PR 3310 Principles of Public Relations

1. PR 3310Principles of Public Relations Tuesday, 6/2/09

2. Class Objectives • Lecture • Ch. 4, Pr Departments and Firms • Homework assignment • Ex. 2 • Read chapter 5 in book, pages 128-139

3. What’s in the news today? • Pointers on using YouTube for effective marketing campaigns • http://mashable.com/2009/06/01/youtube-brands/ • Need to keep videos fresh (rotate content), short (less than 10 minutes) • Don’t really need celebrities • Want to make the video an experience… looking through a looking glass • Provide a virtual visit/experience of some place unique/interesting

4. Would you consider Lubbock exotic? • People: friendly (Yes Ma’am), talk to you over the fence-type, rugged, laid back, proud of their state, family oriented • Weather: Wind/storms, cloud formations • Industry: Cotton plants and mills, Wind energy • Animals • Horny toads, fire ants • Coyotes, cattle • Chicken doves • Other • Caliche • Red dirt, flatness, • “every tree was planted by someone” • What is a caprock?

5. PR Departments and Firms • 1st off, where do you “do” PR • Inside a company (in-house) versus in a PR firm/agency

6. PR Departments in NPO’s • Companies may be • Non-profit organization (NPO) is a legally constituted organization whose objective is to support or engage in activities of public or private interest without any commercial or monetary profit. • Serve the public good • Profits are not for shareholders (but do need to be profitable in order to exist/operate) • This sector employs ~ 10.2 million full and part-time employees • Often looking for volunteering experience • Ex. educational, religious, scientific, charities, relief foundations, private foundations • Big: TT, Red Cross, American Cancer Society • Small: local charity, Buddy Holly Center

7. PR Departments in Government Orgs. • Non-profit companies may be • Government funded organizations • Do you have/want experience with this type of area? • Often called “public affairs” • Majority in D.C. • http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/job-JMU7ZIPJT77;_ylt=AnJAMU7YkPiJoglb3kqbkzX6Q6IX?source=SRP • http://www.opajobs.com/

8. PR Departments in for-Profit Companies • For-profit are “normal” companies • Big (notice the companies are not just PR) • Ketchum: http://www.ketchum.com/ • Ogilvy: http://www.ogilvy.com/ (go to OgivlyPR, look at career video) • Small companies house PR departments in Marketing departments • May be 1-2 people • May be lumped in with Sales department!

9. Advantages to working on the corporate side • Salaries are higher • Benefits are higher • Resources (budgets) are higher

10. Disadvantages of working on the corporate side • Approval process is longer • Lack of support (you may be only one “doing” PR, especially in smaller companies; have to prove job/worth) • Work is routine (esp. in larger companies) • Friction with other departments • Legal, Human resources, advertising, marketing • Whose “turf” is it? Whose budget will this come out of? Who gets to claim the success of a campaign?

11. Working at a PR or Marketing agency; Why use a PR Firm? Fresh outlook Skills and expertise that company personnel do not have Often, many companies try to do things “in-house” first because they think it’s cheaper Media contacts are already developed Country-wide coverage Special problem solving abilities Credibility /expertise/ a history of doing PR activities

12. Why not to use PR Firms Superficial grasp of product/industry/person (not in-depth enough) Costs may appear to be higher than doing it in-house Lack of full time employees (inability to reach at all times) Potential conflicts of interest (does your PR firm represent your competition?) Confidential material; don’t want it to leak

13. Services PR Firms Provide Marketing communications Executive speech training Research and evaluation and media analysis (data analysis) Grant writing Event planning Crisis communication

14. Breadth versus depth • Most any time you work for smaller companies or organizations, you will gain breadth experience • You will wear many hats; become exposed to a variety of clients, different marketing and PR strategies • Learn every aspect of PR, from placing executives at trade shows to writing press releases, to “pitching” and being the person who counsels clients • Positives: not boring

15. Breadth • When you work for agencies, you also gain breadth experience • Positives: • Gives you access to lots of mentors in your field, since you're surrounded by people who have similar career interests and might be a few years ahead of you • Peers, networking ops, etc. • Because of breadth, can see what “works” and doesn’t (in terms of campaigns)

16. Depth • Most any time you work for larger companies/orgs. and agencies, you will gain depth experience • Do the same thing over and over and become more of an expert • At writing news releases, organizing events, etc. • You become immersed in the company's marketing strategy and its day-to-day workings. • Good to know if you want to operate your own small business some day • You have more responsibility because you're focused on publicizing the one business, service, or product. • More crucial as there’s only 1 egg in your basket

17. Pay scale • Non-profit small is lowest • Non-profit staff salaries are 25% lower than business or government salaries on average • Non-profit large • Agency small • Agency large • Corporation small • Corporations large • BLS for “public relations specialists” http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos086.htm

18. Warnings when looking for PR jobs • Be careful about “sales” type responsibilities • If you don’t like asking for $$, don’t look at non-profits • Job titles may be misleading • PR job may be all writing/ Journalist job may include PR + design • http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/job-JZZ8IZPX9UB;_ylt=AvB028xLmDddVdPxYEmsUWf6Q6IX?source=SRP

19. PR titles • Starting with entry and working to experienced • Intern (may be paid or may not be paid) • Specialist • Communicator • Manager • Director • V.P.

20. Advice for looking for PR jobs • 1st things 1st- ignore most job titles • Person creating title may not know what the title means • No official meaning to titles • PR, Graphic designer, marketing communication manager/assistant… • Instead, look at job responsibilities • Even here, the responsibilities may not make sense • Remember that job posting is a “wish list” from employer… • Always apply to jobs in which you are at least 75% qualified • And apply to jobs in which you are over-qualified • You don’t know who you are competing against!

21. Advice for looking for PR jobs • Network! (both real and virtual) • Search in many different locations • Think about it this way… where would my potential boss/company post a listing? • Search under many terms • Marketing, PR, corporate affairs, marketing communications • At the interview, ask questions (interviews are 2-way, or should be) • Unconventional advice: at an interview, bring a portfolio or something visual (in paper-format)

22. Video: Toxic Sludge is Good for You • NOTE: This is just one viewpoint (and a rather negative one) of Public Relations • Chapters 7, 8 (genetically modified food) • Extras Title 2 (more on vnr)