Hey ya'll. Check out THIS article by Les Potter I found extremely thought provoking regarding the pros and cons of getting my degree in communications. Considering I have two weeks left until graduation a lot of the advice is past going back, but I think it has some great ideas to consider for those continuing their education in the next couple of years and those, like me, who are wrapping up their degrees. I encourage you to read his other posts too... very beneficial.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The Prince of PURRRRRRR!
My roommate & best friend Adam shared this on my Facebook wall the other day... I feel like when I decide to sit down and come up with a new layout I should somehow incorporate it!
Using Collaboration as a Tactic for Increasing Personal Success
Ask anyone I know and they will tell you what a Britney Spears fanatic I am. I'll admit, it is an obsession that might be borderline unhealthy and probably psychotic, however that is an entirely different post. Yesterday, Rihanna released a remix of her single S&M featuring none other than the Queen of Pop herself, which got me thinking about collaboration in general.
To me, collaboration is all about symbiotic relationships or using others (and others using you) in ways that are mutually beneficial, forget if your working on the same project. It seems simple at first and for all that it entails it should be. However, when you throw society into the mix and all the hierarchical structures that are in place it becomes a very complicated tool... one that is used to keep some out and let others in. Understanding how someone becomes a "part of the club", for lack of better terminology, is essential to any public relations practitioner for obvious reasons. Looking at collaboration through the lenses of one of the most competitive businesses in the world, I think we can easier understand what kind of function it serves, helping newbies like me be a little bit more strategic about getting their foot in the door.
I want to preface by mentioning that 2007-2011 Brit Brit doesn't do collabos... well at least not until now. She is kind of the big cheese aside from the infamous meltdown of 07, which I feel only strengthened her career, ironically enough. I was even more surprised that her managers agreed to let her be "featured" on the track opposed to sharing the credit equally. Britney betch has been around for over a decade now and while RiRi has got some serious star power, it pales in comparison to Brit's.
Superstars collaborating with lesser known artists (not that I consider Rihanna lesser or anything) is nothing new. We have seen it before with a million artists including Queen B, except last time it happened she was on the other end of the deal when Madonna was featured on her Me Against the Music single, which was released in 2003. For well established artists, simply working with an icon takes them one step closer to being elevated to that status themselves. Could there be an association between collabos such as these and the advancement of sub-iconic artists and, more important, a reason for doing them aside from them selling a crap ton of music? I think so...
Arguably, Britney Spears is an icon right up there with the likes of Michael Jackson, Elvis, Madonna, etc. Even popular artists like RiRi in the recording industry have to fight like dogs to stay on top, well at least their teams do. In any case, there is an obvious hierarchy in the music biz, especially when it comes to Top 40 ranking artists. That is where I made a connection that I think is applicable to the professional world... and I guess the world in general.
Why did Britney's people pick Rihanna? Why did Madonna's people pick Britney? Were they just trying to take washed out superstars and freshen up their images? Meh... I don't think so. I think, going back to the hierarchy thing, when superstars and their management see something emerging from like artists whose images are still in the developmental stage, they decide they want a piece of the pie and the easiest way to make that happen is to work with that artist.
To kind of put it back in the mindset of a PR student, how do you transition from being an established practitioner to collaborating with the big boys? We've been through years of getting it pounded into our brains how to establish ourselves in the professional world, but once we reach that level and want to go further?
What do RiRi and 2003 Brit Brit have in common that made them the target of a superstar collabo? They are HOT and have something new and innovative to bring to the scene. So how does that translate to an established PR practitioner or us students who daydream about aspirations beyond our already high and hopeful goals?
Well in the case of HOT, it might not mean physically (although it certainly couldn't hurt to be sexy as hell) per se, but our ability to be flexible and stay on top of current trends... hell maybe even inventing a trend of your own and being a pioneer for the future of our industry.
Our idea of sexy is always changing and I think HOT is in a constant state of begging to be redefined or reinvented. In other words, take a risk, especially when you know you have got something good. Fall on your ass, take the criticism, and be better next time. Sooner or later you will have something worth something... and if you've got something that is worth something then you're only a step away from a big boy collabo which (and I am not quite sure how many) is only a few steps away from being one of the big boys yourself.
