Friday, May 4, 2007
PR and me: together forever? Let’s hope so!
PR v. Advertising: Who’s more important?
Their confusion and an article in PR Tactics and The Strategist Online identify a real problem between advertising and public relations. Because each discipline knows they are important, they are, in a sense in conflict with each other because the outside world views them as one and the same. While collaborations between advertising and public relations can often yield the client the best results in reaching target audiences, each discipline wants to remain distinct and be seen as an integral part of a company.
Employee communicators should be able to do it all
The 12 competencies include:
1. Building effective relationships
2. Business focus
3. Consulting and coaching
4. Cross-functional awareness
5. Craft (writing and design)
6. Developing other communicators
7. Innovation and creativity
8. Listening
9. Making it happen
10. Planning
11. Specialist
12. Vision and standards
All of these qualities are important for employee communicators to have. I also think that PR practitioners in general should possess these qualities. Some of the things that stick out most to me are the abilities to build effective relationships, consult and coach, listen, plan and make it happen!
Thursday, May 3, 2007
I am Rory and she is me. (Okay, that's just a joke!)
Unfortunately, I am a Gilmore Girls fan. I have drawn many parallels between myself and Rory. Okay, no, I didn’t attend Yale, major in journalism or was the editor of the student newspaper. But I did start school when she did, and without getting too personal, I am also close to my mom. In Tuesday’s episode, Rory received several rejection letters from various newspapers and a journalism fellowship. During her breakdown she said that she had been trying to be modest, but she knew she had the fellowship. She also questioned what made her different and why she wasn't considered qualified enough for the fellowship or jobs.
Although my hardships are completely real and hers are imaginary, I understand exactly what she meant. For the past four years, I just knew that when I graduated I would have my choice of PR jobs. It never occurred to me that after years of being in one of the best public relations programs in the country I would be jobless.
Where's the money?
Interestingly enough, a pivotal job in any business, company and/or corporation experienced a salary decline in 2006. A story in PR Tactics and The Strategist Online, discussed the findings of Spring Associates, Inc.’s “The Official PR Salary & Bonus Report—2007 Edition.” The firm found that corporate communications base salary only increased 3.3 percent in 2006, compared to 2005’s 7.6 percent. PR agency’s base salary experienced a 3.2 percent salary declined, a stark contrast to 2005’s 8.9 percent increase.
This concerns me because in the article, results also showed that people spoke of “working excessive hours and feeling overworked and underpaid” and that some clients’ “best employees are not happy with their wage and working situation.” It has been proven true in many studies that people who are happy with their jobs, feel valued and when paid accordingly, work harder. I worry that if employees feel unappreciated and are unhappy, overall work quality could decline and ultimately undermine the purpose of public relations.
Personal blog equals steady income?
In a story in PR Tactics and The Strategist Online, Greg Beaubien talks about how bloggers can attract “unsolicited job offers.” He said that by reading the personal blog of a potential hire, a recruiter can “assess the person’s qualifications and character.” He also quoted a blogger, Greg Sterling, who said that a person should never write on his or her blog that he or she is looking for a job.
Well, in the beginning my hopes were up. I was sure someone would read my blog and end my misery and offer me the much discussed dream PR job. But by the end of the article, I felt like I had committed a cardinal sin—begging for a job on my blog. Oh, well, maybe next time!
Although I’ve ruined my chances, I find the idea of being offered jobs because of one’s personal blog fascinating.