Week 8: Many Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I, like most people, have so much to be thankful for this year. I have completed one successful internship, traveled all over the country, have a job that I love and a second internship that has been more than I could have ever imagined.

I have a fantastic home, a wonderfully supportive family and friends I could not live without. Like I said, so much to be thankful for this holiday season!

This week is a short one here at Carolina PR. The office is quiet and everyone is huddled in his or her office to stay warm, if they aren't already home enjoying the holiday.

I learned quickly that quiet doesn't mean boring. In my case it meant just the opposite.

One of our clients is participating in the Novant Health Thanksgiving Day Parade and we designed and produced a parade banner for them.

When the banner was delivered and opened we got a surprise - it was a hanging banner and not a walking parade banner. That meant it was time to get creative...

After brainstorming and conferring with some knowledgeable people, I headed to the local Lowe's Home Improvement store with a list.

When the banner was redelivered yesterday (it was sent back for some alterations after the mishap was discovered), we turned the conference room into a craft area and, after some creative thinking, soap, and water and too much fun, we were able to rectify the issue and make the banner 100% parade-worthy.

Public relations isn't all reading and writing. Sometimes, it requires creative problem-solving and a little construction know-how.

Now, what kind of holiday would it be without a little Charlie Brown? I found this article on PR Daily; it just seemed fitting to incorporate a little wisdom from Chuck on Thanksgiving Eve - especially after yesterday!

Good grief! 3 crisis PR lessons from 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving'

By Alan Pearcy

See you in December!

Until next time,

Erin

Week 7: Reading

Part of my internship requires a lot of reading, about pretty much everything. I read trade websites like PR Daily and PR News Online to stay up-to-date on industry trends and news. I also read traditional news sources like USA Today, the Associated Press and Reuters to stay in touch with the rest of the country and the globe. I also dive into online publications like Huffington Post, Mashable and BuzzFeed for a different viewpoint on the day's top trending stories.
Yes, it seems like a lot, but much of the communications realm consists of knowing what is going on in the world around you. By reading how a crisis is handled, or not handled in some cases, you can learn what to do and what to avoid if you run into a similar situation down the line.
Not everything has to be serious. There can be levity in communications. It's important to remember that.

Here are some of the headlines from this week: 
College to rename school of communications after Ron Burgundy by Alan Pearcy (via PR Daily)
Toronto mayor says he smoked crack 'maybe once' and says he's being unfairly punished by Assocaited Press (via The Washington Post)
CBS News keeping '60 Minutes' review internal by Katherine Fung (via Huffington Post)
Blockbuster: Tigers trade Prince Fielder to Rangers for Ian Kinsler by Gabe Lacques (via USA Today)


I would also like to thank everyone at Carolina PR for the sweet birthday card, coffee and donut this morning!

Until next time,
Erin

Week 6: Release, Alert, Repeat

Public relations is many things, each requiring a different skill set.

This week I was able to work on sharpening my writing skills. I have been working with the CPR team on writing and sending out a press release and a media advisory for our client's upcoming event.

Right away I learned writing press releases in school is far different from that in the real world. In my PR Writing class, I was given a faux client, a faux biography and a faux event. I wrote the press release quoted my faux spokespeople and got it approved for distribution (also known as turning it in for a grade). It's quite different here, considering that the client, event and quotes are real. The days of pretend scenarios are over.

I wrote the initial drafts for both the press release and media advisory, and occasionally helped make any edits to the drafts that followed. Then, after each document was approved by the powers-that-be, I distributed them to the approved media list. No teachers this time, and the media contacts are also real! Our client's even is this weekend, so we will know shortly if our pitches were successful...I'm nervous!

Thankfully, I have something to help calm my nerves - my swag bag from Dunkin' Donuts! Last night as I was burning popcorn in my house, my doorbell rang. There in the FedEx man's hands was a box from Dunkin'. I was like a kid on Christmas morning opening it. It was fantastic.

Inside was a gift card, headphones and cool Dunkin' Donuts sunglasses along with a hand written note. I was more impressed by the note than anything else. It shows how great a company Dunkin' Donuts is, and how much they are about their customers. They have made this girl a life-long fan. (Wish they would open store stores on the west coast! If I ever move back there I will be lost without my Dunkin' coffee!)

Speaking of which, I have to go re-heat my coffee and get back to work!

Until next time,

Erin

 

Week 5: Hello, Fall!

So my calendar is telling me that it is November. As in the second to last month in the year, home to Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day and the all important Election Day!

As a fan of shows like "The West Wing" and "Scandal," I am aware of the drama Election Day holds. Typically, there are candidates sitting in hotel suites with their families, campaign managers and communications professionals, watching the returns on TV, checking last minute polling data and refreshing their computers every few minutes for the most recent results. There are two speeches prepared, a concession speech and a victory speech, because you don't want to jinx yourself, with one of them being used at the end of the night. There are parties and balloons falling from the ceiling, celebratory drinks and dancing into the night. Of course, this is how it’s portrayed on TV.

While I'm sure that may happen in big, national campaigns, the campaign I had the privilege to work on and be a part of was a local effort and didn’t have the big budget for frivolous campaign expenses. It was a local bonds campaign – the perfect type of campaign to get your feet wet. "Vote YES for Education Bonds" was a countywide bonds package consisting of $290 million for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) and $210 million for Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC).  The measures passed with record numbers, 74 percent of voters supported CMS bonds, and 72 percent of voters supported CPCC bonds.  

On election night, the Bonds Campaign Committee, CMS representatives, a few volunteers and select local media gathered to watch the returns. There was no fancy hotel suite or balloons falling from the ceiling, but that didn’t matter. The night was full of anticipation and excitement and celebrated those who had worked endlessly for months to ensure these bonds passed

It was an amazing event and I am so grateful that I was able to be a part of such a fantastic team!

A record setting victory was not the only exciting thing that happened this week. As you all know, I have a full-blown addiction to coffee. I might need Dr. Drew because I stop for coffee two to three times a week at Dunkin' Donuts. Earlier this week, I treated myself to a Red Velvet Latte from Dunkin' and later tweeted about how delicious it was. Within a few minutes, Dunkin' Donuts tweeted me back and sent me a message of appreciation saying they were going to send me a gift card! 

Needless to say, the whole office was a buzz the rest of the morning, as I am not the only hard core coffee junkie here – a tweet from Dunkin' is a big deal.

It is now Thursday, the end of my week and I still can’t believe the past few days have happened.

I cannot wait to see what next week has in store!

Until next time,

Erin