Monthly Archives: November 2011

November 18, 2011 · 12:49 PM

October Associate of the Month

By: Ali Fortney
Associate, ImPRessions Internal Account

Linsey Riley, a junior communication studies major, has been named the October ImPRessions Associate of the month.  Linsey works for the OU Performing Arts Series account where she has excelled with the firm.  Nicole Ranieri, Account Executive of OU Performing Arts highly recommended Linsey because of her work with the Baker Black Tie Affair event.  Nicole stated, “Our big Baker Black Tie Affair event wouldn’t have been able to happen without all her help. She did so much to help with planning the event.  She picked up all the items we needed and painted two beautiful banners for college gate.”  Linsey was very involved with the fall Janelle Monae concert and enjoyed working on the project.

A native of Dayton, OH, Linsey is very interested in public relations.  She joined ImPRessions to get involved with a PR organization.  Initially apprehensive, Linsey stated, “After the first meeting I was sold! I feel so lucky to be on this account, I love the arts and going to the shows and preparing for them is more fun than work.”  She has always loved writing and social interaction; therefore, working for ImPRessions has solidified her dreams of a career in PR.

Linsey is an invaluable associate for the OU Performing Arts account.  ImPRessions has opened many doors for Linsey, including enabling her to attend many shows and experience hands on PR work.  ImPRessions has also led her to build friendships with her fellow account associates.  She is also a member of PRSSA.

Congratulations Linsey Riley on being named the October ImPRessions Account Associate of the Month!

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November 17, 2011 · 9:20 PM

Specialized Teams Ensuring Success

By: Annie Beard
Associate, ImPRessions Internal Account

The ImPRessions College Book Store account is getting creative on getting work done. They have come up with a new, easy way to be highly productive in a small amount of time. Want in on their secret?

They divide their account up into four separate groups that work on projects specific to their expertise. The four groups inside the CBS account are the design team, the writing team, the social media team, and the research team. They are all vital to the success of the account, and all work together in finishing projects.

Each team within the account has specific roles and jobs they must achieve.  For example, the design team creates flyers, ads, and posters promoting events or sales that the College Book Store has going on. They did a lot to promote their Homecoming Weekend event, “Homecoming for the Homeless.”

The writing team creates press releases including things such as sales increases, CBS’s involvement in the community, and other topics along those lines.

The social media team really focuses on the CBS account’s Twitter and Facebook pages. They have recently been working on increasing friends and followers on both of these social media sites.

The research team is working on market research. For example, what do students want from College Book Store? Or what would make it easier to rent/ buy from CBS?  Where else do students rent their books?

As you can see, breaking up into groups inside an account makes it easier to get more done. Alaina Martini, the CBS secretary said that, “We can accomplish many things at one time by delegating tasks to each group.”

They are all working towards the same goal of promoting their account, the College Book Store, while saving time. They use the weekly meetings to sit down and put all of their work together. Martini also said, “At the meetings all the groups fill each other in on what they have been doing. This is helpful because if someone on the writing team has a design idea, we can share it then.”

This is a technique that other accounts within ImPRessions could use, also. It is a genius way to keep your account ahead of the game, while learning everything you need to know about the PR world!

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November 12, 2011 · 11:00 AM

Many Different PR Paths

By: Cayleigh Stadler
Account Associate, ImPRessions 
 
One of the best parts about working in the PR industry is that you have so many different career paths to choose from. Whether it is digital, crisis-management, healthcare, fashion, or non-profit PR, there are a lot of different things you can do with your major. I’ve only listed a few. There are so many industries that the options seem endless and sometimes confusing.  Personally, one of the hardest things I’ve had to do this year is trying to choose one I’d like to focus on. I’m assuming I’m not alone and I’ve  decided to look into a few different sectors and try to get a better feel for each.
 
Digital- Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.. You name it, they use it. Professionals who work in digital public relations rely on social media sites to reach their target audience. These professionals send out messages to the targeted audience to achieve the response they want. Digital PR allows companies to select their audience accordingly, as opposed to newspapers that are read by a very diverse population. They research ways to better market the product or service and how to make it searchable on search engines like Google and Yahoo.This is referred to as search engine optimization.  Digital PR is an up and coming industry and requires a vast knowledge of social media and an understanding that it is always changing and evolving.
 
Fashion- Think Lauren Conrad in The Hills. Fashion PR is a very popular, yet demanding field that appeals to a lot of students. It seems glamorous but it’s a very high- stress, fast- paced industry. The specialists work to keep the brand in the public eye by using unique tactics to promote the brand. They select what the brand represents through style and creativity. They also deal with the media if crises arise within the brand.
 
Crisis Management- Remember the Amanda Knox Trial? That was Crisis Management PR at its finest. Most of time, public relations specialists are shaping public opinion. Crisis Management specialists are hired to resolve their client’s problems and help maintain their image simultaneously. Specialists also work with big companies to deflect potential threats that might cause harm to the brand and to diffuse false rumors. Crisis Management can mean a lot of things. From natural disasters to technological crises to malpractice, working in crisis PR will have you doing something different every day.
 
Healthcare- People who work in healthcare PR are in charge of all internal and external communications within a hospital, rehabilitation facility, etc. etc. A lot of times these individuals work with the staff to promote the facility and their services. Along with doing PR, many professionals also deal with the marketing aspect of things. They must be able to handle many titles and a typically heavy workload. Communication skills are KEY in this area because you will have to deal with a lot of different age groups and demographics.
 
Non-Profit- Working for a non- profit company is the best way to turn a love for volunteering into a career. Working with charities to promote their cause, this branch of PR might be one of the most rewarding. Sometimes this involves teaching the public something that might be unclear, recruiting the public for volunteers, or collecting donations. However, whatever you’re doing it is sure to leave you feeling good at the end of the day.
 
This list is extremely limited. The world of PR is always changing and new specializations are always being created. The key to success is to be flexible and willing to learn new things. I hope these descriptions helped! Happy hunting:)  

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November 7, 2011 · 8:54 AM

National PRSSA Recognition

Over the last month, PRSSA National has recognized ImPRessions for reaching 200 members and creating a social media plan. Those recognitions are important not only because they received national attention, but also because they signify the accomplishments of our goals and of ImPRessions’ growth over the years.

The success of ImPRessions is not the work of a few; it the teamwork of many. First, the foundation and support of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism has provided our firm with the guidance to reach for excellence. Without currently and previously driven ImPRessions and PRSSA executives and members, these accomplishments would have been impossible. We work closely with our Hugh M. Culbertson chapter of PRSSA, which has developed strong relationships and learning opportunities, especially with its executives and faculty adviser, Dan Farkas. With the help of the Amanda J. Cunningham Leadership Center at OHIO and student leadership manager, Scott Eardley, our members gained valuable managerial skills. And last but not least, our professional adviser, M.J. Clark, has given us invaluable direction. Her support raises our confidence to try new things and set new goals.

Improving upon successes is never easy, but is always necessary. With a strong executive board and these early accomplishments, ImPRessions has a strong foundation for the rest of the academic year and for years to come.

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