Tuesday, May 13, 2008

PRSA May & June Membership Promotion

During May and June, PRSA is offering new members a free, one-year Chapter membership when they join PRSA National at the regular price. Former members who have been inactive for at least one year also may participate. This offer is not valid for Associate memberships.

To join online, go directly to http://www.prsa.org/membership/freechapter.html and use the promotion code CHAP2008.

Please spread the word with your co-workers and at upcoming networking and programming events, and help them reap the benefits of membership in PRSA!

Monday, May 12, 2008

Please Join Me and the MNPR group on LinkedIn


Starting today you can perfect your social networking skills by joining me on the new MNPR LinkedIn group. Just click here to join.

Mentorship Circle Event - Wednesday, May 14, 2008

A casual and engaging evening of interaction

The Ad Fed Mentorship Program is designed to allow members to individually interact with potential mentors by meeting them in an informal group setting called a Circle Group. These are held four times a year and offer introductions based on areas of interest. Following each Circle Group Event, Ad Fed facilitates the formal expression of interest between mentees and mentors. Once the pairs yes, it is easy! The mentee and mentor set their own schedule, their own topics and their own meeting forum/location. The rest is a fantastic experience for both the mentor and mentee to heighten the satisfaction they get from their respective careers. Participants can also choose to simply attend quarterly Circle Events where mentorship will happen via group discussions by area of interest.

Thanks to our sponsors Digital People and The Times/Jitters Bar and Café, this event includes free appetizers and one free drink ticket.

When: Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Time:
5:30pm to 7:30pm
Where: The Times/Jitters Bar and Café
201 E Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414
Cost: FREE for members and nonmember mentors

Guest Mentors:

Michael Delgado/Associate Publisher, METRO Magazine
Guest Mentor Media/PR

Scott Grand/Managing Account Director, Little & Company
Guest Mentor Marketing

Aaron Gasperi/Manager Interactive Campaigns, Kruskopf Coontz
Guest Mentor Interactive

Adam Kmiec/Interactive Account Director/Colle+McVoy
Guest Mentor Interactive

Bryan Nanista/Creative Director, METRO Magazine
Guest Mentor Creative

Christopher Taylor/Interactive Planner, Carlson Marketing’s Door C Group
Guest Mentor Account Management

Click here to register or call the Ad Fed office at (651) 917-6251.

Registration Deadline: 5:00PM, Monday, May 12, 2008

Friday, May 09, 2008

Job - Fleishman-Hillard - Account Supervisor

Fleishman-Hillard - Account Supervisor

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Selling Creative Ideas to Clients: A Client’s Perspective

Ad Fed Breakfast Meeting
Friday, May 16, 2008

Speaker: Michael D. Keller, International Dairy Queen Corporation, Chief Brand Officer

Michael Keller from Dairy Queen will share his insights on how to get clients to approve your creative ideas. He will share with us what it took to help DQ begin to modernize by embracing a cutting-edge creative, national TV campaign.

Click here to see the latest DQ Spot.

How do you get great creative approved? How do you sell edgy creative?

Come to find out from the guy who said yes.

Michael Keller, chief brand officer, is responsible for the brand, concept and product strategies for International Dairy Queen Corporation (IDQ). Keller began his career with IDQ in 2001. Prior to that, he worked for Jamba Juice, Inc., Realtor.com, Koo Koo Roo, Baskin Robbins USA, Nestle Chocolate Co., and Bain & Co.

Keller graduated from Dartmouth College in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. In 1991, he earned a Masters of Business Administration degree from Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College. Keller and his wife, Laura, have a daughter, Ava, and two sons, Davis and Alden. They have their home in Minneapolis, MN.

In his spare time, Keller currently enjoys serving on nonprofit boards, on the Children's Miracle Network Board of Directors and on the Pacer Center Advisory Board. He also enjoys training for and competing in triathlons, following the New York Giants and Yankees, driving his 1960 Morris Mini, building a tree house and spending as much time as he can with his wife and children.

Location:
The Woman’s Club
410 Oak Grove St
Minneapolis, MN 55403

Time:
8:00am - Registration/Networking
8:30-9:30am - Continental Breakfast and Speaker (including Q&A)

The Cost:
Ad Fed Members: $15
Nonmembers: $20
Students: $15

Register online
or call the Ad Fed office at (651) 917-6251.

