MySpace practices CSR, too!

I was logging into MySpace (yes, I am a guilty user) and the home page was completely black in honor of Earth Day 2008. MySpace isn't the first Web site to do this. Google created the search engine Blackle for those who are uber-concerned about saving energy. I didn't even know Blackle existed until I saw someone using it in one of my classes. It never even crossed my mind that blacking out Web sites would save that much energy. I guess blacking out Web sites is the new "Save the Earth" trend.

Blacking out their Web site isn't the only thing they are doing for Earth Day. According to MySpace Impact, they hosted the Green Apple Festival over the weekend in which artists banded together to perform for a cause.

MySpace is also asking users to plant a tree on their profile and in return, MySpace will plant a tree in real life. This new application will spread quickly across the MySpace community. I mean, look at Facebook. In one of their thousands of applications, users can create their own virtual pets. This application started out with minimal use, but now, I see it on almost every profile I view. So, add a tree to your MySpace and chances are, all of your friends will too.

Some might be shocked to find out that MySpace isn't just a breeding ground for teenagers to post lewd photos of themselves. MySpace actually cares. Why wouldn't someone, such as Tom Anderson, MySpace's founder, take advantage of the millions of people who use his site and promote concerns of the general public? Just like Facebook, MySpace can influence millions in just minutes and with the simple click of a button.

Ben & Jerry's Mission for Change

Today, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is not an unfamiliar term. According to SourceWatch , CSR “is commonly described by its promoters as aligning a company's activities with the social, economic and environmental expectations of its "stakeholders."” Everyone from huge corporations to smaller firms have jumped on the bandwagon to avidly support one or more causes, whether it is the green campaign, poverty or funding the formation of education programs.

Would you feel better about eating a pint of ice cream if you knew the producer was passionate about a certain cause? I would. As of yesterday (April 07, 2008), Ben & Jerry’s announced their partnership with the ONE Campaign. This campaign, according the ONE Web site, “seeks to raise public awareness about the issues of global poverty, hunger, disease and efforts to fight such problems in developing countries.”
In order for Ben & Jerry’s to show their support of the campaign, they created a brand new flavor, ONE Cheesecake Brownie. I couldn’t think of a more fabulous combination of my three favorite sweets—cheesecake, brownies and ice cream! The container sports the logo of the ONE Campaign in hopes of educating loyal Ben & Jerry’s customers on the issue of poverty and the existence of the campaign.

However, this isn’t Ben & Jerry’s first mission with CSR. They currently support the Children’s Defense Fund and encourage ice cream lovers to “urge Congress to redirect spending priorities to invest more in America’s children.” They also avidly support the green campaign and created flavors such as Fossil Fuel (which targets global warming). Check out the video below:

Being an active supporter of cause that concerns the public can only help your image. Ben & Jerry's has taken a stance on many issues and shown their support through their products and Web site.

Links:

New ONE Ice Cream Launching in Burbank in a Few Hours

Ben & Jerry’s Launches Partnership with the ONE Campaign to Bring New Voices to the Fight Against Global Poverty

A Brilliant PR Stunt?

April Fool's Day, which is celebrated on April 1, gives people a reason to play practical jokes on one another. I began the day completely oblivious to what it was... it was just any other day for me. That was until my mother made a fool of me when I believed her story about a two-headed bird.

While I was looking at news stories, I noticed one that said Pizza Hut had changed its name to Pasta Hut to welcome their new, amazing line of pastas. I thought to myself, "Why in the world would Pizza Hut do that? Everyone knows it is famous for its pizza." I, as a Pizza Hut fan (I prefer it over other brands), was kind of upset over the 'name change.' It just didn't fit for me.

I googled news stories on it and then found the answer I had been looking for. The article "Pizza Hut Renaming Itself Pasta Hut for April Fool's" came up. I was immediately intrigued. If this is the case, the PR department at Pizza Hut should be patting themselves on the back. This supposed name change of one of the largest pizza chains made me research it on the Web and made me visit their site.

The website looks the same except the 'old' Pizza Hut logo now reads Pasta Hut and the welcome screen has images and information about Pizza Hut's (Pasta Hut's) new line of Tuscan pastas.

