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Mar
12
My Friend John
March 12, 2010 | | Leave a Comment
Whoops, there goes another one.
After releasing my hand and placing it back onto my camera, I quickly realized I barely heard his name. I am positive I heard a ‘J’ sound, so we’ll go with ‘John.’
John’s eyes were dressed with black, square-framed lenses, and he towered over me when leaning in to speak. His mature voice was sincere, and his devoted attention toward my words was energizing. I just made a friend.
We stood in front the Discovery Room awaiting the students’ arrival for the Gateway Science Museum’s media day. The anxiousness served for good conversation, and our excitement was evident. It was my first assigned media interaction, which I almost stumbled over.
Seriously.
While the nine-year-old kids discovered, I played tag attempting to chase them down and capture those adorable split-second moments. Then, my new friend John took me away from that game and placed me in another.
He swiftly explained to me about River Voices, an entire wall of art connected to the museum, and how the artist literally just finished the exhibit. This was a high point of novelty to any photographer and public relations devotee – first on the spot is big.
I instantly saw a video blog in my future.
I anxiously took a few snapshots, shot a video and walked away with pride. I felt like a pro. I got asked what newspaper I worked for – ahem, no - and had the chance to debut the pictures of a big project. With my endorphins pumping, I ran home to abruptly find I didn’t get the video.
The next step was to embarrassingly e-mail the people involved that I didn’t get the video I just raved about. I felt useless.
I received responses with advice about learning from experiences and to remember that I am human. A few anecdotes even made my tears turn to laughter.
Fast-forward two days to the grand opening. That last little fiasco helped my game, and I am prepared.
Once I arrive, I scan around to begin photographing. I see my new friend John. He approaches me to ask if I would take a few specific shots. I look down, or actually up, and see that his name isn’t John after all. His name is Joe – Joe Wills.
In case you didn’t know, Joe Wills is the director of public affairs and publications at Chico State. As a public relations student, I couldn’t believe I had been referring to Wills as my new friend John.
These abrupt experiences that inevitably take place in PR prepare us for the research, detail and recovery that this line of work demands. In my case, and maybe in yours, just realizing just how important names are honors the business we adore. It may serve us well to sprinkle some rosemary for remembrance.
- Ana Embry
Mar
8
Networking: Not just some schmoozing event
March 8, 2010 | | 1 Comment
Networking.
I remember the first time someone mentioned the word to me.
It is perhaps the best way to land that long-desired job after graduation, but many people do not know what to do or how to start. I used to think it was nothing more than a lot of schmoozing up to some VP or top executive of my dream company, but I was completely wrong.
Networking is, “a supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest,” according to Merriam-Webster’s Web site.
A common interest can be anything from a passion for an industry, attending the same college or to being members of a certain trade association.
If you have not already started, start building contacts now. Contacts do not want to feel like they are being used, so do not treat networking relationships like a one-night stand. Offer contacts interesting articles about their company or field of work. Even a simple e-mail from time to time would suffice. The article, “Thirteen Networking Mistakes,” discusses the mistakes people make when they begin networking and gives great advice on how to overcome those problems.
I have found that some of the best people to network with are the ones that I see the most, such as peers in my public relations classes and internships. After all, we are the future workforce, and in the world of PR, we will undoubtedly be crossing paths long after our stint at Chico State.
After building strong relationships with peers, reach out to alumni. With my position as the 20th anniversary assistant at Tehama Group Communications, I have been able to develop relationships and networks with TGC alumni. Those relationships have provided me with tons advice about how to get to where I want to be in the PR industry.
Although I am not graduating this coming May, I am still establishing connections and working towards attaining that ideal internship over this summer.
- Jessica Brewer
Mar
8
Death of an Ad Man?
March 8, 2010 | | 1 Comment
Children are often asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Now those words should be directed at the 20-somethings that are increasingly filling college classes. For them, the question is no longer, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Those words should be rephrased to, “What do you want to be in a few years, at least until your career choice is declared obsolete, and the money you spent was not even worth the general education classes you were forced to take?”
I don’t mean to sound spiteful. In fact, I am optimistic that my degree will take me places my parents could not go. While spending nearly six years working toward being an art director for an advertising agency has definitely taken its toll, it’s been a goal well-worth the hardships.
