http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=bucher_ric&id=2671953

President of Selig multimedia, Glenn Selig, shares about some careers involved in public relations.

This is a great video by Glenn Selig- President of Selig multimedia. I learned a great deal from the advice given in this short video.

Bob Taylor, creator of the premiere acoustic guitar company Taylor Guitars, pledges his support to Dave Carroll after United Airlines broke his guitar and refused to pay for it. Of course Carroll went on to create several videos about this incident and has put a bad light on United. I thought this very interesting that Bob Taylor, a high executive in the music industry, would publicly pledge his support to Carroll. I have to admit, as a musician myself, I also pledge my support to Carroll.

This is the video of the Dominos employees who were caught contaminating company food. When we discussed this in class I was amazed to learn that Dominos really did not do anything immediately to deal with this video after it was released. I think if they would have followed a list on crisis like Professor Nixon’s, they would have handled the situation much differently.

After I finish many classes I feel like I have not really learned anything. Fortunately, this is not the case at all in Public Relations Applications (Comm2322). For those of you wondering what I have learned, I have composed a top ten list of valuable information I learned form this class.

1. Social Networking- I learned very quickly in this class that a key for success in public relations is staying connected to the world through social media. This factor can be applied on both an individual and company basis. Social media provides powerful tools that can reap great benefits if used wisely. Building relationships with people on a professional level through social media is one of the smartest things a new public relations professional can accomplish.
2. Twitter- Before I took this case I had never before used twitter. To be completely honest, I did not really even understand what the point of twitter was. This class taught me just how great a tool twitter can become for social media purposes. It did take me a while at first to understand how to use this resource effectively. However, once I did grasp some of the valuable features of twitter I could easily see how it can be used as a powerful social media outlet, even more so than facebook or myspace. Check out a blog post on mine about twitter for more information.
3. Crisis- One of the most important jobs a public relations official has is effectively handling crisis within a company. Proper preparation and execution can minimize damage to the company. To read more about this topic please see Professor Nixon’s valuable lecture or even my blog post about this topic.
4. Resumes- I learned a great deal from Professor Nixon about how to write great resumes. This was great experience for me to learn about because I really had no knowledge or experience about this topic beforehand. Many of the tips I learned can be found on a blog post about resume tips that I learned.
5. Blogging- This class made me realize why we should blog in the first place. I have never been one for blogging before this class but I think this has changed. It is important to write about what interests you and after you start doing this an audience will find you. The most important thing is just to start writing.
6. Commenting- Although I am usually a quiet individual, I have never had a problem expressing myself and my opinions. This class thought me that the same should also be applied to commenting on blogs. In Professor Nixon’s interview with Kneale Mann, Mr. Mann stated, “the price of admission is contribution,” concerning blogging and commenting. I thought this was a great statement. I also enjoyed observing other valuable information he stated in the interview.
7. Interview with a public relations professional- I learned a great deal of information from my interview with Mrs. Pat Rideout. I was actually able to record our interview in video format. Recording the interview allowed me to view the interview several times and analyze the valuable information that Mrs. Rideout was kind enough to share.
8. Podcasting- Before this class I had only listened to a few basic podcasts. These podcasts were very basic and not greatly knowledgeable. This class thought me to search for exciting podcasts that can offer a great range of information. One of the podcasts I listened to about public relations was called For Immediate Release. You can read more about what I learned by listening to this podcast by reading my blog post about this topic.
9. Media- While I have always been a fan of media and technology I never really realized how powerful it can be in a blog post until this class. Sometimes the addition of an image or even an embedded video can add a whole new element to a post.
10. Hyperlink- As simple as it sounds, before this class I was never in the habit of leaving good hyperlinks on web sites. Although I did understand how to create a hyperlink before this class I did not completely understand the concept a hyperlink. A hyperlink on a website looks so much more professional and neat on a website and organized then writing our the full URL.

1. Meteor
2. Predator
3. Breakdown
4. Lingering

There are several types of incidents that can “spark” a crisis:

1. Environmental
2. Technological
3. Terroristic
4. Criminal Misconduct
5. Managerial
6. Acidental

Fortunately, there are preparations a public relations professional can make to properly handle the situation. One of these preparations is forming a crisis communication kit. Here are a few things this kit should include:

1. Form a contact list of individuals you feel would make an effective crisis management team.
2. Keep a contact list of important company officials and spokespeople accessible at all times.
3. Keep a list of company facts about each division and offered products on you in case of emergency.
4. It is important to keep the company’s logos within reach as well as a press release with a signature of the CEO on file.
5. Develop crisis scenarios with pre-written scripts answering questions about the company.
6. Keep a list of important media contacts for press releases.

It is always import to search out the negative to prepare for crisis. One way to accomplish this is setting up a Google alert for when people use the company’s name on the internet. You should set up the alert with phases about your company like:

1. “product+sucks”
2. “Die+company”
3. “I+hate+company”

I was surprised to learn that Mr. Mann is also currently involved in marketing as well as public relations. In the past he has been a newspaper columnist but most of his career has been involved in radio broadcasting. He mentions he had 23 years of experience in the radio industry where he served in positions like programing director and marketing director. It surprised me that someone with so much experience in radio and broadcasting would make the transition over to public relations.

Mr Mann spoke about how there is an overlap of public relations, communications, and social media. This was a new concept that I learned from this interview. This can also explain how he made the transition from radio to marketing and public relations.

I also heard some great advice from Mr. Mann about blog writing. He mentioned things like Just start writing and eventually you will find something that interests you. Along this topic he mentioned that your interests and what you are an expert in will change over time. Perhaps the idea that stuck out to me the most was just start writing and you will find your audience. A stated, “the price of admission is contribution.” This is a great quote concerning blogging.

I was surprised to learn that his agency, that he introduced as fairly small, actually works with companies as large as Procter and Gamble. I was very impressed with the founding principles of his company. He identified these “pillars” as simplicity, energy, and integrity (especially with social media). I was very impressed with this list of values particularly integrity. I feel integrity is one of the most important things any company can offer even if the company has nothing to do with public relations.

I was also surprised that as busy as Mr. Waxman is he actually finds time to teach on the university level. He even offered to come and speak with one of our classes in person.

I learned a lot from watching this interview. Perhaps one of the things that stuck out to me the most was Mr. Waxman’s comment on how social media can amplify everything. He shared several examples about this topic from personal experiences of his own.

In the Interview, we heard a lot about an upcoming conference called South by Southwest that Mr. Waxman was planning to attend in the next few days. I am very curious to read about what he might have encountered at this conference. Perhaps I need to subscribe to his blog or follow him on twitter to learn about his experience.