PRince Benjamin

On to week three and still kickin'!

2011-06-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

I've just began my third week here in Argentina and while everything is still a step from blowing me off my rocker, I think I have finally started to fall into the comfort of a routine. Everyday at 9 a.m. I go into class until 1 p.m., have lunch, and then let the day unfold as it will. What continues surprising me is how nice everyone that I have encountered is...

This weekend was spectacular. It felt like it was one long day and I am tired as heck from it, but it is totally worth it after that experience. On Friday, we hopped on a bus here in Cordoba to take the 8 hour journey to Mendoza. Aside from generally being cleaner and the sidewalks being larger I didn't see a huge difference between the two cities. It wasn't until we got on another bus and made our way into the country that I realized how magical that place is. The Andes Mountains are incredible. I have never seen anything so huge in my life and it helped put into perspective how small I am in the scheme of things.

I can't really say that we did a whole lot while we were up in the mountains but there really wasn't a need to. It was best just to "be" there and soak in the view... I could literally stay out there for weeks if I had a cabin or something. We did visit the Fuente de Incas, which is an Incan bridge up in the mountains. There were tons of little tables set up with crafts and stuff. I wanted to buy a cute little outfit made out of llama wool for my nephew on the way, but it was 60 pesos and I only had 45 on me.

Visiting the bodegas and vineyards was an experience I'll never forget, as well. We went to dos, both just below the Andes with ridiculous views that I thought only existed in movies. I have decided that my pallet must not be very refined as I tend think all wines taste similar to one another... aside from the fact that they are either sweet or bitter, flat or bubbly. One of their favorites here is called Malbec. It is very bitter to me, but I think I am starting to get used to it. In any case, I could go wine sampling every weekend if that were an option. Especially if I got to do it in Mendoza!

We were supposed to go rafting after wine tasting, which I look back now and wonder if that would have been a good idea considering how tipsy we all were... Perhaps it was a blessing that the rivers here are running a bit slow as it is winter on this side of the sphere. We ended up taking the money that we would have spent on rafting and going to a RIDICULOUS restaurant and shoving our faces until we looked like post-explosion Violet from Willie Wonka sans the purple tint.

This meal was out of control! We walked into our private dining room where the entire table had been covered with every meat and cheese and random little dish that Argentina had to offer, and that was just our appetizer! There was all you can drink Malbec and some sort of pot roast for the main course followed by pasta and cheese. Then came dessert. Vanilla ice cream with dulce de leche and some kind of wafer cookie and all we could drink champagne and whiskey... oh and last but not least, Cuban cigars!!!!!!!!!! The cigars were gross I thought, but the rest was like heaven.

These little "excursions" continue to get more amazing and ridiculous. Life in Cordoba is finally becoming normal-ish which I think is great as it relates to becoming more affluent in Spanish. My classes have been extremely helpful and it is great that after I get done studying I get to walk out onto the street and put what I have learned into practice. Flash cards are my best friends...

Could this get any better?!

2011-06-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

Every time I begin to think that things are about the wind down or that I might achieve some sense of "normal" here, something happens or I see something that just literally hits me in the face and knocks me right on my ass... in a good way, though. It feels like I am in some kind of dream. An extremely vivid and wildly amazing dream.

The Food. The People. The Streets. The Art. The Land. My lord, I could go on and on about everything that I love about Argentina. Even at times when I am stressed and angry I have this overwhelming sense of warmth washing over me. For instance, I had a full out panic attack today but I couldn't tell you that it felt bad. Actually, as strange as it sounds I enjoyed every second of it. I think it is because there hasn't been a single experience here that hasn't overwhelmed me. I cried and my teeth clenched together so hard I thought one of them might chip. But, when it happened it was like I was experiencing every emotion that I have felt over the passed several days, which have been soaked in wonder and amazement, in one instance. Like an explosion. I hate to sound vulgar, but it was akin to a very extreme orgasm. The muscles in my stomach contracted. Every hair on my body stood on end. It was such an intense and pleasurable sensation, but I was crying and convulsing like a basket-case!

