Teaching PR

A different way to teach PR Campaigns

As an assistant professor, I begged not to teach PR Campaigns. But after several years of teaching the same few courses, I decided to give it a try. At first I was a chicken and used local or university clients but hypothetical campaigns. Then I got a little braver and started taking on bigger accounts. In either instance this involved a semester of work followed by a formal presentation at the end of the semester. And then I launched into the big time of actually implementing the campaigns during the semester. Yes, people, there's a learning curve for teaching, too.

Here's what I've been doing lately:

1. The students meet with the client during the first or second week of class. The client reps explain the basic issues and problems, areas where they'd like help.

2. The students go nuts on research. It varies by client needs, but I try to make sure they get some focus group, interview, and/or survey experience in addition to reviewing past press coverage, locating and analyzing competitors, etc.

3. The students write a situation analysis and prepare a PR plan with goals, objectives, and lists of tactics. The students pitch the client at a formal meeting, explaining their research and why they're recommending the strategies and tactics they selected.

4. The client tells us what they like and don't like, and what we can actually do -- including how much money we can spend (sometimes none).

5. The students go nuts on implementation, tracking all the results (or as much as can be done by the end of the semester).

6. The client comes back for a second presentation, in which the students report what they did and what that accomplished.

Benefits: Two presentations means twice as many speaking opportunities. Clients have input before the end of the semester. More realistic. Forces students to DO instead of think about evaluation. Measurable results = good portfolio/interview material.

Drawbacks: Depends heavily on client participation and willingness to respond in a timely manner. More work, or maybe just more challenging work, for the instructor and the students.

Guest post: Debbie Ebalobo (University of Georgia)

Here's the fourth and final post in my series of guest posts by PR student bloggers. Debbie Ebalobo is a third-year PR major at the University of Georgia, and she writes about diversity issues in public relations on her blog, Diversified PR.

How PRSSA Can Promote Diversity at Your School

The University of Georgia PRSSA chapter began a new diversity initiative this year. Though it has only been half a semester, the initiative is breaking new ground in the recruitment but more importantly the retention of minorities in the Public Relations Student Society of America.

Through this post, I hope to encourage other PRSSA chapters to take the step to include diversity as one of their chapter goals.

First, I wanted to speak about the purpose of the initiative. This new initiative tries to encourage multicultural students to be active in PRSSA and gain valuable experience, and though the program encourages diverse students to join, the primary goal is to retain diversity. 

Many individuals believe that beginning a new diversity initiative is too difficult; however from personal experience, I want to say that all it takes is a chapter that wants to commit to addressing this problem.

At the University of Georgia, it took one summer and a few brainstorming meetings with my advisor and the PRSSA executive board to implement a working committee.

If a school chooses to take on this project, I want to outline the different parts of the initiative:

Part One: The first part is a diversity committee head. This person is integral to the success of your program. He or she must be willing to think of new projects for the committee to partake in. Though the group often helps in setting the agenda for the semester, the team head is the lead.  I am the current diversity committee head at UGA, and because the initiative is new, I understand that I lay the foundation to the projects we participate in.

Part Two: The second part is an executive board and an advisor who is willing to take on diversity projects. This year, the diversity committee has worked very closely with our advisor, Dr. Betty Jones, and the executive board to bring more multicultural speakers and work with multicultural organizations throughout the university.

Part Three: The third part involves a willing group of students who want to make a difference and understand that this is NEW; therefore the start is rocky because no programs are laid out. Stress that the opportunity for new PRSSA diversity related programming is endless, but it will be hard work.

Part Four: The last part involves the college. The group NEEDS to know that what they are doing is integral; having staff and faculty that are willing to help is important.  At UGA, we are directly working with dean of students to increase diversity in the Grady College itself.  Knowing that the Grady College is committed to what we are trying to accomplish provides motivation to each committee member.

