it's definitely a perk to be so close to Mt. Hood now.
Well, that's about all I got for now so in closing I would like to say... Go Sox!!!
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