Deputy White House Chief of Staff, Karl Rove....or shall I say "MC Rove"?
Thursday, March 29, 2007
The greatest sacrifice of all?
For me, it`s fast food. For my friend Rachel, it`s chocolate. But as this Easter approaches, some young and devout Christians are anxious to return to what they gave up for Lent: online networks such as MySpace and Facebook.According to an article published on CNN.com, these dedicated and disciplined Christians feel that giving up the addictive popular social networks is a sincere sacrifice.
"It`s been hard, especially in the beginning, " said 23-year-old Kerry Graham who says she gave up Facebook for Lent.
Graham who was raised Catholic and is currently studying theology at the University of Nottingham in England, admits that during the first few days of Lent she had to stop herself from typing in the websites` address every time she checked her email.
For many Facebook and MySpace users, the online communities provide a way to keep in touch with classmates, relatives and new friends without having to bear the financial brunt of a long-distance cell phone bill.
MySpace and Facebook are the largest social networking sites on the web. According to comScore Networks, an online measurement firm, MySpace attracted 64.4 million visitors in February with Facebook following behind as the Internet`s second most visited site with 23.6 million visits that same month.
Perhaps giving up time online is something everyone should take into consideration . Clinical psychologist Dr. Maressa Hecht Orzack of the Computer Addiction Study Center at Harvard`s McLean Hospital has found that limiting the amount of time spent on social networking can be beneficial.
According to Dr. Orzack, students who demonstrate compulsive Internet use often neglect schoolwork. In some cases, this behavior results in a lack of sleep, missed meals, poor hygiene and in some extreme situations seizures.
Whether or not I agree with Dr. Orzack`s findings about Facebook and poor hygiene, I am willing to admit that sometimes I spend time "facebooking" when I really should be working on a research paper but after all I am in college and I`m still working on my time management skills (although I always get everything done on time).
What is most disturbing to me personally is that I honestly don't think I could 40 days and 40 nights without checking my Facebook account. Its like asking me not to check my e-mail or watch the morning news. Facebook has become part of my daily routine, important things happen Facebook (And I`m not just talking about who broke up with who or what my ex-boyfriend did over Spring Break) and it has become an integral part of college life, so for now fast food will have to do.
Happy Easter.
For more about Facebook, MySpace and Lent please visit:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/internet/03/29/no.facebook.lent/index.html
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Mystic Pizza
In October of 2003, Pizza Hut , home of the "Big New Yorker Sausage Lover`s pizza " ( which by the way for a quick three slices you ultimately ingest an impressive 96 grams of fat and 1,830 calories) presented a new item on the menu in response to increasing attack from the media and public health advocates for not offering healthier, lower fat items. Fit `n Delicious, was promoted as a health conscious pizza with 25% less fat than the regular pizza recipe and between 22g and 26g of net carbohydrates. With the help of Ogilvy PR, Pizza Hut launched the Fit `n Delicious Pizza to consumer media.
As a college student, living in a sorority house, the pizza aroma is one that frequents late night study sessions, Friday afternoons and long meetings and to be honest I am somewhat surprised that I have never heard anything about the Fit `n Delicious option at Pizza Hut (given the high calorie count God knows I would be all about the healthier option). I decided to do a little survey on my own to make sure I wasn't the only one who had missed the low fat pizza bandwagon and asked my housemates if they had heard anything about Fit `n Delicious Pizza-15 girls later no one had any idea what I was talking about. I then took my little survey one step further by calling the local Pizza Hut and ordering this mysterious Fit `n Delicious pizza and still, three employees and one confused manger later, no one had any idea what I was talking about.
Does this healthy pizza alternative even exist? Or way this just a quick fix to a very public issue? According to Ira Rosenstein, co-producer of "Shopping Smart" and Supermarket Guru online contributor, often times the healthy options are hard to find. Rosenstein writes, " The Fit `n Delicious Pizza sounds great. But try to find them! Fancy press releases are issued! But try to find them...The pizza is not featured on the menu or in the literature. Makes one question a company`s really commitment to low fat food."
While both Ogilvy PR and Pizza Hut seemed failed to really promote the new and improved pizza to the public, they did take the initiative to create a healthy option and in response to growing concern about America`s increasing obesity epidemic.
