Comms 3370 Extra Credit

Social Media in Public Relations was definitely a very valuable course. In today's society this course is essential to obtaining a certificate in Public Relations. I learned several concepts from this class that are very valuable and will be useful working in the Communications field.

I learned the value of posting in real time and what it means for Public Relations. Last Friday I went to a networking event and there was a photographer there. Not only was he taking pictures of the "who's who", he was posting pictures in real time directly from his digital camera. Because of this class, I understood how ingenious that is. David Meerman Scott wrote, "Speed and agility win the moment" (143). And since I have yet to see another photographer posting videos or pictures in real time, this photographer clearly has a leg up on his competition.

I also realized the value in blogs or blogging. Blogs are extremely helpful for monitoring what people are saying about you, your organization, and its products (84). It's imperative to know that people are discussing you or your company, whether the bloggers are putting your company in a negative or positive light. Business owners should monitor blogs on a regular basis and also have their PR staff blogging as well. Scott also wrote, "Organizations that do not have their own authentic and human blog voices are increasingly seen as suspect" (82).

I will say it would've been a good idea to have our own Twitter account. That way you become even more familiar with the process. Tweeting isn't the same as posting to Facebook and there's no other way to practice than to have your own account. I thought it was difficult at first. Our Twitter accounts could also be monitored on a weekly basis like our blogs.

Overall, I really enjoyed this class and found it very helpful. I would love to pass this book onto my supervisor for the internship I had last semester. At first he was reluctant to use Facebook and I helped him learn the value in posting pictures from events and how quickly you can reach out to your target demographic. My supervisor would find our textbook very useful.

Tourism Whistler and the Media Room of The Future

Tourism Whistler has a wonderful media room and their media releases are no exception. I read Get More Out of Thanksgiving and Weekday Wine. Both media releases are different from press releases for a two reasons.

The first reason is that the vernacular is different. Traditional press releases use more formal language. For example, there were dollar signs and the and/or symbol was also used in the media release Get More Out of Thanksgiving. 

Another reason that the media releases were different was because the hashtag was also used, and in the Weekday Wine media release, it listed events like a calendar or a schedule. A traditional press release is a news story; an article that a journalist would write. Very rarely do these articles include schedules. A news story simply reports the facts.

If I were a journalist I would love Tourism Whistler's media room. For one, the pictures are amazing. Also there was a YouTube video posted on the front page. The pictures were well placed and it was creative. The pictures paint a very distinct image for journalists or anyone visiting the media room.

Since there were also hashtags and posts from Twitter, it would make it easy for me to access what has already been published on Twitter. And if I'm signed into my Twitter account, all I have to do is clique on the links and they will take me directly to Tourism Whistler's Twitter page. The media room was also user friendly, there was a place for everything and every page was divided up so there was easy access.

Overall, Tourism Whistler had a wonderful media room. A journalist or anyone for that matter will love how simple and useful the media room is. Since the media releases are lighter and less formal, it's more laid back and casual.

Target and Their Buyer Personas

Target is a store that has been thriving for over twenty years. They are known for their "cheap chic" theme. Cheap chic means that their apparel and furniture are chic but affordable. However, I would have to say that their buyer personas are aimed at two specific groups.

The first buyer persona that Target represents is the everyday child or teenager. When you go into the store the first thing you see are the dollar bins, commonly referred to as "The One Spot." Overall The One Spot is filled with items such as pencils, erasers, candy and Hello Kitty apparel. Target has also done a wonderful job with children's clothes (for boys and girls). I would definitely make sure to use Facebook and Instagram to reach the everyday child or teenager. Instagram is geared more towards the younger generation so the everyday child or teenager would obviously go to Instagram to see what's new at Target.

The second buyer persona at Target is the hardworking mom. A hardworking mom could be a stay at home mom or a working mother. Either way you almost always see children in Target with their moms. Target does a good job with their dollar bins (which attract moms too) and the apparel that moms can wear to work, to the gym or to sleep. Target is also attracting moms with their baby clothes as well. I would also use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Google+ for the hardworking mom persona. These days, most people have a Gmail account which means they have unlimited access to YouTube and Google+. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are also the most popular social media channels to reach any persona in this day and age.