In my opinion, this was a brilliant PR stunt. If other individuals were just as curious as I was, Pizza Hut could definitely celebrate a great launch of a new product. They scored news articles, blogger interest and the curiosity of customers. Over the next few days, I am curious to see what other articles and news stories appear on the new 'Pasta Hut' and if the name change is permanent.

Check out...

Pizza Hut(R) Remakes Itself As 'Pasta Hut' With Introduction Of New Tuscani Pastas
Pizza Hut(R) Participates in April First Foolery

What is your stance on net neutrality?

Net neutrality was a concept completely foreign to me until a couple weeks ago. You might be asking yourself, “What is net neutrality?” According to Common Cause, it “is the principle that Internet users should be able to access any web content they choose and use any applications they choose, without restrictions or limitations imposed by their Internet service provider.”



We, as users, are able to create profiles on Facebook and MySpace, create personal web pages and post blogs. With the openness of the Internet, we are able to access these pages. With new legislations against net neutrality—thanks to AT&T and Verizon—you probably would not be able to access these personal pages. In fact, these Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) could pick and choose what content comes up in your searches and at what speed you can access websites. Sound fair? Not really. “Net neutrality and the billion dollar question” says that “the phone companies are also eager to provide tiered services in which websites that paid them money would be more easily accessible to their Internet customers than ones which did not.” This would be a disaster for those who have created a name for themselves on the World Wide Web, such as bloggers and YouTube users.

From what research I have done on the topic, I think net neutrality is necessary in keeping the Internet alive. It doesn’t seem that ISP’s are out to eliminate illegal content, they are just out to simply filter what you see and get you to use their applications and favored pages. Some of those who hold an anti-net neutrality stance are definitely those who can afford to choke up a chunk of change in hopes that their site will continue to appear as the #1 result in searches.

I believe that virtual worlds, blogs and the ability to upload and share pictures and videos are a huge part of what makes the internet so unique. If corporate big-wigs continue in their quest to change net neutrality, the internet will lose much of why people love it so much.

For net neutrality?

The Death of The Internet?
Fighting for Net Neutrality and Internet Freedom
Stop Big Media
Open Internet Coalition

Bored? Get gossip on Wikileaks!

We’ve all heard about confidential information being leaked to the public. Most of the time, people just contacted journalists, now you can anonymously submit information on WikiLeaks . Whether it is the submission of a document or a story, they will gladly take your gossip piece!

While WikiLeaks focuses its attention on stories from the former Soviet Union, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, they will take information from anywhere. The founders of WikiLieaks “believe that transparency in government activities leads to reduced corruption, better government and stronger democracies. All governments can benefit from increased scrutiny by the world community, as well as their own people.”

WikiLeaks is a prime example of bad PR. This is every government and company’s worst nightmare. While I do think the internet is a breeding ground of false information, I do believe that the people deserve to be educated and informed.

For example, in February, the Julius Baer bank in Switzerland, sued WikiLeaks for posting many of the banks private documents containing confidential information online. According to a former employee, these documents showed that the bank was engaging in illegal practices. US Judge White of California ruled that the domain be removed and locked so it could not be restarted on another server. Weeks later, WikiLeaks was able to re-open the site.

The first ruling of Judge White brings a few questions to mind. Was the ruling a violation of the First Amendment? Yes. But do websites take advantage of the freedoms provided by the First Amendment? I THINK SO.

Any thoughts?

In the meantime... check out these links.

Wikileaks Case PR Disaster for Swiss Bank
Wikileaks Censored By Lawsuit
Judge Allows Wikileaks Site to Re-open
Gossip Sites Push Web 'Anonymity' to Fore

Are you in Dell hell? You are not alone!

Do blogs have any influence in the real world? Say it with me now—yes! Several case studies have shown that bloggers can strongly influence those around them.

Jeff Jarvis wrote a blog entitled “Dell lies. Dell sucks” where he complains about Dell’s inability to fix his laptop in his home. Soon, this particular thread had hundreds of hits and comments from other unsatisfied Dell customers searching for online help. I am sure many of you have reached equal frustration when attempting to fix a broken computer. Case in point: Last week, my computer completely crashed. I tried the online help option and the obnoxious woman on the other end named Gretchen proceeded to give me instructions on how to take my computer apart. Take my computer apart? Are you serious?