For more information about Pizza Hut and the Ogilvy PR case study visit:
http://www.ogilvypr.com/case-studies/pizza-hut/cfm
http://www.supermarketguru.com
http://pizzahut.com
As a college student, living in a sorority house, the pizza aroma is one that frequents late night study sessions, Friday afternoons and long meetings and to be honest I am somewhat surprised that I have never heard anything about the Fit `n Delicious option at Pizza Hut (given the high calorie count God knows I would be all about the healthier option). I decided to do a little survey on my own to make sure I wasn't the only one who had missed the low fat pizza bandwagon and asked my housemates if they had heard anything about Fit `n Delicious Pizza-15 girls later no one had any idea what I was talking about. I then took my little survey one step further by calling the local Pizza Hut and ordering this mysterious Fit `n Delicious pizza and still, three employees and one confused manger later, no one had any idea what I was talking about.
Does this healthy pizza alternative even exist? Or way this just a quick fix to a very public issue? According to Ira Rosenstein, co-producer of "Shopping Smart" and Supermarket Guru online contributor, often times the healthy options are hard to find. Rosenstein writes, " The Fit `n Delicious Pizza sounds great. But try to find them! Fancy press releases are issued! But try to find them...The pizza is not featured on the menu or in the literature. Makes one question a company`s really commitment to low fat food."
While both Ogilvy PR and Pizza Hut seemed failed to really promote the new and improved pizza to the public, they did take the initiative to create a healthy option and in response to growing concern about America`s increasing obesity epidemic.
For more information about Pizza Hut and the Ogilvy PR case study visit:
http://www.ogilvypr.com/case-studies/pizza-hut/cfm
http://www.supermarketguru.com
http://pizzahut.com
Monday, March 5, 2007
A little girl goes a long way thanks to YouTube
5 year old Nia Frazier stars in Mary J Blige Commerical thanks to a YouTube exposure
Forget Hollywood.....YouTube is the place to be discovered these days.
What initially began as an online site for people to watch video clips of outrageous skits, comical commentaries or segments from TV shows has become the worlds largest talent show. Thanks to the creators of YouTube, talent agents may be out of jobs faster than it takes Britney to check back into rehab.
According to the companies website, YouTube was founded as a consumer media company for people to watch and share original videos worldwide through a web experience. What originally started as a personal video sharing service has grown into a media enterprise with people watching more than 70 million videos each day. From personal video diaries to wacky home made movies YouTube has something for everyone, including hope for the millions of Hollywood wannabes waiting to be discovered.
However, when Corrine Goldsmith posted videos of her 5-year-old daughter Nia singing classic R&B tunes, fame was the last thing on her mind. In an interview with the Today Show`s Meredith Vieria this morning , Goldsmith said that she had originally posted the videos of her pint size diva on YouTube so that out of state relatives could actually watch Nia in action. Apparently Goldsmith had tried to send the video clips via e-mail but because of the large size of the files, actually ended up clogging up relatives email accounts, at which point Goldsmith turned to YouTube.
Within the past 7 months, Nia`s video clips have been viewed over 2 million times by people all over the world. From Poland to Mexico, Nia Frazier has become the talk of both the YouTube and entertainment world as the 5-year-old landed a staring role in the Mary J Blige commercial promoting the Grammy winning artist`s new album "Reflections".
So for all of the starving artists out there, waiting on tables between auditions, perhaps YouTube could be the place where you get your big break. Even though posting a homemade video clip on the Internet may seem somewhat pathetic to the true artists and musicians out there, Nia Frazier is living proof that sometimes fame is all about being at the right place at the right time, and these days YouTube seems to be the right place.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Buzz and my blog?
Apparently I have some fans and a possible future employer.....check this out!
http://www.agencynext.com/2007/03/01/heres-a-scholar-and-the-future-of-marcom-btw/#comments
http://www.agencynext.com/2007/03/01/heres-a-scholar-and-the-future-of-marcom-btw/#comments
Be PRepared for PR
There must be something in the water because everywhere I go and everyone I talk to lately seems to be talking about one thing and one thing only- finding that perfect internship or job for the summer.
Reality Check
With only a few months left in my junior year of college I have started to face the harsh reality that my time to step out into the real world is just around the corner whether I’m ready or not- and to be quite honest I am terrified. I feel that unlike many of my friends and classmates who always seem to know the right people, I don’t have those connections where a simple phone call can be made to a family friend or grandparent and all of a sudden the perfect internship just happens to open up. I have heard time and time again that in the business world “it’s all about who you know” and seeing how I feel like I don’t really know anyone in PR it is up to me to put myself on the map and land those fabulous internships and job opportunities.