Overall, Target is already doing an excellent job reaching different people of all ages. Identifying their target personas or demographics couldn't hurt either. It's a progressive step in the right direction.

The Serial Podcast

I watched The Serial Podcast: Episode I--The Alibi. Adnan Syed allegedly murdered a young woman. The podcast was done by a woman that had been working on the case since 1999. And she asked a very interesting question (which got me intrigued). She asked, "How do you account for your time everyday?" It is extremely difficult to keep track of your steps, everything you did in a single day, and make no mistakes. Especially in 1999, there was no texting and other forms of technology to back you up and help you retrace your steps.

The video appealed to me because I have watched crime shows (Hill Street Blues, Law and Order, CSI) for years. This reminded me a lot of Law and Order and how often times people question or doubt whether the killer is indeed guilty. There were twelve podcasts total; they were all posted May 21, 2015.

Podcasting made sense for this show because it reminded me of the older radio shows. My grandparents would often talk about shows being read on the radio like The Shadow. Listening to the podcast reminded me of listening to the radio. I felt like I was tuning in just like they were in the 1940s.

I would also say that writing these podcasts all down would make sense too. It could make a good chapter book. The podcasts could also turn into a newspaper column as well, but I don't think it would make sense to turn these into press releases. The podcasts would lose their voice and the voice is essential to telling the story.

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All Pictures Have a Message

In order to stay relevant, any brand has to be active on social media. In modern day society this includes posting pictures. Today we will examine three brands and their pictures, and the messages they are sending to their audience.

To start, Marvel Comics posted a picture of their super heroine, The Scarlet Witch, to their Facebook Timeline. The picture is advertising that the super heroine's series will be out this December. Overall the picture was shared by 18 people and the picture was liked by 204 fans. One comment said, "That's not The Scarlet Witch I grew up with from The Avengers No. 16. Who's THIS woman?" The picture was seen but clearly the review was mixed. Marvel is sending a message to their audience to be prepared for her series; Marvel is keeping the audience updated on what's current.

Amazon has posted a picture on Facebook of a grey t shirt that has a cat on it shooting purple beams from his eyes. They're having a sweepstakes, you could win that t shirt or a gift card for $100 or something else all together if you commented below. You comment had to include the hashtags as well. One customer was very happy; she received a carpet scrubber "in less time than Amazon expected, you all are awesome!" Amazon was sending a message to their clientele that if they simply participated they would be rewarded. So far this garnered positive results for Amazon and their customers, which should be what every brand is set on.

Lastly, I looked at Dita Von Teese. She's known as the Queen of Neo Burlesque and is posting pictures of her shows, but also anything she's interested in. For example, she posted a picture of 15 Vintage Black Pin Up Models. In their day, famous pin ups included Bettie Page and Betty Grable. However, Dita Von Teese posted the picture and the link to this article so that Black Pin Ups would be remembered, by her followers and by Von Teese herself. Von Teese's message to her audience is that she's all inclusive; pin ups include all races the world over. Von Teese received a thank you comment and another comment that said, "I had no idea...these pics are over beautiful and talented women."
 http://bit.ly/1L1IQWq (Marvel)
http://amzn.to/1kzKmtD (Amazon)
http://blackgirllonghair.com/2015/08/14-unsung-vintage-black-pinup-models/

The Marvel of Marvel Comics

There are videos that are always trying to sell you something, no matter how hard they try to hide it. Variant Comics made a video called, "The Top 10 Facts You Never Knew About Marvel Comics," and the video is informative and intriguing.

This video listed interesting facts that the general public (or even the average X-Men fan) probably don't know about Marvel Comics. For example, there was a little boy who didn't want to wear his hearing aid. Marvel found out about this and created Blue Ear, a superhero who wears a hearing aid!

Also, most fans don't know about the Marvel/DC Mash Up. Characters were merged together from both DC and Marvel superheroes creating a new genre in the realm of comics. This video was not only intriguing but it wasn't long, gave interesting facts about Marvel and its history.

Surprisingly enough, the video didn't contain any information or facts about Stan Lee. For years, Stan Lee and Marvel have gone together in the same sentence. However, this is a good thing because it's unexpected and went outside of the norm. There is so much more to Marvel Comics than Stan Lee and the characters that he created.

