Cluetrain Manifesto October 1, 2008

• Business people should not deny the advances the internet and intranets have brought, but instead they should embrace them. 

• The internet has the ability to make companies and employees grow. 

• Communication is a powerful tool and in today’s world the internet is an important source. 

• At the heart of all organizations, there are people just like you and me. 

9/25 BB Readings September 24, 2008

I find Paull Young’s Social Media Birthday Experiment very interesting. It is such a neat idea to me that Paull has used the attention of his birthday through social media for such a good cause. I know many people who solely and maybe slightly embarrassingly enjoy the numerous messages they receive on Facebook and Twitter on their birthdays. These same people, myself included, have probably never thought to use this attention to help others less fortunate than ourselves. In addition, reading this experiment also helped me to further understand strategies, tactics, channels, and evaluation, which are the topics we have been recently studying in class.

Chapter 9: The Tactics of Public Relations September 21, 2008

• Messages and channels can be tactics. Although messages and channels are sometimes closely tied together, they are two different things. 

• Successful tactics target one public at a time. 

• Communication takes place when the tactic is carried out. 

• When a tactic is performed, there are six key factors to remember: delegation, deadlines, quality control, communication within the team, communication with clients or supervisors, and constant evaluation. 

The Importance of not letting Yourself Jump on Certain “Trains” September 18, 2008

In class we have talked a lot about how much technology can take over our lives: from checking our email, to twittering, to text messaging and so on. Of course technology is very important to our lives, especially in the world of public relations. However, there are certain times when using technology in our personal lives needs to be put on hold. Besides just refraining from jumping on these “trains” while in the classroom, it is important to remember not to let it get in the way of your safety. The recent commuter train accident in Los Angeles, CA grabbed my attention and reminded me of how important this is. It was confirmed that the engineer driving the Metrolink train was text messaging while on the job. This horrible accident killed 25 people and injured 138. Although sending a quick text message may seem very innocent and harmless, there is a study that proves text messaging while driving can be more dangerous than drinking while driving. So next time we think there is a message that cannot wait, we need to all remember how dangerous responding to the message could potentially be. There comes a point we all need to pay more attention to the real life trains moving around us than the little “trains” fighting for our attention.

Chapter 8: Planning September 16, 2008

• There are three types of public relations plans: ad hoc, standing, and contingency plans. 

• To win top management’s support for a public relations plan, it is very important to show them how the plan helps the organization reach its broader goals and fulfill its mission statement.

• The written plan has goals, objectives, and tactics. They precede each other in this order. 

• All public relations plans should be be values-driven.

Chapter 7: Research and Evaluation September 14, 2008

 

• Research and evaluation must work together in public relations.

• Research and evaluation have become more important lately because there has been a larger desire to discover the exact effects public relations has on an organization.

• Before one begins in a research project, it is important to define what they want to know and how they will gather that information.

• The five research methods commonly used in public relations are secondary research, feedback research, communication audits, focus groups, and survey research. 

Chapter 4: The Publics in Public Relations September 10, 2008

• Organizations must form positive relationships with a variety of publics to fulfill their values.

• It is difficult for organizations to count all of their publics because there are so many. However, they can be put into categories. 

• It is important for organizations to decide which publics to put time and effort into. To decide the level of importance, organizations must answer seven questions about the public. 

PR Social Networks September 10, 2008

The importance and vast amount of PR networks that are available to me has continuously been reinforced. Yesterday in class we covered Twitter, LinkedIn, PROpenMic, FriendFeed, etc. in more detail. I can’t wait to get more and more involved in these online networks. I joined LinkedIn today and am so excited to build more relationships! In addition, I have enjoyed personally learning more about Twitter.

What does PR history teach me? September 7, 2008

• Public Relations has been used in our history long before the term was even known. Examples of PR were used in the American Revolution and the Boston Tea Party. 

• Early PR companies had limited success. The early practitioners worked very hard to get PR as successful as it is today. 

• 9/11 had a large impact on PR.

• PR students today have an advantage because it is easier for us “to get our hands on PR” through blogs, twitter, PR Open Mic, etc. 

Skills Needed in PR September 3, 2008

After reading and researching more about PR jobs, I learned a lot about what type of skills are important in this field. Below are some of the skills that especially stuck out to me.

• Strong Communication skills
• Think fast
• Be able to make sufficient decisions, especially when under pressure
• Excellent networking skills
• Detail oriented
• Past experience in PR
• Passion for helping the organization and the public

Of these skills and characteristics, there are some I am very proud to already have and some I would love to develop further. I am very lucky to be able to able to think fast and make successful decisions even when under pressure. When dealing with fast changing situations, I am usually able to stay calm and keep thinking straight towards reaching my goal. I am also a very passionate person, which means the work I complete is completed with full engagement. I have had some PR experience at this point, but of course would love more. I know the more experience I can get, the easier it will be to get a job in the profession of PR.

My plan to strengthening my skills necessary for PR is to engage in all the practice I can get this year. Specifically, I know this class will help me a lot in gaining PR skills. I have already learned so much in the small amount of time I have been in this class.