PRSSA at SIUC

By Katherine Cullen

Lil Wayne is a name that cannot be ignored weather it is for good or bad. Recently, there were numerous headlines stating that Lil Wayne was admitted into intensive care at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center due to drugs. Although this may seem believable with the reputation Lil Wayne has produced for himself through his music, drugs did not contribute to his incident. It was suspected that “Weezy” was admitted to get his stomach pumped after drinking flavored soda that was mixed with codeine resulting in seizures.

Many sources, including Lil Wayne’s friends and team, confirmed that his trip to the medical center was due to how hard he works and how much time and dedication he contributes towards his music. They also confirmed that all he need was some relaxation to come back from what resulted in seizures.

According to TMZ, Lil Wayne stated to sources after six days in the hospital, “Wayne is feeling weak but he's a lot better. He plans on laying low until he makes a full recovery”. This news may be a relief to many fans but the suspicion still remains as to how these seizures were caused.

Although numerous statements have been made, there has not been a single statement to confirm the actual causation to Lil Wayne’s seizures. Lil Wayne does not try to hide his drinking and drug use in his lyrics but public relations would be helpful in this situation to publicize the actual causation. Also, just because Lil Wayne raps about drugs/alcohol, it looks bad to use substances to the point of overdose, which can cause him to lose many fans.

Overall, I think there needs to be a statement released to clarify that the seizures did not have relation to drugs or alcohol because this can keep Lil Wayne’s reputation where it stood before. This is important because it would be very unfortunate for his successful career to take a dive down due to a “rumor”. Public relations is one the strongest and most promising ways to clear up any confusion his fans may have.

By Sarah Williams

Every day we fail to ignore our chat screens filled with IM's and PM's from friends. We never miss the little buzzes that our phones send out when we are being texted. And we certainly never fail to log in to Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest, YouTube, or any other social networking site, before retiring for the evening. We are in constant connection with the people around us, and it is because of that we are able to know so much about each other, and that can be without ever really spending that much time with each other. We have access to so much different types of information because of the use of technology, however this type of power can have its pros and cons to humanity. Does this potentially take away the ingenuity of an individual? Has this been the beginning to what some of my professors have labelled us as “The Desensitized Generation?” When did certain things that used to have one meaning start tipping the scale to mean the complete opposite?

Think about our privileged access to information from this point of view: If we have the option to instantly view violent videos on YouTube whenever we desire, we begin to become immune to the gruesomeness which once had been something people would turn away from viewing. Or, if we are constantly reading and exposed to celebrities' blogs of their 6-month marriages, or their infidelities, we are becoming immune to the idea that love is a real, beautiful, and abstract feeling that two people can share. Or consider the “David goes to the Dentist” YouTube video. It has more than 117,000,000 views, and is famous throughout America and even the world. But, at what point does a 7 year old child who is too hopped up on drugs to feel safe, turn from bad humor to the absolute best type of humor?

After taking those examples into consideration, look at the facts of our society in it's present times: The year 2012 was record setting for gun sales in the United States. Many could argue that is an obvious increase in violence. On the love note, psychologists are claiming there is a 50% divorce rate in America since 2009. Could that be a possible desensitization to love? And finally, the 2012 United States prescription drug overdose epidemic. This was a year in our history that more people OD'd on legal drugs – just like David's drug was legal – and yet this is something that became humorous because of the internet. Are they all coincidences? Or could these current facts actually be minor correlations to the cons of our access to power in disguise? You be the judge. Just remember that although not everything written online may or may not be true, much of it is, and could have had a severe impact on another human being's life. Compassion is key, and we all have far too many chances throughout our days to feel and exhibit the exact opposite. Take the challenges that come your way with a smile, rather than take the common road and fall to insincerities.

As practitioners of public relations, we are expected to manage a certain image in the eye of the public. As we begin to take our first steps towards our lifelong dreams, try to tie all of this information together when getting hired into your first internship or career. We do not want the corporate world, the public, or any other industry to deem us incapable of feeling passion, fear, and love. We do not want to feed into what some belief that, as masters of public relations, we are sharks, cutthroat, and coldhearted. Let us remember what the public relations field actually entails aside from bad rumors, and misunderstandings. It may sound cheesy, but we are the future, and with that in mind, let's create a world in which we are proud to live.

By Colin Ratermann

Every year there are millions of video games sold around the world, by many different companies. For many gamers it’s about being loyal to a company for the type of game that companies create for them to play. One of the companies that has created a big name for itself is Bungie. Bungie is the video game company that brought us Halo all the way up to Halo: Reach. After the instalment of Halo: Reach, Bungie decided that it was time to move onto something new.

