PRSSA Podcast for St. Edward's University 125th Anniversary

Last week Ally , Courtney , and myself created a Podcast designed around the 125^thanniversary campaign at St. Edward’s University. We had the opportunity to interview Director of Communication, Michelle Diaz and Public Relations Associate, Marcie Lasseigne of the St. Edward’s marketing department, who are both heavily involved in the campaign. As public relations students, we were very interested in the campaign logistics, and the strategies used to promote the anniversary.

We developed questions to help our audience understand the campaign and the various ways to become involved in the year long celebration. The questions varied from a focus on the campaign’s use of social media to the incorporation of the “real life” Topper mascot.

Marcie and Michelle thoroughly answered our questions and gave us much insight into the public relations aspects of the campaign.

As Marcie mentions in the episode, “people like to get their news in a variety of ways.” We learned that social media has been very useful in facilitating communication about the anniversary and related events, and we encourage our fellow students to check out the new microsite and get involved in activities on campus.

Join the effort – we can’t wait for the year to come!

Show Notes:

00:06 – Introduction to Podcast show

00:19.3 – Description of episode

00:13.1  - Introduction of hosts and guests

00:48.5 – Overview of 125^th campaign

01:16  - Sara asks about campaign, and why focus specifically on 125^th year?

03:03 – Incorporation of social media sites in campaign

08:59 – Service challenge

11:14 – Ally asks about incorporation of “real-life Topper”

12:08 – Upcoming events on campus

13:19 – Conclusion of interview

YouTube: Who is a Hit Contributor?

I have an addiction to the popular video website YouTube. It contains the music videos I want, the humor I crave, and even tutorial videos for anything you could possibly think of. Though I am on this video broadcasting system for hours a day, I have never really thought of how these videos become so popular. How did the famous dancing wedding party become such a hit that primetime shows are using the same idea? How did the famous piano playing kitten end up on my Facebook wall? So I asked myself, what makes a video a hit?

After reading the study of Persistent Paradox, I found my answers. The study looked at the reasons of success and popularity in the video uploads. The research was conducted to view 10 million uploaded videos. The quality of the videos was considered as well as the age of the video. The older videos tend to receive more video views counts since they have been on the website longer. Very few videos receive much attention if the contributor broadcasts videos constantly. The most popular have been from a first time post or a random upload. The study also found that the popularity of these videos changes over time.

With this research in mind, I decided to look up the most popular videos that have been on YouTube, and decide for myself why they were viewed millions of times.

"Charlie bit my Finger"
This video has had 166,874,929 views since it aired in 2007. This is considered a definite hit. It is humorous but very simple. Watch it and see what you think.

Another video is the "Evolution of Dance". With 138,505,127 views since 2006, this video has the appeal of entertainment and talent.


A more recent video on the list comes from a main stream celebrity. Miley Cyrus has taken over the world of music and every young girl wants to be Hannah Montana. When Cyrus released her "7 Things" music video, YouTube was hit will millions of views. The video has 112,120,624 views since its release in 2008.



What these videos have in common is their appeal to the American society. They are humorous, extraordinary, or already known in the entertainment world. I would have to agree with the study but I would love to hear about a study on what the American audience gravitates to on YouTube and why they view the videos. I guess that might be a study I can conduct some day. Happy YouTubing!

What not to Tweet About

Through this class of Social Media for PR, we have learned the success Twitter can have on companies, businesses, and individual people. The Tweets can heighten your presence in the professional world and give you a leg up on the competition. This is not always the case if you do not know the Twitter etiquette.

The new Bravo series, Kell on Earth, takes the audience into the world of the renowned PR professional, Kelly Cutrone. It portrays the cutthroat world of public relations in the fashion industry and the life of the powerhouse, Kelly in action. Her employees undergo countless tasks, long hours, thousands of emails, and ignorant interns.  She makes it a priority to let her people know, “if you have to cry, go outside.” Kelly has her bar set high for her employees and her company, People’s Revolution. Two episodes ago, Kelly had to fire two of her employees because of their unprofessional behavior and poor performance. The unacceptable behavior included: being associated with people who were consuming alcohol at a business party, not keeping up with the tasks at hand, and having too many spelling mistakes. This week, Kelly left for London’s Fashion week, while her assistant Andrew went searching for a new employee. Andrew thought he found the perfect fit in a young woman named Virginia. She was qualified in every area and Andrew offered her the job on the spot.

