Is This PR? (5)- Pabst Blue Ribbon December 13, 2009

Beer, Beer, Beer.  It’s a staple of American culture, and in these hard economic times where the purchase and consumption of alcoholic beverages is on the decline, drinks that are on the cheaper side are the ones that are leaving the shelves.  Let’s get real, Americans are not going to stop drinking, but they are going to search for the best deals when chosing what they are going to drink.  Due to it’s reasonable price and recent publicity, demand and consumption of Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer is increasing at a noticable rate.  One thing that the PR department is doing right to increase sales and loyalty to this brand of beer is that they are keeping the price lower than most beers, but still promoting its quality taste.  They are not the cheapest beer out there, but it is safe to say that they promote the idea that they are the cheapest good tasting/quality beer on the market.  They have also recently been asssociating PBR Beer with the term “hipster,” calling it the Hipster beer, which is attractive to the younger and more beer consuming demographic.  Also, PBR does a limited amount of marketing for their product, which is attributed to part of the beers allure.  The limited marketing approach is a way of keeping the beer’s authenticity.  A new PR tactic that the company is adopting is one that I think is going to be very beneficial.  The company is going to attempt to “crowdsource” the purchase of Pabst beer with the creation of a website called, buyabeercompany.com.  Basically, consumers of PBR beer could pledge as litte as $5 toward the total sales price for Pabst Blue Ribbon, and in return, contributors will receive product and ownership in the company.  Overall, I would say PBR is on the right track with their PR strategies to continue their Beer empire, while gaining more and more consumers on the way. 

http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/10/news/companies/pbr_pabst_blue_ribbon.fortune/index.htm

Is This PR? # 4: Pink Glove Dance December 4, 2009

The use of podcasts and other videos are a new and emerging way that PR practitioners carry out their business.  There is currently a video that can be seen on YouTube called the Pink Glove Dance.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEdVfyt-mLw.  This video is part of the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center’s effort to spread the word and raise awareness about breast cancer to the public.  This is another maybe not so clear-cut public relations example, but it most definitely encompasses many of the PR tactics.  The video has had more than 2.7 million views, which is unbelievable.  By using a video to promote awareness about breast cancer, the hospital is reaching citizens in a different and more comprehensive way.  Entertainment is the link between the hospital and the serious side of breast cancer and the public getting something out of the video and taking action.  The idea to make this video was a great one, and it most definitely served as a tool and strategy in gaining the attention of the public. 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,579065,00.html

Erwin-Penland: Successful Employee/Internal Communication November 30, 2009

I would like to use this blog post to recognize a company that I believe has been very successful in their employee/internal communication.  Erwin-Penland is an advertising agency, and whoever is working as a PR practitioner for the company is doing a fantastic job.  I know two people who graduated from Clemson and went on to work at EP and they are very pleased with their careers.  I follow both girls on Twitter and that is what made me think of them when this blog topic came up.  All the employees of EP are always interacting with one another and feeding off each other’s ideas.  It is obvious to me that they have taken advantage of the social media networks available, while still understanding the importance of face-to-face communication.  The PR tactics being employed at this advertising agency are strengthening communication among employees, thus creating a productive and pleasant working environment.  Trust among employees is a big part of making a company run smoothly, and the PR practitioners of EP have allowed employees of EP to trust one another through constant interaction and communication.

Erwin-Penland: http://www.erwinpenland.com/about

The PR Practitioner’s role in Employee/Internal Communications November 30, 2009

In order for any organization or company to be successful, there must be excellent communication among all employees.  If things are not running smoothly within the company, how can they expect for things to run smoothly with the public?  Positive and effective communication among employees is crucial to productivity.  While the IABC Social Media Conference presented the fact that digital communication does not replace face-to-face communication in the workplace, they also make it very clear that companies are adopting social networks to engage their employees in communication.  3 out of 4 Americans use social technology, so it only makes sense for public relations practitioners to encourage their clients to get their employees involved in these networks.  One of the major networks that I have noticed many companies using to communicate with one another is Twitter, and the PR industry has made the social network of twitter a hot commodity for companies.  Different employees will share information that is visible for other co-workers, making it very easy for everyone to be in touch with what is going on.  I see it as the PR practitioner’s duty to make sure companies are getting their employees engaged in all aspects of internal communication.  The bottom line is that companies who have effective employee/internal communication are more likely to be productive and successful. 