With that in mind and no video game releases since 2010, Bungie has made some huge news. Bungie announced the release of what is called Destiny. It is their next big game and set to be released in 2014. Not only is this big for the company to have some screenshots and videos created to show, but also did a little bit of crowd control. Along with the story that has been released telling gamers all the information that is available, there is a video. On this video, there are interviews explaining both why Bungie decided to leave Halo and also what this new game holds for gamers. The explanation is one of the things that may surprise people, but for die hard fans of the Halo series this needed to be answered.

Now with all the questions answered on what Bungie wants to accomplish, a little bit of answers to when the game will be released. The date is very important when it comes to this game. Since it will most likely be a year away, the hype for this game needs to increase. There is no doubt that as the release date is nearing, there will be many different leaks about the game. The question that lies ahead is did the leaks are true and if the company did the right thing by breaking away from Halo?. Now that the reason for doing so is starting to appear all over the social media atmosphere, and 100,000 like on Facebook are finally happening, this game will for sure make a big splash when it does come out.

By Sydney Battle

The article I chose to write about was an article about a teenager shot and killed in Chicago some weeks ago. I chose this article because the little girl just so happened to attend my high school I graduated from and it really touched my heart. The article talked about how of a kind hearted girl she was and how she was to perform at Obama’s Inauguration.

I think it was good PR for the media to constantly put out there that she performed at the inauguration. I think it was so much good of PR because it got Michelle Obama to come to her funeral. Her funeral was televised for Chicago people to see and was streamed out on the internet.

I think that the outcome for Michelle Obama coming to her funeral and her funeral being televised could have been potentially bad because to me funerals are for families and should be private. Her death became something so widely known and it was amazing how it got out there so fast. It grew so big that even President Obama took the time out to go and talk about violence in Chicago to teens at a local Chicago high school.

The PR in this situation also brought light onto the gun policies in Chicago and could possibly change them. Hadiya’s Mother who was heavily in the media talking on the violence in Chicago was even placed in a recent gun control commercial. Hadiya’s family talked a lot on the situation.

Overall the PR in this entire situation was very good but could have potentially been bad but things went well and I hope that the situation did make people take a stand to lower the crime rate in Chicago.

Article:

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/17/16997011-hadiya-pendleton-mother-featured-in-new-gun-control-ad?lite

By Maggie Shepherd

No matter where you go, you are always meeting new people and within those people are new opportunities. Being in college has by far been the best experience that I have had because of all the opportunities surrounding me as soon as I stepped foot on campus. Getting motivated to participate is the problem.

Getting motivated starts with finding something you have a true passion for and genuinely enjoy. I came to SIU being a Psychology major. I loved the field and thought everything I was learning was interesting; however, I wasn’t motivated to keep up with the schoolwork because I hadn’t figured out what I wanted to do with Psychology after I graduated.

After talking with my friend who I met through my sorority, she convinced me to change my major to PR. I have been a PR major for two and a half semesters and I can’t believe how much my lifestyle has changed since then – in a good way. I now have an internship, am in PRSSA, and am graduating EARLY because of how fast I want to learn and start a career in PR.

Lack of involvement isn’t the issue. It is a lack of interest and motivation that holds aperson back. Find something you LOVE and the motivation and involvement will follow.

By Laura Leas

Chris Brown and Frank Ocean, both nominations for the best urban contemporary album Grammy, decided to get into a physical fight outside a West Hollywood Studio. Frank Ocean claims he will drop the charges, but media lately has seemed to think something different. The latest rumors have been saying that Chris Brown tried to shoot Frank Ocean and that he will be pressing charges. After Chris Brown’s stunt with Rihanna a couple years ago, Chris has already faced an uphill PR battle.

He completely lost respect from many of Rihanna’s fans as well as his own. His newfound violent reputation created an image that Chris Brown needs to counteract. Ever since the Rihanna incident, he has been seen as a bad boy. After so many cases over the last couple of years, many are aware of the rumors surrounding Chris Brown and Frank Ocean. Twitter blew up after their little outing. Chris blamed Frank Ocean for making him “get on his level.” I don’t think Chris or Frank used their common sense when it came to these tweets.

Do they have any idea or care as to how this might reflect their reputations or outlook on their young fans?  Where is the PR professional in the back of the room coaching Frank and Chris on public behavior? Even when Frank Ocean won his Grammy over Chris brown. Chris Brown was the only one who remained seated in the building. After Chris’s childish behavior no one could keep off their cell phones and media. Twitter was on blast! People displayed a sense of disgust with his behavior and just had to post it on a national website. Get it together boys. You are in a career where you are always watched and being judged.

By Veronica Jones

Every time you encounter someone new, an opportunity presents itself. Even if you are unaware of this process, I can attest to its validity. As future PR professionals we cannot underestimate the value of face-to-face interaction in this digital, social-media driven age.

