The Search...

Los Angeles, here I come!


I have oficially finished my final class for my business minor, and I am off to the big city in search of my dream job in Public Relations.
While I feel more than prepared with the wealth of knowledge I received in my studies of PR, what I am most nervous about is the interviewing process.
How can a person make an excellent first impression?
What can a person do to prepare for an interview?

During my college experience, many of my PR classes discussed interview skills, but now that it is down to the wire, I decided to do a little research of my own.

Below are links to some excellent Sites and articles I found about how to become a job interview expert!

- Winning Interview Skills: I think the most valuable lesson to be learned from this article is that it is imperative to learn as much as possible about the company you are interviewing with before you walk into that office. Research, research, research.
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewsnetworking/a/wininterview.htm

-Interviewing Information from CollegeGrad.com: This site is great for all recent graduates venturing out into the corporate world because it covers all aspects of the interview process from research to follow-up.
http://www.collegegrad.com/intv/

-Interview Skills from Boston College: This Site emphasizes that how you come across in an interview can be even more important than the skills you posess.Information is provided on everything from dressing for interviews to dealing with anxiety.
http://www.bc.edu/offices/careers/skills/interview/


Congratulations to all of my fellow graduates...and good luck out there!

A Red Haute Thursday Night

I have been interning at HIV Alliance, a Eugene, OR non-profit organization, for almost nine months now, and through this internship I have gained so much invaluable experience.
As part of this internship, I did PR for, modeled in and helped organize a benefit fashion/music/dance show last Thursday called "The Red Haute Ribbon".
This one-of-a-kind fashion/performance/benefit show featured performances from local bands, hip-hop groups and dancers, and stylings form local stores and designers.



We were extremely pleased with how the event turned out. We raised over $1600 in ticket sales alone, all of which went straight to the HIV Alliance since we had a grant for the venue and all services and performances were donated.
We also raised a lot of awareness for the HIV Alliance and sparked interest in potential donors and volunteers.
On top of all of this, all of the performances were perfect, and everyone who attended seemed to have an amazing night.

This event was by far the most challenging yet fun and rewarding experience I've ever had. Donating so much time and effort over a period of months to one thing and then being able to see the success of the final result was so motivating. It made me confident that PR/event planning is my passion and I can't wait to graduate and get started in a career where I get to do what I am passionate about every day!


For more information on the event visit http://www.redhauteribbon.info

For more information on the wonderful cause that all or our money and efforts went to, visit http://hivalliance.org

Well, here goes nothin'....

I have just begun my last term of school...EVER. While this is a very exciting thought, and I feel more than ready for the adventure of being thrown out into the real world to fend for myself, I am also conflicted.
For as long as my concious mind can remember, I have been a student. School has been what has defined a major part of who I am. SO in this transition time between being a student, and starting my career, what the hell am I?

Never have I felt more pressure, and confronted more expectations than I have at this time in my life. I can't count the number of times I have been asked "So, what do you plan to do with your degree when you graduate?"

I definitly don't have all of the answers right now, and I'm OK with that. While everyone else seems to expect me to know exactly who I am and what my future holds,I am actually excited that I don't. I just feel lucky that I am young, healthy, and passionate about what I'm studying. Graduation is like starting over with a clean slate for me.


I could go anywhere from here.

Spring Break in Oregon

So, I took an English class entitiled "Literature of the Northwest" and we were required to do a creative project on Oregon humor.
We decided to address how Oregonians deal with the rainy weather.
This video is what we ended up with. It is mocking MTV's Spring Break shows but it is set in Lincoln City, so instead of a wet t-shirt contest, they are attempting to hold a wet sweatshirt contest.
I think any Oregonian would appreciate it.

Let me know what you think...

I'm not Irish...

So, I've never been a big fan of St. Patrick's day. I guess the whole wearing green and pinching people thing has just never appealed to me.
Last night however was one of the most fun nights I have had in quite a while. I decided to just throw myself into it. I drank green beers, wore green clothes and pinched those who didn't.
I guess any excuse to have fun with those closest to you, wear matching clothes and celebrate life is a good one.
Hope your St. Patty's day was as good as mine.
Cheers!