Registration Deadline: 5:00 pm, Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

PR CAMPAIGN FOR NATIONAL MARROW DONOR PROGRAM

The Minneapolis-St. Paul office of Weber Shandwick this week kicked off the second year of a campaign for the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP). Weber Shandwick is supporting the organization’s Thanks Mom campaign to recruit bone marrow donors who can provide life-saving transplants.

For thousands of people with leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening diseases, a marrow transplant offers a second chance at life. Thanks Mom, which runs May 5 – May 19, urges people to join the National Marrow Donor Program Registry online or in person at drives across the country. This year’s goal is to recruit 46,000 new donors.

To support the project, Weber Shandwick is conducting national media relations as well as local outreach in 20 markets across the country. The agency is also conducting outreach to faith-based community leaders and launching a strong online strategy to direct traffic to www.marrow.org, the NMDP’s Web site.

"We're proud to continue our work with the NMDP," said Sara Gavin, president of Weber Shandwick’s Minneapolis-St. Paul office. "This campaign not only provides our team an opportunity to do unique and creative work, but also to truly impacts thousands of lives."

Last year's highly successful Thanks Mom campaign recruited 43,000 new donors to the Registry, more than double the campaign goal of 20,000. The 2007 campaign has garnered several industry awards including PRWeek’s Healthcare Campaign of the Year, the IABC MN Pinnacle Award and the IABC Gold Quill.

Job - Weber Shandwick - Account Executive - Account Supervisor

Weber Shandwick - Account Executive

Weber Shandwick - Account Supervisor

Monday, May 05, 2008

Entertainment PR

I got a questions from someone visiting MNPR Blog last week asking me about names of agencies that have worked in the entertainment arena and have an office in located here in Minnesota.

I realized that I don't know much about entertainment PR in Minnesota. Anyone have any names of agencies that specialize in this area? Let me know.

Thanks.

-Ryan

Friday, May 02, 2008

Jobs at Weber Shandwick

Weber Shandwick - Account Director

Weber Shandwick - Account Executive

Women Launching Women Networking Event

Wednesday, May 14 6 p.m.

View Restaurant and Bar
2730 West Lake St (Calhoun Beach Club), Minneapolis

Register now

Leap into Spring and energize your network and career with a fabulous networking event at The View in Minneapolis on May 14. Women Launching Women, the networking component of Minnesota Women in Marketing and Communications, has sponsored guest speakers in the past who shared their career success stories. Now it is your opportunity to launch yourself. You have heard about the value of a great network, now is your time to build yours! Bring your business cards and meet other women and make connections. There is no cost for attending - Women Launching Women will sponsor the event and provide appetizers.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Hi Everyone,

I know you have seen this before but the last case study (which had lots of comments) was pulled down due to a client objection but I would really like to continue with these in an attempt to infuse more strategy into the blog. Send me your case studies! These case studies will create an opportunity to showcase:

1) What was your communication challenge.
2) What you did
3) What was the result
4) Finally, get comments, critiques and recommendations for next steps from the blog readers.

To keep this going I would love volunteers - do you have an example you are particularly proud of or a challenge that requires input/suggestions about? Please let me know by sending an email to catherine@kohnstamm.com or comment and leave your contact information.

Thanks!

Pirates and PR

As the music industry struggles to harness the innovations of modern technology, recalcitrant robbers seize valuable digital information through file-sharing. These peg-legged criminals seem to be ignored by the communication professionals that represent the music industry. Pirates should not be underestimated.

The message makers for digital providers of music should pro-actively accept the fact that a large population of the internet-savvy are used to file-sharing and will be reluctant to pay premium prices for something that was previously free. To instill a sense of justice, the industry needs to alter its approach. But while most large music corporations are quick to assess the situation as black and white, some artists realize the disconnect between users and method.

One such artist to realize this is Oxford-based rock band, Radiohead. Previously fulfilling their contractual obligations, they released their latest album, In Rainbows, on-line and 100 percent under their control. They allowed users to download a digital version of their album from their website for whatever price each individual fan saw fit. If someone only wanted to pay 25 cents for the entire album, so be it. If another wanted to pay $100 for the album, more power to them. It was a potentially risky move, enabling the swarms of pirates in cyberspace to confiscate a copy of the album for free and to place the ethical responsibility solely in the hands of the consumer.