In Carbondale this is especially easy. We all, despite our various objectives, are continuing down the same path together. We are united by our location, SIUC, and our desires to hopefully not just get a job, but to be the best in our industry. These aspirations are achievable for all of us, especially if we can put aside the notion of competition and individual strife, and help each other move through the professional world.

For karmic and professional reasons, this cooperative mindset is quite advantageous. For example: A friend of mine was involved with SIUC's dub club (a RSO which throws music concerts). I helped him when I could, promoting/organizing events, or even simply attending them to show support. My casual involvement was rewarded before Christmas break when someone from Jay Goldberg Events and Entertainment (JGEE), a production and promotion company contacted me.

My old, dub club friend recommended me to Sarah Halpern, JGEE's contract manager, mentioning that I am going into PR, and am a dedicated, organized worker. I spent months prior to this laboriously searching for the perfect internship for myself and just like that, it landed in my lap. I was offered an internship as the Carbondale liaison for JGEE. With this title I am in charge of organizing a street team of volunteers, promoting musical events in the area, managing social networking sites, and executing the events.

The extra work and time you put into tasks, the extra help you give your friends, and going that extra mile to meet someone new is always appreciated by someone, whether they make it known or not. As the saying goes, 'it's all about who you know in life,' and it really can make all the difference in the world.

By Chelsea Sullivan

In an age where social media has exploded, it is crucial for businesses/corporations to keep up with their consumers and fans. Facebook has over one billion followers and Twitter has nearly half of that. PR Daily provided five sure fire ways to attract more attention to your social media platforms.

Be specific- When advertising about your products or services do not use general terms. Always use the brand’s name to attract more attention to you as a business.

Check the metrics- It is important for advertisers to know who exactly they are advertising to. There are analytic sites that businesses can use to check where the traffic coming to their site is coming from. There is no point in advertising if you are going to do it to the completely wrong crowd!

Search social media- Businesses and advertisers should always be checking websites for their names being talked about or discussed. Consumers tend to vent about horrible customer service, talk about how much they enjoy their product, etc. As a business, you want to be aware of what your consumers think about your brand and products.

Adjust to trends- Keywords on social media sites are obviously the way to go, but they don’t always last long. It is crucial to be aware of various trends and constantly check your different social media platforms for new ones.

Produce content for your ideal customer- As a business, you want to produce content that will directly effect your target audience. Using terms or words that they may use would be helpful.

By Breanna Andersonn

"There is a limit on what can be used with one hand, but there's an economic point that if a device can be used like a tablet and a phone then it's got more value, especially to people who can only afford to buy one device." –BBC News.

Pantech has unveiled its newest addition to the growing world of Android smartphones, the Vega No. 6. Not only is it one of the biggest smartphones to date, but it is also equipped with 1080p high definition video and full resolution. The Vega No 6 smartphone has all the capabilities of any other Android of his kind with the visuals of a 32” High Definition television.

Although Pantech is not a brand as well known as Apple or Samsung, the branding of this new device is helping it make its way up the technological ladder. This new “Phablet” comes with a 5.9in display screen consisting of 373 pixels per inch. It holds rank as one of the largest smartphones on the market and is awaiting its arrival outside of South Korea. Seeing as other companies such as Samsung LG and Dell has had issues in the past with producing a tablet and smartphone than can produce everything in one hand with phenomenal resolution such as the Vega No. 6, it shall be interesting to discover how well the “Phablet” does on the market.

By Kelci Jones

Every year hundreds of companies spend millions of dollars in hopes to catch the attention of viewers across the country during the most watched sporting event of the year, the Super Bowl. For some companies, like Go Daddy and Teleflora, the Super Bowl is a way to get their brand noticed and to hopefully become a household name. For other companies, like Doritos and Coca-Cola, the Super Bowl commercials are a way of solidifying their position in society. It is important to take note of the development in the commercials in the last few years because it’s a good indication of what people pay attention to and what they want to see. A public relations professional needs to know what the recent trends are and where these trends are headed.

One thing that surprised me with the statistics on wpromote.com was that only 17% of companies included social media advertising to help keep the buzz generated about their commercial. Another surprising fact is that only six brands dedicated a micro site exclusively for their product. I think that it would make the commercials more affective and the brands more memorable if the companies used social media to help promote and also developed micro sites to keep the buzz going.

The most popular and memorable commercials during the Super Bowl use strategies including comedy, celebrity endorsements, and film-it-yourself commercials to catch the attention of viewers. These strategies have been popular in past years and will most likely remain popular for years to come. As a PR specialist it is important to pay attention to the new developments and ideas that people react to whether it they are positive or negative.