One might ask why bloggers are so influential. MarketSentinel conducted a case study on Jarvis’ blog and says, “part of the impact of blogs is to do with something which one might call: the “my story” phenomenon. If I am reporting on something that has happened to me I am the most authoritative source.” Jarvis’ blog became one of the top Google search results for certain search terms and other bloggers began citing “Dell lies. Dell sucks.” TechBlog even had a story dedicated to an update on Jarvis and his troubles with Dell. Jarvis’ supporters and other angry customers wanted to know if there was hope for them in “dell hell.”

In response to Jarvis’ blog and many more upset customers, Dell took steps to improve customer service (they even implemented a blog!) and to prevent this from happening again. To corporations—you should never underestimate the power of a blogger. They may hold the future of your company in their hands.

Check out these links on Jarvis' Dell rant.

Dear Mr.Dell

Dell: In the Bloghouse

Your information- for everyone to see.

I was just reading articles about Facebook and its attempt to make it easier for users to completely close their accounts, instead of just deactivating them. After much criticism, they are now allowing users to close accounts and not keep personal information stored on the server. I, for some reason, find this hard to believe. Your personal information is never fully erased from the internet and which is why, with tools such as Facebook and MySpace you are strongly encouraged to be mindful when creating your profiles. Computers should now come with a label saying: "Users beware- nothing you do is really private."



I use the computer for everything from online banking to social networking and it disturbs me to think how readily available our information is to anyone. Some tech-savvy person could come along and find out everything about me. Even though this is a FACT, I still continue to use the computer every single day. It's hard for me to think of what a day would be like without it. Sad I know.

This is simply a random thought of mine. It is scary to me to think about how much you can find out about a person by the simple click of a button. Any thoughts?

Go on and get your 15-minutes of fame!

On February 13, 2008, CNN officially launched iReport after buying the domain from Rick Schwartz for $750,000 in January (DomainWire). This is CNN’s attempt to bring iReport to YOU and make it easier for users (iReporters) to post videos on what they deem newsworthy. Users are able to post raw footage of events or news stories and are even given the opportunity to have their videos aired on CNN. With this new video technology, iReport users can watch news stories they might not have seen otherwise (since local news is more selective). This new website has been coined the “YouTube for news.”

Internet websites are becoming increasingly user-friendly. With websites such as YouTube, Current.com and iReport, “normal, everyday people” are getting airtime. These websites are giving individuals exposure to the general public and in some instances, they can even build a fan base and achieve celebrity status. Want to know who the next star TV anchor is? Keep checking back to iReport to find out.

Websites such as this post a problem. How credible is their information? One would think since it is affiliated with CNN, it is extremely credible and informative. However, since the site is free, anyone can sign up. I understand CNN’s reasoning for creating this site, but I wouldn’t get my information from it. Can I trust it? Or is someone going to create a false “breaking news” story that generates undeserved buzz across the country?

New websites and technology are developed everyday that enable people to connect and communicate in a unique way. Whether it is online video classified ads, such as RealPeopleRealStuff, or online virtual worlds, the ways people communicate with one another are rapidly changing.

Make sure you stay up-to-date on available communication technologies. Up until a month ago, I thought I was pretty "in-the-know", but I was wrong. Now I know I have a lot of brushing up to do on what's hot in the world of communication.

Get IN With The Media

Throughout my CCPA coursework and internships, it has been stressed numerous times how essential it is to build strong relationships with the media. Not only does this allow you (the PR professional) to get ink for your client, it gives you a consistent reliable source of information.

Tip 1: Don’t ignore the freelance writers! Nettie Hartsock wrote a blog in which she discussed their importance. Many of the largest magazines have freelance writers and they are always looking for story ideas (Nettie Hartsock). This is a way to get your foot in the door with one aspect of the media!

Tip 2: Maintain contact. Blog-writer, Liz Strauss, whose mission with her blog is to give advice and show you how to “connect[ing] people and ideas to make business irresistible” (Liz Strauss). She says visit them at least once a year, however, if possible, I would suggest more. You don’t have to spend hours together, a 30 minute lunch meeting is enough (a phone call would do also).

Tip 3: Comfort is key. Joe Mindo, writer of the sPRingboard blog, notes “the more comfortable a writer feels with you, the more likely he or she will utilize you as a resource.” He says to always be courteous and respectful and stresses the latter, maintain contact (sPRingboard).

