Shop Talk

Almost every single morning, I hop on a bus heading to downtown or some other point in close proximity to work. Sometimes, I find myself people watching as I grab a seat and wait out the eight-minute commute (sometimes much longer depending on the traffic o’ the day and how many people need to get on and off - if you live in a sizeable city, you can surely relate).

In my little bouts of watching, I tend to notice that many people have iPods or similar mp3 devices and it’s made me wonder … Do people use them as a means of amusement, to make the commute more pleasant? Or, is it a way to avoid people - to hide behind a pair of earbuds and ignore existance as we know it? Surely, no one would even dare to speak to you over the deafening thrashing of guitars from an industrial German-rock band. (And yes, I am guilty of this, just so we’re clear).

Even more to my wonderment is how much people have become more reliant on technology than each other. But in this day and age, is it really hard not to be? Oh, I am definitely a digital baby by all means. I made e-zines for a subscriber base of hundreds of teens when I was 14-18 (little known fact #275) and wrote in an online journal long before I considered PR. I can remember my first time on the internet, which was AOL back in the day. Now, I can’t even begin to fathom how I, or anyone else for that matter, would live without all of this.

We know that people make it work like the Amish, for example, whose communities don’t depend on technology, but upon individuals working together as a whole - building relationships, communicating and solving their problems face to face. Perhaps we can take a page and realize that even with all of this technology that can figure out everything for us, we still need each other.

During the last several months, the idea of community has become so much more significant to me as I’ve started to really connect with many different people across multiple online platforms. Each person brings something unique to the table and while I may not interact on a routine basis, I do love to read and wrap my head around what’s important to them.

From this, I realize that community is just as important offline as it is online and it’s always been my personal goal to continue to grow my relationships, most importantly offline within the Pittsburgh PR community. Building relationships can be hard, especially when you have tendencies to be an introvert, like me. Yet, I’ve discovered there are two important things to establishing good relationships:

1. Picking up the phone. Here and there, I see much older professionals convey a sense of bewilderment that some of the younger professionals won’t pick up a phone. E-mail works, sure. It’s fast and easy to succinctly convey your thoughts to someone else. Still, I think there’s a necessity to pick up the telephone and speak to an actual human voice on the other end. The bad thing about e-mail or instant messaging is that a word, phrase or tone can be interpreted in an entirely different way than intended. I think that there is less chance for something to be misconstrued in an actual telephone conversation, unless of course, one person is having a bad day. (And yes, I know we could launch into the Shannon-Weaver Model of Communication, etc., but we won’t). True, I can say much more in an e-mail when I’ve had time to think, but I still enjoy making conversation and forging that connection with others via a simple phone call. Most importantly, you demonstate that you care - that the person is more than just an email address or a handle and he/she is worthy of your time.

2. Take risks. Stepping out of your comfort zone is key to creating new relationships. Yep, I hear this all the time and I’m sure you do as well, but it is very true. Putting yourself in an entirely new situation can be scary, but empowering at the same time. Just remember to swallow and take a deep breath before you take the plunge. I’ve made it a point now to either pursue new contacts on my own by introducing myself on the street somewhere or at an event. It’s hard because I can be pretty shy at first meeting, but I know that to fully get over my fear, it’s what must be done. Isn’t this what it’s all about, however? We’re going to be pushed in PR to do things we may never have done before, whether it’s a one-on-one with a client’s representative or a big presentation to the CEO.  Why not take risks and try new things? We’re engaging with so many different people who all have different goals in mind. The best way, in my humble opinion, to fully understand their needs is to take the time to actively pursue them, start a conversation and maintain that dialogue with the best intentions and full transparency.

So, perhaps the next time we’re on that bus, train or plane, we should start that conversation with the person sitting next to us. We never know where it might lead.

Wow — What started as a simple musing on an everyday occurrence has turned into a long-winded ramble. Sorry, folks! LOL.