The risk proved to be a brilliant PR move, as not only word got out that Radiohead was sticking it to the money-grubbing record companies, but they were also making large profits - larger than their cut would have been from a record contract. The album soared to the top of the charts and received an abundance of critical acclaim. Because of In Rainbows' digital strategy, Radiohead's reputation as the people's band quickly spread and further reinforced their place in music history.

Since In Rainbows' October 2007 release, other bands have followed suit, breaking-free of the strictly land-lovers' method of doing business. The rest of the music industry needs to communicate to the pirates that they, too, have a place in legitimacy. If the laggards don't rethink their heavy-handed approach to digital piracy, they may be the ones that ultimately walk the plank.

Matt Barthelemy
JOUR 3279
Blog Assignment

Monday, April 28, 2008

The Day that Printing Died

Take a look at this link, then read Ryan's post below. How does The Capital Gazette going exclusively online impact PR? how does it impact readership? What does the changing of how we get news mean for our jobs? Our clients?

Please comment.

MinnPost Report - Strib circulation falls again; PiPress steady

From today's MinnPost online.

Despite pledges to the contrary, the Star Tribune continues to hemorrhage print readers, according to an Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) report released today. During the same period, PiPress circulation was essentially flat.

The Strib lost 7 percent of subscribers on Sunday and weekdays between March 2007 and March 2008. That means 40,000 fewer people bought the lucrative Sunday paper; the drop was 24,000 on weekdays.
Get the full story here.

What does this mean for the PR industry? Add your comments below.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

CLS Hires McNeil as Senior Principal

Sarah McNeil has been named senior principal and chair of the business-to-business and technology practice groups at public relations firm Carmichael Lynch Spong and will be based out of the Minneapolis office. Besides her role as chair of the two practice groups, McNeil will help lead clients Digital River and Foresters.

McNeil comes to Carmichael Lynch Spong from Fleishman-Hillard where she was a senior vice president leading its Minneapolis / St. Paul Technology and Business-to-Business practice. McNeil brings expertise in brand development, media and analyst relations, corporate reputation, and extensive experience leading international, category-leading accounts. She’s also experienced in global communications programs, including preparing companies for IPOs, acquisitions, divestitures and crisis issues.

With 15 years of experience, some of her former clients have included CommVault, Imation, Fair Isaac, GlassHouse Technologies, Sistina Software, the Association of Storage Networking Professionals, and I-TECH.

"Sarah is a star asset for Carmichael Lynch Spong," says Douglas K. Spong, APR, president of Carmichael Lynch Spong. "Not only does she have an exceptional business-to-business and technology pedigree, but she’s also a proven leader and will contribute greatly to the firm’s continued success. We feel fortunate to have her on our team."

Prior to joining Fleishman-Hillard, McNeil was an account executive at Kathleen Davies & Associates for five years. There she managed media relations programs for companies such as Plasmon IDE, Microboards Technology, Rimage, Taiyo Yuden and Ricoh DMS.

Active in the community, McNeil is the marketing chair for ProjectLead!, an advisory board of Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest . She’s also a MENTTIUM 100 mentor, which is a one-to-one mentoring program designed to accelerate leadership learning for high-performing female talent. In addition, she’s served as an advisor to the Peace Maker Foundation, a Minnesota-based organization that provides Minnesota schools the tools they need to stop violence and is a resource for people interested in creating safe school environments and helping kids reach their full potential.

McNeil has also received several professional honors. In 2006, she received the John D. Graham Award from Fleishman-Hillard, which recognizes employees who excel at public relations while being an exemplary leader and team player. She was chosen from more than the 2,000 employees worldwide and was one of only 14 employees to receive the award. McNeil also received a first place award in the category of “Investigative Reporting” from the Minnesota Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.

McNeil received her bachelor of science degree in mass communications from Bemidji State University .

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

KOHNSTAMM RELAUNCHES WEBSITE FEATURING PR CAREER SECTION


Kohnstamm Communications relaunched its PR agency website this month (www.kohnstamm.com) featuring a career section with direct connections regarding current position openings, internships, informational interview requests, and a way to inquire about employee benefits for serious tire-kickers. Current position openings include: Account Manager, Account Executive and AAE. The website, which also can be accessed via www.roosterPR.com, provides in-depth background information regarding Kohnstamm’s key business sector strengths.