I think I am literally in denial that this is my life right now.

I went zip lining in las sierras! OMG, what an experience. I thought it might be a rush like a roller coaster but it was surprisingly relaxing. The land here is incomparable to any that I have seen. About an hour and a half south of the city you start to see these gigantic mountains and they are nothing short of breathtaking. Tons of trees and vegetation that I have never seen before. Wild horses walking together on the same rural road as our bus. A waterfall winding all the way down the mountain into a clear river at its basin all of which I got to see from a hundred feet in the air while flying down a wire at god knows what speed. The sweet smell of the wind passing my face. I was tempted to just brake in the middle and hang above everything for a little while, but the person behind me might not have appreciated that...

At times it is difficult to understand people when I am talking to them. It is a little bit of a different dialect than I am used to, but it hasn't been much of an issue. Everyone that I have spoken with has immediately realized that I am from the U.S. and been very patient with me. It is actually kind of weird because we don't even have to speak and they already know we are from the states, but what exactly does someone from the United States look like? I mean, it is a pretty eclectic mix of people there. Why couldn't I be from Europe? Somehow they just know and every once in a while we can hear the locals say to one another when we pass them, "Ellos son de los Estados Unidos!" It is actually quite comical.

The food is very good. My house mother, who is a sweetheart, cooks dinner for us every night and she is quite the chef! We've had arroz con pollo, fried fish, and one night we had mashed potatoes with meat, I believe. Yummy in my tummy without a doubt. Meat is whats for dinner 24/7 here. They are obsessed with ham and eggs and put it on just about anything that you can imagine. I've had them both on hamburgers, hot dogs, and I hear that they like to scramble eggs and chop them up over pizza with beats. One of the best dishes I have had was called Milenesa. It was like chicken parmesan made with beef. They also love french fries. Beer, wine, soda (much more carbonated and many of them infused w/ fruit juice), and agua con gas which is like club soda are generally what we drink.

Last night I went to an artisan fair that goes on every Sunday evening. They have so much cool stuff there and it is way cheap compared to the malls here. Some of the clothes they sell on the street are really cute, also. I will probably get all of my souvenirs there. I actually knocked down an entire table filled with mates, which are the cups they use to drink yerba mate. I intended on buying one at some point anyway so I went ahead and bought one from that vendor because I felt bad. Mate is always shared when you drink it. If you don't share it, it is considered rude. The drink itself is like a tea with many pulverized leaves that are free floating at the top. You drink it with a metal straw called a bombilla, which I found out the hard way you cannot move around once the mate has been prepared because it will get clogged with all the leaves. It is also customary to make a slurping noise when you drink it... very interesting indeed!

Ciao Amigos!!!

Something Incredible

2011-06-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

Wow! I am about to wrap up my second day in Argentina for study abroad. It is incredible how much information I have already soaked in and how much of a change I feel inside me. It sounds bizarre- I know- but, this has been the most incredible two days of my life. I have never been outside of the states in my life and while I thought that I knew quite a lot of Spanish, which I would still say that I do, just transplanting myself out of the U.S. culture has done so much for me... and not only with learning a foreign language.

I can't tell you where we were (although I might be able to take you there if we were in Cordoba), but today myself and a group of other students along with our trip coordinator found ourselves taking an impromptu tour of a prison camp for lack of a better word from back around the revolution here. I was literally moved to tears as a former prisoner, our guide, showed us around the camp which has been resurrected as a museum to remember what had occurred there.

As we walked down the street that lead to the museum, there were hundreds of flags hanging above across the buildings with people that had either been found dead or were missing from the time which I was surprised to find out was less than 50 years ago. WHAT?! It was a truly moving story and his willingness to take time out for us and his amazing sense of perseverance after what happened to him is a testament to the people in this city. They are fantastic to say the least... not one rude look or comment and in my mind I have probably done or said something stupid enough to warrant either of the two.