As I was getting my daily fix of lolcats, I stumbled upon this little gem. The Humane Society is sponsoring an LOLseals caption contest. Much like creating and submitting your own language-deficient cat (or other animal), the roflbot creator on the Society’s web site allows you to choose a photo and create your own humorous, cute or touching LOLseal. All entries are displayed on Flickr. Next week, staff will select their top ten entries and acclaimed photographer Nigel Barker, currently an “America’s Next Top Model” judge, will select the winner.

 It just goes to show that even the craziest, sometimes most pointless internet memes can be used for something positive and have such a profound impact, calling attention to a very serious issue. In this case, it’s a cause very dear to my own heart.

So, LOL yourself on over and create your own!

Here’s mine!

I’ve become more in-tune with my Twitter account recently after letting it sit idle for months. It’s very intriguing to read what people could say in 140 characters and who actually is using the platform.  

While on Twitter, I’ve searched nonprofits, PR agencies, sporting organizations and other things and people of personal and professional interest. Naturally, I started to think about politics as the upcoming election is saturating the media.

I’m not interested in discussing the candidate I support, but what does interest me is how each candidate is using the internet to engage potential and current supporters.  In the last election, social networking sites were still in their infancy with nothing more than a few blogs and social networking pages scattered here and there, yet in the last several years we have seen a real explosion in usage. Now, you can’t find a medium that at least one political candidate hasn’t touched.  

I’ll liken it to the grade school lunch table, everyone’s comparing lunches (lunch in the web case meaning ‘ideas’), trading lunches and making arguments as to who has the coolest “mom.” And the presidential candidates, well, they want to be known as top kid - the kid who has the best lunch AND the coolest mom.  It’s evident that the conversation is going on with or without them and if they want to steer that conversation in a positive spin, they have to be among  the loudest of voices whether it’s at that lunch table or on the internet.  

Interested in the how and why of such ventures, I decided to create my own little experiment. It was my intention to contact several campaigns and ask why they were so interested in social media and essentially what benefits they saw in participation.  

Well, it’s been about three weeks and I haven’t received a call yet from Ron, John (you know, the one with the Ken doll-esque coif) or Barack yet, but I’ll wait here until Election Day if I must. I have time, really.  

In all seriousness, I honestly didn’t expect a response considering I’m just little me here and the questions of a 24-year-old young professional, who is in the target young voter range, really aren’t that important. I suppose there’s just far more important people to woo, money to be had. I did receive, however, a form from the Obama camp to request a media interview in response to my initial message, which I found a bit funny. I mean I guess I could say I’m my own media entity, but I’m not rolling in that much green quite yet. (Imagine if I filled out that form signing off as my own media outlet - HA)! 

Regardless, if some campaign staffer from any presidential campaign ever stumbles upon this post, let’s have that conversation.

Moreover, if anyone wants to take a crack at whether you think social media is working in favor of the presidential candidates, have at it.

So, how is everyone doing? Are we still hanging in there?

It always seems as if things become hectic from November to December, no matter what you’re doing. Things have been busy on my end. From prepping for and staffing Pinkalicious the Musical (go see it - it’s such a treat and the cast and staff from Vital Theatre are simply wonderful - plug, plug) to getting stuff together for the Festival to the kettle campaign at The Salvation Army, it’s felt like a whirlwind of activity. I don’t mind it in the least because I like to be busy during the day, but at night, I feel rather run down and not in the mood to do much else. Add to that, my MBA studies on Saturdays, which I’m quite surprised to say are almost finished, and I’ve been one busy little bee.

One of the opportunities I’ve had during the last month was to attend a PRSA Pittsburgh professional development session presented by Jeff Krakoff. Formerly the founder of Krakoff Communications, Inc., Jeff now serves as Director at Burson-Marsteller, Pittsburgh. “Breaking Into the Competitive World of PR,” a session mainly geared toward students and young professionals, detailed as you would guess, tips and advice to keep in mind when pursuing internships or that first career position.

Public Relations is a tough business to break into and it’s nice to have a professional association reach out to the next wave of young professionals by providing a kind of “crash course,” if you will, on what to do and what not to do. In addition to Jeff’s presentation, several PRSA members were on hand to evaluate résumés and portfolios, which I found to be very invaluable. Getting real pointers from seasoned professionals is nothing like say, asking a friend to look with an objective eye. I highly recommend that you seize the opportunity if/when it comes along.