*Register Today* - Green Lights & Red Flags: FTC/BBB Rules of the Road for Advertiser

On Thursday, April 24th, national advertising experts will gather in Minneapolis for Green Lights & Red Flags: FTC-BBB Rules of the Road for Advertisers, a dynamite advertising event highlighting the ‘how-to’s in complying with federal and state truth-in-advertising standards. Sponsored by the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota and the Federal Trade Commission, Green Lights & Red Flags will feature knowledgeable speakers discussing what you need to know about:

Advertising Law: Understanding the Rules of the Road – The FTC’s approach to ad claims, disclosures, endorsements, and substantiation

Avoiding a Promotion Commotion – Complying with new standards for rebates, gift cards, commercial email, and other promotional practices

The Secure Entrepreneur: Data Security & Consumer Privacy – Best practices to avoid, assess, and address a data security breach

If the Government Comes to Call – An inside look at federal and state consumer protection investigations

When Your Competitor Crosses the Line – Self-regulation or litigation? Weighing the options when a competitor’s practices violate the law

Presenters:

  • Honorable Lori Swanson, Minnesota Attorney General
  • Bert Hubbell, President, Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota
  • Lesley Fair Attorney, Federal Trade Commission
  • Jim du Bois, President & CEO, Minnesota Broadcasters Association
  • Charles Weier Corporate Counsel, Best Buy Enterprise Services, Inc
  • Maureen English Carroll Advertising Attorney, ShopNBC
  • C. Steven Baker Director, Midwest Region, Federal Trade Commission
  • Rolando Berrelez, Deputy Director, Midwest Region, Federal Trade Commission
  • Paul Luehr, Managing Director & Deputy General Counsel, Stroz Friedberg, LLC
  • Prentiss Cox, Associate Clinical Professor, University of Minnesota School of Law
  • Karen Olson, Deputy Attorney General, Minnesota Attorney General’s Office
  • Rachel Williams, United States Postal Inspector
  • Steven Wernikoff, Attorney, Midwest Region, Federal Trade Commission
  • Lisa Jemtrud, Trade Practices Manager, Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota
  • David Mallen, Associate Director, National Advertising Division, Council of Better Business Bureaus
  • Stephen R. Bergerson, Attorney, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.

  • Event Partners:
  • Advertising Federation of Minnesota
  • American Association of Advertising Agencies
  • Department of Ethics and Business Law of the University of St. Thomas’ Opus College of Business
  • Greater Metropolitan Auto Dealers Association
  • Metropolitan Independent Business Alliance
  • Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce
  • Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association
  • Minnesota Broadcasters Association
  • Minnesota Journalism Center of the University of Minnesota
  • Sales and Marketing Executives Association of Minneapolis/St. Paul
  • LAST DAY TO REGISTER IS WED., APRIL 23rd
    Click Here to Register

    Friday, April 18, 2008

    CLS hires Ellis as Director of Talent

    Tracey Ellis has been named director of talent at public relations firm Carmichael Lynch Spong and will be based out of the Minneapolis office. Ellis will lead all human resources initiatives and professional development responsibilities.

    Ellis comes to Carmichael Lynch Spong with more than 15 years of experience in human resources management including recruiting, employee relations, performance management and professional development and training. Her professional experience includes a total of five years with The Home Depot in Minneapolis , where she was most recently human resources manager for the Midwest region, and a total of six years with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

    “Tracey has quickly become a key contributor to the growth of Carmichael Lynch Spong, by attracting like-minded achievement addicts and demonstrating a passion for our profession,” says Douglas K. Spong, APR, president. “Her expertise in human resources, paired with her enthusiasm and work ethic, makes Tracey a perfect addition to our leadership team.”

    While at The Home Depot, Ellis managed forecasting, scheduling, and labor management; oversaw compensation guidelines; and managed the recruiting and hiring of associates.

    While at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ellis was the human resources market leader in the Assurance Practice. In this role she was responsible for providing human resources support to 13 partners and 130 staff as well as monthly labor forecasting, preparing annual budgets and managing annual review process. She had previously served as human resources manager for the firm. Ellis also served as human resources manager at Coopers & Lybrand LLP in Minneapolis ; was a recruiter at Pro Staff Accounting/ITMinneapolis; co-owned an export/import start-up business; and also worked in broadcast TV and radio in Georgia .

