So fashion PR could be my calling. I have always loved clothes. And shoes. And jewelry. And purses. And you get the idea. Even as a little girl, I'd be ready to leave the house and decide my outfit just wasn't quite right, so I'd dash back upstairs and put together a completely new look. As you probably guessed, it drove my parents crazy.
Now as a college senior, exploring the realm of PR niches, my professor introduced me to the world of fashion PR and fashion blogs. I must say, I'm smitten. Check out PR Couture, if you haven't already. They recently did an interview with Najwa Moses, who writes her own fashion blog, and she made the coolest comment on the difference between fashion and style. My What-Not-to-Wear-addict self loves this distinction. She talked about how "fashion" is really the industry- designers, runways, etc.- whereas "style" comes naturally. She's totally right, and like she said-stylish people just know how to dress themselves to look fabulous, whatever the season's trend.
This makes me think back to a job opening I saw in fashion PR, and I started to wonder whether I'm actually stylish enough for a career in that industry. I've always felt like my style is unique, and thanks to Najwa Moses' great advice, I can take confidence in my stylish self. I mean, I already put so much time and effort in on the style front anyways, since I love it, why not consider incorporating it into my career too?
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Saturday, February 3, 2007
someday my toaster will read me the news
A few months ago, my 17-year-old brother stood in line all night to ensure he was one of the first owners of the long-awaited Nintendo Wii. If you have not yet had a chance to dabble in the excitement of this interactive gaming system, I recommend you give it a try. My brother conned his non-gaming sister who barely knows which way to hold the controller into playing one day, and to my surprise I found it quite fun. For me, Wii bowling proved more fun than actual bowling, probably because I seemed slightly better at it than when I bowl in real life.
Last week, MediaPost's Marketing Daily published a very interesting article about Nintendo's Wii. According to the article, Nintendo plans to make news from AP available through the Wii. To me, this sounds like an avenue to entice tuned-out youths to get into the news. Although definitely not foolproof, I think those of us in the communications field need to acknowledge new, innovative ways of getting our message across to our publics. We know that if you want to want to reach your audience, you must go to them- relying on them to find to you usually fails to achieve much success. So if our audiences start TiVoing through commercials and watching YouTube rather than the news, we will just need to upload our message to YouTube to keep up.
For a communications profession like public relations, this translates into message appeal. Obviously your message itself must appeal to your audience, but you reach your audience more successfully if your message comes though an appealing medium as well. In the case of those crazy young whippersnappers, they might actually read it.
Last week, MediaPost's Marketing Daily published a very interesting article about Nintendo's Wii. According to the article, Nintendo plans to make news from AP available through the Wii. To me, this sounds like an avenue to entice tuned-out youths to get into the news. Although definitely not foolproof, I think those of us in the communications field need to acknowledge new, innovative ways of getting our message across to our publics. We know that if you want to want to reach your audience, you must go to them- relying on them to find to you usually fails to achieve much success. So if our audiences start TiVoing through commercials and watching YouTube rather than the news, we will just need to upload our message to YouTube to keep up.
For a communications profession like public relations, this translates into message appeal. Obviously your message itself must appeal to your audience, but you reach your audience more successfully if your message comes though an appealing medium as well. In the case of those crazy young whippersnappers, they might actually read it.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
writing- yeah, it's actually kind of important
So, the professor of one of my classes wrote a textbook. A incredibly educated individual in his realm, his knowledge far exceeds my expectations for a teacher of an entry level elective. The fact that he's personable and funny also works in his favor; my point here being I maintain no qualm with the individual. Now, back to the textbook- it's not published yet, so he provides a draft of each chapter to students in the class via an online administration tool. I've read two chapters of the book thus far, and I pity its future editor. Littered with passive voice and cliches, reading it presents a unique and boring obstacle for a student whose major essentially consists of learning how to write in a manner that won't put your readers to sleep or into a coma. I should mention the first and second chapters of the book brazenly insult journalists and the media, who frankly comprise a group of some of the best writers out there.
As I have learned in my tenure in UGA's PR program, writing essentially constitutes the basis of PR. Communication in the form of the written word requires time and study. Good writing often proves a rare find, and bad writing usually floods in superfluously.
As for the the media- traditional and nontraditional- they play a huge role in the overall function of society; bringing issues of concern to the forefront of public attention. They create forums for public discussion of political and societal issues. And their PR counterparts assist journalists of all kinds in discovering the important information they need to present a fair and balanced perspective. I think I could even get some English majors in on this, after all, it drips with irony- insulting journalists through poor writing.
As I have learned in my tenure in UGA's PR program, writing essentially constitutes the basis of PR. Communication in the form of the written word requires time and study. Good writing often proves a rare find, and bad writing usually floods in superfluously.
As for the the media- traditional and nontraditional- they play a huge role in the overall function of society; bringing issues of concern to the forefront of public attention. They create forums for public discussion of political and societal issues. And their PR counterparts assist journalists of all kinds in discovering the important information they need to present a fair and balanced perspective. I think I could even get some English majors in on this, after all, it drips with irony- insulting journalists through poor writing.
celebrities- all a pr stunt or the real deal?
I'm sure by now everyone has heard of the controversy surrounding Grey's Anatomy star Isaiah Washington and his comments about costar T.R. Knight. In case you haven't, (because you have better things to do with your time) here's an overview. Supposedly Washington made a derogatory comment about Knight's sexual orientation. Washington reportedly apologized, but then brought the incident up again the Golden Globes. The latest development includes Washington issuing a formal apology for both incidents and seeking help for his problem- which brings us to how PR comes into play in this whole twisted drama. While listening to the radio, I heard some morning DJs discussing their doubt about the sincerity of Washington's apology. They chalked it up to being just a PR stunt to keep his job and protect Grey's reputation.
Well, celebrity PR exists, in part, to help celebrities recover from public embarrassment. Think back to Michael Richards and his Laugh Factory fiasco. After his horrendously long apology on Letterman- which desperately needed scripting by a PR professional, so that at the very least it would have made sense- he eventually enlisted the help of New York based Rubenstein Associates Inc.
PR is not there just to make nice for the mistakes and bad judgement calls Washington and Richards both made. Its role includes helping these celebrities get their message across. They can't sit down field calls from a hundred journalists, nor do they know who to inform about the steps they're taking to make things right. PR levels the playing field; it gives celebrities a chance to say their piece in a world where gossip and rumors oftentimes are more sought-after than the actual truth.
Well, celebrity PR exists, in part, to help celebrities recover from public embarrassment. Think back to Michael Richards and his Laugh Factory fiasco. After his horrendously long apology on Letterman- which desperately needed scripting by a PR professional, so that at the very least it would have made sense- he eventually enlisted the help of New York based Rubenstein Associates Inc.
PR is not there just to make nice for the mistakes and bad judgement calls Washington and Richards both made. Its role includes helping these celebrities get their message across. They can't sit down field calls from a hundred journalists, nor do they know who to inform about the steps they're taking to make things right. PR levels the playing field; it gives celebrities a chance to say their piece in a world where gossip and rumors oftentimes are more sought-after than the actual truth.
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