As I begin my final semester in college, I am taking advantage of every opportunity I can to be prepared for the working world. One great opportunity I found through Georgia College is the Georgia Education Mentorship Program (GEM). Through this program, I was paired with Jane Stout, senior vice president at Cookerly Public Relations. I have really enjoyed getting to know her and learning about the field of public relations. Over Christmas break, I was fortunate enough to shadow at Cookerly and observe life in a top PR firm in Atlanta.

Going into the shadowing experience, I was prepared to meet employees at Cookerly and learn about the company, but I was not expecting to roll up my sleeves and have the opportunity to jump into an actual client project. I loved it! Carly Knowles, assistant account executive, provided background on an exciting launch campaign for Great Start Georgia, a program – sponsored by the Governor’s Office for Children and Families – that connects families to local parenting resources and health and developmental services for young children to ensure they will get a “great start” in life. Helping to pitch reporters with the Cookerly team was a lot of fun and a great learning experience for me!

In addition to learning about some of Cookerly’s clients, I was also able to shadow Chris Glazier, senior account executive, to get a feel for social media at an agency. I did not know how agencies maintained social media accounts for clients, and it was great to get a firsthand look at how the relationship works. Through talking with Chris, I learned the best strategies for maintaining social media accounts and the importance of keeping current with creative postings. This was helpful for me to learn in maintaining my personal social media accounts.

For this semester in my PR Campaigns class, I will be on a team with four other students. We will take on a client and create an entire campaign for them. I feel through my shadowing experience, I better understand what it means to work with a client and what they expect. I will have better insight about working with media contacts and working with social media accounts.

I think every college student should take advantage of any opportunity to shadow at a company. Not only do you meet people who can give you valuable advice about your field of interest, but the real-world knowledge you can take from the visit is invaluable.

I learned so much from my time at Cookerly, and I appreciate everyone who worked with me to make my visit such an enjoyable day!

NFC, or near field communication, is a technology that allows two devices in close proximity to “talk” to each other. Whether you wave your NFC-enabled smartphone over a credit card reader to pay at a store or the store sends a coupon to your phone as you walk by, NFC is going to change the way consumers interact with brands, friends, money, social networks and more.

Don’t think for a second that the NFC-less iPhone 5 means that the intersection of smartphones, mobile payments and marketing isn’t at a tipping point. It is. The questions to ask are: How will it affect PR? and When will it hit the mainstream?

NFC opens a world of possibilities for marketers: trade show booths can broadcast a message, retails stores can deliver coupons and event managers can push notices to attendees, to name a few. Let’s look at NFC payment, which will have a unique and unchartered impact on communications.

The Familiar:

A customer receives a coupon in the mail. She keeps it in her purse until she makes her way to the store. At check-out, she pays using a credit card, asks the cashier to scan her loyalty card, then checks into the store on Foursquare on her way out.

The Future:

A customer walks into the same store. She pays with her NFC-enabled phone by waving it over the reader.  During the pass over the reader, the store accepts her payment, registers her purchase in the loyalty program, redeems a coupon, checks her into Foursquare and sends a message to her Facebook friends.

With the simple act of paying for goods, retailers will be able to better connect with and understand customers. The exchange of coupons and discounts will personalize the check-out experience. Similarly, the well of accessible consumer data runs deep. The unprecedented access to data will provide report-loving marketers with endless metrics and critical data to track sales, adjust products, fine-tune messaging, develop custom apps and more. Ultimately, it opens the door for marketers to engage customers in a new way, strengthening relationships and adding depth to the sales experience.

Despite Apple’s decision to hold back, NFC is coming. Last month, Juniper Research forecast mobile-payment transactions to increase by nearly fourfold over the next five years to more than $1.3 trillion. Big names, like Google, PayPal, MasterCard and Verizon, have already claimed real estate in the mobile payment/NFC market. It’s just a matter of time before that future scenario is reality.

Ah, technology. It’s so fun to keep up with you.

Now think about where your parents – or grandparents – got theirs. The answers are likely very different. My parents watched the local TV evening news, followed by a national broadcast. Each morning, my dad brought in the Charleston Post & Courier from our driveway. The Sunday morning edition was a particular treat, calling for at least an hour of reading and a cup of coffee. Today, I continue that one part of the tradition my parents set – although for me, the Sunday New York Times is the paper of choice, which in turn calls for significantly more coffee.