Following are some links which explain the traditions of St. Patrick's Day:
http://wilstar.com/holidays/patrick.htm

http://www.holidays.net/stpattys/customs.htm

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blnotes5.htm

PR Portfolios

While I have learned more in my PR classes this year than any classes I have ever taken, there is one thing that I wish I would have learned a little more about. That one thing is Portfolio Building.
We discuss portfilios and their importance quite a bit, however I have yet to learn exactly how to put a portfolio together, what it should look like and what it should include.
So I did a little online research. Here are some awesome sites that contain information about and images of quality PR portfolios.

http://advertising.about.com/od/careersource/ss/perfectptf.htm
This one contains 10 tips to building a perfect portfolio, and explains what order th included documents should be in.

http://www.stepinsidedesign.com/STEPMagazine/Article/28588
This one explains the importance of an attention-grabbing portfolio, and how to make an online version as well.

http://www.ucalgary.ca/careers/students/sample_resumes/pdfs/Portfolio_Tips.pdf
This one is a step-by-step guide of portfolio building from start to finish.

-Happy portfolio building!

I love vintage style. My bedroom is adorned in black and white photos of Marilyn Monroe and old 1940s and 1950s movie posters. To me, these images just exude a type of classic glamour that no longer exists.

However, that time period was not as glamorous as it seems from our perspective, looking back. It was also a time of great oppression...especially for women.

Take this ad for example:


This image may make you giggle to yourself, or maybe even gasp, but as a society, have we really evolved past this kind of advertising?

Take a look at the high-fashion advertisements in any Vogue or Vanity Fair magazine today. Just because these images are now shown in a more artistic, avant-garde style, aren't the same messages being delivered?
When in the line between art and insult crossed?
What do you think?


For more vintage ads, click here: http://pzrservices.typepad.com/vintageadvertising/

Let It Out

So, it seems to me that Kleenex is up there with toilet paper and hemorrhoid cream as one of the most difficult products to advertise for. It is a product that will always sell, no matter what, as it is a basic need that people use everyday. Because of this, advertisers for such products can focus on creative campaigns that people can relate to in order to make their brand stand out instead of simply explaining the benefits of their products.

I think that Kleenex's new "Let it out" campaign is a great example of this.

It touches on peoples emotions, gets the attention of the viewers and all audiences can relate to it.

I think it's great. What do you think?


Visit this link for more information on the campaign: http://www.prweek.com/us/news/article/642668/Kleenex-gets-emotional-Let-Out-nationwide-push/

More Britney

Britney Spears's publicist recently released a statement saying that Spears's recent erratic behavior is due to symptoms of Post-Partum depression.

However, in a recent interview, a few of Spears's close friends, including her ex-husband of 48 hours, Jason Alexander, stated that Britney has been invloved in drugs such as cocaine and ecstacy for over three years. Many, including radio-marketing specialist Sandra Poulin in this article: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/entertainment/2007-03/03/content_818642.htm find it hard to believe that Britney would have enough energy to party if she were truly depressed.

So, wasn't this a bad move on the part of Spears's publicist? The media are going crazy over this issue, and anything her publicist says will be heard or read by millions. If it is apparent that the publicist is lying, she is completely ruining her reputation with the media and with consumers of the media.
It seems to me that a statement more along the lines of "Britney realizes that she has issues in her life that needs to be resolved, and she is now doing whatever it takes to overcome those issues and be the best mother she can be." would have been more effective.

What do you think?

Britney needs support...

So, according to this article:http://www.bulldogreporter.com/dailydog/issues/1_1/dailydog_pr_biz_update/6486-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS, Elizabeth Arden is sticking by Britney Spears, and continuing to support her perfume line despite her current personal difficulties.

This article initiated quite the debate in my head...when you become famous, and companies support your products because of your celebrity status, do you have an obligation to keep your personal life stable and private?