It might be that I am currently in the enamored stage of culture shock, I don't know, I just know that I can already tell you this is going to be real. This is going to be life changing. This is going to set the course for my future, which will hopefully be incredible... just like these past two days.

P.S. I don't know how much I will be discussing PR related things, especially the business side of it all the next couple months (social media etc.). I just want to take my time here and soak in the culture and let my experiences shape me. PR out of context you can totally expect, though. Do be expecting many more posts about this trip. CIAO amigos!!

The Bad Pitch Blog: A Royal Pain in the Arse

2011-05-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

The Bad Pitch Blog: A Royal Pain in the Arse: "You have no choice but to know about 'Billy and Katie getting hitched.' And if you got up at 4am in the states (edt), you're a sucker or an..."

Making connections is not ALL about business

2011-05-08T12:18:00.000-07:00

Say what you will about personal and professional relationships... the separation and the boundaries that exist, I mean. My thoughts surrounding social media are changing and saying goodbye to everyone today after graduation has sort of lead to a realization and it is one that is painfully obvious to me now. People are people.

Regardless of what kind of relationship you share with a person, in the end, the only way that relationship will continue to exist naturally is if there is a social connection between both parties and I believe this extends to work related relationships, as well.

I just left some of the best friends I have had and it is so strange to me now how those relationships developed. We were classmates and colleagues in PRSSA. We had common goals to complete and, at the beginning, everything we did with one another was work related. Now, I feel this overwhelming separation anxiety. It obviously makes sense that the people you spend the most time with are going to develop into social connections that inevitably extend outside of work.

Like I said, my previous thoughts surrounding social media and the separation of business and personal have changed. Before I didn't take into consideration how quickly those relationships develop and now I feel like you can't truly take your personal life out of anything. I guess what I mean is that by separating your accounts, or better, if you have that mentality of separation, you limit yourself and the extent to which your relationships can grow on both sides. People are people and they like to be treated as such on both sides of the spectrum.

You learn a lot from the people you spend time with.

Standing out with Interactive Resume Videos

2011-05-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

Last week, Stephanie Wonderlin, an alumni from EIU talked with my PRSSA chapter over Skype and gave us some really interesting ideas about how to make ourselves stand out with our job searches. Stephanie runs the first interactive social media Youtube channel called Tweetheart TV. Check out the link, it's pretty darn sweet.

Like I said, she gave us some cool ideas to help us stand out and one of them was to create an interactive video resume on Youtube. That way, you can explain each of your projects and prospective employers can go through and pick out exactly what they want to see and the stuff that applies to the job directly.

Also, it adds a personal touch. Being able to see who it is you might be working with and a glimpse of their personality and the way they "are" in general, I think, can go along way as far as impressions go. Check out her channel for an idea of how you could set it up and just replace all the links with your own credentials! Great idea. I'm going to try to put one together one day soon.

She also has a website and blog at www.stephaniewonderlin.com. It's good stuff!

How will you use your communications degree??

2011-04-18T14:19:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll. Check out THIS article by Les Potter I found extremely thought provoking regarding the pros and cons of getting my degree in communications. Considering I have two weeks left until graduation a lot of the advice is past going back, but I think it has some great ideas to consider for those continuing their education in the next couple of years and those, like me, who are wrapping up their degrees. I encourage you to read his other posts too... very beneficial.

The Prince of PURRRRRRR!

2011-04-12T15:22:00.000-07:00

My roommate & best friend Adam shared this on my Facebook wall the other day... I feel like when I decide to sit down and come up with a new layout I should somehow incorporate it!

Using Collaboration as a Tactic for Increasing Personal Success

2011-04-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

Ask anyone I know and they will tell you what a Britney Spears fanatic I am. I'll admit, it is an obsession that might be borderline unhealthy and probably psychotic, however that is an entirely different post. Yesterday, Rihanna released a remix of her single S&M featuring none other than the Queen of Pop herself, which got me thinking about collaboration in general.