Tip 4: Make sure your pitch and topic is newsworthy and relevant to the area the media covers. On Tuesday, Victor Godinez of the Dallas Morning News, talked to one of my other CCPA classes about this very topic—except from the opposite side of the spectrum. As a journalist, he said you must know who you are sending your information to and don’t send them press releases and pitches for sports if they are technology writers. Once you become a dependable source, that journalist is more likely to pick up your pitches.

Tip 5: Be persistent. Jeff Crilley gives a great example of how persistence can pay off in one of free PR tip videos posted on YouTube (Jeff Crilley).



Check back soon for more PR insights...

Are we TOO accessible?

I found myself pondering this a few days ago. Today, we have the ability of knowing what someone is doing at any given point throughout the day. We can thank the creators of text messaging and cell phones that are Instant Messenger and e-mail capable for this. Don't get me wrong, I am a frequent user of the latter and couldn't imagine what it would be like without them. However, do they make communication way too easy and take away from your concentration at work or school? I think so. With the simple click of a few buttons, I can communicate with anyone numerous times throughout the day-- no matter how busy I am. I have tried to ignore my cell phone while in class, but it just doesn't work because I am constantly wondering if I have a new text message or e-mail.

Just a little something to think about...

Blogging: An Effective PR Tool

I had never thought of blogging as an effective tool for PR. I always thought a blog was simply a place where someone ranted and expressed their opinions. However, after learning about it in several classes and actually writing one of my own, I believe it is a very effective PR tool. Today, most people get their information from the World Wide Web.

Nuts About Southwest, a blog about Southwest Airlines (SWA), presents blogs written by SWA employees. Blogs posted on the Nuts About Southwest site are personal stories (an employee woke up to a dead squirrel in his toilet), Southwest success stories or just plain ole’ blogs that focus on Southwest’s top priority—the customer.

These blogs were used as PR tools by both Mary Kay Cosmetics and Southwest Airlines. The corporations utilized blogging to reinforce their ideals by writing blogs that appeal to their target audiences. Each blog, in some way, mentioned an aspect of their mission statement to grab the attention of their consumers.

Check out:
http://mlmblog.typepad.com/mary_kay/
http://www.blogsouthwest.com/

Forget the Automated Voice System...

Earlier today, I found myself arguing with the automated voice response system operator at American Airlines. After saying "NO!" several times to the robotic woman on the other line, I asked myself, "What are you doing? There is nobody on the other line to hear you!" Finally after pushing every number on my phone several times, I was able to talk to a REAL person and get my problem resolved. It might be a long shot, but I bet most of you have been in a similar situation.

We, as Americans, are so focused on making our lives easier and getting things done faster. However, our solutions do not always result in reaching this goal. The automated voice system is a GREAT example (I think) to one of these many failed solutions. Half of the time, the automated system cannot understand you or pretends it can and sends you to the wrong place. Often it takes several attempts at pushing the number zero or loudly voicing "help!" to talk to someone with real intelligence. I can safely say that I miss the days before the automated system, where I could call and talk to someone who knew what they were doing, or at least most of the time knew what they were doing.

With the creation of the automated voice system, I feel that the importance of communication is decreasing and reliance on the so-called easier and quicker, yet less efficient way of communication (such as the automated system), is increasing. I would much rather stay on hold for 10 minutes listening to calming classical music than becoming frustrated with the unreliable automated voice systems that many companies have started using.

If you are one of those many individuals that have found themselves arguing with the automated man/woman on the other line, I feel your pain. What ever happened to real customer service? How can we get it back? In the meantime, if you hear me yell help, don't worry, I'm probably just on my phone.

Welcome to my blog!

Hello!

My name is Katelyn and I am a senior at Southern Methodist University majoring in Corporate Communications and Public Affairs. I am new to the world of blogging and am excited to learn the ins-and-outs of this communications tool!

This blog is for my Communication, Technology and Globalization course. It will discuss current trends and topics in the fields of communications and public relations as well as my thoughts and experiences that are pertinent to the subject.

Feel free to give me any pointers or tell me your thoughts! I appreciate any feedback you might have. Thanks!