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past two or three weeks, I'm sure you have heard of Britney's recent breakdown and head-shaving incident. If you haven't, these images should pretty much sum it up for you:

From our point of view as unbiased people who have no connection to Britney, it is obvious that this is a troubled girl, who needs some serious help from those closest to her.
However, from those who endorse and produce Britney's products, like the people at Elizabeth Arden, the success of their company lies in the behavioral choices she makes. Britney receiving this much negative publicity turn fans off...not only from Britney, but also from her products.
Usually, when celebrities' personal lives go downhill, they are dropped from their endorsements and sponsors. Take Kate Moss for example: When video surfaced of Kate snorting Cocaine at a British night club, Rimmel, one of her biggest endorsements, immediately dropped her.
This is why I was so pleasantly surprised by this article. I believe that the personal lives of celebrities should have nothing to do with their professional careers. No wonder this girl is having a nervous breakdown, she has been in the public eye, scrutinized her entire life. The last thing she needs right now is another negative aspect to her life. This is why I admire Elizabeth Arden for sticking by the side of, and continuing to support a teen icon, who has helped them make quite a bit of money, in her time of need.
What she needs right now is empathy and compassion. Not judgement and scrutiny.

Kissing Controversy...

Who would have thought that a couple of simple kisses could cause such an uproar?

In the past month, two commercials, both including kissing scenes, have been the subject of much debate.

The first, shown on Superbowl Sunday, was a Snickers commercial in which two men eating a Snickers bar accidentally kiss. This kiss causes them to panic because they feel they have lost their manlyness, and so they proceed to pull out their own chest hair to prove themselves.
Many viewers saw this commercial as homophoboic, and demanded it be off the air.
This shows that the line between humor and insult is pencil thin.
I can see both sides of this argument, and am undecided. What do you think?




The second is a Rembrandt commercial, showing a simple shot of a man and woman kissing in a field to romatic background music.
The controversy comes from the level of passion in the kiss, and the up-close camera shot.
Some thought that this commercial was simply too graphic. In fact, in a couple of articles, some even referred to it as "soft-core pornography".

While it is a bit over-the-top, I think it is simple, romantic, and a brilliant way for Rembrandt to tie their product to Valentine's Day.

What do you think?

Share the love...

Here are some of my favorite PR-related links...

This is a great site that combines PR info with fashion images and stories.This week there is a lot of info on New York's fashion week, and a great post on fashion PR tips: http://www.prcouture.com/

OK, so this one is a guilty pleasure...it's a fabulously tasteless and controversial entertainment blog: www.perezhilton.com

This blog is by a man who lives in San Francisco, and works in the PR industry. The blog has a lot of interesting posts about the ethics of the "blogosphere" and PR events in the Calif. area. http://pop-pr.blogspot.com/

This blog is by my PR professor, Kelli Matthews. It is aimed at her students and others interested in Public Relations. It gives a lot of great PR tips, she shares other interesting PR professionals and her own opinions on a lot of what's out there in the PR and Advertising world today: http://prosintraining.blogspot.com/

PR propaganda?

One of the first questions we are asked in class as PR students is: How do you define Public Relations?

When I was asked this question in my first PR class as a Sophomore, I was extremely dissapointed in myself that I didn't know the answer. I chose PR as my major...PR is going to be my future...I should know what it entails.

Our textbook defines Public Relations as: "The art or science of establishing and promoting a favorable relationship with the public."

This sounds positive, right? Establishing a "favorable relationship" has to be a good thing...But now, in my last year of studies, I have come to second guess that definition and question the motives behind large Public Relations firms.

Is Public Relations simply ruthless propaganda used to make money for other large companies and to monopolize our economy? PR firms are sendng complicated messages to people through media every day, and those people are rarely questioning where that information is coming from. The audiences are too blinded by the brands, logos and celebrities, which are the face of the message, to question the authenticity of the infomation.

So is this manipulation? Just like any power or skill, Public Relations can be used for good or bad. We choose where we want to put our skills to use. The information I've learned in my classes, the talented PR professionals I have met and my short experience doing PR for a non-profit, have convinced me that my skills will not go to waste.



So, how would you define Public Relations?