The video generated 382,521 views on YouTube and is still thriving. Under the comments section on YouTube, there was a lot of debate going but the debate wasn't based on the video per say. The debate was sparked over which is better, DC or Marvel and which superheroes were better. Overall, I was even more interested in the history of Marvel Comics and the video made me think about more than just the superheroes. I never felt like this was an ad or that Marvel was trying to convince me to leave DC Comics in any way.

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DC and The World of Comics

One might say that a website geared towards comics would use too many pictures. Can that really be true, since the website is about comics, their characters and graphic novels? The website for Detective Comics (DC Comics) is a content rich website and is the best comic book website around.

Overall, the homepage is filled with information. Some info is about the comic book characters and some information that was posted are announcements. For example, I thought it was wonderful that DC posted which characters were celebrating 75 years (The Flash, Shazam!, The Joker and Lex Luthor), just to name a few. DC also posted upcoming comics and their release dates, along with movies (Justice League) and the highly anticipated Batman vs. Superman.

Their shopping tab was wonderful too. DC made a section for new arrivals and pre orders. DC also made a tab for news (fans, family and for press as well). The tabs made the website user friendly, which is always a plus. However, there were some things that I would change about the homepage.

For years, I've been coming to DC's homepage and it's always been dark. Their background color has always been slate/charcoal gray. I hope that DC will brighten up the page; maybe they could post The Flash in the background and make it scarlet (like The Scarlet Speedster). They could even have him running in the background! And since The Flash is 75 years old right now, it would be a good idea to highlight all the characters (protagonist and antagonist) celebrating 75 years and put them on a slide show in the background.

Or maybe DC could have the Justice League front and center. The JL is a huge part of DC Comics and is one of the reasons that Stan Lee created The Fantastic Four. Marvel needed a group to compete with the JL and Lee created The Fantastic Four to keep Marvel abreast of the trends. Overall, the DC Comics homepage is content rich and a website worth coming back to, time after time.

Twitter Post Kraft

@Kraft is pleased to announce in Jan. 2016 our Mac & Cheese won't be made with artificial preservatives or synthetic colors! The synthetic colors will be replaced with tumeric, annatto and paprika. We've been perfecting our recipe for 2 years and we're not done yet!
#healthylifestyles #nopreservatives #nosyntheticcolors
Don't forget to visit: http://prn.to/1Ew6vrG

Facebook Post

Kraft Macaroni is pleased to announce beginning Jan. 2016, our Original Kraft Macaroni & Cheese won't be made with artificial preservatives or synthetic colors. Synthetic colors will be replaced with paprika, annatto, and tumeric. This is a continuation of our project during the past two years. In 2014, Kraft announced that our Mac & Cheese in the Blue Box, contained 6 grams of whole grains per serving and saturated fat was reduced by 25%. In 2015, Kraft announced our Mac & Cheese contained 9 grams of protein per serving. Kraft Mac & Cheese cares about you and your families health, without a doubt #healthylifestyles #nosyntheticcolors #noartificialpreservatives
Don't forget to visit: http://prn.to/1Ew6VrG

Tweet for Zip Factor Announcement

@ZippyShoeCompany Soxcited to announce @ZipFactor line will premier Black Friday 2015
tweetvite.com/event/ZFactr
bit.ly15doZftr

Zip Factor Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

October 7, 2015                                                                    Contact Information:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                            Sara Price, Communications Manager
                                                                                              Office: (314) 332-1891
                                                                                              Fax: (314) 332-1892
                                                                                              Email: saraprice@zippyshoe.com

                   ZIPPY SHOE COMPANY IS RELEASING ZIP FACTOR RUNNING SHOES
                                                   In stores Black Friday 2015

ST. LOUIS--Zippy Shoe Company will be launching their new running shoes, the Zip Factor, this Black Friday. The Zip Factor will be sold in department stores nationwide and select local running stores.

                    As a Zippy Shoe Company employee I got a sneak preview of the Zip Factor and I'm very impressed. The Zip Factors are certainly an upgrade from your average running shoe.

                     I love the fact that the Zip Factor comes with insoles. When I tried them on I felt like they were molded to my feet. I was also excited to learn that insoles reduce shock to your knees, hips and back too.

