ENTERTAINMENT: BET Music Awards

Graduation time is upon us, or rather upon my friends and I. I have no idea what this weekend will hold and though I'm looking forward to the ceremony, I'm kind of scared at the same time. It's weird to know that next fall I won't be coming back here and moving into a new house with friends, I won't be packing up my backpack full of school supplies, or dreading spending $300 on text books. I have a great summer ahead of me, if I can even call it summer anymore.

So as I turned in my last final this afternoon, I didn't really know what to do with myself. Do I jump up and down and cheer or do I sit back and realize that this serene moment only occurs once in my life?

The next few days are going to be rather insane as I see it. Lots of goodbyes, lots of cheers, lots of photos and lots of hugs. Maybe this will be the best transition into the "real-PR world" as my mentors call it...

PONDERING: Is this Dove campaign for real?

Dove's Sleeveless Ready Campaign cracks me up! As if woman didn't have enough things to worry about in regards to their appearance, here comes a company that promotes women's true beauty, begin to make women worry about the beauty and appearance of their armpit.

When Dove asks consumers, "Think your underarms are beautiful?" Personally, I'm not trying to debate with anyone if they're beautiful or not, I'm rather worried about if they're smelly or not.

I do agree with BL Ochman's blog entry, Dove's Sleeveless Ready Campaign: File Under WTF?', when she said that the campaign would be better if Dove leaned toward a something humorous, rather than of serious concern. In America, most of us are concerned with our everyday appearance, however we must not forget that there are also women in other countries worried about their lives and if they're going to see tomorrow or not- and I'm sure they could care less about their armpits.

So I think that the Dove campaign for their new deodorant goes a little too far. Dove should focus on raising the self-esteem of our future children, and adults now, by teaching and showing us that real beauty isn't about your armpits, it's about the way you feel inside about yourself. Sure you can't deny that appearance doesn't have something to do with our personal perceptions (we do live in a culture that is very concerned with beauty), but Dove should instead focus on helping people recognize that beauty starts within.

INSIGHT: Blogging at the University of Oregon

See what other students at the University of Oregon are blogging about in the Public Relations Campaigns class!

PR@SOJC

Post comments if you'd like. As a student, we love feedback!

RESPONSE: Female-only floor

In the article JW Marriott responds to female-only floor concerns, JW Marriott plans to build a female-only floor in their new hotel in Grand Rapids, MI that includes upscale amenities. However, with the marketing of the female-only floor comes public debate. People are skeptical about the idea and whether or not the idea is discriminating to others.

"Marriott's listening," she added. If a man should happen to request a room on the 19th floor, "it's not going to be an issue... he won't be excluded." Shouldn't he be excluded if it's a women's only floor? Isn't that the point? It's not like JW Marriott plans to conduct background checks on every man or woman that enters that hotel, but potentially this can serve as a dangerous situation for women- such as potential opportunities for assault or attackers. Though this idea sounds great at first, and sort of relaxing from the floors that are packed with big families, I'm just worried about safety in the long-run. Perhaps JW should consider a men-only floor?

Any thoughts?

INSPIRATION: Mental and Physical Rejuvenation

This past Memorial Weekend I took a trip to visit a few long-time friends in Bend, OR. My cell phone barely had signal, my laptop sat at home, my planner remained in Eugene, no iTunes, no Internet, no e-mail inbox. And guess what? It was EXACTLY what I needed. I didn't realize how mentally drained and exhausted I was with school, applying for jobs and fretting about the next phase of my life (graduation, jobs, moving, expenses). While relaxing on the couch in Bend, I fell asleep. I NAPPED. I didn't have to wake up to go to a meeting, to type a paper or even the CLOCK. I woke up when I felt like it. I woke up to the sunset, not my itinerary. I felt refreshed. I heard the birds, the wind, the rustling of the trees and SILENCE. It felt SO good. No work could of given me this satisfaction.