Jeff (via Jasmine H.) was kind enough to allow me to share the slides from his presentation on this blog. I hope that those of you who are still in college find something that you can take and use. Heck, even if you’re a young professional, I hope you gain something, too. I sure did.

Next up will be a presentation this Wednesday by Rob Key, founder and CEO of Converseon, described as an “industry leader in new media strategies.” (It also just happens to be Paull’s firm)! I’m very much looking forward to attending the session and hearing what Rob has to share with us.

And now, Jeff’s presentation slides. Enjoy!

*Property of Jeff Krakoff & Burson-Marsteller, Pittsburgh. Used with permission.

So, whereas ABC was the first to offer episodes of its primetime shows online, NBC is planning to offer a social network for its viewers. So far, it looks to be the first broadcast network to offer a comprehensive platform beyond message boards and a few wikis here and there. (Beyond the whole iVillage thing). I could be wrong …

All I can say is, my page would be total Law & Order: SVU!!!! I’m so the SVU junkie, it’s sick.

However, I’d boycott this whole network thing until they bring back Treasure Hunters. Best reality show, hands down.

In all seriousness, given that so many consumers have embraced or are embracing the digital age and social networking, it’s not a huge surprise that this is happening. As internet users become more enveloped in online content, it only makes sense that corporations and media outlets get in on the act if they want to relate to and retain their customers.

Hi, my name is Jenn and I’m a habitual Facebook user. Hooray.

Has anyone else noticed the new applications that they’ve added?

I’ve added two – guilty as charged, though rather harmless. A platform for a certain presidential candidate and Twitter. I decided to blow the virtual dust off my Twitter account so maybe this will work.

Nevertheless, I’m curious, as I always am.

For months, we’ve read the news articles about sexual predators using MySpace and other social networking sites and have heard the whole “don’t post your personal information” spiel.

My alma mater publicly advised us not to post personal information on MySpace and Facebook when I was an undergraduate and I’m sure other colleges and universities have done the same. Given the fact that you don’t know who is reading your profile(s), it’s a safe bet to say as little as possible. OK, ideally, because we know the majority of people don’t think that way. (i.e. I’m safe just as long as I restrict my profile to ‘friends only’).

However, with the addition of these new applications, aren’t they just a welcoming gesture for stalking? I’m sure there are safety measures blah blah blah beyond privacy controls and this is going to make Facebook a lot of money, but when there are applications that will allow people to send text messages through a Facebook page (without showing the person’s number, of course), I can’t help but think that someone who has access to this client can become harassing if he or she doesn’t have good intentions. I haven’t heard of anyone becoming a victim due to Facebook, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen.

Is it just better to scrutinize whom you’re adding as a friend or is it safer to just refrain from posting personal details altogether? … That is the $64,000 question.

Just a thought, as always.

Well, I’m finally on LinkedIn, which will probably be another addiction of mine. Only a matter of time.

I’ll just put in my two cents about the Aqua Teen Hunger Force marketing ploy gone horribly wrong in Boston.

It was a bad decision. Very bad.

Last I read, they’ve arrested the person who put the devices out and criminal charges for Turner Broadcasting may be pending.

Fine of Turner to issue an apology quickly, but this is a bigger issue in regard to how the world is today and the threats to national security and whatnot. You just can’t do this stuff and not expect everything to be fine and dandy. The shit is going to hit the fan.

Sure, if you know what ATHF is (bizarre, yet hilarious cartoon shorts of the antics of a giant milkshake, a big wad of meat and a generic representation of a flying box of McDonald’s french fries), you may laugh at the very least for what the devices were supposed to represent, but I can’t justify how putting suspicious looking devices near public places would have played in to some “brilliant” marketing scheme. It would have made more sense to plaster areas with giant cut-outs or something equally as bizarre to reflect the show’s tendency to be off-the-wall with its content. If you don’t know of the show in the first place, I’m sure a giant shake on the side of the road is going to grab your attention, either way. Someone obviously didn’t do his/her homework.