Among my friends and co-workers, even the reading of a Sunday newspaper – made of paper – makes me a bit of an anomaly. With the explosion of digital mediums and channels, along with the increasing time we all spend on social networks and in front of a screen (laptop, tablet or smartphone), where, how and from what source we get our news has undergone a tectonic shift.

On the surface, this should be a great thing. We have the world at our fingertips. The availability of news and information  should be making us more informed. But is it? The flip side of this wealth of information includes digital overload, leading many to curb the influx of information by narrowing our sources. Facebook friends, RSS feeds and even our own Google searches can limit our exposure to news and views unlike our own. And in this era of extreme content customization, efforts to manage the clutter may be preventing your audience from hearing your story.

In our latest white paper, we take a look at the “Paradox of Personalization,” (.pdf) how these factors can play into the reach and impact of information reaching the public, and the implications for the PR and marketing efforts of companies and organizations.

Take a look, and let us know: do you feel better informed because of the instant access to news and information, or is personalization limiting your exposure to messages you might otherwise have heard?

And to read more of our white papers, go here.

Fade in on the Main Character sitting at his desk to research a deadly virus.

CUT TO: Bing search bar … hands typing on keyboard … pan up back of computer (zoom in on Dell logo) …

It’s not new, I know, but lately I’ve been so put off by the unbearable product placements on TV that I decided to do a little digging.

First of all, I realize that for decades brands have been slipping products into TV shows and movies. It’s no coincidence that your favorite whiz kid uses a Mac, and breakfast at a sitcom family’s house wouldn’t be complete without Tropicana. Lately, however, it’s the awkward, out-of-character dialogue, blatant close-ups and story-altering twists that are causing some seriously epic eye-rolling at my house.

For example, when The Amazing Spider-Man hit theaters, fans were treated to a scene in which Peter Parker uses Bing, and a Twitter firestorm was born (nerdy Peter Parker would never use Bing). I can even think of one other cringe-worthy Bing placement. Anyone remember when The Closer characters paused in the middle of their murder investigation to note their car’s “voice-activated Bing search capabilities”? (ew.) What about when the women of Rizzoli & Isles paused last week to give each other tips about Dr. Scholl’s high heel gel inserts? (double ew.)

Here’s where it gets interesting. Beyond the obvious advertising value, there are also (good?) PR implications of product placements, and it’s more than you might think. Articles are published, people are talking, social media is buzzing, and I’m writing this post about it.

Blame it on Tivo and the rise of the DVR, but the shift of ads from the commercial break to the plot of my favorite show is out of control. But is it bad for business? I found this comment particularly interesting:

“I’m the guy who did that [Popeye's] placement and what is amazing for that brand is people (like you) keep bringing that placement back into the light 12 years later,,,, we also made the 5 cheesiest product placement [sic] in November 2011… I lost count after 800,000,000 million impressions…”

Isn’t this the kind of buzz that some brands would die for?

So is the joke on me?

Image Credit: LenKitten

As interesting as the reasons behind the split are, I am more focused on the impact, which, frankly, is making me  almost giddy.  This is one divorce that I’m celebrating, as I’ve long thought that the syncing of Twitter with LinkedIn was one of the worst social automation combinations possible.

Yes, I know many people who had their Twitter and LinkedIn accounts synced (including some friends and other marketers whom I respect), but with no offense intended, I believe they were wrong. And even though the divorce is now final, there are still lessons to be learned. Here are four:

1. The audiences are different – and the same.  I would hazard a (pretty well-educated) guess that if you are using both Twitter and LinkedIn, the audiences you are speaking to have some overlap, but likely aren’t identical. Your connections on LinkedIn are significantly more oriented toward professional contacts, while your Twitter followers likely include a few friends, co-workers and more “social” connections. To be effective in any form of marketing, the first rule of thumb is to know your audience. The second is to speak to that audience in a way that engages them. In the cases where your audience overlaps, they are simply seeing the same content wherever they engage with you, and may tune you out. Where the audience is different, you aren’t thinking about why they come to LinkedIn and what content works best there.
2. Frequency expectations are different. Twitter is a high-volume medium with a low-volume limit on individual tweets. It is an engagement platform as well as a broadcast one.  LinkedIn, traditionally, is not. Few people keep their LinkedIn open all day and interact with status updates in a streaming flow of conversation, something that is common on Twitter, which means many of your messages will be missed.
3. The content rules are different. LinkedIn is successful in its niche: business communications by and for business people. It’s a professional outlet with a professional tone. Even if you use your Twitter account primarily as a business or marketing tool, it is inevitable that a tweet will end up in text lingo, or include a smiley face, or even get into personal exchange that is better left on Twitter. For instance, I don’t think my professional connections on LinkedIn are the right audience to see my recent game of “Guess what the Braves’ Organist is Playing” (@bravesorganist), which I had on Twitter last week.  LinkedIn status updates allow for more than 140 characters – use them and say something useful to your audience.
4. You are squandering opportunities. While there are a lot of social media channels, there are only a few that touch a wide, mainstream audience. By syncing Twitter and LinkedIn, you’ve effectively reduced the number of social media channels you are using –and the potential for positive impact. Engagement is the key on the social Web.  It’s likely you signed up for LinkedIn to expand your professional network and enhance people’s perception of you as a professional. Syncing channels is the lazy way out. Instead of syncing, take the time to find out what works best for each medium – what types of Updates get feedback from your connections, what Groups to join that foster your professional reputation and garner increased networking for you and your business. A tweet on LinkedIn is just as inappropriate as a press release on Facebook.

The fact is, well-done social media marketing takes time. There are few shortcuts that make sense, and automation is (still) not the answer. If time constraints make it difficult for you to spend the time needed on many different social channels, then limit your use to those where the majority of your audience is. Better to do a few channels well  than try to do them all and end up losing their attention, or worse, annoying the same people you are trying to engage.

Don’t be surprised. It’s not the first time the media got it wrong, and I’m 100% sure it won’t be the last.

From the serious:

• Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is dead. No he’s not. Yes he is. Well, he’s sort-of dead. (New York Times led the correction on this one but wasn’t alone in the confusing reports.)
• “Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is dead.” Actually, no. She’s not. The media apologized for this error. (NPR, Reuters, CNN and more had itchy trigger fingers on this breaking news.)

To the not-so-serious:

• Lindsay Lohan is rushed to hospital after being found unconscious. Nope, she’s fine. Just “napping.” (HuffPo kept us updated on LiLo’s status.)

As with all cases of misreported breaking news, my social feeds become an endless supply of snarky content – which I would argue is the sunny side of shoddy journalism.

• Editorial writers are doing a sh*tload of find/replace right now. (Andy Borowitz)
• Abe Lincoln Attends Play at Ford Theater, Has Great Time #CNNHeadlines (Josh Hara) ‪
• CNN and Fox News join forces in getting historic breaking news completely wrong. (someecards)

Just another day in the Twitter-fueled newsroom.

But that’s also what makes PR exhilarating and rewarding: that trust in the fact that more times than not, the benefits of allowing others to speak on behalf of our clients (if we’ve done our jobs well) far outweigh the risks involved. Nowhere is that more true now than in social media. As PR practitioners, we’re well versed in helping our clients understand that a loss of control over messaging and reaction to that messaging can be a positive thing for them and their brands. On the social Web, the value of authenticity is high, content is king (or queen), and the voices of real people engender a more favorable response than canned corporate-speak.

Yet, many companies and organizations are ignoring one of the most obvious resources they have in creating an engaging, authentic social media presence: their employees. Every day, front-line employees are interacting with customers. Often, they are the first – and hopefully not last – interaction that people will have with a brand. In our latest white paper, “Striking Gold: Build Your Brand by Mining Employee Stories,” we explore this potential goldmine. Take a look. Maybe it will inspire you to risk a little loss of control in exchange for storytelling that builds your brand.

Image Credit: Martin Deutsch

Evolution

Over time, brands evolve and change. Apple is a great example of a brand that has matured. When it first popped on the scene with the Apple I, it aimed to please technology geeks who were exploring this new idea of personal computers. In the early 90’s, one could argue Apple wanted in with the younger generation by creating the sleek, colorful desktops. Now, the brand is “grown up” with a sophisticated elegance of design and the austerity of Jon Malkovich asking Siri the meaning of life.