To me, collaboration is all about symbiotic relationships or using others (and others using you) in ways that are mutually beneficial, forget if your working on the same project. It seems simple at first and for all that it entails it should be. However, when you throw society into the mix and all the hierarchical structures that are in place it becomes a very complicated tool... one that is used to keep some out and let others in. Understanding how someone becomes a "part of the club", for lack of better terminology, is essential to any public relations practitioner for obvious reasons. Looking at collaboration through the lenses of one of the most competitive businesses in the world, I think we can easier understand what kind of function it serves, helping newbies like me be a little bit more strategic about getting their foot in the door.

I want to preface by mentioning that 2007-2011 Brit Brit doesn't do collabos... well at least not until now. She is kind of the big cheese aside from the infamous meltdown of 07, which I feel only strengthened her career, ironically enough. I was even more surprised that her managers agreed to let her be "featured" on the track opposed to sharing the credit equally. Britney betch has been around for over a decade now and while RiRi has got some serious star power, it pales in comparison to Brit's.

Superstars collaborating with lesser known artists (not that I consider Rihanna lesser or anything) is nothing new. We have seen it before with a million artists including Queen B, except last time it happened she was on the other end of the deal when Madonna was featured on her Me Against the Music single, which was released in 2003. For well established artists, simply working with an icon takes them one step closer to being elevated to that status themselves. Could there be an association between collabos such as these and the advancement of sub-iconic artists and, more important, a reason for doing them aside from them selling a crap ton of music? I think so...

Arguably, Britney Spears is an icon right up there with the likes of Michael Jackson, Elvis, Madonna, etc. Even popular artists like RiRi in the recording industry have to fight like dogs to stay on top, well at least their teams do. In any case, there is an obvious hierarchy in the music biz, especially when it comes to Top 40 ranking artists. That is where I made a connection that I think is applicable to the professional world... and I guess the world in general.

Why did Britney's people pick Rihanna? Why did Madonna's people pick Britney? Were they just trying to take washed out superstars and freshen up their images? Meh... I don't think so. I think, going back to the hierarchy thing, when superstars and their management see something emerging from like artists whose images are still in the developmental stage, they decide they want a piece of the pie and the easiest way to make that happen is to work with that artist.

To kind of put it back in the mindset of a PR student, how do you transition from being an established practitioner to collaborating with the big boys? We've been through years of getting it pounded into our brains how to establish ourselves in the professional world, but once we reach that level and want to go further?

What do RiRi and 2003 Brit Brit have in common that made them the target of a superstar collabo? They are HOT and have something new and innovative to bring to the scene. So how does that translate to an established PR practitioner or us students who daydream about aspirations beyond our already high and hopeful goals?

Well in the case of HOT, it might not mean physically (although it certainly couldn't hurt to be sexy as hell) per se, but our ability to be flexible and stay on top of current trends... hell maybe even inventing a trend of your own and being a pioneer for the future of our industry.

Our idea of sexy is always changing and I think HOT is in a constant state of begging to be redefined or reinvented. In other words, take a risk, especially when you know you have got something good. Fall on your ass, take the criticism, and be better next time. Sooner or later you will have something worth something... and if you've got something that is worth something then you're only a step away from a big boy collabo which (and I am not quite sure how many) is only a few steps away from being one of the big boys yourself.

Obviously, there are tons of other factors that come into play. If you completely disagree, I get it... it is sort of out there. I just thought I would put a few of my thought processes to pen. Also, if you got nothing else out of my babble, at least you learned there is a sweet new remix to S&M featuring Britney...

"Hodge Podge"

2011-04-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

Given it has been a little while since I last sat down to share with you guys, this post is going to be a nice little "hodge podge" of my experiences and thoughts over the last couple of weeks. I'll try to make it chronological in an attempt to organize my disheveled thought processes.

First, I attended the Central Illinois PRSA's Social Media panel in Bloomington on March 3rd where I had the opportunity to hear perspectives and participate in discussions on how SM was being used and how it can better be used to help organizations meet their objectives. There was an emphasis, I don't know if it was intentional or not, on customer service and how SM can help resolve conflicts and organizations staying active in both positive and negative exchanges regarding their brand.