Once she exited the building the story became very interesting. The newly hired Virginia, loved her social media outlet Twitter and she decided to Tweet about the time leading up to the interview, the interview itself, and her happiness about her new job. She tweeted about how she had the job in the bag and how she rocked the interview, who was at the office, who interviewed her, and even how she would celebrate the new jobs by having drinks with her friends. Please watch the irresponsible behavior of the new hire.

 

As you can see from the video, Kelly’s company is very private and did not approve of this behavior. She was hired and fired within an hour. After watching this train wreak occur, I began to wonder about how many people Tweet or broadcast content like this on their Twitter. First of all it looks very unprofessional and immature and it also reflects bad on the company. My advice, DO NOT TWEET ABOUT YOUR JOB, unless you know what the rules and guidelines are in the company. Twitter can help you and hurt you, and in this situation, Virginia lost a great job because of a couple Tweets. So be careful my fellow Twitter fans!

Fashion Bloggers

Here is a blog post I did for Chiq.com. I researched fashion bloggers and used some of the blogs that I follow personally. If you like this post, please go to Chiq.com and  follow me there!

Some common habits of mine are to: shop online for purchases I know I cant afford, check out celebrity gossips sites for juicy details, and check out fashion blogs for trends, pictures, brands and the individual experience with fashion. There are millions of blogs devoted to fashion but I wanted to show you all some of my top favorites.

Fashion Toast
http://www.fashiontoast.com/
This blog is written by Rumi Neely and exemplifies her passion for fashion. Rumi shows her own style and will post many pictures so her readers can have a visual of her experiences and ideas. I like that she will explain her personal stories wearing the clothing and the events she attends. Reading this blog allows the audience to get to know Rumi and see her as a go-to-girl when it comes to fashion.

Sea of Shoes
http://seaofshoes.typepad.com/sea_of_shoes/

I find this blog to be one of my favorites. The content is about new fashion finds and the daily life of the author Anna Magnani, The layout is very original and I like the essence she puts in her pictures. Her style is something that I admire about the blog and how she incorporates other bloggers with in her posts. The blog's accents and individual flavor make it a popular read in my book.

The Sartorialist
http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

"Elegance" is what I think of when I look at this picture perfect blog. Scott Shuman takes pictures of women and men that he sees in New York City that influence his interest in fashion and style. I enjoy this because it showcases real people on the streets wearing their outfits instead of models that have been primped and premed to look a certain way or match the clothes. It portrays the reality of Fashion.

I am Fashion
http://iamfashion.blogspot.com/

This blog is collaboration between two bloggers, Barneys Girl and Harrods Girl. They started the blog in college together back in 2004 and have been blogging ever since. I enjoy reading their posts because they give two different perspectives on styles and trends. The reader can feel for their individual styles with each blog. Their posts are diverse as one day they will discuss certain fashion items they love and the next they will indulge into the financial tips and current sales.

The Bag Blog
http://thebagblog.com/

This blog was created when the author, Sara Piaseczynski, realized she spent too much time thinking and researching about bags and clothes. She wanted to publish all of her information she recovered on a daily basis so other fashion lovers could take advantage of her productive obsession. I love this blog because it helps readers know what the good products or items are and if it is worth buying them. I was looking for a good moisturizer a couple days ago and found the answer through this blog. Sara used the Kiehls Ultra Facial Moisturizer and loved it, so the next day I was off to Saphora ready for my new moisturizer.

Who What Wear
http://www.whowhatwear.com/website/home.php

This blog is a widely know and read, as it publicizes celebrity styles, trend watches, and has its very own stylist. I like this blog because it incorporates my love for fashion and lets me see what my favorite actresses are wearing. The blog published the styles of NYC fashion week "What they Wore", where I saw Irina Lazareanu in a perfect sequined Shirtdress. After seeing this, I thought to myself, "I must have that shirtdress", so I kept reading and found that it was 3.1 Phillip Lim ($995). This is a great blog if you adore the clothes because the site also offers places to find clothes resembling the one’s described in their blog.

Style and the City
http://www.styleandthecity.com/street-style-paris-fashion-week/

This blog is another look at the real street style. The blogger focuses on style of people on the streets and also the highlights of fashion week. This blog is international and incorporates the style news from Paris, New York and London. I like this blog because it showcases the style from across the world. This aspect has let me realize new ways of dressing and made me want to move to Paris even more then I did before! C'est la vie!

