Do companies really control their own brand image?

Indeed Kanye West’s outburst at the VMAs affected those watching at the time, but little did Kanye realize that this moment in his career would be relived over and over again by audiences worldwide. Within minutes social networks and YouTube had already broadcast the news to millions.

With the click of a mouse Kanye’s image was instantly ruined. Despite Kanye’s popularity, his efforts to clean up his own mess were unsuccessful. The power of media and new communications tools such as YouTube and twitter make stopping the spread of the controversy impossible, and Kanye is not the only one that has suffered the consequences. 

What about the two Dominos employees that posted a YouTube video of them contaminating food? Whether the video was a joke or not, it instantly made consumers everywhere question Dominos’ credibility. Companies spend billions on advertising, marketing and public relations all in hopes of managing their brand image. However in a society saturated with new communication tools, companies are losing sight of their control. If companies think they own their own brand image in today's society they are wrong. Bloggers, vloggers, and tweeters everywhere hold as much sway over their brand as they do. Public Relations specialists beware, social media tools are affecting brand images everywhere.

Katie Barta
University of Minnesota
Jour 3279
Blog Assignment

When to writing it comes, like jedis, are we. Yes, hmmm.

Writing isn’t for everybody. To some, it’s a bothersome task while to others; it’s a must for everyday life. For public relations people, it’s necessary to know how to write. We have to do it every day in our line of work, and we have to do it well. We are like jedis.

I don’t use this analogy in the sense that we have the ability to pull mind tricks on the public. We are no better at wielding light sabers than any other person and we don’t speak in a weird backward to forward way like Yoda does.

Jedis are some of the greatest warriors in the galaxy. There are the evil villains who occasionally kill a good guy, but we tend to put them in the back of our minds. As professionals in the PR business, we have to be great at writing. We use our writing skills to craft pitches to the media, to write and edit blogs, or to figure out how to make our awesome Twitter status fit in fewer than 140 characters. We are faced with tough tasks such as these every day and we need to be prepared to do battle with them.

It’s important to have the right skills for the job. Some writers may be great at writing to the media. They can put together news releases, their work is clear and concise and they are easily understood by everyone. Other writers may struggle with the news release part of the job, but succeed in other areas; like blogging.

Lots of public relations is communicated via blogs these days. It’s a completely different style of writing, although it is still a very effective method of communication. Blogs and social networking sites provide a different platform for written communication for PR professionals these days.

Writing for blogs gives the author some wiggle room. Their writing can be loose, it can sound spoken, and there might be some slang included. The guidelines aren’t as rigid or as clear cut when writing for a blog. A blog that I like is Pop! PR (www.pop-pr.blogspot.com). It’s written out of California by Jeremy Pepper. I think that he presents a lot of good ideas on different topics involved in PR.

As jedis, we must constantly be honing our skills. Practicing writing every day isn’t a bad idea. It may seem time consuming, but it’ll certainly pay off in the end. Blogs are free, so don’t be afraid to consider starting one for yourself and it may turn into a paying career. That is if you can find something to talk about on a day-to-day basis, and do it well. Oh, and if someone tells you they sense much fear in you, you just may be Darth Vader someday.

Intern Diaries

Hello again. I checked out some of the comments from last post and wanted to begin with a disclaimer: Do not try this at home!
Blogging about work can indeed be a risky choice, and many employers do not appreciate their “stuff” being aired over the net. I am certainly not here to expose any corporate misdeeds and I have consulted my manager about this endeavor. For now, I have gotten the O.K. Now that we are clear-

Update Time!

I am really enjoying my internship thus far and am starting to feel as though I can “own” some of the projects I have been assigned. Of course, with most projects come collaborations and with collaborations come compromise or, better-termed – politics. Interns are basically bottom of the totem poll and people are very busy so I thought I may include some tips I have learned thus far about office navigation:

If you are contacting someone you don’t usually work, copy your supervisor on the e-mail. They will be less likely to ignore you if they see a name they know associated with your communications.

Dress professionally and perhaps a bit “old”; people will take you more seriously if you look like they do. (or better)

Make the rounds to all the desks and cubes, introduce yourself and get a few minutes of face time, people will associate a face with your name.

Ask questions! If you aren’t sure how to do something, ask. People are very willing to help you understand and learn. This will keep you out of hot water later.

Take this opportunity to sit in meetings and shadow people outside your direct contacts, this way you gain insight about what other people do and how things operate. Never turn down an opportunity to do anything, you will learn something everywhere you go.

I hope this was not too preachy. For people who maybe heading into their first internship experience, these may help you be a little ahead of the game. For those of you already in an experience, if you have any other hints to add or experiences to share, be my guest!

Breaking the Ice - Intern Diaries

Hello everyone!
I have spent a great deal of pondering the nature of a first blog posting. Having never blogged before, I found the blank page/screen syndrome to be a bit daunting. Luckily for me, both professionally and material-wise, I landed an internship at Kohler Co. in Wisconsin. I started last week and have been really pleased with everyone’s willingness to accommodate a newbie such as myself. Within one week I have already:
Attended a photo shoot (I got to sit behind the wheel of a semi truck!)
Done my first media request
Drafted a press release
Written a few articles for internal newsletter publications
Learned about matte releases
Conducted interviews
I have logged quite a bit of desk-time in recent days and desk-time lends itself to pondering.
One thing that keeps echoing inside my mind from all of our PRSSA speakers is the recommendation from almost everyone that a good intern should be a “self-starter.” Excellent advice to be sure, but how does one be a self starter when all of your tasks are delegated from above? It is a difficult boundary to skirt: how do I keep myself busy without constantly bothering everyone for their tasks? How can I self-start, when my view of what needs to be done is limited? Any advice?

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This blog was started by University of Minnesota Students in coordination with MNPR Blog to further the cause of public relations in Minnesota.