What the Chuck?

Social media has given the general public a more active voice in the media than any other public relations campaign has ever accomplished. A prime example of this is the social media campaign that was launched regarding the possible cancellation of the NBC comedy series, Chuck.

Although the series Chuck has garnered a great deal of praise from critics and has translated into almost a “cult following”, this unfortunately has not translated into ratings success. Once rumors began to swirl that Chuck would possibly not be returning for a third season in the fall of 2009, devoted fans of the comedy quickly sprang to immediate action.

The TV blog “Give Me My Remote” were the catalysts behind the “Give Me My Chuck” movement. Bloggers encouraged fans of the NBC series to not only be sure to tune in every week for the end of Season 2, but also to encourage friends and family members to become devoted followers of the series. Many fans felt so passionately about the cancellation of Chuck that they too looked to the web to let out their frustration.

Following rumors of Chuck’s cancellation, Facebook pages dedicated to the “Save Chuck” campaign quickly began to grow on the web. Fans of Chuck were also encouraged to use their Facebook statuses to let Facebook friends not only know to watch Chuck, but to also join the different pages dedicated to the series. Tweeters would often use the hash-tags “#save chuck” or “#chuck” on Twitter, and many fans made their background images pictures supporting the series and campaign.

Because of the success of the fan-driven social media campaign, Chuck was eventually not only picked up for a third season, but has been renewed for a fourth season this fall. Social media has truly given fans and the general public power that they had previously never truly possessed. NBC realized that such a strong “cult following” could hopefully translate into ratings success for the series. The decision to “Save Chuck” reflects positively on NBC as a network dedicated to presenting quality television despite less than impressive ratings. It also portrays NBC as a network who truly values its dedicated fans.

How to Reach Your "Target"

As a junior in college, I’ve come to the understanding that Target is a critical means of survival for many college students across the country. From toiletries to apparel, they’ve truly provided all you can need in a “One-Stop-Shop.” Each summer I look forward to my trip to Target to purchase all of my dorm necessities.

 Target has sharply created a college brand in which students are able to purchase any and all of their dorm room needs. From XL-Twin sheets to stackable bins, if the college kid needs it, Target has it. This past summer, not only did Target sharply capitalize on the market that is college students (and believe me, it exists) but also knew the proper outlets to reach their “targets”.

This past summer, Target launched a social media campaign on Facebook dedicated to their College Collection. They decided to focus their Facebook page on dorm room survival. Their page featured a “Checklist” of all incoming freshman college needs, but also had different daily tips for future students. Naturally, the Facebook page featured multiple pictures of Target’s dorm merchandise. However, the Facebook page also had a feature that allowed students to upload pictures of their dorm rooms equipped with Target’s College Collection.

I thought that the ability of consumers to upload their own photos was the most brilliant aspect of the Target Facebook campaign. One of everyone’s favorite apps to Facebook is photos. While consumers got the thrill of having their photo blasted across the internet for all of Target’s “fans’” to see, Target was able to not only have their merchandise seen by more prospective customers, but also highlight that Target’s merchandise truly is the most functional for the college dorm.

Public Relations is defined as a means of two way communication between the company and their audience. Therefore, an opportunity for active participation from the audience needs to be a key feature of the social media campaign. While unhappy customer response could potentially backfire for a company launching a social media campaign, the Target College Necessities Facebook campaign was undoubtedly successful. As “Black Friday” and the Christmas shopping season approaches, I’m excited to see what Target, and their Facebook page, has in store for loyal customers.

Social Media and Crisis Communication

Throughout the semester, I have focused my blog on the appeal of social media and the contributions it has provided for the public relations industry. However, social media, like all other forms of legitimate PR, is also forced to address one of the negative aspects of public relations: crisis management and communication. Because of our sophisticated age of technology, information is able to travel at lightning speed. A negative comment or post about a company can be posted on the internet, and potentially viewed by millions within a matter of seconds. Therefore, it is necessary for a PR practitioner using social media to know how to accurately respond to all types of situations.

According to this article, “Surviving a Social Networking Crisis, although the internet provides a new outlet for public relations practitioners to address crises, the steps taken in addressing these issues should remain a constant. The author notes that the public relations representative or agency must address the problem, be honest, gauge a response from the audience, respond quickly, and assign a point person. These steps have been critical components of public relations crisis management in the past, and will be essential to social media crisis management as well.