Fashion Canvas
http://fashion-canvas.blogspot.com/

This blog is like entering an art exhibited. The blogger, Francheska, uses pictures of fashion and editorials throughout her blog. This is more of a statement, without using words. I love that she uses the pictures to express her ideas and emotions. She is located in Spain but travels allot. She blogged about her travels to Bangkok and explained her time there with vintage clothes and plenty of Pai Thai. I like this blog because it inspires me and it is formatted like a personal journal.

Fashion Pirates
http://fashionpirates.blogspot.com/

Fashion blogs do not have rules, and Arabella proves that with her personal blog. This 17 year old fashionista enjoys the fashions of old. She loves the vintage styles and incorporates them nicely within her posts. She is an eclectic writer and it is very fun to read her blog. Arabella has inspired me to search in my great grandmother’s jewelry trunk and find pieces to make an outfit. Last week I wore an embellished long gold necklace that was very noticeable and loud. The piece basically shouted "Look at me!"as I walked by people on the street. Normally I would not take the risk with an outrageous accessory, but this blog fueled me to take a chance. Thank you Arabella!

PR Couture
http://www.prcouture.com/

This is not just a fashion blog. It is the Mecca of fashion and public relations. PR Couture is a website devoted to the bloggers that are within the fashion and public relations world. It showcases many different bloggers and has a wide variety of information for people within the industry. Today I found strategies on how designers use PR in their business and how blogging is an essential part of marketing for a brand. The blog is a great place to find ideas and answer tough questions.

These blogs are some of my favorites to indulge in. They are a great way to keep up with the fashion industry and showcase new styles. I feel that blogs are a place to portray yourself to the world and these fashion bloggers inspire people to do the same. I encourage all of you to look at the blogs and see what they inspire in you. Today, I contemplated buying some chucky platform boots after reading Fashion Toast. I looked on SeeWhatWear to see if they were something the celebs were wearing and found that Chloe Sevigny rocked these boots on a regular basis. Lastly, I looked at I am Fashion, and they said “They are mighty tall, and I walked around them for a while thinking that I should probably return them because they're so tall. Except they're so awesome so I'm not going to return them.” So, because of the blogs I tried a new interesting boot outside my style comfort level, found information about the boots like who is wearing them and how they feel, and now they are some platform boots in a little cardboard box on the way to my apartment. Thanks bloggers!

Podcasting- The Tips I have Learned

This week we learned about the wonderful world of podcasting.  I never really understood what podcasting was until about a year ago. To be honest, I thought it was having a video or the visual content of a radio show.  This is completely wrong. Podcasting is like a radio show but anyone can do it. We played around with the software to create podcasts and my class and I were surprised how much work went into this. There are many tools and techniques for editing the podcast and making it sound professional. Some classmates and I rented the microphone and recorder to play with how to start a podcast. It was interesting how we felt comfortable messing up our words because we knew we could edit them out. We also talked in a normal speaking volume but also knew that we could adjust our volume with the click of a button. I wanted to learn some tips of the trade before our group did our first podcast. Here are some tips for doing a great podcast:

1. Get a good Microphone: This can make all the difference from a good podcast to a great one. Kevin Yank, a highly respected technical author says, “Good podcasting microphones are directional, which is to say they capture sound from directly in front of them, and not the various hums and echoes in the rest of the room. A really good microphone can make your voice sound more pleasing than it does in real life!”
2. Pick a good space, Quiet room: This is essential to the recording of a podcast because background noise is hard to cut out on podcasting software. Blank walls, big windows, large tabletops, and hardwood floors all create echoes that can completely ruin that “up close and personal” sound you’re going for. Look for places with thick carpets, drawn curtains, and soft furniture, as they are all excellent echo absorbers.
3. Prepare, but do not read your script: Make sure you are prepared but when you are recording, act as if it is a conversation. Your audience does not want to hear a boring monotone interview or broadcast. Make it fun!
4. Keep it simple: I thought of this tip because when I listen to podcasts I do not want to be overwhelmed with too many sounds and jingles. This takes away from the content of your podcast and is distracting to the listener.

I am excited to make my first podcast this week with my peers Ally Hugg and Courtney Medford. Hopefully following these tips can help us on our way to becoming professional podcasters.