In conclusion, I want to speak about the importance of diversity and how each PRSSA chapter has an opportunity to tackle the problem head on. I know it is often put in the back burner, but as PR people, we never ignore a problem—we have to tackle it head on. This is another lesson that we can teach PRSSA members. Overall, the diversity committee at UGA is still learning, but at least I can say…the University of Georgia PRSSA is taking the steps that will change the face of communication; can your university do the same?

The Week's Best, 27 October 2008

• List of Top Social Media Network Sites, Dkumar M
• Advice for Graduating College Students, Amybeth Hale
• Can You Handle the Truth? 10 Tips About Career (That No One Ever Tells You), CareerRealism
• Phone Pitch Tips for Young PR Pros, David Mullen
• Curiousity Killed the Cat and Your Twitter Followers, Jennifer Van Grove (via Cindy Grace)
• 7 Personal Branding Tips for College Graduates, David G. Heiser
• Social Media/Business Marketing Examples, Ray
• The Lazy Blogger's Guide to Finding Great Post Images, Sonia Simone
• A Thought about the Cooling Economy and Global Warming, Michael Seaton
• Would You Facebook with Your Boss?, Lylah M. Alphonse
• Putting Privacy Settings in the Context of Use (in Facebook and Elsewhere), danah boyd

Guest post: Natalie Smith (Leeds Metropolitan University)

This is the third of four guest posts from PR student bloggers. This week Natalie Smith, a second-year student at Leeds Metropolitan University on the BA (Hons) Public Relations course, posts about PR internships.

 

Finding internships in the PR industry

As PR becomes such a popular career path to choose, students must make more effort to improve their skills and gain experience, putting them ahead of others when facing an interview situation. 

Internships can help to develop a CV whilst giving the practical experience necessary for a career in PR. 

 

When I began the Public Relations course at Leeds Metropolitan University I was a little apprehensive when I heard we were expected to find work placements, but once I’d completed my first week long placement I realised how important it was, and what you can gain. 

 

But how exactly do you go about getting an internship? And where should you look?

 

I’ve devised a list of ten tips for students to help find a great placement where you can gain the experience and knowledge needed to excel when looking for a full time job after university.

 

1. Search for any PR agencies in your local area- Check out who they work with and what they do
2. Use your contacts- friends, family and lecturers could all be possible links to a good internship
3. Don’t rely on the PR agencies, they might be inundated with applications from students and unable to offer you work experience
4. Remember to try and look at different sectors, it’ll help you make the decision of which path to take after university
5. Ask other students where they have completed internships- if it was good, try there!
6. Make sure your CV really shows you off before thinking about sending it to any possible employers. Always remember to spell-check and proof read!
7. Write a cover letter/email requesting a placement and attach your CV.  Remember they probably get a lot of similar emails so really sell yourself.  Always tailor the email to the company; never send the exact same email to two companies. 
8. If an application doesn’t result in work experience, don’t be disheartened.  Check over your CV again and keep looking!
9. If you get a placement and find yourself making coffees all day, try discussing it with your tutor, they’ll help you decide what to do!
10. Enjoy yourself! Internships shouldn’t be something you dread, enjoy your time at the company and get as much out of it as you can!

The Week's Best, 20 October 2008

• The First 90 Days of Blogging, Sean Moffitt
• Personal Brand Value or Bust, Qui Diaz
• Engaging (and Grilling) the Social Side of James Grunig, PR Conversations
• So You Want a Fashion PR Internship, PR Couture
• Traveling in First Gear Only, Christine Smith
• Zany: Or Not So Much... Protect Yourself from Identity Theft, Lauren Vargas
• Twitter Tools for Community and Communications Professionals, Brian Solis

Poverty, and anti-poverty initiatives, are local

Today is Blog Action Day, and this year's theme is poverty... a huge topic and a daunting prospect in terms of thinking about ways to improve the problem. In fact, it might be so huge and so daunting that you decide you can't do anything to help.