The conversation surrounding this was incredibly interesting because there are so many factors to consider. For example, when is it appropriate to remove a comment from a "fan page" on Facebook or how can these mediums be better used to reach the target? Among others...

State Farm had a few representatives on the panel so we got a pretty in depth look at their use of SM and the questions they have for making it more effective and efficient. One of the primary concerns was, in the case of customer service, that this medium either isn't accessible to some or many of their customers don't have accounts. In itself this is not a problem but, given they have people whose jobs are to monitor these websites all day, those who voice their complaints or concerns via SM have much less down time than someone who writes a letter or calls in, which doesn't seem all that fair from a customer relations perspective.

There were also representatives from Millikin and Illinois State who discussed how universities are finding SM tools invaluable when it comes to recruiting new students. GO FIGURE! It was a fantastic experience... the professionals were awesome to network with and the food delicious. Now, on to Spring Break!!

Los Angeles is a fantastic city. Aside from being sprawled out to the wazoo making any sort of trip on the public transit system quite the process, I have to say that it was an amazing experience to say the least. Some call it the most superficial city in the U.S. which, outside of being the entertainment capital of the world, I don't know if I completely agree with. One thing is for sure though, the PR industry is booming out there.

What excites me the most about moving out there, which by the way, I will be doing for an internship, is getting the opportunity to apply what I have learned to an area that I am enamored with. Theatre and Dance was my focus at the beginning of my college career so I have a huge appreciation for the arts in general. I have only had exposure to a few agencies in the Midwest, but all of them I have seen are more or less working with the big American corporations who manufacture consumer products. I don't see anything wrong with those types of agencies, I would just like the chance to apply it all to something more personal to me.

What do you guys think are the big differences between PR on the west coast opposed to the Midwest, if anything?

On the Way

2011-03-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

Hey ya'll! I wanted to let you know I am working on a new post about some things that I learned at the Central Illinois PRSA chapter's Social Media Panel in Bloomington last week. Sorry for the delay... midterms have been consuming my life! Be looking out for it...

Building Stronger Relationships

2011-03-01T08:01:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! Check out THIS article I found today on PRNews. I think it has some great advice which students can benefit from, especially.

Kelly Wittenmeier: Things I wish I had known.

2011-02-24T16:47:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! Here is the guest blog by Kelly Wittenmeier I promised this week. I would like to thank Kelly for taking time out of her schedule to write for Prince of PR. I hope you all enjoy it and take as much away from it as I did.

______________________________________________________________________

Hi Ben!

Let me first clarify that I am not interning with an agency. My internship is with IMPACT Marketing and Public Relations, it is a sole proprietorship, Mary Beth, who is my boss, is the founder and owner of IMPACT. We work with various small businesses that need help getting more business through strategic planning, marketing and public relations. One thing my internship has done for me is opened my eyes to the idea of owning my own business or PR agency. Although, since I have not yet had that agency experience, I want to work for one first!

So, here is 1-5 what I wish I had known before my internship? And some inspiration advice for PR majors out there!

I wish that I realized an internship during college would have been better. I had the idea in my head that finding an internship is hard…here’s an idea, it’s not hard! Yes, finding an internship with a top 10 PR agency in Chicago can be competitive, but if that doesn’t work out find another internship to acquire experience. A great idea would be a part time internship during the semester or taking a part time internship over the summer for just three months. It is really just to put on your resume, so that first job knows you have had experience.

A HINT: Even if you don’t think you learned a lot during your internship EXPAND the truth J and say you learned a lot with some exciting reasons to back it up! There are so many opportunities out there, if you do the work to find it and meet the right people!

