Mixing old and new, part II

As I mentioned in my last post, mixing traditional and new PR tactics is critical. This strategy can be applied to anything! And so says the story of the newest addition to my bedroom wall.

I've been collecting random plates since I moved into my current apartment (about 2 years now). I hunted through antique shops, flea markets and even my grandma's closet to put together a great collection. But, the arrangement didn't look right until I found the squared blue one (bottom right corner) at Pottery Barn. While I intended to use all antique plates, the new plate was just the right touch.

An awkward analogy, I know, but the antique plates could represent traditional PR methods while the Pottery Barn plate is the new tool that compliments the others.

I'm loving my new collection!

Relieve your stress... kind of

My mom frequently sends me care packages. Yes, she lives only 2 hours from here, but I don't complain. I got this "doll" in the most recent one - perfect timing as the end-of-semester stress is upon us all. It says:

When you want to climb the walls
or stand right up and shout
here's a little Dammit Doll
you cannot do without.

Just grasp it firmly by the legs
and find a place to slam it.
Then as you whack its stuffings out
yell, "DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT!"

I love this thing! I need to remember to ask what made her think of me when she saw this in the store... :)

What would you use your Dammit Doll for?

Mixing old and new, part I

In my PR Communications class last week, the professor admitted to knowing little to nothing about social media or so-called PR 2.0. With this, she said in some ways she feels as though teaching us about the basic news release, fact sheet and media advisory is waste of time.

Should PR students' time be devoted only to learning about the SMPR, Flickr and YouTube as she suggested? No -- we should blend the old with the new.

From what I've seen, good PR is about excellent writing and great strategy. This strategy may be to pitch traditional media or hold a special event. But, it could also be to create a video contest on YouTube or tag an organization's photos on Flickr. Or, better yet, you could do both. Engage in traditional and "new" PR at the same time.

For my final project, I am creating a PR action plan for The Georgia Club Foundation, a non-profit created by The Georgia Club focused on enriching the lives of its residents and the surrounding community. The traditional media pitch and good-old event planning are the building blocks of this PR plan. It wouldn't be good strategy to use Twitter as a channel to reach the Athens community, but it may be a good idea to begin tagging event photos on Flickr, have Foundation members post to a blog and create a SEO'd Web site.

All organizations should use this old-new mix in their PR strategy. The key to good PR is choosing the correct channel to engage your publics, whether it's holding a 5K or commenting on blogs.

So when you're wondering whether or not to include social media tools in your PR campaign, make it simple: Set an overall communications goal, break it into smaller objectives and develop tactics to achieve each. If a social media tool makes sense, use it. Easy!

I'd be interested in putting together some real-world examples of when social media was used just for the sake of using something "new" and didn't turn out to be the optimal choice. Help me out, please!

Earbuds use KLEER, new wireless protocol

Source: Wikipedia

The headphones that came with my iPod have seen better days, and I've recently been on the hunt for something new. I'd love to say I have $600 to buy the new Sennheiser wireless earbuds. The headphones use a new wireless protocol called KLEER, rather than Bluetooth, to create CD-quality audio.

Engaget compares the size of the new earbuds to that of an iPod nano. They have some great pics on the site.

Wired Magazine instructs that you plug the matchbook-sized transmitter into your player's port, use the integrated elastic strap to fasten it to the player, and stow the bundle up to 30 feet away. Hmmm... I could leave my iPod in the gym locker room and still listen to music on the treadmill without worrying about my headphones being yanked off mid-workout. :)
I like the fact that the MX W1 earbuds are compatible with ANY device.

I'm holding out for the iPhone deal where the price is cut substantially. Maybe $200? As of now, they are a bit overpriced for me.

Cheap sunglasses

This picture explains my love-hate relationship with cheap sunglasses. So cute/fashionable and less than $10. However, I bought these just before spring break. Worth the money?

I learned my lesson not to buy expensive sunglasses after losing many, many pairs of Ray Ban's, Kate Spade's, etc. A new pair is on the horizon. Target, here I come!

Not only did I want to express my love (or hate) of cheap sunglasses, but I am THRILLED to report that I'm finally (!!) making use of yet another iPhone feature - the camera. It's a little embarrassing that my sunglass picture is the first I've taken and successfully uploaded to a computer. More to come! Maybe a picture of my new pair of glasses.

Another try at blogging

Welcome to my new, and hopefully improved, blog! I have no idea where to start, but I would like for this to serve as a place to post about:

• PR. As a soon-to-be fifth-year public relations student, I hope to comment on trends in PR. I will likely use a few of my favorite PR bloggers ideas as jumping-off points.
• current events. I love to follow the news. It's not completely unfortunate that the Today Show is one of my primary news sources. I love their entertaining overview of the day's events. Warning: "current events" may include celebrity gossip. I'm an E! News addict.
• new media. One of the requirements of being a part of the New Media Institute at UGA is that we provide a weekly blog update on new/digital media. I often struggle with this, as most of my Digital Brown Bag class seems to be interested in gaming and new technology that soars over my head. Nevertheless, I'll try!
• me! Not that my life is ultra-exciting, but I have a lot going on! My recent decision to extend my college career by another semester has proved to be a good one. I love Athens and can't wait for another year of it. Maybe my parents will figure out how to read my blog - family and friends can check-in on me.

I may ramble and be boring at times, but I hope you enjoy reading. My few readers, please comment! Although I'm perfectly fine talking to myself. :)