But that's not true. A simple way for one person to make a difference is to join a local initiative that transforms your time and money into real assistance to people who need it. When I was in grad school, walking along the poverty line myself (don't laugh-- I could've qualified for foodstamps), I donated the salad once a month for my church's soup kitchen: six heads of lettuce and whatever veggies were on sale that week, chopped up and tossed in a garbage bag. It wasn't much, but it was something.

In Athens we have a big poverty problem, and a big initiative trying to fix it. I've written about OneAthens before, because last spring's PR Campaigns team worked with them. OneAthens addressed poverty from the bottom up: community members did research to identify problems, met in committees to propose solutions, and told their leaders in government, nonprofit, education, and local business what they could and should do to help.

OneAthens did not treat poverty as the problem of individuals but as a problem of the community, and it sought system-wide solutions that considered education, transportation, housing, employment, and healthcare as intertwined parts of the problem -- and the solution. The organization is in a transitional phase now, and only some of the proposed solutions have been enacted, but it has already begun to make a difference by changing how people think about poverty.

If you live in Athens, OneAthens suggests using Hands On Northeast Georgia to locate volunteer opportunities that can also make a difference. You may not have a lot of time or money, but doing something is vastly better than doing nothing. 

The Week's Best, 13 October 2008

• The 6 Dangerous Fallacies of Social Media, Jason Baer (via Judy Gombita)
• Community is the New Country, Jason Mical
• Are You Reading the Top PR Blogs?, Dave Fleet
• The Low Risk, High Rise of Phony Grassroots Groups, Steven Silvers
• Recession Brass Tacks, Geoff Livingston (with lots of links to other posts about the economy); The Money Meltdown (via Christopher Butler); Life Post-Graduation Part 2: Finding a Job in an Economic Crisis, Meg Roberts; and Finding a Communications Job in Today's Economy, Allie Osmar (podcast)
• ABC Muzzles We, David Reich
• The Do's and Don'ts of Outreach, Richard Millington

Guest post: Rachel M. Esterline (Central Michigan University)

Rachel Esterline is the second student to participate in my series of guest posts from students. Here's her post:

 

Creating an Online Portfolio

An online portfolio can be a useful tool for a public relations student. It can assist in finding internships and jobs by showcasing writing samples and other skills related to the field. When writing copy for your portfolio, write it in AP style and be sure to proofread it before posting to the site. Below are other suggestions for creating your online portfolio.

Finding a design

It works well to sketch out how you want your page to look before designing it. To design your site, try a program such as Microsoft FrontPage or Adobe Dreamweaver. If you have no experience with Web design, find a template online (search “free HTML template”) or ask a design student to help you.

The home page

A good home page should serve as a brief introduction to who you are and why you have created the site. You may want to include a professional photo of yourself, a personal logo and other items conveying your personal brand.

A bio

Consider including a short bio on the home page or on a separate page. Ideally, your bio will include an introduction on who you are, details about your education, and what you are doing to advance your career in public relations.

The portfolio

The portfolio section of your Web site should contain the best examples of your work. Organize it so it may be easily navigated. Consider including the following items in your portfolio:

• Resume

• Writing samples

• Design samples

• Research samples

• Published work

Contact Information

The most important information to include on your Web site will be your name and e-mail. Optional information might include your LinkedIn profile or Twitter account. You might not want to include your phone number or address.

Web address

For the most professional look, purchase a domain name from a hosting provide such as HostMonster.com. For a more affordable option, try a free hosting service like Freewebs.com. Although you won’t have a professional domain name or other paid benefits, you can still have a clean and useful online portfolio.

 

*****

Here's Rachel's Web site/online portfolio. Impressive!