                     The Zip Factor is also designed to reduce the impact on your knees by 25% without the insoles. Even though I'm not a runner I've had one knee surgery and I know everyone's knees will thank them for the Zip Factor.

                    I was also very attracted to the Zip Factor for their color options. If you go online to www.zippyshoe.org you can pick your colors. This is the only tailor made running shoes I've ever heard of! Overall, I can't wait to test the Zip Factors. Zippy Shoe Company is launching a completely custom made shoe. I can't think of anyone who'll be disappointed.

                                                              ###

The Impact of Zip Factor

Zippy Shoe Company is pleased to introduce the Zip Factor. Zip Factor is our newest line of running shoes and will be hitting the shelves on Black Friday, just in time for the holiday season.

As an employee of Zippy Shoe Company and an avid runner, I was very excited to test the Zip Factor for the company. Zip Factor has some very unique features and I am very pleased with the results.

Zip Factor reduces the impact on your knees by twenty five percent, compared to the average running shoe. After all the races I've run throughout the years, I must admit that my mind and my knees took great comfort in testing our new shoes over the past eight weeks.

Zip Factor also includes insoles in every shoe. Insoles reduce the impact on not only your knees, but there's less of an impact on your hips and back as well. Check out or website at zippyshoefact.org where you can also get your Zip Factors tailor made. You can pick out your own colors, order them online and pick them up at participating stores that carry Zippy Shoes.

I also kept a running journal everyday I ran in my Zip Factors. The journal is posted on my Facebook page at https://m.facebook.com/ZipFactorSaraPrice. You can also check out the tweets I posted @SaraPrice.twitter.com. My Instagram account also has various pictures posted so be sure to take a sneak peak before the Zip Factors come out at sprice@instagram.com.

Once you get your Zip Factors we would love to hear from you as well. Keep us updated on your questions, comments and concerns by visiting our website at www.zippyshoefact.org. You can also visit Zippy Shoes on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Thank you for trusting your feet with Zippy Shoes!

Pretty Girls Problems

NEWS RELEASE

September 27, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                   Contact Information:
                                                                                     Sara Price, Public Relations Student
                                                                                     Office: (314) 555-1234
                                                                                     Email: saraprice321@gmail.com

         
                  PRETTY GIRL PROBLEMS EMPOWERS WOMEN OF ALL AGES
                                          Find your own pretty and your own individuality

                ST. LOUIS---Pretty Girl Problems, a brand that encourages and empowers young women
             
                to "find their own pretty" and celebrate their unique qualities, was started by brand

                management specialist Chivon Ferguson. Ferguson noticed that self-esteem was missing

               from young girls and women, which in turn lead to a lack of love within women as well.

                           Self-esteem is crucial to young women in today's society. Through

Pretty Girl Problems, young women learn to embrace their unique qualities and celebrate young

women of all backgrounds.

                          Ferguson had guest speaker KeKe Palmer and her mother, Sharon Palmer, at The

Girls Guide to Finding Solutions: A Mother and Daughter Retreat. The website also has Pretty Girl

apparel and Pretty Girl Problems also has a YouTube channel.

                          So far, all events have been in Atlanta, Ga. Ferguson has created a revolutionary

brand that will ignite love within young women and promote their self-esteem as well.

     
                                                             -###-

             
                                                                                   

A Closer Look at Aigner

Over the years, several brands have utilized social media to boost sales and bring their products into the spotlight. Etienne Aigner has also taken advantage of all the outlets that social media has to offer. Aigner has Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+ accounts.

On their Facebook and Google+ profiles, Aigner has two way communication. Customers can like their Facebook page, which means that you are following them and thus included on all their updates. Customers can also invite their friends to like Aigner's page.

Also, Aigner customers can make comments on their products. Aigner has also done a wonderful job displaying pictures and making sure that clients know when their new line has debuted, and also when new stores are opening. Aigner also took pictures of celebrities in their apparel, which also gives their brand more exposure. It's also easy if you're on your Smartphone or iPhone. If you're on the homepage, you can go any of their social media profiles. That feature makes it easier for their customers to find their social media pages.