Phishy Business

As my classmates and I become more familiar with social media, and our own blog and Twitter accounts, there is more information we must know to protect our online accounts. Phishing has been a frequent way to get into personal accounts of Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace.  Phishing is defined as "the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication." Phishing works by sending out emails or messages to grab people’s attention. The messages  are usually something you would see from a friend like “Hey someone told me this about you”. The scammers do this to catch your eye and draw you in. If you fall for the scam reset your password immediately. If you have trouble logging in after resetting your password, contact the support team of your site.

This week, the website Mashable reported that there was a Twitter phishing attack spreading through the system. This attack comes  in a form of a direct message and has been spreading rapidly. The message will show up with a casual “lol, is this you” which links to the site “bzpharma”. If you click this link, spammers have hold of your account and will send the direct mail to all of your friends and the cycle will continue.

The famous CNN news anchor, Rick Sanchez was voted once of the most popular bloggers on Twitter, with nearly 40,000 followers and ranking 20^th on Twitterholic list. Sanchez was also a victim of a phishing scam in the beginning of January. The scammer tweeted on behalf of Sanchez “I am high on crack right now might not be coming into work today". 

Though this may be humorous to some, Sanchez was not amused. The tweet did not last lost and Sanchez announced the invasion of his Twitter account.

 Here are some tips to avoid phishing scams:

·         Watch out for “phishy” emails- This could be an email from someone you have never heard from before, or even a made up company name. They will try to temp you with the illusion that you have won a prize or to claim your winnings.

·         Don’t click on links within emails that ask for your personal information- Hopefully we all know not to give out our personal information unless it is a verified and safe site. Do not be fooled by “copy cat” sites.

·         Protect your computer with spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a firewall, and keep them up to date.

·         Know that phishing can also happen by phone- scammers may also call you and pretend to be a company looking for your information, never give out your information over the phone, unless you are 100% positive it is safe.

·         Act immediately if you’ve been hooked by a phisher- If you provided account numbers, PINS, or passwords to a phisher, notify the companies with whom you have the accounts right away.

Follow these tips and we should all be safe from those nasty phishy scammers.

Twitter Study

This week I read an interesting study called “Analyzing the Influence on Twitter”. This study was conducted by the Web Ecology Project, based in Boston, Massachusetts. The authors, Alex Leavitt ,Evan Burchard, David Fisher, and Sam Gilbert, focused their research on the influence of the social media website , Twitter. They decided to focus in on a large scale of data to analyze the system  and understand the flows of culture and communication online. To go through this study they used a qualitative method and based their data on the content and responses of 12 popular users. These factors, would measure the influence of Twitter. They chose a wide variety of users from “THE_REAL_SHAQ” TO “CNN”. They examined 134,654 tweets, 15,866,629 fol­lowers, and 899,773 followees. The research showed that over a 10 day period of time,  the 2,143 tweets published, had responses generated by 90,130 other online Twitter users. Their findings came from a number of aspects surrounding Twitter. First they examined the “following” aspect of Twitter. When a user has a large amount of followers they have more of an impact on the Twitter environment.  This is a place where the perception is warped between the platform and the user. When the user has a concrete following community they have a successful broadcast system. 

Shaq is one user that has many followers to broadcast to.

This following community, is not the same for the ratio for the number of user followers to the number of user followees. Users with low followee and high followers may want to focus on material, to publish information to flow through users. A user with an equal ratio of followers and followees is categorized as a conversationalist, someone who wants to become familiar with their followers to create personal conversation.  A user with low follower and high followee is seen as a spammer. The researchers looked at conversations and content, actions and responses, and audience responses as a way of determining the influences.

Their findings included:

• mashable is more influential than CNN.

• sockington is more influential than MCHammer, while MCHammer is more influential than three ma­jor social media analysts (garyvee, Scobleizer, and chrisbrogan).

• Celebrities with higher follower totals (eg., THE_REAL_SHAQ and ijustine) foster more conversation than provide retweetable content.

• News outlets, regardless of follower count, influence large amounts of followers to republish their content to other users.

After reading this, I decided to look at my Twitter and apply the theory of the ratios between followee and followers. I am following more people than people are following me. I would be seen as a spammer but I am trying to build my network not be a spammer. Then I looked at Whole Foods and they are following 582,051 and have 1,754,430 followers. 

Whole Foods tweets are not just about the company or new information. The company is retweeting and personally  answering questions of their audience. 

 I have not seen someone with the equal ratio on my Twitter but I would like to see if the study was right about that example too. For the most part, I do not agree with this study when it comes to the ratios. I am definitely not a spammer and Whole Foods is a conversationalist, not just a publisher.