If you were the flack for Turner, how would you handle this?

I received an email in my inbox about three weeks ago announcing registration for the first ever PRWeek Interactive Career Fair. OK, truth be told, this post has been sitting as a draft for just as long. I blame New Jersey and its life-sucking abilities as the reason for my tardiness in posting. *shakes fist*

Attendees will be able to “visit” booths, chat with recruiters and listen in on live webcasts all for free. What intrigued me most was the idea that job seekers can meet with recruiters without even having to leave the comfort of their own homes.

It’s an interesting concept when you consider the costs that could be involved for job seekers when attending career fairs. Moreover, there’s a bit of a safety net for not-as-qualified candidates without having to invest so much time and money. I personally know people who have taken off from school and/or work to attend career fairs, only to be told that they were not really qualified for any positions the companies were looking to fill.

Will it replace a live career fair? I’m divided on this. I don’t think it should wholly replace face-to-face interaction, though we are seeing an increase in web communication (i.e. blogs, virtual communities - SL, group lists). I see it as an additional networking resource to throw into the mix.

I’m not seeking a job right now as I will be interning this spring, but I signed up and I’m going to explore what the fair has to offer. I mean that is why we attend job fairs, right? Other than to look for jobs or gather information, we attend with the hope that we make a personal connection (or connections) with industry professionals.

If you haven’t registered and are interested, head on over here. The fair will be held on Thursday, Dec. 7 from 9 am to 9 pm. That’s a full day, people! It can’t hurt to at least check it out.

Update 12/8

Geez, I’m such a bad person. Here I am saying everyone should check out the fair and I didn’t even attend. I became sidetracked by a few things offline and totally forgot. I’m too tired to remember what kept me from logging on. Anyway, there’s always next time.

So, I’ve been on Second Life for about two weeks now. Other than the torturous routine crashing of my platform, so far so good.

It’s relatively easy to use and provides a much more engaging way to converse with other people rather than the boring text of an IM box. OK, yes, we know this.

The program reminds me of a Sims-esque world crossed with the Phalanx/Palace chat clients. If you’re unfamilar with either client, Phalanx and Palace allow users to create avatars to chat with each other. Unlike SL, they don’t freely move. In addition, Phalanx/Palace are mainly used by young teens and more than likely skeezy old men disguised as teens. I first used Palace when I was about 14, so I’m really dating that chat client and marveling as to how much technology has progressed since then.

This program is just one more way to extend the conversation and I like its potential to be something great. This space will provide another medium for PR practictioners to relay messages/interact with others. As Paull Young described in a recent post, some agencies already are.

I’ve visited a few of them and I liked the setup, though no one was really around. It’s evident that these agencies truly recognize the potential of having a virtual community. What has yet to be determined, however, is whether or not each virtual agency will be actively maintained or if they’ll lie defunct with occasional use. I agreed with Paull that they shouldn’t be manned 24 hours a day, but there should be a weekly set networking meeting hosted by each agency. I’d prefer to see even one meeting a month rather than an agency boasting they have a SL community without doing anything with it. There’s no point in having one then.

My only issue is the regular crashing. I’m not sure if it’s my system or settings. I only have this little laptop which is decent, but no supersystem. I’d just like to keep the crashing down to a minimum. It hasn’t done so too much the last day or so, but I’m probably now jinxing myself.

Oh yeah. My name on SL is Jenni Blazer, so if you see me, say hello.  Or, feel free to add me as a friend. I don’t bite. Heh. Now, I sound like a little five year old - “Will you be my friend?!”

See ya’ll around.

**Note of advice to PR professionals in SL: PLEASE be welcoming of those who are visiting your agency/general area. The whole point is to network and represent your field. Not saying anything may reflect badly on you and your company. I’m not going to call anyone out a la Jeremy Pepper, but I’m just saying, if I’m visiting your agency’s area and you’re there as a representative of that agency, say hello. Good grief.