IABC Social Media Conference:

 http://www.slideshare.net/FHInternalComms/how-to-use-every-social-media-tool-in-the-box-to-engage-employees-2458576

McDonald’s Use of Corporate Social Responsibility November 18, 2009

I found an article titled, “Why McDonald’s is Marketing Nutritional Value of its Fast Food,” and it was a great example of a company taking part in corporate social responsibility.  http://www.helium.com/items/1444029-mcdonalds-marketing-strategy-and-marketing-mix

McDonald’s is a famous and extremely successful fast food restaurant, and their current marketing strategies and business operations are very much in line with the ideas and principles of the concept of corporate social responsibility.  McDonald’s is addressing both their strengths and weaknesses, and taking responsibility for ways to improve their business as well as customer satisfaction.  By taking all aspects of their company into consideration and realizing the impact that their practices and products have on these components, McDonald’s is using corporate social responsibility to better their position in the fast food industry.  One thing the company is focusing on is their goal to be the best employer for every community that they are located in, thus focusing part of their attention on employee quality of life and satisfaction.  Also, McDonald’s wants to deliver the best service to their customers, paying attention to the needs and desires of those who spend money on their products.  Lastly, McDonald’s is looking to increase profits, which is something very pleasing to shareholders.  By considering the interests of all components of the company from customers to shareholders, McDonald’s is practicing corporate social responsibility.

The Role of a PR Practitioner in Corporate Social Responsibility November 18, 2009

Before going into the role that a public relations practitioner plays in corporate social responsibility (CSR), it is important to make it clear what exactly CSR is.  CSR is a concept that is vital to a successful organization.  It is the concept in which organizations and companies carefully and earnestly consider the interests of society.  By utilizing CSR, the organization takes full responsibility for the influences that their activities and practices have on all factors of their operation.  This includes employees, stakeholders, surrounding communities, and the environment in which the organization exists.  I feel that after becoming familiar with the concept and what it actually is, it is easy to see why public relations practitioners have a major role in corporate social responsibility.  PR practitioners are the people who maintain good and beneficial relationships between the different components and participants of an organization.  So, when it comes to CSR, it is crucial that PR practitioners understand the importance of taking responsibility for the companies practices and policies.  PR practitioners must value the social responsibility that they are given and uphold the main purpose of CSR, which is to improve relations and quality of life among all those who are a part of an organization.  When it comes to PR practitioners role in CSR, they are usually presented with the option of choosing the right and ethical way or the opposite, and for the success of their organization they would be wise to always go with the first.

Culture in PR November 11, 2009

Today, cross-cultural communication is becoming more and more important in the business world.  People from different countries are becoming more interactive with one another, as well as beginning to depend on multiple nation’s for success.  It is important for public relations practitioners to direct their attention to thei business partner’s from other countries and understanding their diversity and each individual nation’s identity.  International public relations is becoming a new industry in itself, in which practitioners attempt to create harmonious relationships with other cultures.  An important part of cross-cultural communication in public relations is exchanging of messages from one culture to another in a way that is clear to both cultures.  I was able to draw an obvious conclusion that for public relations practitioners to be successful in communicating their messages with other cultures, they must alter their words or displays in a way that is appealing and understandable to the other culture.  To show the importance and progress in international public relations, here is a link to the IPRA website, http://www.ipra.org/

Committment and research are two crucial parts of successful cross-cultural communication.  PR practitioners must be committed to their goal and then do the necessary research to enhance interaction among different cultures.  I found an interesting website about the International Public Relations research Conference, where many practitioners, students, and other intellectuals come together to devote themselves to discuss the research involved in public relations. http://www.instituteforpr.org/bss_info/iprrc_main/

