Adverelations? =/

Any PR major will be quick to correct anyone that says " Isn't public relations and advertising.. uhhh, like the same thing?" NO!

Advertisers sell alcohol and cigarettes to teens, give young girls self esteem issues, and give us the need to buy products we don't well... need!  But public relations oh no, we save puppies and raise money for charities.  We are heroes for companies in their time of crisis.. we are no advertising majors!

Advertisers, they want your money!

PR kids just want to save puppies!

But as adament as PR majors about their field, it is hard to ignore all the courses that begin with ADV we have to take...

We had to get a B or higher to get into the college of communication in ADJ 318J... it claimed to be for PR majors too but we weren't fooled.

Next ADVERTISING research!  Couldn't it have been called PUBLIC RELATIONS research?  And most obvious of all is the Advertisng Planning class we all have to take in which we... wait for it... DO AN ADVERTISNG PLAN BOOK! We learned to buy ads and use guerrilla tactics to draw in vulnerable consumers.  It was very un-pr of us.

ALSO!  There is a graduate program for advertising here but not one for public relations.  If that is favoritism I don't know what it!

So for all thoes public relations majors at the University of Texas it is time for us to mobilize and become a force around campus.  We are no advertising majors! We are better. We are PR!

Chris Brown: talent or trouble?

The Grammy's this year stirred up quite the controversy!  Almost everyone is aware of the Chris Brown/ Rihanna incident that happened a few years ago.  The questions stands, Was Chris Brown deserving of the Grammy he received, and more importantly, should he have been allowed to perform.

Looking at this from a Public Relations stand point I believe the answer is crystal clear... no.  Although he may have deserved the Grammy because that is based soley on talent, I believe he should not have been permitted to perform.  By having him perform the people who put on the award ceremony were giving him their endorsement.

Chris Brown is not someone I would want my children to look up to.  The domestic abuse incident alone is reason enough, but to top it off he is known to tweet  negative and offensive comments.  I guess the question stands whether performers should be judged solely on their talent or on their merits and ethics as well.  Rappers receive street cred for going to jail and are worshipped all the same. 

When it comes to talent, NO ONE can deny that Chris Brown has it in spades.  But for me personally and from a PR perspective, anyone who is abusive should "Run It" right out of the industry...

I hate research.

It is a skill that is hard to master and yet vital to a public relations major.  It is the process of taking the responses of a study and crunching numbers to reach conclusions.  Personally, I prefer having a conversation with a person rather than crunching them into an excel spreadsheet. 

Corporations are paying top dollar to get inside the consumers mind.  Research is becoming more and more a part of the public relations field because at the end of the day, companies want quantitative data to reassure them that the vasts amounts of money they are spending is warrented.

When I envision myself in the corporate world as a PR major I conjure up images of crisis communications and writing speeches for top CEO's.... but the truth is that I will most likely be sitting at a desk interpreting data and... ugh... number crunching.  In order to make it to the top you have to put in your time as an unpaid intern doing really boring tasks.  And yup, that includes research.

Social Media's Role in Politics

In our modern society social media plays a daily role is people's lives.  Facebook especially allows us to post our thoughts, promote events, and like particular brands, music and movies.  But how much does social media effect government policies?


Two recent events have showed just how much sway social media and sites such as Google and Wikipedia have on public policies.  When the SOPA bill was looking like it was going to be passed in Congress it was the influence of the internet that shut it down.  Protests on social media sites as well as superpower sites such as Wikipedia drummed up millions of signatures and emails protesting the bill.  It was met with such an outcry that the bill was never passed.

Weeks later the power of the internet was again displayed during the Komen Fiasco.  The immediate outcry on Twitter, Facebook, blogs and forums caused the organization to reverse their decision to pull donations from Planned Parenthood.


Social media is beginning to reach its full potential in politics by not only gaugeing public opinion but also for drumming up support for political candidates.  Social media is not just for teenagers anymore, it is a powerful tool that literally is changing the face of politics in the United States.


For more on social media's role in the goverment click on this Washington Post Article

Really NOT Simple Syndication

As public relations majors we are trained to consume media.  It is our job to know what is going on in the world, as well as what is happening in our neighborhood.  From sports, to business, it is our responsibility to stay up to date on the newest information.
The problem is that there is just SO much going on. 

I keep an RSS feed on Google reader and sometimes going a few hours without checking it can give me hundreds of new stories. How do I know what is important?  What is relevant to me and my clients and exactly how do you apply all this information?

In public relations it is vital to appear to be well-spoken and educated.  Chances are if there is a story featured numerous times in an RSS feed it is something a client would want you to know.  Just being able to engage in political and business conversations is vital for a practitioner.

Public relations is a very dynamic field.  It has an elements of journalism and advertising, and also requires some business saavy.  Not only must practioners stay on top of the news, but they should be knowledgeable about how the market and econamy works as well.  Staying on top of stock prices is important as well.