The internet provides innovative opportunities to reach your audience, such as online video streaming, and new forms of audience feedback, such as comments or blogging. In spite of these modern elements that have aided the practice of public relations, PR pros must still engage in all of the necessary steps of crisis management and communication that have been respected in past public relations activity.

Comments on Peers Blogs

In Katerina Torres’ blog she notes how qualitative research can be conducted on social media websites, more specifically, Facebook. Torres writes that Facebook offers many different elements to the website that would allow a public relations professional to engage in legitimate research. Torres mentions that Discussion forums on the popular website can be an excellent approach for PR pros to actually understand their publics and target publics opinions, likes/dislikes, etc. Torres also notes that these forums offer a duel opportunity for a PR practitioner to not only engage in qualitative research, but unobtrusive research as well. When a person posts on a Facebook wall, newsfeed, discussion, etc., they really have no concept of how many potential people can reach this message. Therefore, it would seem natural that PR pros could use these posts to unobtrusively study their targets. 

                Francesca’s blog also mentions how social media websites are quickly becoming an important research tool in the public relations industry. She notes how many companies, more specifically in the film industry, will post videos on YouTube and other sites to examine how their potential targets have reacted to a video, trailer, etc. Researchers can then wager what is the best approach to further disseminate their information into the media. Social media websites also offer the positive aspect of often being free, while other forms of research, such as focus groups and interviews, can often be extremely costly for a researcher or firm. Because of this financial save, it would seem like a “no brainer” for researchers and agencies to use social media websites as a main source of research.

Social Media Breakfast: The Present and Future of Social Media

                Quinnipiac’s Social Media Breakfast took place on October 15 and was led by Phil Simon, a Quinnipiac Graduate Communications Professor. The panel consisted of local Communications professionals, including Dan Weingrod, Kevin Downs, Kristen De Ferraro and Ben Kunz. The panel chose to focus specifically on four aspects of Social Media:

·         Social Media and Advertising

·         Returns on Social Media Campaigns

·         What strategies can Social Media Experts use to reach specific audiences

·         What’s in store for the future of Social Media

                Kristen Del Ferraro is a representative from Humongo, a digital marketing agency. Del Ferraro noted that Social Media has forced Media, as a whole, to be a much more cohesive entity. “Ads on TV and Billboards now have Facebook and Twitter tags,” said Del Ferraro.  “Media hasn’t changed. The way it’s produced and distributed has.”

                Throughout the seminar, all four representatives noted that a Social Media campaign is a necessary strategy for all members of the Communications field. Social Media is such a novel idea as a legitimate form of Communications, that many professionals have had difficulty adjusting to Social Media, as well as learning how to implement it properly into a campaign. “A lot of marketers don’t understand how to use Social Media,” said Dan Weingrod, a rep from Cronin and Company. “PR pros recognize that things change, and we have to deal with it. PR has reacted more favorably to Social Media than Advertisers and Marketers.”

                So what’s in store for the future of Social Media? Has it grown so quickly that soon it will be so common that it will become overkill? All of the members of the panel agreed that Social Media will become an extremely valuable resource in the Communications field as long as professionals know how to accurately and concisely reach their targets. If the professionals are not pursuing the interests and concerns of their target markets through their Social Media campaigns, there is chance that the followers will reject the outlet as a viable source to receive information.

Target Feedback: How Social Media Can Trump the Rest

The introduction of social media as a viable tool in public relations has forced pros to adapt to writing for the web. In her article “Writing a PR Plan to Incorporate Social Media,” Mary White does an outstanding job of highlighting the most essential differences in writing for online. White notes that public relations writing in the past focused on having your information “outbounded” to traditional mediums like newspapers and magazines. Writing for a social media campaign facilitates information directly to your targets on your social media pages like company websites, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, etc.

White highlights that the most significant and important aspect of a social media campaign is the ability for the target audience to give direct feedback about the company’s product, service, etc. White writes, “Simply having a presence in social media outlets is not sufficient. You need to actively participate them [the audience].”

Public Relations is often defined as a means of two way communication between a company and their targets. However, traditional means of public relations often don’t allow for necessary feedback, or rather, communication, from your audience. While using traditional media sources, like newspapers, is a means of reaching your target, the feedback you will receive from the audience is minimal. One would need to read an article, and then go out of their way to contact a company about their responses. Articles, posts, links, etc. that are displayed on social media websites for a company usually have an option attached for reader commentary. This accessibility will often prompt most readers to give his/her response to the announcement. The heavy amount of feedback is without a doubt a strong component in future decision making.