How to: Get a Job in PR
According to Morgan McLintic, vice president of LEWIS global public relations agency, there are several key elements that every entry level PR person must know. In his blog, McLintic discusses trends in PR, marketing and technology. The following are some key elements and guidelines from his blog post, “How to: Get a Job in PR” that I found to be relevant to me and my dilemma:
Definition: know what PR is and isn’t. If a future employer were to ask you to define PR would you be able to?
Sectors: choose which vertical industry sector you want to focus on. Make sure its something that interests you. You will be talking about that topic everyday in quite grandeur detail. If you don’t feel engaged with your sector, you will most do 24 months and then move on, so save yourself the disruption.
Agency or in-house? Most entry level jobs will be in an agency. Agency life will give you a broad experience of a number of campaigns, but not allow you to go as deep.
Internships: Regardless of the length, get at least two different internships before applying for your final role. This will help you decide is PR is really for you. It’ll also give you a feel for the tasks you’ll be charged with, whether you like agency or in-house, and which industry you like.
Working in PR: the first few years in PR are some of the hardest, but also the most exhilarating. You’ll learn a lot about the media, about the sector, about the art and science of PR, about teamwork and management, and about yourself. Be prepared to work long hours and to do some fairly basic tasks. There is a lot of administration work in PR- mounting coverage, drafting reports, refining press lists, researching shows, etc. Those above you in the company will have done their fair share no doubt, and technologies like extranets and RSS are removing some of the “busy work”. It’s important to get this grounding and the skills to attention to detail, hitting deadlines, and organization that they give you. Most of all though, you’ll have started on a road which will take a lifetime to master.
To learn more about these and other insightful tips about beginning a career in PR visit:
(http://www.morganmclintic.com/pr/2006/03/how_to_get_a_a_.html )
These tips and others like them are somewhat comforting and at the same time very exciting. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love college but to be honest I can’t wait to get out there in the PR field and actually work with real people in established firms and organizations!
Reality Check
With only a few months left in my junior year of college I have started to face the harsh reality that my time to step out into the real world is just around the corner whether I’m ready or not- and to be quite honest I am terrified. I feel that unlike many of my friends and classmates who always seem to know the right people, I don’t have those connections where a simple phone call can be made to a family friend or grandparent and all of a sudden the perfect internship just happens to open up. I have heard time and time again that in the business world “it’s all about who you know” and seeing how I feel like I don’t really know anyone in PR it is up to me to put myself on the map and land those fabulous internships and job opportunities.
How to: Get a Job in PR
According to Morgan McLintic, vice president of LEWIS global public relations agency, there are several key elements that every entry level PR person must know. In his blog, McLintic discusses trends in PR, marketing and technology. The following are some key elements and guidelines from his blog post, “How to: Get a Job in PR” that I found to be relevant to me and my dilemma:
Definition: know what PR is and isn’t. If a future employer were to ask you to define PR would you be able to?
Sectors: choose which vertical industry sector you want to focus on. Make sure its something that interests you. You will be talking about that topic everyday in quite grandeur detail. If you don’t feel engaged with your sector, you will most do 24 months and then move on, so save yourself the disruption.
Agency or in-house? Most entry level jobs will be in an agency. Agency life will give you a broad experience of a number of campaigns, but not allow you to go as deep.
Internships: Regardless of the length, get at least two different internships before applying for your final role. This will help you decide is PR is really for you. It’ll also give you a feel for the tasks you’ll be charged with, whether you like agency or in-house, and which industry you like.
Working in PR: the first few years in PR are some of the hardest, but also the most exhilarating. You’ll learn a lot about the media, about the sector, about the art and science of PR, about teamwork and management, and about yourself. Be prepared to work long hours and to do some fairly basic tasks. There is a lot of administration work in PR- mounting coverage, drafting reports, refining press lists, researching shows, etc. Those above you in the company will have done their fair share no doubt, and technologies like extranets and RSS are removing some of the “busy work”. It’s important to get this grounding and the skills to attention to detail, hitting deadlines, and organization that they give you. Most of all though, you’ll have started on a road which will take a lifetime to master.
To learn more about these and other insightful tips about beginning a career in PR visit:
(http://www.morganmclintic.com/pr/2006/03/how_to_get_a_a_.html )
These tips and others like them are somewhat comforting and at the same time very exciting. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love college but to be honest I can’t wait to get out there in the PR field and actually work with real people in established firms and organizations!
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