It is important to be knowledgeable on basically... everything.  Practitioners must know all aspects of the envirionment (social, economic, political...etc) in which they are launching a campaign or a message. For example, it probably is not a good idea to make make public a CEO's bonus check amidst a time of economic hardship.

Even though RSS feeds are far from REALLY SIMPLE, as a public relations major it is vital that it becomes an everyday part of my life.

Iconic Critters



Gidget, The Taco Bell Chihuahua

Who ever said that sex sells best clearly never owned a pet. We've all seen that guy at the park with the adorable fluffy puppy... surrounded by cooing women. The truth is that people love animals. We cried at the end of Old Yeller, cheered on Free Willy as he dove to freedom, laughed at the little British gecko selling us car insurance, and collectively have all wanted to strangle the Aflac duck. As a Public Relations major I can't help but notice the power these furry creatures have over us humans.

I also noticed just how many advertisers have tried to harness this power.

The Geico gecko, Tony the Tiger, the Taco Bell Chihuahua, Micky Mouse, the Chick-fil-et cows, and the Meow Mix kitty all have one thing in common; they are memorable! Animals sell, and not just to children. I am spreading my Laughing Cow light Garlic and Herb spread on some Wheat Thins as I type this out and I can't help but smile at the happy laughing cow on the label.

See? Now tell me you don't want to laugh right along with this happy little cow! So what is it about animals that capture our imagination?

Animals are pure, they won't lie to you or mislead you. People seem to trust a gecko telling them about car insurance more than a person. The connection we make with animals is instantaneous and unfettered by the proper social etiquette we apply to members of our own species. We see a cute puppy and instantaneously scoop the critter up in our arms and let him lick our face. If a guy in a bar tried that with a cute girl I imagine it would not go over so well.

As a PR major I have a particular interest in the field of animal welfare. Advertisers have been tugging at heartstrings with cute critters for ages and these animals have proven just as effective in the field of Public Relations. We all have a soft spot for animals and even though they talk to us in commercials, they have no voice to speak out against animal cruelty.

To get involved with animal welfare check out The Humane Society or  Town Lake Animal Shelter

Sooo, what exactly is PR?

Public relations is undoubtedly a growing field.  Social media continues to grow and more uncontrolled conversations about brands are taking place via social networking sites, blogs, and forums.  More and more public relations practitioners are needed to clean up messes and promote a positive point of view in a world that loves too see others fail.

So while the field is growing, does that entail that the proffession is more recognized? I was in my PR Techniques class last year when something quite unexpected happened.  My professor ask a room full of public relations majors.... what is public relations?

He was met with silence.

And the truth is not a lot of people know a lot about our growing field... and apparently neither did we. PRSA says "Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other." According to the PRSA, the essential functions of public relations include research, planning, communication, dialogue and evaluation.

Although it is not as well known as the field of advertising, public relations can get a similar bad rap.  Some see public relation practitioners as being sneaky, conniving and manipulative.  And while our field does have its share of those who use their powers for evil, public relations does a lot of good. Non-profit pr in particular is a more rewarding profession than most. 

Even though most can not clearly define what it is that public relations proffesional do, their efforts are all around us.  It is in the news, on Facebook, in forums and even shapes societies conversations.  I hope someone asks me to define what public relations is... because this time I will be ready.

Is there a curve?

I am a 21 year old public relations major at the University of Texas.  I am proud of my school and I am especially proud of my chosen field.  Each passing day brings me closer to graduation and what once seemed so far away is quickly coming to sumation.

What is life after college? And what separates thoes who will suceeed from thoes who will obtain mediocracy? We are told to be profficient copy editors and concise writers. We are trained in the art of conversation and are supposed to know exactly what to do in a time of crisis.  When I look at my peers I know that I am receiving the exact same education as them, and yet some inevitably seem to be leading the pack.

As graduation approaches I am scrambling to distinguish myself from my peers and am constantly searching for networking opportunities and resume boosters.  I see Facebook status's about my classmates landing paid internships, and becoming the president of this or that club and I wonder; am I falling behind the curve?

In this day and age it isn't enough to just get the degree.  In this day and age you have to stand out. The career you end up with is a mixture of skill, luck, perserverance, and a little bit of who you know.  So far I have no fancy internship to my name, and I am not the president of any club.  Am I already behind? Or am I the norm?  I wonder what it is that determines success.

In public relations it is not enough to just coast.  You have to throw yourself out there over and over again.  Mostly you will get rejected, but all it takes if one break to get your career rolling.  I believe it is the fear of rejection that holds most of us public relations majors back.  When I stop and think about it I have realized that half hearted attempts at making connections will get me no where.

So I am making it my mission, and you should make it yours.  In our field giving 50 percent will get you no where when there are thoes giving it their all.  In our field only perserverence, professionalism and personality prevails at the end of the day.  Go beyond a handshake and a smile, and don't let opportunities pass you by.