    Ellis received her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Iowa and she is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Minnesota Workforce Council. She also has participated in the Special Olympics and Relay for Life.

    Job - Haberman & Associates — Web/New Media Design

    Haberman & Associates — Web/New Media Design

    Thursday, April 17, 2008

    Minneapolis business-to-business marketing communications agency Schermer Kuehl has been named one of BtoB Magazine’s 2008 Top Agencies. The 100-agency list was released last week, and can be viewed at BtoBonline.com.

    This is the first time Schermer Kuehl has been included and the agency is one of only three Twin Cities companies on the list. Of them, it is the only privately-held agency. The others are Carlson Marketing and Martin/Williams, both owned by global holding companies.

    “It’s an honor to be part of the BtoB Top Agencies list because it shows we are in rare company locally and nationally,” says Chris Schermer, President, Schermer Kuehl. “BBDO New York, Ogilvy, McCann Erickson, Digitas and other powerhouse agencies are on it, and now we are too. Our inclusion comes from the double-digit growth we had last year as a result of work we won from Best Buy For Business, Compellent and Stratasys. This year, we’ve landed Ceridian LifeWorks, so we’re on a roll.”

    BtoB is a monthly magazine published by Crain Communications for marketing strategists covering all disciplines of business-to-business marketing. For the Top Agency list, published yearly in April, the magazine’s editors examine and rate agencies based on revenue growth, new client acquisition and service expansion. Schermer Kuehl scored high in all three areas.

    Alternative Media Popularity Soars

    Alternative media is starting to make a real presence in America society. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise to many people who are typically bombarded by commercials, billboards and other various advertisements on a daily basis. How many of the hundreds of advertisements that you ran across today did you tune out and how many did you actually remember seeing or hearing?

    According to AdWeek, spending on alternative media rose 22 percent to $73.4 billion in 2007 and is forecasted to grow another 20 percent to more than $88 billion in 2008 despite a sluggish economy, according to new research released Wednesday by PQ Media.

    So what is alternative media and what are some specific examples? Alternative media can be broadly defined as media practices falling outside the mainstream media. In other words, alternative media is often times ignored by mainstream media and is outside the accepted norms of mainstream media.

    Many of the new strategies brand marketers are turning to in hopes of connecting consumers are considered alternative media. PQ classifies alternative media as online/mobile advertising and advertisement and entertainment and digital out of home advertising. In reality alternative media can be found in newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, and on the web.

    For example, the newspaper, The Onion, would fall under the category of alternative media. They use humor as the unusual element to attract their audience. Not all new media falls outside the norms of mainstream media practices are considered alternative media, which is why alternative media practices are so complex and their success is controversial.

    Danielle Pietz
    JOUR 3279
    Blog Assignment

    Wednesday, April 16, 2008

    Consumer Education

    Today, when products are introduced into the market they have a slim-to-none chance of actually being “new” and are most likely a spin-off of an already invented product. Technology allows for advancements in product designs and features, but even with these improvements, competition is tough against those with brand recognition.

    For a new product to be successful in today’s market, advertising and marketing are relied on heavily to differentiate the brand from the rest. In order to achieve brand differentiation, advertisers are looking to connect their brand or product with consumers on a personal level. Interactive marketing is one of the trends to achieve brand differentiation and to persuade the buying habits of consumers.

    Experiential marketing is compelling because it is consumer education. Consumers learn about brands by engaging with the products in a practical environment. Experiential marketing reinforces brand recall through a wealth of media and creative approaches. Creativity is the driving force in designing experiential marketing campaigns because it is the route to effectiveness. Developing innovative marketing campaigns to emphasize product attributes is the way to make a break through with an emerging product.

    Toilet paper is one market segment that uses interactive marketing to introduce products into the market. This category relies heavily on interactive marketing because product attributes: ultra soft, extra-strength, quilted, double roll differentiate the different toilet paper brands and strongly influence consumer purchase decisions. Two brands with competitive interactive marketing campaigns are Charmin and Cottonelle.