I wish that I took on more projects whether it was with PRSSA or any other organization on campus to get more hands on experience. I was so concerned about graduating in December that I just wanted to get through it all as fast as I could and didn’t want to take on extra work on top of my homework. I know you seniors are anxious to move on and graduate but take your time, it will go by fast, so get as much as you can out of your University that will help you to find a job. Go to the career fairs, the career center and attend every event you can. Take on the extra articles to write, come up with one last campaign, meet more people and be friends with everyone in your major. One day your classmates could help you find a job!

I wish I talked to more professionals and got more business cards at the PRSA events and PRSSA programs I attended.

ADVICE: EVERYONE in our field is outgoing, you have to be, so, do not be scared to walk up to the top CEO of a business and wow them with your brilliance, they are only human!!!

I wish I took more Journalism classes because it is VERY IMPORTANT to know how to write a story that can CATCH THE EYE of a reader. Take classes that can allow and inspire you to be creative in your writing or just write yourself! Having a blog is a must. If you are a PR major who doesn’t want a blog and doesn’t like talking about yourself; you’re in the wrong major.

5) Lastly, don’t ever let anyone tell you PR is different than marketing and advertising, it’s all the same stuff!! So become an expert in it all, it just will be beneficial and make you stand out more!

THE BEST ADVICE: BE CONFIDENT, BE THE LEADER, AND DON’T BE SCARED TO SHARE YOUR IDEAS.

NEWS FLASH: WHEN YOU LEAVE COLLEGE YOU’RE NOT DONE LEARNING OR STUDYING….YOU WILL STUDY MORE AND WORK HARDER AFTER COLLEGE BUT IT CAN BE FUN WORK, especially when you’re getting paid!!

But what do I know I’m only an intern…

If you want to be successful in life, you have to learn from the best! Here are some successful PR and marketing professionals that I have met through my internship, follow them on Twitter and Learn from them!

>Julia Kline: @Julia_Kline (social media expert)

>Sima Dahl: @simasays (wonderful speaker)

>Matt Bacak: @mattbacak

>Dustin Mathews: @dustinmathews

>Henry Alegria: Henry is a business motivational speaker, I met him at a conference called, “Marketing Makes Money,” Henry blew me away with so much inspiration about being the best in your field and getting ahead, it was mind blowing!! http://www.gigsalad.com/henryalegria, he has a twitter, but doesn’t use it.

Building your legacy, One baby step at a time.

2011-02-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

I have been reading through a booklet I picked up at one of the conferences I have attended entitled: Legacies from Legends in Public Relations, in which several esteemed PR professional offer up their insight and advice to those looking to make a name for themselves in the profession. With each page, I couldn't help but notice trends beginning to emerge from these words of wisdom, which I believe can be summed up into one comment made by Rick Murray, president of Edelman, Chicago at the DePaul University PRSSA's regional activity, "Be Fearless!"

Something about hearing him speak those words sparked excitement in me to go out and begin my career, a fearless warrior ready to take on and conquer anything that came my way. However, while being fearless is a strong quality to possess, the kind of passion that it generates within a person is where I fear it can lead to demise. I mean, you wouldn't fearlessly run into battle with a weapon that you have not been trained to use or more importantly practiced using, would you?

Much of the advice that I have received so far has emphasized discerning your strengths, which takes time and practice, and then perfecting them which takes an infinite amount of patience. I constantly find myself saying in my head, "WHOA NELLY!" , because I will get so caught up in a moment and have a sudden desire to jump right in the water when I have only barely learned to keep my head above it.

It reminds me of this time I ran 10 miles without having prepared myself by building up to that level. I may have been able to complete the task, but the next day I could barely walk and in the professional world I am guessing that, often times, you aren't given that time to recover.

I felt compelled to discuss this because of some conversations I have had with other students about already being able to do everything we need to get out there and find a "real" job without an internship. If they are right, they can count me out of that statement because I, without a doubt, have plenty of room for growth and improvement. I just need to learn not to let my ambitions get to best of me.

Lady Gaga: A PR Genius or attention whore?