 

 

Public Relations and the Law November 11, 2009

This chapter of Guth and Marsh’s textbook was one of the more interesting and informative ones for me.  I never thought to relate the public relations industry to the law and legal matters, but in fact there is a huge connection between the two.  Speech and expression is what public relations is all about, and I came to the realization that the degree to which public relations practitioners can express themselves has everything to do with the First Amendment.  A website for a Texas Advertising and Public Relations firm had a whole page of their website devoted to the law and ethics of PR, specifically addressing the First Amendment and its role in the industry.  http://advertising.utexas.edu/resources/law/PROD75_016501.html 

When it comes to PR and the law, there are also many ways in which practitioners can get themselves or their companies into trouble.  One way is through libel, which is false communication that unfairly harms a person or an organization’s reputation.  Schillings, a London law firm was accused of taking part in the practice of libel in the attack of the part owner of Arsenal’s character.  Schillings was said to have blogs with defamatory criticisms of this man, thus being involved in libel.  Here is an article addressing this issue http://www.mattwardman.com/blog/2007/09/24/schillings-and-schadenfreude-defamation-lawyers-now-have-a-public-relations-problem/

Crisis Communication November 10, 2009

Crises are unpredictable issues and events that unfortunately can happen to anyone.  As Guth and Marsh (2009) put it, “bad things do happen to good people”.  What is important for organizations and public relations practitioners to understand is that in order to resolve and move forward from crises, communication is key.  One part of the chapter that I think is crucial and I would like to address are the four steps to crisis communications planning.  The first step is risk assessment, in which the threats and hazards within an organization are identified.  The next step is developing the plan, which is where strategies are created to handle any of these potential threats.  Step three is the response step, where these plans are executed and used to tackle any crises that arise, and step four is known as recovery.   The recovery step includes looking back at the way the crises was handled and move forward from the lessons learned. 

What I found most interesting about crisis communication is that it truly is so important to the smooth operation of organizations.  Crises and bad things do occur, and all organizations can do is be prepared and react in an effective and efficient way.  This site I found is devoted solely to crisis communication and offers crisis communication plans to organizations in need. http://www.tmtww.com/index_CRISIS.php?gclid=CNiP9riUgZ4CFSa0sgodQhcjqQ 

This next link is to an example/template for a crisis communication plan that I found very helpful and informative.  It was nice to get a general idea of what a plan consists of http://www3.niu.edu/newsplace/crisis.html

Cyber Relations in the Digital Age October 7, 2009

As I started to read this chapter, I found that I could immediately relate.  It is all about the use of the Internet, World Wide Web, and other forms of current technology when it comes to public relations and social media.  There is no other way to put it than that digital technology has completely transformed our society.  As the authors of our textbook put it, in today’s society, everyone has the ability to “join the conversation”.  I am an avid user of both Facebook and Twitter.  I find myself on these two websites much more often than necessary.  I use Facebook to keep in touch with friends, see what is going on in other people’s lives, and even learn about upcoming events and activities that I may be interested in attending.  Organizations and companies are able to create pages, as well as events, to promote what they stand for and get their name into the social network.  Here is a link to an event that a fraternity on campus is promoting on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=138501955746&index=1

I find Twitter interesting because it is a site that is all about knowing what other people are doing at all times.  I tend to follow both my close friends, as well as celebrities.  There are also organizations and businesses that I follow in order to find out what is new with their products or causes.  While these two social media sites are the most widely known, there are many other facets available to the public, organizations, and PR practitioners.  Another way that digital technology is influencing our society is through blogging.  Whether you are a CEO of a multi-million dollar corporation or a 2nd grade teacher, you have the ability to post blogs about whatever you desire.  All of these media outlets provide new ways for organizations and their publics to communicate with one another.  Here is a link to one of the most influential technology companies in the world’s blog, Google. http://googleblog.blogspot.com/