 In a suffering economy, every company needs to be able to hear the wants and needs from their targets directly. I believe that social media often offers a duel pro for companies: It is often more cost effective than traditional media forms and offers an opportunity for audiences to give more direct and specific feedback.

QU Social Media Breakfast

Social media has become such a prevailing tool in the world of Communications that it is becoming a necessary component of education. For example, a major component of our Public Relations Research course is dedicated to weekly blogging, one of the most dominant forms of social media. The social media trend that is currently dominating the public relations industry has not gone unnoticed by educators in the field, specifically, here at Quinnipiac.

The graduate interactive communications program is co-sponsoring a Social Media Breakfast with Cronin and Company and Mediassociates. The event is scheduled to begin on October 15, and will continue to be held every six weeks throughout the remainder of the school year. The Social Media Breakfasts will consist of panel discussions by leading professionals in the Connecticut area, talk backs, presentations, etc. The main goal of this conference series is to establish discussion of how the emerging tool of social media can be viewed as a more permanent and respected aspect of PR, advertising, etc. in Connecticut. Cronin and Company, one of the sponsors, have used multiple forms of social media, like Facebook events, Twitter, etc. to gain more publicity for the conference.

It is essential for all PR programs and educators adapt to the constantly changing medias available. Students hoping to have a career PR need to have the appropriate skills to work in the multiple channels that have not only existed in the industry, but are beginning to emerge. “Our students are studying social media and to hear professionals discuss how it is used day-to-day is invaluable,” said Phillip Simon, director of Quinnipiac’s graduate interactive Communications program.

The first conference in the Social Media Breakfast Series will take place October 15^th at 7:30 AM. The series will be held each week in the Mancheski Seminar Room of the Lender Business Center.

Social Media and Other Aspects of PR

Public Relations is a vital component of all industries and businesses.  Whether a public relations professional is working for a non-profit, a business corporation, or involved in the entertainment industry, social media has become a universal tool for all practitioners.

 In Alexis Gerleit’s blog on Public Relations and Fashion she notes how social media became an emerging component of this year’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. Gerleit mentions that at many prominent line launches, shows were aired live over the internet. By broadcasting these launches live, fashion lovers around the world had the opportunity to catch emerging fashion at the same time as celebrities, fashion elite, etc. Gerleit also writes how many designers and celebrities used social media sites, like Twitter, this fashion week. Celebrities used social sites like Twitter to let fans know which shows celebrities would be attending, but also snapping pictures and instantly uploading the images to their accounts.  

Social media has become such a dominant aspect of the PR industry that ethical conduct of online practitioners has become a heavily debated subject. One branch under the social media umbrella, blogging, is often debated as to what extent its users ethics should be questioned. I found Steph Ferris’s post on Bloggers Code of Ethics to be extremely relevant to the current state of public relations. I agree with Ferris’ opinion that if a PR pro is using a blog as a legitimate public relations tool, than all business ethics need to be incorporated into their campaign. It is irresponsible for a practitioner to not uphold a blog to the same ethical standard they would for any other element of their campaign. While I agree that a blog is often used by the general public as a mean of creative expression, when a PR pro is running/maintaining a blog for a client, ethical conduct is a necessity.

As social media continues to evolve into a dominant form of public relations, there needs to be guidelines for ethical conduct. If public relations professionals are not upheld to a moral and ethical business standard, then any reliability PR social media has is questionable. If PR pros are willing to use social media outlets as a means of gaining publicity for their client, cause, etc., then they need to be held accountable for the message they propel into the media.

Social Media: A Necessary Component of PR

Social media is swiftly becoming an essential component of all media campaigns. A survey conducted by the Public Relations Society of America found that over 80 percent of practitioners surveyed believe that social media will remain a key element of public relations and 90 percent believe that it is a significant element of any communications plan. Because of the vitality that social media brings to a public relations campaign, it is essential that social media efforts are reflected in the time, effort and most importantly, budget, of the campaign.