Obviously, there are tons of other factors that come into play. If you completely disagree, I get it... it is sort of out there. I just thought I would put a few of my thought processes to pen. Also, if you got nothing else out of my babble, at least you learned there is a sweet new remix to S&M featuring Britney...
To me, collaboration is all about symbiotic relationships or using others (and others using you) in ways that are mutually beneficial, forget if your working on the same project. It seems simple at first and for all that it entails it should be. However, when you throw society into the mix and all the hierarchical structures that are in place it becomes a very complicated tool... one that is used to keep some out and let others in. Understanding how someone becomes a "part of the club", for lack of better terminology, is essential to any public relations practitioner for obvious reasons. Looking at collaboration through the lenses of one of the most competitive businesses in the world, I think we can easier understand what kind of function it serves, helping newbies like me be a little bit more strategic about getting their foot in the door.
I want to preface by mentioning that 2007-2011 Brit Brit doesn't do collabos... well at least not until now. She is kind of the big cheese aside from the infamous meltdown of 07, which I feel only strengthened her career, ironically enough. I was even more surprised that her managers agreed to let her be "featured" on the track opposed to sharing the credit equally. Britney betch has been around for over a decade now and while RiRi has got some serious star power, it pales in comparison to Brit's.
Arguably, Britney Spears is an icon right up there with the likes of Michael Jackson, Elvis, Madonna, etc. Even popular artists like RiRi in the recording industry have to fight like dogs to stay on top, well at least their teams do. In any case, there is an obvious hierarchy in the music biz, especially when it comes to Top 40 ranking artists. That is where I made a connection that I think is applicable to the professional world... and I guess the world in general.
Why did Britney's people pick Rihanna? Why did Madonna's people pick Britney? Were they just trying to take washed out superstars and freshen up their images? Meh... I don't think so. I think, going back to the hierarchy thing, when superstars and their management see something emerging from like artists whose images are still in the developmental stage, they decide they want a piece of the pie and the easiest way to make that happen is to work with that artist.
To kind of put it back in the mindset of a PR student, how do you transition from being an established practitioner to collaborating with the big boys? We've been through years of getting it pounded into our brains how to establish ourselves in the professional world, but once we reach that level and want to go further?
What do RiRi and 2003 Brit Brit have in common that made them the target of a superstar collabo? They are HOT and have something new and innovative to bring to the scene. So how does that translate to an established PR practitioner or us students who daydream about aspirations beyond our already high and hopeful goals?
Well in the case of HOT, it might not mean physically (although it certainly couldn't hurt to be sexy as hell) per se, but our ability to be flexible and stay on top of current trends... hell maybe even inventing a trend of your own and being a pioneer for the future of our industry.
Our idea of sexy is always changing and I think HOT is in a constant state of begging to be redefined or reinvented. In other words, take a risk, especially when you know you have got something good. Fall on your ass, take the criticism, and be better next time. Sooner or later you will have something worth something... and if you've got something that is worth something then you're only a step away from a big boy collabo which (and I am not quite sure how many) is only a few steps away from being one of the big boys yourself.
Obviously, there are tons of other factors that come into play. If you completely disagree, I get it... it is sort of out there. I just thought I would put a few of my thought processes to pen. Also, if you got nothing else out of my babble, at least you learned there is a sweet new remix to S&M featuring Britney...
Monday, April 4, 2011
"Hodge Podge"
Given it has been a little while since I last sat down to share with you guys, this post is going to be a nice little "hodge podge" of my experiences and thoughts over the last couple of weeks. I'll try to make it chronological in an attempt to organize my disheveled thought processes.
First, I attended the Central Illinois PRSA's Social Media panel in Bloomington on March 3rd where I had the opportunity to hear perspectives and participate in discussions on how SM was being used and how it can better be used to help organizations meet their objectives. There was an emphasis, I don't know if it was intentional or not, on customer service and how SM can help resolve conflicts and organizations staying active in both positive and negative exchanges regarding their brand.
