The art of marketing: surprise, engage, seduce.

I recently attended the Terry O’Malley lecture in Marketing and Advertising: “Killing Sacred Cows” at Brock University.

I don’t have much experience in marketing, but it does have obvious ties to communications and public relations. Ever since my course at Centennial I feel like I have become more and more aware of the marketing efforts that surround us on a day to day basis – at the grocery store, online, at the mall or simply driving down the street. Since I’ve been eating healthier I have also been paying attention to the ingredients – what the product is really all about after you get past the catchy slogan and often misleading claim that dominates the packaging.

PR is often referred to as the “dark side” and while I don’t believe that’s the case I can see how people get that impression. We can pretty much put a spin on anything. It’s not until you read the fine print that you know what you’re really getting. I find myself sceptical of many marketing campaigns. Afterall, it’s often about someone trying to make a buck (or two or a million).

The fellas who made the presentation, Angus Tucker and Arthur Fleischmann from John St. in Toronto, had a refreshing take on marketing suggesting that the key to good marketing is to be unignorable (they are so good they even made up a word about it). They talked about “killing sacred cows,” sacred cows being those typical, ignorable, accepted marketing beliefs/practices.  Let’s face it, marketing is part of our reality, nothing is going to change that. So, if we have to deal with it might as well make it good! It was also great to hear that John St. worked on some projects they really believed in and had fun with.

Check out the guys at John St. They have done some really great “unignorable” stuff, you will probably even recognize some of it. http://www.johnst.com/

Happy birthday to me – 25 and still learning as I go!

So, it has been a while. Life has been hectic, and I let my blog slide…shame on me! But a lot has changed in the last month or so, and I am learning a lot.

I am currently about half way through my field placement. It’s nice to be getting some hands on, practical experience. I have been writing stories, designing templates and managing an internal online publication…right up my alley!

I already have a job lined up for when I am done: a seven week contract with Niagara’s War of 1812 Legacy Council. A lot of exciting things are happening with the online presence of the Council and I am excited to be a part of it. I am also excited to venture back to good old Niagara for the summer. What could be better than combing my love of Communications with my love of Niagara?!

Things with mangia cake are awesome! With adorable business cards printed and quickly depleting Amanda has been busier than ever. You can also now find her on Facebook and Twitter! I recently helped her (aka stood on the side lines as she worked her magic) and received an appreciation for what she does. It’s not easy, it’s pretty amazing, and she puts her all into it – blood, sweat and tears! Thanks for all the positive feedback and support we have both received since launching the website. We couldn’t have asked for anything more.

The FAB four - Jules, Amanda, Laura and I at dinner

On a scarier note, I celebrated my 25^th birthday last week! I had a perfect birthday weekend at home with friends and family.  My mom keeps reminding me that I am a quarter of a century old. This makes me evaluate my life and realize that I am on the right path both personally and professionally. I have the most amazing home, friends and family a girl could ask for.  I am glad I made the move to Toronto and explored the exciting field of Corporate Communications and Public Relations. I don’t know exactly where it will take me or where I will end up. All I know is, I am excited for the challenges that lay ahead.

Does social media belong in the hands of PR people?

I think the use of social media in public relations has a lot to do with corporate culture. If a company has a strong corporate culture, social media tools can be an effective way to promote and enhance it. Whether it’s a Twitter account, Facebook page or a company blog on behalf of the CEO, the PR professionals can use social media as a way to connect with both internal and external audiences.

So I think that social media does belong in the hands of PR people, especially if they (and/or their corporations) have an understanding of how to use it. No one can stop them anyways. Chances are their own level of understanding will affect its success in a business environment, so they are entering into the world of social media at their own risk! The corporate culture must embrace it in order for it to be effective, and for the PR people to really do their jobs.

So exactly how should PR people use social media? Once again I think it depends on corporate culture, business intentions, available resources, etc. Lynn Terry gives readers 10 suggestions of what they can do in her post on “How to used social media…Successfully.” The gist of it: “have a clear objective, be a valuable resource, and use the social media services in the ways they intend to be used. Anything else will get you filtered out, unfollowed, banned or blacklisted and ultimately be a complete waste of your time.” I think she makes some good points. If you’re social media efforts fail it’s because you’re not using the tools wisely.

In addition, I think social media is most effective as a tool when it is combined with traditional elements such as communications plans, news releases, etc. that all reflect the same corporate culture and help build strong relationships. Overall –it’s about expanding PR! Social media can and should be used by educated, relevant professionals. This doesn’t mean that they have to abandon traditional methods, but instead use them together. Whether it’s an online blog or a news release a company’s key messages and visible image must be clear.

Why not make use of the craze of social media? There is no debate that it is happening, so companies might as well benefit from it. It allows them access into a growing, evolving means of communication, and access to a large, diverse audience. If PR professionals aren’t engaging in social media, are they really doing a good job of communicating? I don’t think so! At times I understand they are held back by their corporate culture, but if so, they should be fighting for the cause. And if not, don’t they know that they’re missing out on such a huge opportunity?

More than just a field placement…

Recently I was faced with the task of choosing possibilities for my upcoming eight week field placement. What seems like a very simple task, ended up being a stressful one instead. I found myself looking ahead to my career. What sector do I want to be in? Where will I be most stable? Am I likely to get a job when it’s all said and done? After chats with my teachers I realized I was jumping the gun. Assured that this was just the beginning for me, I took a gamble and made my top two choices.

Now I can’t help but think about what comes next. Interviews, internships, more interviews, and jobs.

In her article The Public Relations Career X Factor, Cori McKeever offers advice on how to make your mark when entering the PR world. This helps put all of these things into perspective for me.

Tip 1: Exude confidence, but not arrogance. I don’t think I would come across as arrogant. Mostly I think it will be difficult to appear confident in a new environment. I think it’s possible to voice your opinions, showing your enthusiasm and dedication, without being arrogant. For me, it’s more of a challenge to speak up, be assertive, and make my “mark.”

Tip 2: Identify a mentor. She suggests finding someone in the business who understands your goals and objectives. This is made easier through mentorship programs through organizations such as IABC Student Mentoring Program, which now offer official programs.

Tip 3: Realize that mistakes will be made, but do not make the same ones twice.  I guess this is just another way of saying learn from your mistakes. Mistakes seem like an inevitable part of starting a new job in a new place with new people. It’s nice to be reassured that one mistake won’t steer you right for the door.

Tip 4: Burn the midnight oil. This tip did not surprise me at all. Starting off I expect to work a lot. I know I have to put my time in since I’m just starting out. To me, this means offering to take on extra projects. Not only does it help out the business, but it enriches my own experience.

Tip 6: Commit to being a student of the industry.  Being in school reminds me of this. PR homework is never done. Social media is constantly updating. There is always a lot to read and keep up on. But in the simple time spent surfing the net a lot of this can be done!!

Tip 7: Recognize there is much to learn.  I think tip 6 and 7 go hand-in-hand. Being a student of the industry means there is always more to learn. Conferences, meetings, simple surfing the internet will all help me be the best PR professional I can be.

Maybe it isn’t as easy as following a list of 7 steps, but I think they start a lot of us off on the right track.

-Jen Burkholder