I had conversations that I wouldn't of had if I didn't take a personal break. Instead of having conversations about what I currently NEEDED to do, I talked about what I WANTED to do. New friends had no idea about my passion for PR, my passion for great relationships and my passions for the future.
(Above: stopping by the Detroit Lake Dam with my best friend Brittany)
Instead of discussing the mundane tasks I needed to do to get there, my discussions revealed to them, and myself, the epitome of why I am doing the things I am doing. Instead of looking for inspiration, inspiration was offered to me. Everyone has their goals, but to have friends there to share moments, hopes and dreams instead of schedules and stresses, IS NECESSARY to grow as a person. Sometimes one can forget that work goals don't necessarily satisfy one's life goals.
(Left: taking time out to laugh)

So when I read Sometimes it's the Little Things, I couldn't agree more with the article. Professor Tim Christy said that you don't see many employees who are older in the PR/AD Industry because of mental and physical burnout. BURNOUT. Burnout that may have been prevented.

So I encourage you to read the article and take a break from your hectic schedule- even an hour where every electronic item is turned off and the only voice you can hear is yours is a start. Take a drive, turn off your cell phone, don't talk about work, laugh from deep inside your stomach, eat whatever you damn well please and know that what you need to get done will get done because tomorrow is another day.

KNOWLEDGE: Schmoozing Skills

Very interesting article about The Art of Schmoozing. I think that graduates will find this to be beneficial because we are in the midst of doing some extreme networking to better provide for ourselves the opportunities that we want.

PONDERING: What the NBC News President said

Though the Virginia Tech University shooting occurred a little over a month ago, I can't help but share with you something that has sort of "irked" me in regards to how NBC handled the broadcasting about the package they received from the gunman. I highlighted the words that have followed me since watching the interview. I'm trying to make sense of it in my own PR world and I'm trying to really apply it to current news topics. I'd like to find out what you think he means and what it means to you. I'm just sort of having a hard time figuring out why NBC said it was bad PR for them. They received a skyrocketing amount of viewers! Here is an excerpt of the interview that took place on Oprah between Oprah and NBC News President Steve Capus:

When NBC received the gunman's package, NBC News president Steve Capus says his division reacted like many other news organizations would have. "The first thing, of course, your competitive juices kick in," he says. "But then we did something that doesn't always take place in newsrooms. We hit the brake pedal. We stopped. And we didn't even mention to the world that we had this material. We sat on it all day long, and we waited. And we thought about how to handle it and what to do with it. What was appropriate. What not to show."

Steve says the network decided to air what it did after having the head of NBC's policy and standards group and others look at everything and decide what was unusable, such as "over-the-top profanity and incredibly violent images."

At the time of the report, Steve says, the largest unanswered question was "Why?" Steve believes that airing some of the videos helped give the public insight into that question. "This was a videotape that showed somebody on the edge. Somebody who was ready to blow. … To me, this started this dialogue again about what is going on in America. What about the society? What about the pop culture?" Steve says. "Sometimes good journalism is bad public relations. And I'm a father. Brian is. These are very difficult decisions."

If Steve had to make the same decisions again, would he? "I would. Because I believe it was newsworthy and I believe we handled it with as much sensitivity as we possibly could," Steve says. "This is a great discussion. …

Do you think that "Sometimes good journalism is bad public relations?"

INSPIRATION: Haagen-Daz

As soon as I read this article, I wanted to put my pen down, close my spiral and shut off my laptop and treat myself to a pint of ice cream...in bed... accompanied by my favorite shows recorded on TiVo, and pretty much forget about the rest of my to-do list sitting currently to my right. Oh to daydream!

Personally, I think that Haagen-Daz did a wonderful event that not only promoted their new product, but a musician, venue and an expensive mattresses company. The first two word that came to mind: how clever! I would love to demonstrate/promote a product like this in Portland. Companies try to hand out their products on the streets hoping that their sales will increase. I've noticed that those products either get consumed and thrown away, or left behind somewhere. Nowadays, in such a fast-paced world, to make people pay attention, you must get people to stand still for more than 10 seconds and consumers must feel that they are getting more than a "sample".

VS. They want to feel that they are getting a service, and a service for free is even better. I really liked their idea, I'm going to try to find out more about the outcome of the event. I'll keep you posted as to what I find...

ENTERTAINMENT: Funny or Die- The next YouTube of comedy?

I'm sure most of you have seen this, but if you haven't and feel like laughing...