2011-02-22T18:12:00.000-08:00

HERE is a link one of our PRSSA chapter members, Jessie Dwiggins, left on our Facebook group wall. What do you guys think? I'm working on a new post that will be up tomorrow about PR legends, following in their footsteps and forging your own legacy. When to be ballsy and when to follow the status quo. Be looking for it. Still on the way is a guest blog by Kelly Wittenmeier whose blog is linked in a post below.
-Ciao.

P.S. HERE is Jessie's blog if any of you are interested in checking it out!

Paid vs. Unpaid Internships from PRSA

2011-02-17T20:33:00.000-08:00

HERE is a great post from PRSA about Paid vs. Unpaid Internships. CHECK IT OUT!

Do you need a break?

2011-02-17T17:46:00.000-08:00

HERE is an interesting blog post on Social Media from my friend Kelly Wittenmeier.

She graduated last semester from Eastern Illinois University and is currently interning at an agency in Chicago. Check out her blog. She would be a great person to contact if you are a student and have any questions about the internship experience. She will be guest blogging for Prince of PR on some of her experiences and things she wishes she had known before going into the internship. Be looking for it!

Twitter chats rock my socks!

2011-02-16T16:09:00.000-08:00

I participated in what I believe was my third PR related Twitter chat last night. All I can think is, why didn't I discover these before this year?! Better yet, why hasn't anyone mentioned the growing importance of Twitter in PR before this year? For a student who has virtually gone to school in the middle of a cornfield for the past four years, I feel this has been one of the most beneficial tools that I have discovered to network with other professionals as well as disseminate information.

For those of you who have no idea what the heck is going on or how to operate in a Twitter chat, don't worry because it was a little overwhelming for me as well when I first started. There are websites such as TweetChat that make it a lot easier to see and respond to messages, which I find helpful because you don't have to constantly look at your @mentions to see if anyone has responded to you.

If you feel learning it the hard way, like I did, is a waste of time, I would recommend Googling how to operate within them. Once you do, a whole network of possible connections opens up to you and as a student, I have learned there is nothing more important than the connections that you make with professionals already in the workforce. The nice thing about asking a question you would ask on a Twitter chat, as well, is that you could very well receive multiple responses from professionals all over the world and BOOM!, just like that you have five more people in your network that you can stay in contact with. Who knows? They might be the connection that lands you that position or internship that you are looking for.

HERE is an article that you might find helpful in your journey into the Networking Paradise that is Twitter Chatting.

PR 2.0 Chat is a great place to start. Believe me, just one will lead you to about twenty more.

Agencies: Boutique vs. Beehive

2011-02-12T11:47:00.000-08:00

I spent the last couple of days in Chicago at the New Ways PR regional activity put on by DePaul University's PRSSA Chapter. While there, I had the opportunity to visit the Ketchum agency. Having now had the opportunity to tour both boutique and what I like to call beehive agencies (because of their size), I would like to compare and contrast them a little and try and provide a little insight into the types of benefits each might offer up to student's looking to become interns, because that is my current situation.

Right off the bat, I noticed both tend to be relaxed in terms of the general atmosphere. Dress code, as well as the demeanor of everyone is like this which I suppose is to help foster a creative space to work in. The decor in both was very modern and hip and the majority of the workers are young. The biggest difference I noticed was the number of clients and as a result individual attention to detail.

At a smaller agency, I think a fewer amount of people have to pay a lot more attention to detail when doing a campaign for one of their clients, while in a beehive agency there are more people to make it happen. Individual attention to detail versus populated attention. I don't know which is better. It can be seen how successful both have been though.

Taco Bell has got some BEEF!

2011-01-28T16:32:00.000-08:00

As with anyone being attacked, it is natural to have a negative reaction to the person doing the attacking, however is Taco Bell's sarcasm drenched response to a recent lawsuit concerning the contents of their ground beef in poor taste or just what the doctor ordered?? I think it is awesome and shows a great deal into the "personality" of the company. Thoughts?

Sleepless at Eastern Illinois University

2011-01-12T23:19:00.000-08:00

It is several hours past my bedtime and I am sleepless for reasons that seem to be eluding me. I figured with so many random thoughts racing through my head I should try to focus them...