PR Professional Paola Faessler’s capstone on the use of social media in non-profit organizations proposes multiple reasons as to why a social media campaign requires adequate attention and finances to be successful. Faessler mentions that since many of the most common and popular media outlets (like Facebook, Twitter, etc.) are free, there needs to be a substantial budget given to the public relations professional overseeing the social media element of the campaign. Faessler also mentions that social media needs to be a measurable tool for the public relations professional running the campaign. I believe that if a public relations professional plans to use a social media website as any component of their campaign, a tangible goal is necessary. Once they have gotten their message out to the audience (in the form of blogs, posts, etc), it is the duty of a public relations pro to use databases, like Cision, to discover how many prospective clients/customers are viewing these sites. The public relations professional can also use the responses posted from their audience as a means of gathering qualitative research and understanding about the consumers’ needs.

 I believe that a public relations professional needs to launch a multi-dimensional social media campaign to discover if this is the appropriate outlet to reach an audience. In an extremely competitive economy an appealing website is no longer a strong enough asset for a campaign. The public relations pro needs to use blogs, videos, photo sharing, etc. to entice their potential consumers. Once the practitioner has completed a unique and multi-dimensional social media campaign, they can firmly determine if social media is the best media outlet to fulfill the goals of their clients.

Social Media and Research: The Effects on PR

The use of social media in public relations has undoubtedly broadened the industry within the last few years. While multiple businesses and companies have been forced to make cuts and lay-offs, specifically over the last two years, the PR industry has not been tainted. In fact, the PR industry has continued to thrive. 75 percent of agencies surveyed by the Council of PR firms said that their companies have actually grown since the beginning of 2010. Over 80 percent of agencies surveyed also noted growth in 2010 of overall revenue. For more details, check out this article.

PR professional’s understanding of the uses of social media is the main explanation why PR is a growing field in a perishing economy. PR agencies have played the most vital role in developing social media outlets and digital efforts for key clients. Ketchum has worked on social media projects for many recognizable clients like Kodak and Best Buy, while PR firm Edelman has handled the social media for large corporate clients such as eBay.

It is undeniable that the relationship between public relations and social media is not only very much alive, but will continue to flourish. Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman PR Agency, notes that the new digital age of public relations is a necessity for any business to expand. The digital age presents many more challenges and obstacles for a company, and more specifically, the company’s reputation. This factor has forced PR pros to respond quickly to challenges, and knowing which outlet is most suitable to reach their audience. This has inherently placed public relations professionals at a higher level of worth in every company or business. 

Social Media public relations is becoming such a critical component of the PR industry that professionals are learning how to target research tools specifically towards social media. Social media monitoring companies have developed software which allows companies to review online posts and conversations for further analysis. Once a client has developed their research goals, pr professionals have the ability to build data and then take feedback from consumers and turn it into metric results. These metric results will allow a PR pro to evaluate consumer’s attitudes and opinions on the company’s product, service, etc. Check out this article for a more in depth analysis.

I believe that having a firm grasp on the importance of social media and having the skill set to use multiple media outlets is essential for all PR professionals. Building an online campaign through a “digital media shop” is simply not sufficient in the world of constantly evolving internet. PR practitioners who know how to actively run a social media website will have an edge over competing public relations pros because they not only have the necessary writing skills for the profession, but most importantly, know how to reach their prospective audience through appropriate media outlets.

Focus of Blog: Social Media

Since the birth of public relations in the early 20th century, press releases have remained a fairly static and constant means for PR professionals to gain publicity for their clients. However, the birth of the internet in the early 90’s and its emergence as a major component of media has had a considerable effect on how public relations practitioners operate. In the last ten years, social media has had the largest impact on how the industry functions. While it is without question that pr professionals need to adapt to our constantly evolving technology, as well as the emergence of the internet as a major form of communication, at what extent will the social media replace the traditional public relations practices of the past? This is the question and focus my blog will develop.


In an economy where the public is now forced to make educated and careful decisions about where they invest their money, it is necessary for public relations professionals to be able to get feedback from the public about their wants and needs. Therefore, pr practitioners need active audience participation and feedback to create a functional access between the clients they are representing and the public. Social media websites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and multiple other emerging websites are bridging the gap between the public and companies. Here is a link with an article examining these features in more detail:

http://mashable.com/2010/08/16/pr-social-media-future/

I believe that the human element that social media adds to public relations is the main reason why it has become such a dominant part of the industry. Although there are many dilemmas and issues attached to social media public relations, it is currently the most vital tool for companies to build relationships with their publics. Naturally, social media needs to be a main focus for many public relations practitioners and professionals.