I wonder if that's Will's daughter? Too cute. I don't know about teaching her all those cuss words though... ;-)

What is this Funny or Die Web site about? According to the Web site:
This site was created by Gary Sanchez Productions and a bunch of Silicon Valley guys who drive Hondas and watch old episodes of Babylon Five. Michael Kvamme, an aspiring young comedian, came up with a concept for a new kind of comedy site and approached Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s company, Gary Sanchez Productions. Randy Adams, a Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur, signed on to handle design and implementation. They along with writer/producer Chris Henchy sought to make a comedy site where established comedians and regular users could put up stuff just because they think it’s funny. At the same time they wanted to eliminate all the junk that people have to pick through to find funny stuff. So they came up with the funny or die idea.

The site is simple. Vote on the videos and decide whether they’re funny or die a fiery death. Videos that get enough die votes go to the crypt where they languish in comedy hell. But ones that reach immortal status shall make people laugh forever (even ten thousand years from now when mankind becomes floating orbs of energy. If they can laugh, those future orbs will be laughing at your video). If you don’t want to mess around with lame videos of twelve year olds rapping at a family barbecue then check the status of the video to see how it’s doing. Here’s what each symbol means…

I think it's pretty funny stuff and it's also entertaining that these guys write blogs on the site. Certainly something to check out and keep an eye on. They may gain popularity in the future due to its creators? It's not like the YouTube business plan didn't work out. ;-)

OBSERVATION: Company sponsorship

PRWeek's news article, Verizon cuts tie to Stefani tour, leaves me questioning whether or not Verizon chose to sponsor Akon because he was Gwen Stefani's opening act or because he is a Top 10 artists of the R&B charts. Verizon pulled the plug on their sponsorship of Stefani's tour after viewing a tape that recorded Akon "romping" with an underage, supposedly 14-year-old girl, on stage. Though he apologized for his act, it was too late.

What I am left wondering is whether or not companies consider the history of an artist or idea before they sponsor them. According to About.com in a biography about Akon:

"In New Jersey he took part in little music, and, instead, running with admittedly the wrong crowd, he was kicked out of school for selling weapons. At the age of 18, Akon was arrested and put in jail for a year and a half for being part of a car theft ring. During Akon's time in jail, he began to understand his music abilities and developed an appreciation for his musical background. Akon began writing songs mostly about prison life and living in a ghetto setting."

To me, when a company decides to have business relations with an artist, that company stands for what the artists stands for and vice versa. Did Verizon know that they were representing an ex-convict? Or were they basing this business deal off of a successful music career? In public relations, as a client you have to know that what you do affects your overall public image, and as a company, you have to understand that you represent not only yourself but the actions of your client. I'd like to know why they chose to sponsor him and also why they decided to pull the plug.

KNOWLEDGE: Social media help

Probably one of the best linked documents that I have ever read is Shift Communication's PR 2.0 Essentials- A Necessary Living Document. I encourage those who are interested in social media, and even those that aren't, to take a few minutes out of their day to read through some social media concepts.

After reading almost the entire document, not only did I feel more "in-the-know" with the PR/news world, but I felt prepared to talk about these concepts in class, with friends and especially in interviews with possible employers. I've learned that it's CRUCIAL to know about social media concepts when doing interviews; not only can you offer a company experienced knowledge in an area they've never worked in before but they're keen to ask you more questions that you can answer! Hey you can't help but look good right? :-)

So I'm going to make sure that I spread the news about this Living Document and Shift Communication's Social Media Press Release Template. Study it, learn it, practice it. Information spreads fast thanks to technology, make sure that you know how to get your point across quickly before it's too late!

RESPONSE: Social media changes

"Marketers must understand these social changes. Or fail at the task. How people interact with each other, how we relate, is crucial information. If we don't understand what's going on with our prospect, how can we hope to develop meaningful products, meaningful communications?"