    For the past two holiday seasons, Charmin offered residents and visitors of New York City a clean and comfortable bathroom experience by creating 20 Charmin restrooms in the heart of time square. The Charmin website is also an interactive experience with song downloads, games and coupons. The Charmin website can be viewed at www.charmin.com.

    Cottonelle’s Website promotes the campaign, “Be Kind to Your Behind.” It allows consumers to customize a personal cottonelle web page and submit a pledge to be kind to their behind. To view cottonelle’s Web site you can go to www.cottonelle.com.

    Take a look at these two sites and you will find something fun and different, and you might even bring home different toilet paper from the store that will either remind you of a comfortable bathroom experience or being kind to your behind.

    Interactive marketing can communicate to the consumer through many approaches. The key ingredient in a successful interactive campaign is creativity. Creativity will result in a compelling and memorable brand experience for the consumer.

    Kelly Magnus
    Jour 3279
    Blog Assignment

    Monday, April 14, 2008

    Atkins names Kohnstamm AOR

    PR Week posted this update on Kohnstamm Communications

    DENVER, CO: Atkins Nutritionals Inc. tapped the Minnesota-based agency, Kohnstamm PR, to serve as its new public relations AOR, after a three-round review.

    The RFP was handled internally and began November 16. Four to five firms were invited to pitch, including CRT Tanaka, Atkins AOR since 2005.

    Starting Feb. 1, Kohnstamm began focusing on the company's rebranding initiative, through media relations, management, and influencer work. Its first campaign will begin in early June.

    Atkins Nutritional filed for bankruptcy in 2005, but returned to the marketplace in 2006. In September 2007, the North Castle Group acquired the controlling interest in the company and began to rebrand.

    According to Collette Heimowitz, Atkins VP of Nutrition Communications and Education, “Now that business has been straightened out, we will reposition [the brand], and with Kohnstamm's help, regain the notoriety and respect we once had,” with repackaging, a new spokesperson, a Web site relaunch, a new diet book, and scientific advisory board of university-affiliated, medical doctors, food scientists, and other experts.
    Kohnstamm has focused on food and nutrition since 1998. In addition, it worked with Atkins CEO Monty Sharma on a Naked Juice account three years ago when he was CEO and EAS of Naked Lunch.

    “We chose Kohnstamm, because we appreciated that they were a smaller firm, with a nutritionist on staff [account director Trish Scorpio worked for the American Dietetic Association],"Heimowitz said. "In particular, they understood the credibility of Atkins, how it has been misaligned, and what needs to be done to regain credibility."

    Josh Kohnstamm, Kohnstamm CEO, said his firm will work to better explain the Atkins message.

    “The new initiatives are really about getting out facts and attributes of what [the brand] is really about," he said. "Eating all bacon and loading up on fatty foods is just not representative, and that will be part of our challenge.

    Networking Site Working PR

    Facebook subscribers are using public relations to their great advantage. The phenomenon that started in 2004 has become one of the largest and most successful networking sites available. With that success comes a new, highly effective way for people to promote themselves as well as organizations, clubs, people, things, etc. Facebook is creating a global tool that is free for its users to position themselves or their preferences to a huge audience. Subscribers may not realize that they are conducting public relations.

    As Ryan, the creator of this blog, told our class, “To be a successful public relations professional, you have to be able to sell yourself." Facebook is a great way for users to do just that. People can use Facebook to sell their story and create their own personal image.

    And there are other alternatives sites to use as well. Since Facebook is not always seen with high regards in the business world, a good alternative is, Linkedin, a professional networking site. Here professionals can stay in touch with former co-workers and position themselves as high achievers and well connected.

    In a world consumed by the Internet, these social networking sites allow you to send your message to a mass audience. People can create groups about anything and everything. For example, fundraising sites such as Free Rice have benefited from the creation of these groups. The Free Rice organization alone has over 500 groups promoting their cause.

    Another example, in 2007, Cadbury reintroduced the Wispa chocolate bar for a limited time due to the groups created on Facebook and other networking sites clamoring for the chocolate bar. See the New York Times article titled, Taste of Victory: Online Outcry Revives a Chocolate Bar for proof.

    Public relation practitioners would be foolish to ignore the power of Facebook and sites like it. As public relations changes so do its tactics and it is important that we stay updated with the latest the Internet has to offer.

    Kiki Millington
    JOUR 3279
    Blog Assignment