The conversation surrounding this was incredibly interesting because there are so many factors to consider. For example, when is it appropriate to remove a comment from a "fan page" on Facebook or how can these mediums be better used to reach the target? Among others...
State Farm had a few representatives on the panel so we got a pretty in depth look at their use of SM and the questions they have for making it more effective and efficient. One of the primary concerns was, in the case of customer service, that this medium either isn't accessible to some or many of their customers don't have accounts. In itself this is not a problem but, given they have people whose jobs are to monitor these websites all day, those who voice their complaints or concerns via SM have much less down time than someone who writes a letter or calls in, which doesn't seem all that fair from a customer relations perspective.
There were also representatives from Millikin and Illinois State who discussed how universities are finding SM tools invaluable when it comes to recruiting new students. GO FIGURE! It was a fantastic experience... the professionals were awesome to network with and the food delicious. Now, on to Spring Break!!
Los Angeles is a fantastic city. Aside from being sprawled out to the wazoo making any sort of trip on the public transit system quite the process, I have to say that it was an amazing experience to say the least. Some call it the most superficial city in the U.S. which, outside of being the entertainment capital of the world, I don't know if I completely agree with. One thing is for sure though, the PR industry is booming out there.
What excites me the most about moving out there, which by the way, I will be doing for an internship, is getting the opportunity to apply what I have learned to an area that I am enamored with. Theatre and Dance was my focus at the beginning of my college career so I have a huge appreciation for the arts in general. I have only had exposure to a few agencies in the Midwest, but all of them I have seen are more or less working with the big American corporations who manufacture consumer products. I don't see anything wrong with those types of agencies, I would just like the chance to apply it all to something more personal to me.
What do you guys think are the big differences between PR on the west coast opposed to the Midwest, if anything?
First, I attended the Central Illinois PRSA's Social Media panel in Bloomington on March 3rd where I had the opportunity to hear perspectives and participate in discussions on how SM was being used and how it can better be used to help organizations meet their objectives. There was an emphasis, I don't know if it was intentional or not, on customer service and how SM can help resolve conflicts and organizations staying active in both positive and negative exchanges regarding their brand.
The conversation surrounding this was incredibly interesting because there are so many factors to consider. For example, when is it appropriate to remove a comment from a "fan page" on Facebook or how can these mediums be better used to reach the target? Among others...
State Farm had a few representatives on the panel so we got a pretty in depth look at their use of SM and the questions they have for making it more effective and efficient. One of the primary concerns was, in the case of customer service, that this medium either isn't accessible to some or many of their customers don't have accounts. In itself this is not a problem but, given they have people whose jobs are to monitor these websites all day, those who voice their complaints or concerns via SM have much less down time than someone who writes a letter or calls in, which doesn't seem all that fair from a customer relations perspective.
There were also representatives from Millikin and Illinois State who discussed how universities are finding SM tools invaluable when it comes to recruiting new students. GO FIGURE! It was a fantastic experience... the professionals were awesome to network with and the food delicious. Now, on to Spring Break!!
Los Angeles is a fantastic city. Aside from being sprawled out to the wazoo making any sort of trip on the public transit system quite the process, I have to say that it was an amazing experience to say the least. Some call it the most superficial city in the U.S. which, outside of being the entertainment capital of the world, I don't know if I completely agree with. One thing is for sure though, the PR industry is booming out there.
What excites me the most about moving out there, which by the way, I will be doing for an internship, is getting the opportunity to apply what I have learned to an area that I am enamored with. Theatre and Dance was my focus at the beginning of my college career so I have a huge appreciation for the arts in general. I have only had exposure to a few agencies in the Midwest, but all of them I have seen are more or less working with the big American corporations who manufacture consumer products. I don't see anything wrong with those types of agencies, I would just like the chance to apply it all to something more personal to me.
What do you guys think are the big differences between PR on the west coast opposed to the Midwest, if anything?
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