The Week's Best, 6 October 2008

• Blue Astroturf, Geoff Livingston
• Instructor's Notebook: PROpenMic at Six Months, Phil Gomes
• So You Want to Meet a Senior Executive?, Todd Defren (via @liz126)
• Facebook ≠ Email Marketing, Kevin Dugan
• What's Public Relations Research?, Ron Culp
• How to Handle Criticism, Karen Burns
• What is Social Media, and Why Should I Care?, David Griner
• The History of Public Relations Practice -- A Student Project, Corinne Weisgerber
• Indeed.com (via @CarolineBoegel)

Guest post: Adam Lewis (York University)

Adam Lewis is the first student to take me up on my offer to promote guest posts from students. Here's his post:

Entering the PR industry from a different perspective: Differences between the UK and the USA

The USA and the UK are two countries that have been closely linked throughout history. However, despite this there are the obvious cultural differences. In the USA there are common-held beliefs of what the UK is like and what the British people are like. For example, I don’t have particularly bad teeth, I am not a butler/nanny and don’t say the phrases “What, ho!”, “I say!” or “old chap”. The differences in culture can equally be applied to PR students, entering the profession and the industry itself.

I recently wrote a blog post posing the question “Is a PR degree the best way to get into PR?” This caused fierce debate mostly with American visitors to the site believing that a PR degree was almost a must to get into the industry with the skills gained from the discipline. However, the important difference between the two countries is that in the UK, a student has as much chance entering the profession with the degree than without it.  To Dirk Singer of Cow PR, “all things being equal, the fact that someone has a PR degree would make no difference either way to me”. Similarly, Stephen Davies of 3W PR believes “My opinion: it doesn’t matter”. The UK university system is slightly different from the US. After achieving their A-Level grades (at 18), students then apply to specific courses at 6 universities. The course is sometimes specific to the industry e.g. someone studying medicine will almost always become a doctor. However, students studying the humanities and arts like English, History and Geography can enter a variety of industries including PR. This means that where their degree is from is often more important than the actual discipline e.g. English student at Cambridge University more likely to get into PR than PR student at “University of back-beyond”. Even more important is what the student has done outside of university and what previous experience they have of the job. 

After talking with Katalyn Yenne, a senior PR major at Ohio Northern University, students who graduate in the discipline of PR have a greater advantage over those who do not in the USA. “As a public relations major, you learn that writing is the number one skill needed to succeed in the field. Where I attend college, there is special emphasis placed on writing, ensuring this skill is honed before we graduate.” Katalyn also emphasized the importance of experience, especially the value of internships believing that experience is now separating students from undergraduate young professionals with the person who has the most experience and best credentials obtaining the position, despite where they attended college. With PR ranking as one of the most popular career choices for graduates in the UK, the situation is similar to the USA with students who have that experience of working in the industry definitely having an advantage over their rivals.

Similar to the US, before a UK student has even graduated, they will start the application process. They can either apply through recruitment services, or the increasing (and often more successful) approach, directly through the company. As far as I know, there isn’t the same PR networking events that are available in the US where students can make contacts with professionals. Depending on how big the company is and how thorough their recruitment process, the UK applicant will go to a number of interviews and tests until they are finally (and hopefully) handed a job.

One thing which is remarkable about the UK industry, even as a student who hasn’t even entered the profession yet, is that the majority of PR jobs in the UK are in London. Although there are brilliant agencies throughout the UK the majority of companies and often the biggest are located in London. Although I expect the biggest and best PR agencies are located in the big cities of the US, I don’t think it is to the same degree as what exists in Britain. After graduating I plan to work in London, not because of my love for the city but purely because I want to receive the best training possible to become the best PR practitioner I can.

Invitation for PR student guest posts

I've been following a number of student PR blogs for some time now, and I am often impressed by the quality of the content many of them produce. For that reason, I'd like to introduce my readers to student bloggers.

So, I'm inviting students to pitch me for the right to publish a guest post on my blog during the month of October. I'd like to post one a week, so that means I can take 4-5 posts. Just drop me an e-mail at russell (dot) uga (at) gmail (dot) com and tell me what you'd like to write about and why you think my readers, who are primarily educators and students but also PR pros, would benefit from reading about it. I'll pick a few and give you a deadline (although if your post is timed to a specific event or day, you can suggest a deadline).

You are welcome to cross-post to your own blog, of course, and if it's not already there, I'll add your link to my blog roll.

Looking forward to some interesting pitches!