At first, I encountered nothing but positive signs while looking for a little confirmation that my choice in a career path was a good one. Creative jobs were on the rise. Advertising was a mecca for creative minds. But this was of course before the economy took a down turn, and many lost faith in corporate America yet again.
As the economy begins to recover, it is assumed that the advertising job market will recover, but this does not seem to be the case. According to iMedia Communication, ad agencies worldwide are in decline. Clients are jumping ship and heading to the Web and digital forms of media for new marketing strategies. This can be attributed to research that shows people are spending less time with traditional media, such as TV and newspapers, and more time on the Web. The problem with this research and new push toward digital forms of media is that consumers still spend time with traditional media. Therefore, a solution that involves eliminating long-standing and successful forms of reaching the masses is a flawed solution. However, many clients are very short sighted; they see dollars dropping in one area while increasing in another and decide that it is time to drop the axe.
Common sense dictates that the decreasing amount of time spent in front of traditional media is directly related to the increase in Web usage, but advertising’s lack of effective results is perhaps related to the lack of cohesive traditional and digital campaigns.
Some of the most successful advertising campaigns have employed a well-rounded approach. A couple of these campaigns include MTV and Axe Fusion’s Game Killers and Coca-Cola Co.’s Coke vs. Coke Zero. Both campaigns employed strategies that hit their target audiences on multiple fronts and left no one out. They met their audiences with witty and fun entertainment that directed to them to the Web sites. This caused the audiences to absorb the messages that the companies were trying to get through and invited audiences to be part of the advertising process.
There are dangers in the advertising world, and missteps and lost opportunities can send the ad world down the same direction as the dot-coms of the late ’90s. However, this could be seen less as an impending doom and more as an opportunity for the ad world to reinvent itself. The old model is becoming obsolete, and it is time to breathe new life into the dying ad men (and women) of the world.
- Brian Randle
Mar
5
Editors need Editing, too
March 5, 2010 | | Leave a Comment
Despite what my grandma thinks, I’m not perfect. I make mistakes just like everyone else. But as editors, we’re supposed to be the ones to find the mistakes. We’re supposed to know all the rules, find all the errors and make the articles or stories or whatever else perfect. And as editors, we try our best to make that the case. I don’t know all the rules by heart, but I do my best to find them out.
But something happens to editors when they leave the objective realm and enter the personal realm as a writer. When we become the writer, we can’t be the best editors anymore. We lose what it is that makes us good editors. We lose the objectivity that we need to see the mistakes.
I recently wrote a piece for the Sabre Group account. As one of the initial editors of that piece, I sent it straight through. Sure, I read it over again, but my eyes had that glazed look that only repetition can bring. As an editor, I know the value of fresh eyes, and by this point, I had anything but. And even though I did read, reread and re-reread my section of the booklet, I was too close to the piece to spot any errors.
And that’s why the editing process is so critical. I had 10 extra eyes helping me spot any errors or confusing phrases. I knew exactly what each line meant, so I didn’t know if a sentence was confusing for readers. You need readers to tell you this. So by the time my piece made it through the editing process and to the client, it was as close to perfect as it could get. And that’s as much as a writer could ask for.
Editing isn’t about being perfect or knowing all the rules all the time. Editing is about knowing your own limitations and knowing that a pair of fresh eyes and objectivity can make all the difference. All writers can benefit from editing, even writers who are editors themselves.
- Jennifer Zimmerman
Mar
4
Catalyst account team facilitates successful grand opening
March 4, 2010 | | 1 Comment
Last week was very busy for all of our account teams but especially for our consultants planning the grand opening ceremony for Catalyst Domestic Violence Services’ new transitional housing facility, HAVEN. The ceremony was Feb. 26, and as the day came closer, last minute preparations needed to be completed.
But their work paid off in a smooth, well-attended event. About 150 guests from the community toured the warm and inviting facility, enjoyed refreshments and joined the directors, staff and volunteers in recognizing the donors who adopted rooms.
The team also helped their client generate the attention of the media, which resulted in a picture of the event published on the front page of the Chico Enterprise-Record along with an article published inside the paper. A segment on the grand opening was also featured on Action News that evening.
Not only has Haley McHenry been leading this account since September 2009, but a TGC account team also planned the groundbreaking ceremony for the facility, which was held last year as well.
Congratulations to the Catalyst account team and all of our TGCers who have supported Catalyst accounts in the past.
Below are a few pictures from the event taken by one of our photographers, Joanna Eisenberg:
