"Gotta Have Gant"

As part of my position in Phi Mu as Public Relations Chairman this semester, I was in charge of the Ms. Georgia College Campaign. I began working on this back in December brainstorming ideas and different themes. 

Phi Mu choose Erin Gant as our candidate in early January and I immediately began working. The first step was to come up with a slogan. Erin is a free spirit and I wanted to come up with a theme that represented both her and the ladies of Phi Mu. I went through a few themes and decided to stick with "Gotta Have Gant" because it was short, sweet and easy to remember. Erin liked the color teal so we choose that. I was so excited because our "secret weapon" was the yard signs this year. They are much easier than chalking and looked very clean around campus. We designed the yard signs, stickers, posters, a Facebook picture and a t shirt as promotional items.

I wanted to make the campaign fun and interactive that the students of Georgia College would enjoy so we decided to give away colorful candy, popcorn and cotton candy. The cotton candy was a huge hit! We gave away around 500 servings that day. 

Erin was crowned Ms. Georgia College and I was so honored to be a part of her campaign. I was very proud of how everything looked and how smoothly the process ran. I learned a lot from this experience and I know better how to work with a team, delegate responsibilities and run a successful campaign. Thanks to everyone who supported Phi Mu and voted for Erin Gant!

It has been a while...

I apologize for my lack of blogging these past few months. It seems like I just blinked and I am now in my last semester of college. I am not really sure if I am prepared for this, it is a very bittersweet situation! I am very tired of school work and tests, but I am not ready to leave my friends and college behind. Maybe I will be fully ready for it all to end in May...we shall see! I am excited for my classes this semester, I am in the last advertising class and MSCM Senior Seminar so I know both of those will be difficult but I am looking forward to it. It is going to be a very busy semester and 2011 but I am ready to embrace it! In the meantime, if anyone knows of any entry level PR/Advertising jobs available in June, please let me know! I have not really begun my job search but I am getting there!

Shadow Day with the Dalton Agency

On Friday, October 29th, I shadowed Anna Burns at the Dalton Agency in Savannah, Georgia. The Dalton Agency, a national advertising and public relations firm, represents a wide range of global, national and regional clients. The agency provides award-winning creative designs and brand development, public and government relations, media placement, Web design, programming and television and radio production services.The Dalton Agency's headquarters are in Jacksonville, Florida but they have many branches, one which is in Savannah. Anna is their only employee but does an amazing job! I arrived at her apartment around 10a.m. and found out her only client is McDonalds. She is responsible for all of the PR and Advertising for McDonalds franchises that stretch from Charleston, SC to Brunswick, GA. Anna was so helpful, she entertained all of the questions I had and believe me, I had a lot! We started off by visiting a manager at his location and discussed their promotinal ideas for their grand re-opening after a renovation to the store. Their big event is on Black Friday and they are located next to the Savannah Mall so it should be a sucessful event. Anna has her hand in everything McDonalds does from the menu board designs to the advertisments placed in the newspapers. She is a very busy girl but is extremly organized. Anna has worked for the Dalton Agency for 5 years now and is wonderful at her job. I am so thankful I was able to shadow her for a day. I learned a lot about the profession and it really made me excited to get into the real world! Thanks Anna and the Dalton Agency for this wonderful opportunity!

PRSSA National Conference

Only five days until I fly to Washington DC to participate in the 2010 Public Relations Student Society of America's National Conference! I am so excited to participate in this opportunity and I sincerely hope I learn a lot for my future career in Public Relations.

(Each year, PRSSA and PRSA work to bring students like you unparalleled educational and professional development opportunities through the PRSSA National Conference. At Conference, you will have the opportunity to network with public relations professionals and make contacts with students from across the country. Resume workshops and speaker sessions will prepare you for the real world and show you how you can achieve success in this vast and exciting field.

Washington D.C. is filled with innovation and opportunity. As the host city of Conference, our historic capital provides the following advantages:

• Public relations firms to provide speakers and exhibitors.
• Politicians who can discuss public relations issues of domestic and international dimensions.
• Some of the nation's most respected journalists and media, such as The Washington Post.
• Museums that bring both history and culture to our city.
• Historical landmarks like the Washington Monument and the White House.
• A neighborhood for every mood, from trendy DuPont Circle to stately Capitol Hill.)

I am really looking forward to meeting the 2,000 professionals who will be at this event and although I may not get a job from it (which I am hoping I will be able to :) ), I am excited to hear from their experience in the profession and I am looking forward to all of the information I will learn! Stay tuned for the post Conference blog post to see how it all goes!

White Chicks Cherish Careers in PR

I recently found this post on the blog What White Chicks Cherish and thought it cute and also true...check it out!

White Chicks Cherish Careers in Public Relations and only Pharmaceutical Sales rivals PR in its white-chick-work-force dominance. Public Relations is a grueling and restless occupation—appointed with the dutiful task of portraying a perfect, socially acceptable appearance for exacting clients. And who expertly knows more about putting a glorious shine on appearance than the only species of human being capable of making sweat pants look adorable?

PR requires meticulous attention to detail, the ability to be charming in all social settings and a natural inclination for constant communication. There are plenty of social functions to plan and attend, demanding a relentless work ethic, a photogenic sense of style and the inherent need for of an arsenal of cute outfits. White chicks in PR work hard and play hard; the lines between the two commonly blurred. A Career in Public Relations affords white chicks dependable income and the chance to be engaged in social media while having an engaging social life. And they basically get to spend 40-plus hours a week talking to other white chicks.

White chicks were born for PR.

Help WWCC get some PR love on Facebook and Twitter!

Did You Know 4.0

1. Public Relations is more than just a party!

Most people associate public relations with party planning but there are a lot of logistics behind making the party successful. It is a beautiful thing to see an event unfold from start to finish and a huge sense of accomplishment that accompanies that.

2. The importance of social media.

Who knew Twitter and Blogs would play such an important role in my life. PR is taking a new direction and it is extremely important as a PR professional to know how to use social media.

3. Do not be afraid to beg.

PR is all about free stuff so do not be afraid or ashamed to beg for what you need. Connections are also very nice because they can usually get you what you want!

4. Good writing skills.

Having good writing skills is crucial in PR because we are constantly writing press releases, articles, newsletters or anything else someone may need. Being a good writer is important in any job so it is a great skill to have an continue to develop.

5. Network, Network, Network!

Get contacts from anyone and everyone you meet. You never know when they may have something that can help you. Look for networking contacts in the oddest places (grocery stores, weddings, conferences) you may be surprised who can help you out.

6. Do not procrastinate.

Procrastination can be your worst enemy. Do not wait until the last minute to do anything because you never know when it will need to change at the last minute and then you will not be prepared. Ask questions during your process to make sure you are on the right track.

7. Take things with a grain of salt.

If someone does not like your ideas do not take it personally. Keep shouting out ideas and brainstorming!

8. Be a team player.

Being able to work in a group is very important in PR. Work well no matter who your team mates are and be a contributing member.

9. PR women can do ANYTHING!

Never underestimate the power of a woman in PR. She knows how to do many many things in many many areas. She has connections anywhere and everywhere. She can make you look very good or very bad so stay on her good side!

10. Have fun!

We are in the best major around so make sure you have fun with it! No one can have more fun than us so keep a good attitude and spirit and do what you love.