In response to Susan Getgood's blog, Perspectives: Social Media Matters, I couldn't agree with her more that social media represents a fundamental shift of communication in society as a whole. It's changing the ways we see and communicate with the world. Just in the past year alone, I find myself joining such social networks as Facebook and Myspace and reading blogs that have become popular among my friends. It's entertaining to watch blogs become popular, on their own, in mainstream media (as in seeing the blogger or blog on syndicated TV shows. Such as Perez Hilton's blog on Dirt or Off The Rack on E!). I agree with Getgood when she says that people must take the time to understand social media tools, or else people and businesses will be left behind. Social media enables people to communicate in an authentic way that can make you feel as though you're chatting casually with a business partner, but in reality, you're half-way around the world. I believe it breaks down barriers and forces you to look past marketing concepts that make you feel like a recorded robot and saves you crucial time that you could be spending on other successes.

INSPIRATION: Boost Foundation Catwalk 2007

This past Saturday, I was a part of the Boost Foundation's Catwalk 2007 event. 300 guests had the opportunity to share the evening with fashion luminaries as they previewed the latest collections in a runway show. I was lucky enough to be assigned the role of "Press Adviser", where I had the chance to chat with numerous media outlets. Post show, we sipped drinks, and danced in the Bubble Lounge (think big white tents). The event's inspiration was NYC during fashion week. It's great to see Portland finally have something like this. (Above: Catwalk 2006. I'll get 2007 photos soon)

FYI

The venue: Henry V in Portland, OR.
Designers: Souchi, Anna Cohen, Michelle DeCourcy, Jantzen, and Finn.
Cosmetic Team: Blush Beauty Bar
Hair Team: Sidlab HairCouture (Toward the end of the night, they did my hair, and my best friend's, and let us tell you, THIS TEAM ROCKS! They make you feel good, and aren't afraid to tell you if your hair looked bad to begin with ;-P. I got a personal business card, so if you need your hair done...)
Show Soundtrack: DJ Mr. MuMu

Ultra PDX provides a great article about the event: Boost Foundation Catwalk at Henry V. Ultra PDX even included this article that mentioned my sis and I! We're so grateful: Faces at Catwalk 2007

(Below: Clothing line: Souchi)
Friends of mine help set up the venue and were dressers during the show (prepared clothing line, models and show) for the designers. It was definitely a great glimpse into the process of putting on a high fashion event.

Hard work surely pays off. Not only was awareness and money raised for Boost, but it ended up to be a great networking event for the UO J-Majors present. I'll post more pics and others' event reviews soon, but here are a few for now:

(Left: With my sister and Boost Board Member, Judy Ma)

(Below: Catwalk 2007 Host and Entertainment Tonight's Kevin Fraiser)

Please let me know if you'd like more information on Boost Foundation. Become involved and inspire youth.

PURPOSE: AVIDITY

Avidity:
1. eagerness; enthusiasm or dedication
2. Ardent desire or craving; eagerness.
3. Keen interest or enthusiasm.
4. Noun: a positive feeling of wanting to push ahead with something: Julie Ma in the PR industry. ;-)

I am starting this blog with the intent to share with you what I find interesting in the world of public relations. Now, how exactly do I define this world? I believe my experiences are about to define it for me. The world is big, so this is going to be an interesting ride. So hold on with me! I'll share my experiences and I hope to hear yours. I welcome any and all feedback/advice.

I'm not sure if you're a fan or not, but I'm a big fan of MTV's reality show Run's House. I'm especially a fan of Reverend Run's "Daily Words of Wisdom" that he writes from his bubble-filled bathtub every morning. In fact, I'm such a fan, I get them sent to me every morning through a subscription. Out of the small collection that I have, two pieces of wisdom have stuck with me (and I think these two pieces of wisdom epitomizes why I find myself starting a blog) as I prepare myself to leave college:

Excellence takes time- Words of Wisdom- 4/17/07:
Good morning. People forget how fast you did a job-but they remember how well you did it. Excellence means doing your very best in everything, in every way. (Remember) That kind of commitment will take you where half hearted people will never go!! Take your time do it right :) God is Love Rev Run

Busy is better than bored- Words of Wisdom- 4/19/07:
Good morning. Find something to do, because the feeling that we have too much to do is much more pleasing than the feeling that we have nothing to do. I've found that giving my team more to do in less time make them more efficient, energetic, and enthusiastic and it allows more free time outside of the work place. In studies of college students, those with more demanding schedules were 15% more satisfied with life. Despite the more demanding schedules, the individuals studied did not experience any more stress than those with less to do. Get busy! :) God is Love Rev Run