As I was rummaging through the piles of random artifacts that have been building in my room over break I came across one that was comprised of everything I had accrued from my trip to the PRSSA Nat'l Convention. This semester, I am largely focused on my Spanish major as I am trying to get out of college in a reasonable time frame and am enrolled in my final PR focused course. Happening upon these pamphlets of information about agencies, colleges, etc., that had somehow gone missing for the better part of two months, reminded me where my mind should be during my last semester. How do I want to apply everything that I have learned? Who do I want to work for?

I find PR fascinating, but recognize that it can potentially provide large amounts of power. Some people don't need power. I don't have a beef with consumerism or corporations, however I think there needs to be major changes in the ways they operate. A person's goals, and corporations are, from what I have learned, legally considered "people", cannot simply be to grow and thrive into infinity. The PR industry feeds many of these unchanging corporations and I have decided I don't want to perpetuate that. Fire can burn a building down, but it can also heat one. I want to use it right. Success and Growth are not always synonymous... I'll try to keep that in mind during the next couple of years.

If you are big on social responsibility and environmentalism check out the Care2 website. You can donate to various causes just by clicking and these "clicks" are sponsored by corporations, go figure! That is what I am talking about! GIVE BACK, BE GOOD, BE JUST

More to Come!!

2011-01-04T00:23:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone! I wanted to apologize for my lack of updating in the past month or so. I have been either busy or in the mood to procrastinate. I promise there is more to come. I have made a lot of observations that I would like to discuss so be sure to check back soon!

Central Illinois PRSA Chapter Meeting

2010-11-25T03:48:00.000-08:00

On December 7^th, the Central Illinois Chapter of PRSA will reconvene just down the road from its last chapter meeting, which took place in Decatur. The event will be held at the Sangamo Club located in our State’s Capitol. The Sangamo Club is a historic establishment that has been in existence for over 100 years and has maintained memberships with many of Illinois’ most recognizable leaders and organizational figureheads.

Aside from their selective collection of notable members, the club houses many luxurious rooms that often find themselves the setting for various professional development sessions, not unlike PRSA’s. The session will begin at 6:00 p.m. with social hour which will allow for attendees to mingle and network before dinner which will be served at 6:45 p.m.

Helio Fred Garcia will be the presenter for the evening. Gracia is the founder, president and executive director at LOGOS INSTITUTE for Crisis Management and Executive Leadership, which provides consultation services for various organizations concerning strategies to maximize their relationships with key stakeholders. In addition to his position at LOGOS; Garcia has authored many acclaimed books specializing in Public Relations and Crisis Management. The second edition of his most recent work, Reputation Management: The Key to Successful Public Relations and Corporate Management (co-written by John Doorley), was recently published. As if all these were not enough, he is an interim professor at New York University which PR Week has deemed as having the “best PR education program in the U.S.”

Helio Fred Garcia

The focus of the presentation will be on organization strategy and behavior including how to respond particularly in times of distress with an emphasis on the relationships between the organizations and their key stakeholders. Leadership skills for individuals in charge of organizations will also on the agenda. Again, this is relative to maintaining the confidence of the organization’s key stakeholders.

For more information about the next meeting of the Central Illinois Chapter of PRSA, visit their website. Reservations can also be made through Ruth Slottag at rslottag@aol.com or (217)793-8200.

A Personal Network?

2010-11-14T23:19:00.000-08:00

With a 50 Friends Limit, Path Is the Opposite of Twitter

Found this article on yet another social network... what do you guys think? Unnecessary or useful? I like that it is focused on being personal. I like to keep my facebook as personal as possible... it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so. In my opinion, the concept is nice. I'm just not sure if it is realistic, especially considering how social media saturated we are.

Inception Marketing

2010-11-07T09:04:00.000-08:00

Check this out. If you have seen the movie Inception, this article discusses the possibility of using the tool, in a less science fiction kind of way, as a communications strategy. I thought it was really interesting!

Inception Marketing