Things were the same for their Google+ page; they have a two way dialogue with their customers, had beautiful pictures promoting their apparel and also featured celebrities as well. However, I do have some recommendations for Aigner's Facebook and Google+ profiles.

I saw celebrities and models endorsing Aigner and their products, but I didn't see Aigner personnel in their pictures. In order to keep your customers faithful and attract new ones, your employees should endorse your brand as well. Aigner could show employees wearing their favorite Aigner item, and that could be clothing or their favorite accessory.

It would also be a good idea to post information about Etienne Aigner. New customers might not know exactly who Aigner was or how this company got started. Maybe Aigner could post a picture or two on Aigner's birthday, or include his favorite item that he designed. Overall, Aigner has created intriguing profiles. Keep it up and Aigner will gain even more exposure!

Branding and Mass Appeal

Hello Everyone!

             For this post I analyzed thatylaa's pin up make up tutorial. thatylaa's video was not only appealing but also very informative. thatylaa made a very appealing video because she broke everything down into sections, making it easy for even a novice to understand this complex, educational tutorial.

           One reason thatylaa is so appealing is that she explains everything and every product that she uses. thatylaa also uses Glambot.  Glambot has used and discontinued high end make up for all different brands. thatylaa also explained that Glambot is very sanitary.

          thatylaa also shows all of her steps. A big part of selling your image is the ability to show, not just tell. thatylaa has mastered both! She shows the product and the packaging so you can get the one she actually used, and then, she shows you how to apply the make up.

         Since thatylaa represented high end and drug store brands she also has a universal appeal. thatylaa can reach more audiences using both high end and drug store brands. Each brand that was portrayed in the video can be purchased by anyone. It also helps her viewers know they have a budget, but also have options for buying make up.

        thatylaa also uses humor at times, which makes her even more appealing. thatylaa used the phrase, "The struggle is real," when applying lip liner and lipstick with her lip piercing. thatylaa is also showcasing that she is just another woman, struggling like all of us.

       Overall, thatylaa did a great job appealing to a broad audience and working with several brands all at once. thatylaa also has several other videos that capture everyone's attention.

Crises and the Importance of Social Media

           A crisis is a challenge in many ways. It's an opportunity for an organization to pull together and come out stronger. Social media has made it even easier to communicate with customers and the public definitely needs to feel extra assurance during a crisis.

          Take a look at the video prank committed by two Dominos Pizza employees in 2009. One employee video taped another tampering with food to be delivered, but the food wasn't actually delivered. The video was posted to YouTube and had generated over one million views before anyone else employed knew about the incident.

         According to Stephanie Clifford of The New York Times, Dominos didn't respond aggressively and I'm inclined to agree. First, Dominos public relations staff should already have active Twitter and Facebook pages. That way the public relations team can monitor what customers and staff are saying about Domino's. Also, Domino's could have posted what was being done to rectify the situation immeadiately. Yes, it is a good idea to send out press releases but it's quicker to use social media, especially in the time of a crisis.

        Target also learned a valuable lesson about crisis management during their security breach in 2013.  According to Davia Temin of Forbes, a blogger broke the news before anyone from Target's public relations team could announce the news. The last thing a press agent or public relations representative needs is to have to deal with a crisis that was mismanaged. Since the news was released by a blogger, a public relations specialist will more than most likely get conflicted advice from their legal department and their public relations team.

        Also, Target missed the opportunity to prepare the best statement for their customers and key publics. Comments could have been tailored to fit their unique situation if a Target representative  released a statement prior to the blogger. It also seems like Target isn't aware of what is going on at their company if they aren't releasing their own statements.

       Both Dominos and Target have learned valuable lessons. Both companies learned that time is of the essence. In this day and age, Dominos and Target also learned that social media is one of the most useful tools for giving the general public information quickly. Social media is also an effective way to monitor staff, customers and the general public.

Welcome

Hello everyone,
My name is Sara Price and I'm currently enrolled in Communications 3370. I have my Bachelor's degree in English and I'm obtaining my Public Relations Certificate. I want to learn how to make an impact with social media to expand and grow a brand. I'm also excited to blog;  it's something that I've been curious about but didn't know where to start. Good luck to everyone this semester!