Other times, brands may choose to make a dramatic shift, as in the case of Twitter.  Earlier this month, Twitter declared “Twitter is the bird, the bird is Twitter.” The company has chosen to completely overhaul how the brand is viewed and used. Twitter expects that its users will see the brand as more universal – it is positioning itself as a service that will aim for “limitless possibility.”

Responding to Change

Some companies decide to change based on how their customers are actually using the product or service. The shipping company formerly known as Federal Express officially changed its brand name in 1994 to FedEx because customers had long abbreviated the name. The new brand was a better reflection of the company and how customers saw it.

More recently, foursquare launched a new version of their app “after three years of seeing how [its community] used the app.” With an emphasis on exploration and recommendations, the move is a predictable competitive change to stay ahead of other services that provide location-based recommendations and reviews.

Mergers & Acquisitions

When a large merger or acquisition occurs, the organizations involved often take to rebranding to unify the two companies and their audiences. In 2004, Sprint and NEXTEL announced they would merge to form Sprint Nextel Corporation. The new company created a logo that combined Nextel’s yellow/back color scheme with Sprint’s word mark and pin drop logo.

New Start after a Crisis

In some cases, you may not have realized a company was ever known by another name: After a crisis, companies will rebrand in an attempt to put distance between the old company image and its negative connotations in favor of starting over. Rebranding, however, doesn’t always work. In an attempt to move away from the scandal of the 2007 Nisour Square shootings, the private security corporation Blackwater changed its name to Xe and then Academi in the span of four years. Despite a change in ownership, management and a focus on a new line of business, the company remains plagued by its dark past.

Don’t be Gap

Gap faced enormous criticism from its customers when it attempted to change its logo. Before making a change to your organization’s brand, you need to make sure it is the right choice to avoid a reoccurrences of the Gap debacle. Ask yourself, “Why do I want to rebrand?” If you don’t have an obvious answer, consider conducting an audit to see if a rebrand is necessary. Market research, such as a survey, can help you discover if your brand, messaging and target audiences are a good fit or if they may need revision. A rebrand must be a long-term commitment that builds your brand’s equity and doesn’t force you to fall on your sword admitting to a mistake.

Photo credit: NewNowNext

So after yesterday’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), I find myself once again thinking about the Joneses and how best to keep up with them. If you haven’t heard, Apple recently rolled out its latest upgrades and features to more than 6,000 of its closest friends.

To put yesterday in context, the tweets and Facebook posts started rolling in early in the day. First, it was strictly the play-by-play:

• Apple releases new MacBook Pro.
• Apple announces improvements to Mountain Lion OS.

Then it was the commentary/love fest:

• Yay! I can’t wait to get iOS 6. New Siri and Maps!
• I absolutely NEED the new MacBook Pro. Right now. Immediately.

Finally, the dissenting opinions started to pop up:

• Noooo! iPhone 4 can’t get turn-by-turn directions or Flyover. : (
• Really? I was expecting more from the Mac Pro. Those updates are pretty insulting.

Great. Now I have “Apple Guilt,” the overwhelming feeling that you don’t have the coolest, fastest, thinnest, slickest technology. I’m stressed that the pixels of my tablet aren’t clear enough. I’m slightly embarrassed that I walked around SXSW checking in on a BlackBerry. I still get eye rolls when I mention I’ve been known to use IE instead of Chrome or Firefox.

One particular tweet stood out yesterday. “Started reading today’s Apple announcement on my cool state-of-the-art MacBook Pro and finished reading it on my stupid obsolete MacBook Pro.” (Chase Mitchell).

So I’m wondering … does social street cred suffer when you don’t have the latest tech? Can someone with a BlackBerry actually have a clue?

(By the way, I’m leaving my BlackBerry behind this year. You can try to sell me on iPhone v. Droid next time we talk.)

On the other hand, a poorly thought-out advertisement can put even the most respected brands in a tailspin, resulting in a widely publicized scandal and very public backpedaling.

In our latest white paper, Cookerly Public Relations investigates the power of images in the digital era and discusses what your company must consider before posting your next photo to Facebook, Twitter or your blog. Are your photos helping or hurting your brand?

Download Smile! Your Brand Is in Pictures

 Photo credit: naixn